✨Welcome to The Wright Life. We are Rick and Lisa, a faith first ✝️ couple who retired early to pursue our dream of travel ✈️
Our channel is all about our adventures in retirement, Airstream tips, and the lessons we learn along the way. We hope to inspire you to pursue your retirement and travel dreams.
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* Note: All content on this channel is for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV or financial experts. Please consult an expert as required. All rights reserved.
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We love our REI 20X! Have now been in it for 4 weeks after several weekends!
If we could have a 2nd Airstream it would be a REI 20X. I think they are a really great option for adventure camping. Safe travels and happy camping ⛺️
Looks like we will be in it through October! A dream 🛌 come true!
Hi, I just want to thank you *so much* for this series of videos about repairing your leaks. After 7 years, I've experienced both mice and a leak this spring/summer for the first time. I am not someone with a lot of tools or experience with handy(wo)man stuff and our local Airstream shop hasn't taken on repairs for years. So I get nervous/bummed/despondent when something crops up. But your comment about just getting on with it, and your doing that on video when faced with setbacks, has been inspiring for me. Plus actually seeing the work you're doing is also so helpful. I can see that one can actually take these things apart and put them back together again. It can be done. I have a couple of questions: I'm not clear on what sealant to use where. You use diflor on the roof, Sika somewhere else, parbond?. Could you talk about what places on the trailer need what kind of sealant/caulking sometime? Also, on the bumper rail, could you have just run Sika or parbond or diflor along the top edge of the channel where it meets the side of the airstream rather than taking the whole thing apart? Take care and thanks again! Kim
Hi Kim, thank you for your comments and kind words. We are happy to hear our videos have been helpful. As for your questions, I used Dicor lap sealant on the roof around the vents and skylights. It is self leveling so the surface needs to be flat. I used the Sikaflex sealant along the seams behind the lower belt line to stop the water leak that damaged our floor. The para bond was a clear sealant that I used along the top of the lower beltline (bumper rail) as a way to prevent water from getting behind the bumper trim. With any of these sealants or other brands, the most important step in their use is to properly clear and prepare the surface. If you don’t clean the surface well or leave some of the old sealant you risk the new sealant not sticking well and/or coming up. I hope this answers your questions. Safe travels and happy camping.
@@thewrightlife Thanks so much! That is really helpful!
Well done Rick! Way to go ahead and get it done! Yes, the numbers and letters get smaller every year. 😂 Michelle
Thanks…we’re looking forward to our upcoming trip to the Great Lakes. Safe travels
Love your disclaimer at the beginning, was the best!! 🤣 The LVP flooring is a great choice for what you are doing. Curves are hard! The bathroom is so small, it is difficult to move. That looks great Rick! WOOHOO! 🥳 Nice work. Hope you will be able to get back on the road now. 🤗Jim & Michelle
Nice job on the floor repair. Takes some guts to take a project like that on.
Mike…thanks for the comment. Not sure it was guts or just ignorant naivety but we are happy it’s complete. Safe travels.
Looks great Rick and Lisa. Hope you are now able to get back on the road and enjoy all your hard work! Safe travels!
Thank you…we can’t wait to hit the road again. Happy camping and safe travels.
Q?? Did you let your flooring acclimate before the install??
Yes…but since it’s not a climate controlled area I’m not sure it will matter much.
Nicely Done and what you can afford and what you can't afford is nobody's business.
I like your meticulous work! Did you calculate the weight added by the new flooring?
We did a rough estimate but plan to hit the CAT Scale on our next trip. At least the added weight is evenly distributed on the floor so our center of gravity shouldn’t be impacted.
Great video and you guys have skills! Safe travels!
Thanks Mike. Happy camping and safe travels to you as well.
Beautiful! Betsy and I want a personal tour in Sedalia!
Just flag us down. We’d be happy to give you guys a tour.
@@thewrightlife, just kidding but we do really want to meet you there!
👍
Thanks for such a detailed video for a big problem. Did you cut the linoleum across the AS before pulling it up or was it already two (or more) pieces?
We cut the linoleum and then pulled it up. I kept it the old linoleum just in case I needed it as a template. That was before we installed the vinyl plank flooring in our most recent video. Thanks for your comment/questions. Safe travels.
Would love to take a look at this project at International, safe travels
That shouldn’t be a problem. Perhaps we will cross paths at the rally. Happy camping and safe travels. 🙂
Floor turned out great. Hilarious video. Michigan’s on my bucket list too.
Thanks. Safe travels
Well done. Looks great!
Thank you…we learned a lot about our Airstream throughout this entire process. Safe travels
I think the new flooring looks superb. A friend told me that you need to be a carpenter, electrician, plumber, sheet metal worker, auto mechanic, and cook if you plan to own an Airstream (or any other RV for that matter). Very true. You are definitely showing those skills while enhancing and improving your Airstream. Hope to see you at Alumalina.
We are definitely a jack of all trades and masters of none 🤣. Thanks for watching and happy camping.
Very nice. Love the look. We will miss seeing you at the rally this year. We will be on our 3 month long trip through Canada and back down the Northwest coast trip at that time.
That sounds like a great trip. We hope to make a trip into Canada 🇨🇦 in the next year or so. Safe travels.
Maintenance and upgrades are all part of the “Adventure inspired by Airstream.” We have a 2010, so we get all of it! Maybe we’ll see you at the International 😊
Thanks for the comment. If you see us at the international please say hello. We love meeting fellow Airstreamers. Safe travels
Job well done.
Thanks for watching!
When I replaced my beltline trim 2 years ago, I also noticed that the beltline was secured by mostly screws. It doesn't make sense to me either.
I was told by a former AS technician that it is common for AS to use both screws and rivets to secure the lower beltline. Especially on the covered areas.
Love the new floor - you did a great job Rick!
Hi Guys…thanks for the kind words. Lisa picked out the flooring and I just installed it (teamwork you know). Safe travels and happy camping ⛺️
The floor looks great and we were certainly not offended by your craftsmanship! We'll be at Sedalia and we should consider if we want to get the KZreadrs together in some fashion...
Hey Guys…thanks for watching. I think a get together at the ACI rally would be great 👍
Very nice job and thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching. Safe travels
Beautiful Job! Congrats!!!
Thanks. We’re glad to have it completed and ready for our Fall trip.
Great Job guys! Safe adventures
Thanks…we are glad to have it completed and excited for our upcoming trips.
Beautiful guys, excellent work!
Thanks…we really appreciate it.
Looks like a great color for the flooring. An excellent job with the flooring and the trim.
Half the challenge was picking the flooring color. That was all Lisa. I’m just the install guy 🤣
Looks fantastic!!!! Your patience and determination paid off.
Patience isn’t my strength… but we are very happy with the results. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Looks great! Good job as I’m sure it was tedious. See you at the rally!
Thanks for the kind words. We hope to meet as many people at the rally as possible Safe travels.
Never buy an AS that does not have the new composite flooring. I am shopping now for another AS and won’t even consider a wood floor.
I would agree. The composite floor is the most significant change to AS manufacturing in years. If we were to buy another AS it would have the composite floors.
This is why I’m surprised anyone would buy a pre owned airstream with a wood floor.
At the time we bought our Airstream, there were no composite floors manufactured yet. That said, the new composite floors are a game changer in my opinion and will greatly enhance the durability and life of a well maintained Airstream.
Great work
Thanks. We really appreciate the support to the channel. Safe travels and happy camping.
When you make it to Michigan look us up, we're a Boondocker's Welcome Host in Kalamazoo
Great looking job!
Thanks. We were very happy with the results. Safe travels.
Nice Video! Like previously mentioned, Manual adjustment of the adjuster with a brake adjusting tool, Also taking some Krylon Paint to the rusty torsion axle, and then making sure to re-torque after going down the road for a little ways is always a great idea.
Thanks for watching and the advice/tips. Always trying to learn from others. Safe travels
I have a 33' Classic and tow with a GMC one ton duly, my hitch is a Equalizer that i never take off.. i have chevron warning tape on the bars and use two parking spaces when not in tow.. i am looking into the Airsafe for the smoother ride for the AS and less bounce... i will leave the hitch on as a 70 yo single woman traveler... i'm sure there are some critics out there against this, but i take plenty of precautions for the safety of others that do not pay attention to where they are walking.. Do you know if JC Airstream installs these? I think i may budget for it
I don’t believe JC sells or installs the Airsafe hitch but can’t say for sure. Best of luck and safe travels
You can buy foam pipe insulation instead of the noodle. It already has the slit. Just cut to size
Another big black eye for Airstream…
surprised you didnt' add solar on it!
Never really thought about it, but like the concept. Perhaps someday?
Excellent overview! Just subscribed to your channel- looking forward to watching more.
Thanks for watching and supporting our small channel! Safe travels and happy camping!
You had me until $2K 😮. Great video, thank you for the information
Great video, thank you Colonel.
Thanks for the video. It confirmed the job I just did on my Airstream using Lippert self-adjusting brakes which are identical to the Dexter brakes but a lot less expensive. Lippert uses 3M Scotchlok connectors for the wires which are easy to use and solid. Lippert also includes new locknuts which I believe etrailer charges extra for. Also you didn’t mention anything about burnishing your new brakes. Lippert recommends this so the brakes start grabbing right away rather than taking forever on the road.
Rick, I now need to replace the “shower sweep”. Where did you purchase your replacement? Can you send me the link? TIA!
I purchased our shower sweep from Woodland Airstream online store. Here is a link woodlandairstreamparts.com/products/airstream-drip-vinyl-shower-door-sweep-703911-100?_pos=1&_sid=6065a29fb&_ss=r
@@thewrightlife - thanks. Order placed!
@LeeH-Ranger83 glad to help out!
Great video! You didn’t mention the manual pre-adjustment. If the brakes start off too loose, the magnet can over rotate, damaging the wire or hanging up the brake mechanism. It could take dozens of actuations before the they finish self-adjusting, causing some amount of risk to your new brakes. You can manually adjust the star gear through the hole in the back of the drum until you can just feel/hear a little drag.
Thanks for the comment. Safe travels and happy camping.
I’m not certain, but it looks like you put the jack stand under the axle? That seems reasonable, but I’ve wondered about this, given the dire warnings about using the jack points. How do we know any particular point is ok to bear that much weight? For example, the axles have the built-in alignment bent into them. Aside from that, assuming you didn’t need the hydraulic jack somewhere else, that you could use the jack stand as a safety and avoid the issue. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Separately, those channel locks are not going to make a good connection. Maybe I would consider butt connectors with low temperature solder that you join using a heat gun. Thanks for this video.
I don't think the jack stand was under the axle, it appeared correctly positioned under the frame.
Good job on the brake changes. About the only thing I'd do different is put some shrink wrap over the heat shrink butt connectors, just as a little extra protection. I had the magnet wires break in 3 out of 4 assemblies on my camper!!! But luckily Lippert sent me 4 brand new assemblies to swap out with! Thanks for sharing.
Excellent video!
Thanks!!! 👍