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Topic: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze (Read 1350 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #25 –
Paul

I love the 25' Eddie Bauer Airstream. Too bad they are not made anymore. I have not seen one for sale for a while. Too bad. I sure would like to see one in person.

Ron
Ron and Linda
Ada Michigan
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #26 –
Quote from: paul banbury  - 
Airstream Class Cs? I know the Class Bs well, but not a C.

In a conversation with someone in the RV component industry a couple of weeks ago, Airstream is currently developing a class C on the Sprinter chassis.  Crowded market - they're probably counting on name/advertising recognition.  LTV and PleasureWay are way ahead of the pack with build quality in that space.
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #27 –
Quote from: Andy Baird  - 
I'm in a mostly-sunny location

The photo you posted on the other thread looked like it was taken on US395 between Lee Vining and June lake. Are you in the Eastern Sierra? Previously in Mammoth, now on some BLM land?

BTW, my shadow guru, besides checking out some different models at the Airstream dealer, I also went by and drove the twin turbo V6 F150. As you mentioned, there's a ton of reference material at the AS board, with complete spec/ordering sheet details to get the right model & tow options.

I think we'll stick with our LD for the near future, especially since we're still on the short getaway plan. But, it doesn't take a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. The vehicle technology curve is extremely steep; coupling a modern TV with a static, high value coach that retains its re-sale value is a no brainer.

The demise of LD - if it ever comes to that - will be due to an inability to adapt to the new, modern platforms being released. The vehicle side is changing so rapidly that any future builder will need to address the importance of modularity so they don't become wed to one single platform.

If you told a "there's no substitute for cubic inches" car guy like me that the hot new ticket for a *truck* was a turbocharged V6, I'd tell them they were crazy. And yet, 375 HP, 470 TQ ain't no lie. To slip into the vernacular, are you sh!tting me?

2018 Ford® F-150 Truck | Best in Class Towing & Payload Capability Features...
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #28 –
"...coupling a modern TV with a static, high value coach that retains its re-sale value is a no brainer."
----
For some, perhaps; for others, inappropriate and unworkable for their particular RV life and travel styles.

YMMV.

2003 TK has a new home
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #29 –
"My 39 + 39 gallon holding tanks are only about half full ..."

How you do dat?
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #30 –
"Are you in the Eastern Sierra?"

Yep. It's a nice area at this time of year.

"coupling a modern TV with a static, high value coach..."

I only recently learned that "TV" can be shorthand for "tow vehicle." :-) But as Joan said, truck + trailer doesn't make sense for everyone.

"How you do dat?"

You mean how do I make my tanks last two weeks? The usual water-saving tricks: "Navy" showers every other day; running shower water into a jug until it's hot, then using that to wash dishes; wiping dishes with a paper towel before washing them; and so on. Short toilet flushes--now that I don't have a midbath LD with its long, angled sewer pipe, I don't need to use as much water to flush.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #31 –
Quote from: Andy Baird  - 
as Joan said, truck + trailer doesn't make sense for everyone

For us, right now a TV + trailer makes little sense. We only take our 22' LD out for 1, maybe 2 night stays, usually within 40-70 miles. Also, about half the time we go to the beach, which adds another level of consideration. For one, Calif state parks charge - for day use - an add'l surcharge on vehicles over 25'. For two, the beach can get crowded, so wheeling around a trailer searching for a place to park isn't fun.

However, the trade-off equation is actually quite simple with respect to two factors: (a) standing time spent per location; and (b) distance driven to reach the respective location. If we were retired and regularly driving for 2-3 days - say to get to Montana - and we were planning on staying in one location for two weeks once we got there, then the TV + trailer would be the way to go.

Which, of course, is why so many AS are being sold. While the RV business trends older for obvious reasons, the people looking at the AS were clearly in the drive & stay camp. But the quick turnaround market - which we represent - is also quite strong as evidenced by the interest in class B.

There's obviously a market niche for what LD provides - we currently fit it perfectly. But times change, technology improves and companies need to adapt. There's no loyalty when significant personal financial decisions are made by consumers - as witnessed by the very choice you made.
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #32 –

"If you told a 'there's no substitute for cubic inches' car guy like me that the hot new ticket for a truck was a turbocharged V6, I'd tell them they were crazy. And yet, 375 HP, 470 TQ ain't no lie."

Here's what is a lie: the way it sounds. It turns out that many new engines are so (relatively) quiet that buyers don't feel they're getting all the power they paid for. So Ford and other manufacturers came up with a solution: fake engine noise. When you step on the gas and your V6 purrs to life, they inject the roar of a V8 into the cab sound system. I am not making this up!

When I first heard about this, I thought it was the most idiotic idea I'd ever heard of. (Still do, come to that.) In fact, I could hardly believe it. But recently when I wanted to alter some annoying behaviors of my 2017 F-150 (e.g., honking twice when the driver's door is closed while the engine is running), I used a cheap Windows tablet, Bluetooth ODB II dongle, and a program called FORScan to tweak a few of the truck's gazillion hidden parameters. Among them I found the setting for fake engine noise, and of course turned it off.

I forgot about it until a few days later, when I took a trip and noticed that the truck seemed quieter than usual. "That's interesting," I thought. A few miles further down the road, I realized why: no more fake engine noise!

To deliberately make a vehicle noisier boggles my imagination. (Yes, I know about electric cars, which can be so quiet that pedestrians may not hear them coming. No risk of that with my pickup.) Thank goodness I was able to turn off this "feature," even if I had to wade through Windows 10's schizophrenic user experience on an $80 tablet to do it. ;-)

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #33 –

P.S.--I don't blame anyone who questions my sanity. "What is it with Andy Baird? First he abandons his beloved Lazy Daze for a trailer... then he buys a Windows computer. What next--a pit bull?" ;-)

Actually, I just got a lovely cat a few days ago. I'd been without one for more than a year, since Alix died, so it was time.

As for the Windows tablet, I regard it as strictly a Ford-tweaking tool--a fancy ODB II reader, if you will. I didn't even connect it to the internet, so there's no risk of malware infections. I deleted all the standard app tiles from the home screen. All it does is run FORScan. That's all I need it for.

(I will say that it's a surprisingly nice piece of hardware for eighty bucks. If you have the need to run Windows on a tablet occasionally, you could do worse.)

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #34 –
Cute cat Andy! Does he/she have a name yet?
Daughter of the first Lazy Bones
Hitting the road on my own and with a friend 🚐 while reporting back to the Lazy Bones at home 🛋

2 Lazy Bones - Home
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #35 –
A fine looking kitty, Andy!
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #36 –
I think I'll call her Sierra, since that's where I was when I got her.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #37 –
By the way, the whole fake engine noise thing reminds me of Mattel's 1963 V-RROOM Hot-Rodder Engine.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #38 –
Andy, the concern about engine sound is shared by Formula 1 racing. In discussion about rules for the 2021 Grand Prix season, this is what Mercedes (leader in the series) racing director had to say relative to sound:

"Cost of development needs to be under control, it needs to be high tech, hybrid, the power-to-weight ratio needs to be better than it is now, and we need to look at the quality of sound.

This is what I want in my next truck too!
Paul
'92 Mid Bath
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #39 –
It appears that the automotive and motor sport industry are putting a lot of effort into "sound quality". For electric car manufacturers, a little audio enhancement may do well to announce their creations arrival on crowded city streets.

Here is a low tech answer that is truly a cheap fix in anyone's book.  https://youtu.be/FLimv9aL2WQ

Old school solutions are sometimes the best.

Kent
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
 
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #40 –
Quote from: Andy Baird  - 
"If you told a 'there's no substitute for cubic inches' car guy like me that the hot new ticket for a truck was a turbocharged V6, I'd tell them they were crazy. And yet, 375 HP, 470 TQ ain't no lie."

Here's what is a lie: the way it sounds. It turns out that many new engines are so (relatively) quiet that buyers don't feel they're getting all the power they paid for. So Ford and other manufacturers came up with a solution: fake engine noise. When you step on the gas and your V6 purrs to life, they inject the roar of a V8 into the cab sound system. I am not making this up!

When I first heard about this, I thought it was the most idiotic idea I'd ever heard of. (Still do, come to that.) In fact, I could hardly believe it. But recently when I wanted to alter some annoying behaviors of my 2017 F-150 (e.g., honking twice when the driver's door is closed while the engine is running), I used a cheap Windows tablet, Bluetooth ODB II dongle, and a program called FORScan to tweak a few of the truck's gazillion hidden parameters. Among them I found the setting for fake engine noise, and of course turned it off.

I forgot about it until a few days later, when I took a trip and noticed that the truck seemed quieter than usual. "That's interesting," I thought. A few miles further down the road, I realized why: no more fake engine noise!

To deliberately make a vehicle noisier boggles my imagination. (Yes, I know about electric cars, which can be so quiet that pedestrians may not hear them coming. No risk of that with my pickup.) Thank goodness I was able to turn off this "feature," even if I had to wade through Windows 10's schizophrenic user experience on an $80 tablet to do it. ;-)
"To deliberately make a vehicle noisier boggles my imagination"

But what about the wonderful sound from a dual Hollywood muffler/exhaust system on the V-8s of the 50s and 60s. The more they sounded like an idling Chris Craft, the better.

Chris
As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #41 –
Haha!  when I was a kid we used playing cards!
2004 26.5 MB
Enjoying retirement traveling, Rzr riding, photography, and of course the 2 grand girls!
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #43 –
Quote from: Chris Horst  - 
"To deliberately make a vehicle noisier boggles my imagination"

But what about the wonderful sound from a dual Hollywood muffler/exhaust system on the V-8s of the 50s and 60s. The more they sounded like an idling Chris Craft, the better.

Chris
Ford, or the aftermarket, could sell an add-on that would allow you to pick the sound you want.
If you want a Model A sound, you could have it.
The whole idea of adding a V8 sound to a V6 is lame, it should have been a V12.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #44 –
"But what about the wonderful sound from a dual Hollywood muffler..."

Garbage noise! Just the thing I try to avoid. That's why I seek out remote boondocking sites... natural sounds I willingly accept! The pox on loud mufflers, diesels and motorcycles!

Where's the EPA when you need them?   >:(
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #45 –
Quote from: Sarz272000  - 
Paul

I love the 25' Eddie Bauer Airstream. Too bad they are not made anymore. I have not seen one for sale for a while. Too bad. I sure would like to see one in person.

Ron

Paul,
Is that the one with the back door that opens?  If so, there is one in Orange County airstream here in CA.  We walked through it the other day.

Ramon
2000 Mid-Bath
2012 Lance 830 Truck Camper/2006 Cummins Dodge Ram Megacab
1985 Multi Plan - Donated to the American Breast Cancer Foundation.
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #46 –
Yes Ramon, that is the one. The rear is a lounge that is very configurable to our needs. For now it's just a whim. Our LD is our favorite RV and I am building a small camping van too.
Paul
'92 Mid Bath
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #47 –
I had read about Ford engineering sound effects to replicate the aural sensation of a V8. On the flip side, reviewers have remarked how quiet Ford was able to make the F150 cab through the judicious application of insulation, sound deadening and suspension tuning.

While on the topic of sound, we're looking at getting the new 2018 Honda Odyssey. It has an upgraded 280hp engine, with the Touring version coupled with their new 10 speed transmission. But what is of specific interest besides the mechanics are the improved sound deadening effects.

I took it out for a spin the other day and of course gunned it off the light. The only thing missing is AWD, which would allow you to possibly drift it in the right conditions. So, what's a car guy doing testing an Odyssey? Well, as someone who racked up speeding tickets as a youth - including 3 in one year in a 5.0 CHP lookalike special back in my formative years - I've always been sensitive about avoiding tickets.

It's taken years to get smart and develop appropriate tactics, but it seems to work since I haven't had a ticket in almost 20 years. One key advantage I've found is that a pumped up family van is practically impossible to draw the attention of LEO. My usual tactic is to track someone from behind, allowing me to drive via the rear mirror. I can't tell you how many times I've spotted a cruiser way back, and without hitting the brakes, simply come off the gas and slowly coast out of the lane. Sure enough, the LEO comes rushing up and nails the guy in front.

The new Odyssey would be like a super quiet space ship (oxymoron?). You could really haul ass with impunity. That's why I was also interested in the new F150. The overall technology curve is so steep that performance aspects are really jumping. HP, TQ, suspension and sound (deadening) make driving so easy & comfortable that it really reduces any fatigue factor. (Not to mention the new integrated tow package with a nifty 'dial' assist + camera for backing in/parking.)

That's the reason for my comments about LD. The performance gap wasn't that evident even a decade ago. But now it's growing quite large, and isn't helped by LD being a small private company with no real succession plan and/or deep pockets for re-tooling. They seem to be locked into the E450 come hell or high water.

In some ways, one could speculate that the class C market was a temporary phenomenon (albeit 50 years old) that was enabled by fairly static platforms. But now the division is becoming quite evident & large, with the new F150 representing only the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps this why the TT market seems to be seeing a resurgence at the higher end, which appears to be what AS is experiencing.

Andy has obviously done his homework; if you visit the airboard, there's a whole crew of people who know the score.
Re: Strange Post on iRV2.com about Lazy Daze
Reply #48 –
Just a thought ..... all major RV makers are using the E450 not just LD.    Oh I agree its very very old tech and someday Ford will stop making them.   But its pure profit for them at this point in time.    With the new gas standards being repealed  I'm sure the E450 have had a few years put back on its life span. 

glen
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King