2006 model year quality.....

[lewster]

Originally Posted by TIMEMACHINE

Lew,

Thanks for the tip, I will pass that on to Rod at C&G, maybe he can use Corrosion X instead of that other product that has been mentioned but slips my mind right now.

I have purposely not touched the affected areas because I don't want Airstream to have any "easy outs" such as "you damage the skin by doing XXXX".

You will get to see the corrosion up close and personal in a couple of days in Albuequerque.

John

Hey John,

When I first contacted Airstream about my filliform, they told me to send them some photos. After getting them, they said that it wasn't a warranty issue, but to put ACF-50 on the affected areas. Too bad that stuff doesn't work, as far as I could tell.

They did send me 2 new tail light bezels under 'good will' but that was the extent of their 'fix'. I have been using CorrosionX products for years, and I thought that their aircraft formula (made for aluminum) would work well. So far/ so good.

I'm experimenting with some other techniques that I'll show you in ABQ in conjunction with the CX, and hopefully this will be a true 'fix' that will also look good. We'll see..................and if it does work, I'll start a separate thread for it.

I'm currently siting in the 19CCD in the rain in Moab, UT. Luckily, I got a nice MTB ride in this morning and just missed the rain! It's off to ABQ tomorrow. We'll see you all on Friday

DRIVE SAFE!!!

[soldiermedic]

Since having our 2006 CCD we really haven't had too many problems. The black tank sensor is not working, and next trip out I will use some cleaner that Airhog1 sent me. On the tail light bezels we have some pitting and corrosion, but I would expect this as standard, and not know what could be done about it.

I am content with our cozy stream, and will be until we go on much longer trips.

Steve

[Minnie's Mate]

I read on another thread that I should have waxed my '06 Safari as soon as I got it home. I didn't know that I should and still haven't after two seasons. In fact, I have only washed my Airstream only twice since we bought it new in May of '06.

I haven't seen any corrosion on the skin or on the tail lamp bezels. Yet the folks that told me I should have waxed it first have had issues with corrosion on both. I'm wondering if there is a connection. When you wax a car that has dead paint on it, such as an older red car, the dead paint is rubbed off in the waxing process. Is it possible that the waxing process rubs off the factory seal or factory wax job that protects the aluminum from corrosion? I know that many of the folks on this thread that have had corrosion may not have waxed either, but I was just wondering if there was any connection.

[5cats]

Originally Posted by TIMEMACHINE

[...]
We will be taking the Airstream to C&G Trailer in October, to at least, let them attempt to stop the corrosion, but Rod has already let me know that Airstream Corporate will only authorize to clean/scrape the area and then treat using an anti-corrosion liquid. [...]

Hi John,

Thanks for the C&G Trailer tip, from another thread: our Safari is with Rod and Darlene right now! I got pretty much the same info from Rod when dropping it off for our first foray against some minor warranty issues...and the corrosion. Without even looking, Rod flat-out stated there's nothing he can do for the wheels, but said he could work with the other bits like tail light housings, etc.

I have since sent a nice e-mail letter to Rod, reiterating my concern about the wheel corrosion, noting some other's experience with getting theirs polished, and hoping to at least get some authorized service feedback to the factory on the matter. I'm also hoping to get the rig back this weekend, but haven't heard back from Rod, yet.

I also just took the airstream owner's survey currently linked at the top of these forum pages. It provided me the opportunity to describe the horrific local dealership experience and to express concerns/suggestions. The latter gave me the opportunity to link to these forum's corrosion issues discussion. Sure hope it contributes toward making a difference.

Please add me to your list of interested parties in what happens with your rig and situation. I'll try to keep a lookout for rally opportunities to meet up!

Cheers,
-jd.

[mbmbstreamer]

After 3 years of travel, 32,000 miles, nearly 300 nights and many hours inside and outside our 25' Safari LS SE, I can give a quality update.

Overall Rating Excellent- This is the best of the 3 trailers we have owned. We've had it the longest and experienced few real problems.

Major Problems - Refrigerator recall - Not really a problem. The dealer did the work when we had it in for a bearing re-pack. It actually works better on the road now, since the flame and coil are isolated from wind more than before.

Minor Problems - (1) Decorative Panel under the bunk (special order option) needed to be re-secured at 1 1/2 years. (2) TV Bracket was undersized. Mid-model year the TV was upgraded (we paid no extra for a better TV) but the bracket was not changed. Replaced under warranty with the 07 bracket. No further problems. (3) Tank Sensors - must be periodically re-calibrated. They are pressure sensors and react to changes in weather or elevation. Fewer problems with this system than our last trailer that had conductivity sensors...always needed cleaning. (4) Door is difficult to latch, especially in cold weather. Must push firmly (kids slam it) to latch. Dealer has been unable to improve. This may be one for Jackson Center.

The suspension on this trailer is incredible. After 32k miles, the tires are still great! I'm glad we bought this trailer!

Matt
GA Unit

[mother ship]

We were new to RVing when we purchased our 25' Safari SS three years ago. We chose an airstream because we believed it would be the safest, most reliable, quality product we could get for our money.

My impression, three years in. . .

First and foremost I LOVE my "home away from home". I have rarely fallen in love with a possesion - this is an exception. There have, however, been lots of minor little glitches. In retrospect, except for one ongoing problem (I'll get to that later), all have been no big deal. And most occurred while still under warranty. I should note that the refrigerator, TV, oven, hot water heater, AC and furnace have all worked flawlessly.

First - as an incentive to get us to buy the unit at the RV show, the dealer "threw in" a flat screen TV and DVD player. The DVD player has NEVER worked. We brought it back countless times, and each time were told it was fixed, however, we couldn't get it to work. The original DVD player was a blaupunkt. The dealer even sent it back to the mfg for repair - no luck. They finally replaced it with a cheap DVD player - which also doesn't work. I think the problem is where they mounted it (in the cabinet above the refrig, flush against the bottom and right side of the cabinet - not enough air circulation)

The hardware on the cabinetry has been one of the biggest disappointments. We had the hinges on two of the cabinet doors fall out, and one nearly fell out, all within the first month. We had numerous other similar hardware problems. We assume that this is a problem that is more prevalent in the pressed board doors on the safari, than on the wooden doors in the better models.

The tank sensors have almost never worked - in spite of attempted fixes by the dealer. Last year, when we used the electrical outlet under the sensor panel, it shorted the whole panel out.

The shower enclosure leaked along the door frame at the bottom - this was easily remedied with an application of silicone caulk in problem areas.

The skylight in the kithen area leaked - replaced under warranty.

Fantastic fan motor (that raises and lowers the cover) burned out (our fault - the cover occasionally stuck in the closed position, and needed to be gently coaxed open before operating the motor).

The mattress on the bed was a torture device. We purchased a 3" memory foam topper - what a difference - I sleep very comfortably now, thank you .

[airstream28]

So 4 years later, how has everyone's 2006 Airstream been holding up? Our's has been experiencing water leaks from the skylights, and moving interior partitions. Been chasing Airstream and the dealer to fix these items, since they have been fixed once before. Trailer has seen little use, yet falls apart when used. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

[mbmbstreamer]

We have had fantastic luck with our 25SS. We perform the maintenance recommended.

1. Check caulk every year. If you see gaps or cracks, cut out the bad area and replace. Use the proper caulk - Sikaflex for large seams like the antenna, skylight, vents, etc.

2. Treat the window seals and fantastic fan seals several times a year. This keeps them from sticking or cracking.

3. Re-pack bearings and adjust brakes every year (at least).

4. REPLACE the converter or keep it unplugged, or the converter / charger breaker open, when the battery doesn't need charging. The factory converter is NOT as smart charger.

5. Check the drain traps under the sinks periodically to ensure they remain tight.

6. Snug to hand tight (not very tight) the mounting bolts for the AC about once a year. They shouldn't turn much.

7. Definitely caulk the shower curtain where it meets the tub.

We have 4 1/2 years, over 40,000 miles and I can't count how many nights in our Airstream. We HAVE replace a few loose screws and broken rivets.

Still loving it.

[B4WEDI]

No complaints here....

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by B4WEDI

No complaints here....

Ditto...

[pagoff]

My sense of our trailer is that the riveted body (concept from the 1930's) is the best part of the unit. We had a leak at the start, none since. Windows occasionally need recaulking but that's no biggie.

We keep it undercover when not used and do have some areas of spider corrosion--no real answer from Airstream on this problem.

The Unit was delivered with water in the very cheap generic running lights, they had to be replaced in the first three months. Thor and Airstream seem more interested in catchy design than QA.

The fit and finish of the interior while flashy is cheap and poorly done. I can't imagine designing a trailer with cupboard doors held by 3/8 inch screw into fiberboard. Guess what they loosen. We've opened the trailer after a day of driving and found a cabinet door on the floor.

Almost all the edge moulding (I think they use the iron-on variety) has come loose at one point or another and had to be re-glued.

The fabric on our bench seats is the cheapest possible and showed signs of wear within two year of moderate use--we're not full timers, and when camping try to spend most of the time outside.

The best part of the interior are the components provided by other manufacturers. While not the "top of the line" they seem to work well.

As pointed out by others it's disappointing when paying the Airstream premium that the electrical center is a dumb one and can burn out your batteries if left plugged in.

That being said we like the trailer. I would look elsewhere for a replacement or buy a used one next time as repairs seem inevitable in new units--at least in my 2006.

[HOG-I]

2006 16' CCD Quick Silver Edition, near 40k miles many months of use. Very happy with our QS. Some minor problems such as shoring up head door and a screw loose (besides me) here and there. Water pump went out second year as did the converter (lucky it happened while at Jackson Center). Major problem was the 3500lb axles and 14" wheels. We had a major blow out on our NE trip the first year. Caused wheel well damage and destroyed the black tank drain (nice little brown streak on highway to mark the distance it took me to get stopped). This convinced me to return to JC and have 4300lb axles and 15" wheels installed (now standard on same CCD model). Expensive, but not considering the original investment. No problems since (I did purchase Pressure Pro monitoring system for ease of mind. Converter problem happened the night prior to leaving JC and was changed out by noon (super good folks there).