2007 model year quality.....

[2airishuman]

hi jerry

my guess is that FRONT mounted panoz will NOT have this issue.

still is is GOOD HABIT to inspect the panoz for any signs of sealant breach or water.

this IS part of the regular/annual inspection of all the gooz used on a stream.

having a pressurized leak test ONE TIME may be a good thing in WET parts of the country.

(the problem is even AFTER finding and sealing, movement will create NEW gaps after testing)

the FRONT panoz may have OTHER issues,

especially IF there is a LARGE access door under them.

OR batteries have been added OR larger lp tanks or gensets or other EXTRA weight items.

SHORTER streams 16-19 or

SHORT double axles (23) may have fewer shell/frame integrity related problems...

as the frames GROW longer and the weight goes UP...

movement and stress in the shell or at the frame/shell junction OR in the window cutouts...

increases.

more on 07 issues (photos start in the 100s posts) ...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f396...ers-57860.html

and a more general expose' on shell/frame things...

and the VERY LIMITED VALUE of sealant at the lower beltline.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...ion-35237.html



cheers
2air'

[dkottum]

A rotting floor is not seen, with vinyl covering inside, and aluminum plates under the exterior access compartments. There can be leaks from a variety of sources, especially inside the walls, that are not evident until a soft spot on the floor is discovered.

I was able to check it by probing the outside edge of the covering gently with an awl, gaining access by pulling out drawers and opening compartments wherever I could. It was all solid, and felt satisfied I haven't had damage. This would be a good periodic inspection item, possibly finding damage early.

Is it true that you should not leave works of art out in the rain?

Doug K

[glenamoy]

Originally Posted by dkottum

A rotting floor is not seen, with vinyl covering inside, and aluminum plates under the exterior access compartments. There can be leaks from a variety of sources, especially inside the walls, that are not evident until a soft spot on the floor is discovered.

I was able to check it by probing the outside edge of the covering gently with an awl, gaining access by pulling out drawers and opening compartments wherever I could. It was all solid, and felt satisfied I haven't had damage. This would be a good periodic inspection item, possibly finding damage early.

Is it true that you should not leave works of art out in the rain?

Doug K

Ours (2007) is parked in a barn, always. As I mentioned in another thread, it has seen three rainstorms and four washings---I keep a log--and yet we had extensive floor rot. It only showed up when summer came--the warmth got that wet flooring to turn into a mushroom farm, and it had nothing to do with being parked in the rain. As it finally turned out, all four mitre joints on the pano rear windows were leaking. Several threads show that it is quite common though somehow my Airstream user's manual didn't warn me! Moreover, either the factory or the dealer had noticed tone of the leaks before it was sold to me new...a different type of glop was applied on one of the windows in an obvious late bandaid.

Here is what I call it: Shoddy design, and shoddy construction. An eighty year old company should know how to make windows that don't leak, systematically, in new trailers. Even a light perusal of the threads in this forum will show that even new Airstreams leak in all sorts of places. And will all that premium price that you/we paid get one a customer service that will stand firmly behind their product, as you might expect of a Lexus or a Cadillac in recall? Not a chance. Would I buy again? Like most who have had these problems in late model Airstreams, I would have to say no way.

[fmrcaptevil]

Glenamoy's experience supports the theory that the increased bouncing around which occurs towards the rear of all of our trailers (compared to the front end) is hard on joints and seals, and thus tends to cause window leaks. I lived in a 25FB for a couple of years and noticed that anything stored in those rear overheads really took a beating enroute. One time the dinette top was actually jarred out of its mounting flanges on the wall....(despite my efforts to go slow, avoid potholes, etc., and no, I wasn't "overhitched"). My guess is that folks with the traditional rear bedrooms don't notice this as much because it's just bedding and clothing that's getting pummeled, and fewer joints to loosen up.

[dkottum]

Glenamoy, there is evidence you had window leaks from the get-go, and you have certainly taken measures to prevent it. Reading this thread lends credence to the under-engineering of the rear door/pano window design in an area of the trailer with so much stress while traveling.

We do leave our trailer out in the rain (how else do you travel and camp?), although I am beginning to believe we will pay sooner or later. This leak problem is not limited to model year nor even size, although it is reasonable that longer trailers would flex more.

What can be done? Although it is taboo in this forum to suggest rigid tow vehicles and hitching as a contributor to structural failure, that may be worth reconsidering, along with regular inspections of sealants and joints, dry storage for those who can, and maybe even frequent preventive resealing of know problem areas such as the pano windows.

I still like our Airstream in spite of its shortcomings, but have come to realize this or any travel vehicle, will need more maintenance and have more expense than I bargained for.

Doug