2005 model year quality tracking.....

[Bob J. Mariano]

Hello

My name is Bob, just joined and I am looking to purchase an AS also, luv your question about the quality of the AS, esp., the early 2000 year models and the current years 2003-2006 and 2007. I'f appreciate it if you or other members can keep us newbies updated on any information on those years mentioned...........like you have said......it's a big investment and you want to do it right the 1st time........thanks so much......take care and hope to hear from alot of AS streamers soon.

Regards,
Bob

Originally Posted by bevedfelker

Eric:

You answered my first post on this forum recently. You know I'm a newbie and by the time I buy it will be a 2005 model. When I first started surfing this forum, I read every thread relating to the quality of the 2004s, and even went back and read about the quality of the 2003s.

The last time my wife and I looked at airstreams was back in 1992. We lusted after one; however, constant military reassignments precluded our making the plunge. We hadn't really gotten serious again about camping and a camper until about the last 2 years. I'm a year away from military retirement and we want to do LOTS of traveling rather just sitting rocking (and probably rotting)away in Happy Acres.

We decided on a camper, and given having a Toyota 4-Runner with V-8, we quickly realized it would have to be light. We had narrowed our choice down to a Sunline. Then we saw some Trailmanors and quickly changed our approach. Finally, the wife asked, why are we wanting to give up luxury when we are really going to spend lots of weekends and 1 week trips in a camper. We quickly evolved back to our first love -- Airstream.

This is a long way to get around to what I wanted to say/ask as it relates to the quality topic. When we went to the Airstream Dealer in Fredricksburg VA this past weekend we were -- frankly, disappointed. They didn't have any 19' (which we are really interested in), but we looked at a few 22', 25', and 34' models. None of what we looked at seemed to convey the quality I remember when we were looking back in 1992.

Reading all the threads about quality on this forum concerned me based on my own observations. There does seem to be a general trend (from what I read) -- quality was poor in early 2000s, got somewhat better in 2003, getting better in 2004. I guess that's a good trend; however, these RVs are anything but cheap. We are talking $35-$38,000 just for entry level.

I love the A/S. From reading the threads here -- so do almost all of you. I would like your (and other's) honest opinion on whether A/S is getting their act together on quality. For as much as these cost, that's exactly what I expect. I've looked at Sunlines (even visited the factory), and have yet to see one that didn't impress me with fit and finish, workmanship quality, construction, quality of the wood, etc... and they come in $10 to $15,000 less than a comparable sized A/S.

I know it sounds like what I really ought to buy is the Sunline. But I really want the A/S -- just want to have some degree of confidence that the quality is there for the price differential.

Thanks -- and sorry for sending this thread in possibly a different direction than you intended.

[AZstreamin]

Originally Posted by Bob J. Mariano

Hello

My name is Bob, just joined and I am looking to purchase an AS also, luv your question about the quality of the AS, esp., the early 2000 year models and the current years 2003-2006 and 2007. I'f appreciate it if you or other members can keep us newbies updated on any information on those years mentioned...........like you have said......it's a big investment and you want to do it right the 1st time........thanks so much......take care and hope to hear from alot of AS streamers soon.

Regards,
Bob

Bob,
I'm optimistic that all of my fit and finish issues will be resolved. The company, Airstream, based upon all of this community’s feedback take care of their problems..Are they perfect, no way, but find one that is. If they did not take care of their problems, why have so many of the forum member traded and continued to purchase Airstreams? Several of the people in this forum are on their second or third AS since joining this forum just a hand full of years ago. Quality works itself out over time.... or the customer goes away....
AZstreamin

[classic67]

Originally Posted by addisons

We got our '05 28' International CCD in the middle of August and it is great! The first trip out here is what we noticed......

·There was a leak over the dinette in the awning side front vista window

·There was a leak over the stove in seam from the refrigerator to the window

·There was a leak in bedroom roadside front vista window

·There was a leak in seam over the power switch awning side in front of the door

·There was a broken bolt on the roadside rear stabilizer jack

·Shower door would not open/close easily and leaks from the front bottom channel

·There is a squeak in the floor by the dinette

·One of the cables holding the back compartment was not attached

·The wrong size dinette table is in the AS….must be out of a Bambi….too small

·The paint is missing, and there is a little rust on a couple of places on the tongue.


I will post the month/yr of manufacture on monday....since the AS is at the dealer getting the last of my problems fixed....hopefully.

Scott

Well, in addition to our missing TV antenna power booster, we found that our '05 has a squeak in floor next to our dinette table just like your's did. Did you ever have your's fixed, Scott? Add to that the hitch ball lock on the trailer doesn't like to open and close easily. One of the drawers next to the hall closet is split in the back, and the bedroom roof fan know sticks and appears to have been pulled too hard at one time or another as the entire fan housing pulls down slightly with the knob.

I called our dealer and was told to make a list and I could drop it off for a few days for the repairs. I'm quite happy with the way our dealer has responded thus far. I'm going through this entire thread to make sure I don't have any of the problems posted here. A thread like this sure is helpful to weed out the knowns and unknowns.

[Pahaska]

I have a "sometimes" squeak in front of the refrigerator. I figure the fix is worse than the problem, so it is going to stay that way. It seems to be either abating with time or I am so used to it that I don't notice it anymore.

[classic67]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I have a "sometimes" squeak in front of the refrigerator. I figure the fix is worse than the problem, so it is going to stay that way. It seems to be either abating with time or I am so used to it that I don't notice it anymore.

John,

That's a good point. I'm just curious if the squeak is revealing a small problem that will not pose a problem later on, or possibly it could be a future larger problem that may have to do with the structure of the floor or something related to the floor. I would rather make sure it's addressed while still under warranty. I'm curious if you or anyone else has found that floor squeaks have led to finding larger problems?

[Paul Mayeux]

My 2005 that we took delivery of in June as about 2500 miles on it and about 20-25 nights of camping. So far the only issues are the skylight has a crack around one of the fasteners that leaks and the edge banding on the bathroom door was not adhered well. I also discovered that Airstream installed a 11,000 btu/h a/c when it was supposed to have a 13,500 btu/h. They promptly sent a replacement which will be installed when the new skylight comes in. Overall - I'm satisfied with the quality.

[Killo1]

Originally Posted by 62 Overlander

My 2005 that we took delivery of in June as about 2500 miles on it and about 20-25 nights of camping. So far the only issues are the skylight has a crack around one of the fasteners that leaks and the edge banding on the bathroom door was not adhered well. I also discovered that Airstream installed a 11,000 btu/h a/c when it was supposed to have a 13,500 btu/h. They promptly sent a replacement which will be installed when the new skylight comes in. Overall - I'm satisfied with the quality.

How did you check it was an 11,000 and not a 13,500?

[Paul Mayeux]

In the owners manual for the Dometic Penguin there is a list of model numbers that correspond to the size unit. I found the tag on the air conditioner by removing the inside air box to expose the underside of the unit and there was a small white sticker that had the model number. I compared that to the model numbers listed and it showed to be an 11,000.

[AZstreamin]

Wanted to provide an update on our warranty work...

Below is the previously posted list. With current update in bold...

Ø Interior Trim pealing and Floor Laminate pealing around toilet and Squeak in floor in front of refrigerator
99% repaired
Ø Exterior Trim- behind driver rear wheel near sewer Repaired
Ø Black Tank Sensor- reads full on one flush- Still don't know if it is accurate
Ø Shower Door Leak lower right near toilet- Repaired

Ø BOTH SINKS leak Kitchen from the sink drain the curved plumbing is not fasten there is no seal so water leaks. Bathroom also leaks in the same place.... Kitchen repaired.. Bathroom has very slight leak... may try silicon

Ø Furnace doesn’t fire or turn on. Repaired.. Disconnected connector
Ø 2 way radios are dead (they work with regular batteries) but don’t know if the charger is functional I believe it is the rechargeable batteries dead. Bad batteries
Ø Brown dust material enters above the dinette just to the right of the speaker selector it has left a stain. Dust and wood fiber material appear on the dinette seats after every tow. What is it? (This one stumps me) This was a weird one the dealer had not experienced before.. The stereo is mounted between two wall upper cabinets and there are wires that run the length of two cabinets the factory drilled out a hole between the cabinets but never bothered clean out the sawdust behind the mount plate so when you drove down the road it would "leak" out and dust and dirt would appear on the dinette.. Problem now fixed
Ø Window to the right of door doesn’t seal properly. Repaired
Ø Dinette window screen is torn. Repaired
Ø Running Lights front and back some have moisture in them and the hardware is rusting. Red ones repaired and two of the amber lights are on back order
Ø Patio light cast iron surround is showing rust pits. Replaced cast iron surround.
Ø Adjust screen door (from the outside) top right corner does not close properly. Repaired.
Ø Adjust door so it is not so difficult to open or close without slamming. Adjusted
Ø Check tires some appear to have a slight bulge Replaced all four tires.
Ø Check Battery test and what is the proper water level? Loose connection
Ø Outdoor speakers- manual indicates there is a connector for hooking up the speaker please advise. Factory sent missing part
Ø Rubber flange around the sewer water outlet is loose and not sealed. Repaired

So it took a long time to get these items addressed but we're about 99.5% of the way to factory perfect. I'm satisfied but like I said before, these fit and finish issues should never have left OHIO. These are basic ISO/QS 9000 issues that a dealer should not need to fix on behalf of the factory. They should be addressed while still on the line. My sense is the current market demand has forced Airstream to push product through the line quicker. The major structural items on Airstreams are very good but the more time consuming fit and finish work is rushed. This would not stop me from buying another Airstream but it increases the importance of a detailed walk-thru when taking delivery. So now I know what to look for.

[classic67]

AZ,

Thanks for your list and update. My AS went back to the dealer this past Monday for warranty repairs and replacement of damaged and missing items. When the list was complete, we had 20 items in all that needed attention from the initial delivery of the trailer to us. Some of the items are exactly the same on your list. I'll post the update when the dealer is finished with the repairs and we take it back home.

[D.J. Neder]

I use a travel trailer when away from home doing contract work. My wife who is disabled, would travel with me. I have rented and owned two other makes of TT. The AS met my wife's needs better than all the others. I therefore purchased an untitled 2005 with 2 year warranty. Since then a:
1)curb side brake mounting bolt has broken.
2) after the boilt was replaced the brakes had to be adjusted twice, once at bolt replacement and then 50 miles later.
3) Fantastic vent leaked.
4) rear window incorrectly installed at the factory.
5) bathroom door delaminating.
6) Front skylight leaked.
7) Fresh water drain valve siezed.
8) I have checked the roof and find that the caulking has already started to "chalk". Also the persons designing and building TT's ignore the freeze/thaw cycle and shape and caulk the roofs so that they create puddles of water. The subsequent ice seperates the caulk from itself and the roof/vent materials. The caulk is either poor quality or the incorrect material. I estimate that for an additional $15.00 in caulking material (Polyurethane ?)
They could build at least a 5 Year water proof roof.DJN

[Silvertwinkie]

You know, it's interesting...once you get past the laundry lists, thing start to get better. I wish the issues were adressed properly at the time of construction, but it appears to be a slow process.

[dva1946]

This unit was new May 24, 2005.

Sorry for being verbose, but the whole story needs to be provided, then maybe we can get issues resolved!!

Recently while cleaning up my trailer after a 3 1/2 month Alaska trip, I discovered new black spots on the interior next to the closet and sink area (photos attached). Upon close examination, it appears they (may be) the result of BLEEDING through rivets. There are other spots in the ceiling, but I did not tie it all together until these appeared.

Today I took the trailer to the local Denver area Dealer for repair (5th time) of the hot water heater, and also reported this problem. Basically, the service manager LAUGHED AT ME!!

The (dealer) service manager said, "Alot of AS owners have complained about these black spots, and AS has not and is not doing anything about it". The service manager said the unit would have to be stripped, and they weren't doing it. I said, "Fine, ship it back to AS and they can do it". The service manger said that will never happen.

More history... This summer I had to get AS's Customer Service Supervisor (Dave) involved to fix my continual furnace and hot water heater problems. AS tried to push me off on Atwood, and that failed because Atwood was all talk.

Finally this summer, I told the AS Customer Service Supervisor "How things would be repaired, and AS would authorize the local Sterling, Alaska RV Repair Shop to be paid directly by AS". That is how it happened, and finally some problems got fixed for awhile. AS did pay the repair shop for all work performed!

Now we're here again. The hot water heater is broken again. I will resolve that directly w/AS and the Denver Dealer. However, now we have the interior issue, and it seems the Denver Dealer &/or AS are going to say TOO BAD!!

Now a question: Am I supposed to take TO BAD and crawl in a corner?

I'm ready for and up to pushing the interior issue to resolution.

Comments / advice appreciated.

More postings after I talk with AS's Customer Service Supervisor (Dave).

[Jim Clark]

I also have a 2005 new In may, I may have the same issue soon, I say push it.

Jim

[SilverRanger]

Originally Posted by dva1946

Recently while cleaning up my trailer after a 3 1/2 month Alaska trip, I discovered new black spots on the interior next to the closet and sink area (photos attached). Upon close examination, it appears they (may be) the result of BLEEDING through rivets. There are other spots in the ceiling, but I did not tie it all together until these appeared.

Today I took the trailer to the local Denver area Dealer for repair (5th time) of the hot water heater, and also reported this problem. Basically, the service manager LAUGHED AT ME!!

The (dealer) service manager said, "Alot of AS owners have complained about these black spots, and AS has not and is not doing anything about it".

I'm ready for and up to pushing the interior issue to resolution.

Comments / advice appreciated.

(Dave).

I have the same AS as you, along with the same problem with the dark spots. I was told it was aluminum dust bleeding through the fabric caused by the friction of the panels flexing where they're joined. While they fixed most of the factory defects satisfactorily, I had no expectations that my dealer was capable of this type of repair, so I contacted Airstream directly via e-mail. They are very aware of this problem and said the repair would be covered by the warranty. I plan to go to Jackson Center to get it resolved. In the meantime, DO NOT try to vacuum it out as was suggested to me by one of their technicians. It only makes it worse. I retained copies of all correspondence (on another computer), which I will produce if necessary. Please keep us posted on your dealings with customer service. Best of luck with your repairs.

[Silvertwinkie]

When we had a 19' Bambi, we had the rubber like roof coverings and not the cloth. Could be why I never saw those black marks.

Our furnace stoped lighting, but it was an Atwood issue, though Airstream would have covered it.

I would be very careful about what service work you have done. I don't think removing and reinstalling the interior guts is such a hot idea. Why? Well for starters they may have to mount to new holes and I've found that once something on the inside is removed, it rarely sits snug back in. Case in point, there was a wheel well leak in our '04 that I caught early on in. Got the dinette seat bases all wet. Airstream took them out and re-covered them.

It took a them a second repair visit and they put extra screws in (new locations) and presto, all snug and fit. If yanking the interior was anything like my exp with just the dinette bases.....

[flyfisher]

Originally Posted by dva1946

Today I took the trailer to the local Denver area Dealer for repair (5th time) of the hot water heater, and also reported this problem. Basically, the service manager LAUGHED AT ME!!

The (dealer) service manager said, "Alot of AS owners have complained about these black spots, and AS has not and is not doing anything about it". The service manager said the unit would have to be stripped, and they weren't doing it. I said, "Fine, ship it back to AS and they can do it". The service manger said that will never happen.

Now a question: Am I supposed to take TO BAD and crawl in a corner?

I'm ready for and up to pushing the interior issue to resolution.

Comments / advice appreciated.

More postings after I talk with AS's Customer Service Supervisor (Dave).

Not only should you push to get it corrected to YOUR satisfaction, but you are not obligated to incur the costs of returning your unit back to Ohio, as they may suggest.

Airstream's warranty policy requires that you take your unit to an authorized dealer for repair. Just because the dealer laughed at you, doesn't mean he and Airstream can shrug off their legal responsibilities so easily.

I'd tell that guy Dave that he should send his service guys to the dealership to fix your trailer, if the dealer is unwilling and unable to do it himself. And, while they are there, they should be doing some dealer service training.

John

[SilverRanger]

I came home yesterday to find the rear vent cap on my 2005 Bambi broken away from the bracket and leaning against the air conditioner cover. We had some mild winds earlier in the day, but the vent was closed. Upon closer examination, the reason it broke was obvious. The plastic lid was brittle to the point it crumbled between my fingers. The trailer is still under warranty but, based on my past experiences, I had absolutely no expectations that I could make arrangements to get it fixed before the next weather event. I immediately e-mailed Airstream to find out if the part was an industry standard, or if I would have to get it from an AS dealership. As expected, it's over 24 hours later, and no response.

In the meantime, I photographed the vent cap with a digital camera, and took it to the local RV supply store. They had a replacement part that looked just like mine for under $17, and said if it didn't fit, I could return it. It turned out to be the exact replacement part. It was a bear to get on because of the close proximity to the AC unit, but it took about 30 minutes with some help.

For those who may experience the same problem, the part is made by Elixir Industries, and is called a "Jensen New Style Lid" - # 17-J7291.

NOTE: It was the cheapest vent cap in the store.

[cammur]

I've posted before to this thread, but I thought I'd add one more:

-->The wood-grain linoleum-like material that acts as a floor under the toilet and wraps down vertically to the trailer floor. It came unglued (if it was ever glued) and wouldn't stay glued when I glued it. (Too much heat during the summer when stored outside, I believe.)

Current solution: I bought 2' of half-inch quarter-round and some brass screws, to "pin" the material in place. Untested, but I believe it will work. (Be careful you don't screw into the blackwater tank!)

[2airishuman]

hi cam...

i've seen at least 7 units on dealer lots and not yet sold with this problem in the head...05s and 06s

looked to me like much of the vinyl would be coming loose...

not pretty

perhaps you can post a pic with your repair as i'm sure many others have this issue..

cheers
2air'