Just returned from having my Interstate serviced down in Phoenix and had the opportunity to look around a new (2015) Interstate Grand Tour. Particularly interesting since Airstream don’t appear to have published anything on it yet.
Had to brave the 107 degree heat so I didn’t hang around too long, but here are some things I noted:
1) All the tall furniture is on one side behind the driver, and includes a big fridge with separate freezer door - great.
2) The bathroom is larger because the toilet end is now squared off. Makes it look more useable. However, the sink end is still tapered to the half-size wardrobe behind it, so the sink is still the silly corner one. Pity they didn’t square off this end too, so they could have used a more useable centralized sink with overhead bathroom cabinet instead of the shaving mirror.
3) Forward of the fridge is another wardrobe with a couple of removable shelves at the top, and three (I think) sliding drawer below. So it's a flexible layout. But the sliding drawers felt very rough to the touch. A poor impression.
4) On the other side is a long low-level unit. There is no third passenger seat. The microwave is installed at the rear. However, the microwave is very fancy - it slides out, and the controls are in a row at the top, so no bending down to use it!
4) Sitting on the sofa at the rear felt much more spacious than my EXT/Wardrobe. Not boxed in at the rear on both sides; there’s a view out the windows on the passenger side and to the front. It felt good!
5) The biggest surprise for me was the space under the sofa: all the electrics (including inverter and batteries) appear to have been stuffed under the extreme left side of the sofa, so the rest is completely empty. Amazing! The electrics were covered with a carpet, so I couldn’t see how easy it was to get to the inverter or batteries. But lots of room under there.
6) On the outside, the only thing new I spotted was the twin hot air vents forward of the water fillers. I’m guessing this means the fridge is now gas/electric - boo!
7) The salesman told me the factory is working on a sliding screen for the sliding door, and it should be available for after-sales fitting by the dealer.
8) It all looks very nice, but to my dismay the same old technology is still there relying on limited battery capacity, 100W solar panel and generator. I’m waiting for a major advance with lots of solar panels and batteries, and no propane!
Had to brave the 107 degree heat so I didn’t hang around too long, but here are some things I noted:
1) All the tall furniture is on one side behind the driver, and includes a big fridge with separate freezer door - great.
2) The bathroom is larger because the toilet end is now squared off. Makes it look more useable. However, the sink end is still tapered to the half-size wardrobe behind it, so the sink is still the silly corner one. Pity they didn’t square off this end too, so they could have used a more useable centralized sink with overhead bathroom cabinet instead of the shaving mirror.
3) Forward of the fridge is another wardrobe with a couple of removable shelves at the top, and three (I think) sliding drawer below. So it's a flexible layout. But the sliding drawers felt very rough to the touch. A poor impression.
4) On the other side is a long low-level unit. There is no third passenger seat. The microwave is installed at the rear. However, the microwave is very fancy - it slides out, and the controls are in a row at the top, so no bending down to use it!
4) Sitting on the sofa at the rear felt much more spacious than my EXT/Wardrobe. Not boxed in at the rear on both sides; there’s a view out the windows on the passenger side and to the front. It felt good!
5) The biggest surprise for me was the space under the sofa: all the electrics (including inverter and batteries) appear to have been stuffed under the extreme left side of the sofa, so the rest is completely empty. Amazing! The electrics were covered with a carpet, so I couldn’t see how easy it was to get to the inverter or batteries. But lots of room under there.
6) On the outside, the only thing new I spotted was the twin hot air vents forward of the water fillers. I’m guessing this means the fridge is now gas/electric - boo!
7) The salesman told me the factory is working on a sliding screen for the sliding door, and it should be available for after-sales fitting by the dealer.
8) It all looks very nice, but to my dismay the same old technology is still there relying on limited battery capacity, 100W solar panel and generator. I’m waiting for a major advance with lots of solar panels and batteries, and no propane!
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