B190 Enthusiasts

The generator has 2 fuses at the panel on the gen. Check those, and check that the fuse holders are okay. At least 2 of us had faulty fuse holders, so even though the fuse was good, current would not pass through the holder.

Hello Fellow B190 Enthusiasts!

This is Emmanuel from Elmhurst, IL. Software engineer by profession and an avid motorcyclist (only the quieter British and Japanese made ones of the 70s & 80s, no Harleys) and camper. Yesterday I took possession of a very well kept (immaculate interior, but faded paint and rusty undercarriage ) 1990 B190 Airstream #4929. I am so excited. It has been a long wait for me. I have been looking for an inexpensive but functional and clean motor home to take my family out for camping, but it seems the wait was worth every minute!

I have very little information about the motor home from the original owners. It had Wisconsin license plates. The motor home has plenty of badges and logos from various camps, sites and associations, which tell me that one (or many) among the previous owners, had been an avid camper. It seems to be in very good shape for a 22 year old vehicle. No unpleasant smell inside. When I started the engine, it had a squeaky sound coming from the engine compartment, but after 30 minutes of driving it went away. Handles well and shifts smooth. Yet, I drove it to my mechanic to have closer inspection of the vehicle and to get all the fluids changed, not sure when it was changed last. I don't know what is hiding in there, but I do expect some fixes along the way. For example, the shower area might need some repairs (caulking?). The brake light is always on, and so is the Anti lock light is on. The driver side window doesn’t roll down. The dash AC doesn’t work. The unit doesn’t have an onboard generator as of now. I might get one installed, if I am still in love with my B190 after a few trips. Anyway, as of now, I am so proud and happy about my new toy! Can't wait to take my 3 year old son for some fishing trips in around Illinois and Wisconsin. I have been reading some of the posts here, and I really appreciate all the enthusiasm and cheerfulness and willingness to help each other. Before I dig into this forum further, just so the moderator knows, some of the links for newbie’s don't work. For example, I couldn’t add myself to the membership map, bad link. The link to report 'Website/Issues' doesn’t work either.

I have some questions, not sure if they were answered on this portal before, if so, please ignore.
a) How do I know if the engine is a 460 or a 350? What are the signs of it, where should I look at? I am hoping it would be a 460
b) I guess some units came with a generator. If so, where would the generator be? If I have to install one, where will it need be placed? Any suggestions?
c) What is the average speed with which you drive your B190 on a freeway? I don't want to shorten the vehicles life by stressing it too much.
d) Do I need to worry about the rusted undercarriage? It is surprising the vehicle looks so no abused, but it has a rusty undercarriage. May be it sat somewhere for a long time. Not sure, what will I do about it.
Anyway,
Thanks a bunch love you all.

Welcome

The generator has a large(24"x18" or so) access door behind the drivers door. It has one or 2 key locks to open it. If the door is not there, then you would have some work to do to install one(gas electric exhaust) but I suppose doable. We drive ours at freeway speeds with no problems. Make sure tires are not over 5 years old, as even though they look good, they can blow out unexpectedly. Our first one had lots of rust on udercarriage. Unless you see frame members rusted through, you are probably okay. We mostly camp where there are hookups, so seldom use generator, but it is nice to know you have one just in case. Used it several times to power appliances in our house during electric outages.

liferiders wrote: I have some questions, not sure if they were answered on this portal before, if so, please ignore.
a) How do I know if the engine is a 460 or a 350? What are the signs of it, where should I look at? I am hoping it would be a 460

Check the 8th digit of the VIN - a "G" will indicate it's a 460.

b) I guess some units came with a generator. If so, where would the generator be? If I have to install one, where will it need be placed? Any suggestions?

This has been answered, but yeah it's that box under the couch behind the driver's door.

c) What is the average speed with which you drive your B190 on a freeway? I don't want to shorten the vehicles life by stressing it too much.

With mine, I'd limit myself to 65 mph or so. Gas gets too expensive to go faster.

d) Do I need to worry about the rusted undercarriage? It is surprising the vehicle looks so no abused, but it has a rusty undercarriage. May be it sat somewhere for a long time. Not sure, what will I do about it.

Well, you said it was in Wisconsin, so it probably had some road salt to deal with. Surface rust isn't that big of a deal; rusting OUT (or through) is - mine was pretty rusty underneath, but it was all surface rust, so I didn't worry much about it.

Your answers were spot on. And the vin has G as the 4th letter which made me very happy. Thank you.

Greetings, B190 enthusiasts! We have just purchased one of the early B190's (January 1988) and were wondering if someone could tell us where the serial numbers are located and how we might go about obtaining an owner's manual. We are looking forward to figuring it all out and taking our first trip.[img

Nice lookng rig. Check here for some scanned in manuals.

http://b190.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=83 ... nual#p3386

Don't think they changed a lot over the years. Never have seen a serial number, but never looked for one either.

In mine, the Airstream serial number was in the engine compartment, mounted on the bar above the radiator. It starts with 1B9. (This is different from the VIN of the vehicle, which starts with 1F and is in the usual place under the windshield.) Check Airstream's site - they may have the manual posted online; if not, one of the ones we have would likely be close enough. If you really want to do it right, you can also call Airstream and ask about ordering one. They'll be happy to sell you one if they have it in stock.

Congrats and welcome!!

I am not sure the value of buying an owners manual. I have not thoroughly read mine, but it seems to be pretty vague at a glance. As far as the components, they all have separate manuals from the mfg anyway.

We're Bill and Patricia Fischer from Keller (Ft. Worth), TX. We have been Airstreamers since 1978 and have owned 6 trailers and are now looking to buy a B-Van. I guess it looks more comfortable traveling when you can brew a cup of coffee and she can rest on the sofa instead of setting in a truck cabin all day. We hope to find a really clean unit and are currently working with a gentleman on a 1998. We also have a place in Hillsboro, TX at the North Texas Airstream Community and invite you to stop when you're in the area, there is a very nice concrete parking area and clubhouse. I hope to learn a lot from this website and appreciate y'all having it. Thanks

Hi new to Forums and American RV s , Have a 1989 B190 with 460 engine for about a month now and love it , is there any more in the UK ?

Love the web site and have already learnt a lot from it .

Regards from England .

Welcome to B190, Swampy.

Glad to have you join us. Considering that there were only a couple thousand B190's made, that is pretty amazing that you found one in the UK! I'll bet you are king of the road when you roll down the highway!

Regards, Kentuckian

swampy,
Look in the members list. There are several B190 in England. You will have to check to see if it is current but it is a place to start.urs.

Thanks for the welcome , it is quite a big vehicle for over hear people are either impressed or disscusted , having allways been a poetrol head the 460 motor made it a must have . Compared to our campers the build quality is very much better and hard wearing , having looked at others the airstream seemed to have the best interior layout .
Even though we have only had Her a couple of months she has done five over nighters already and also plan to go away Christmas .

Next big job is to get the Motor to run on LPG , is there anything to look out for with this setup.

A big British HELLO .

I am an newbie from Atlanta, GA area. I am a widow who bought her 1999 from another widow. Thought I would be just fine with the manual, since the previous owner really wasn't able to tell me much. However, I now now know that I needed a B190 Manual for Dummies. Is it possible to find someone who can walk you through the scary things? I'm a pretty smart lady, but a bit intimidated by all the don'ts in the manual.