Airstream recall---new! NHTSA No 09V-159

[Silvertwinkie]

Just got in the mail a letter dated May 1, 2009 from Airstream saying that:

Airstream has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain Bambi, International, Safari, 75th anniversary, DWR and Ocean Breeze brand travel trailers manufactured between June 2002 and April 2009. These travel trailers fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment." Other trailer models manufactured by Airstream during this time period are not included in this recall.

Your travel trailers potentially were built without rear reflex reflectors. The lack of of reflectance could lead to reduced visibility of the travel trailer resulting in a crash increasing the risk of physical damage, injury and possibly death.....


So it basically looks like if you have cast alum tail lights, they want you to stick these two red reflective stickers just above the bumper in line with the rear lights. Seems the lack of reflectors is the cause of the recall. I suspect if you have any of these trailers that has the old style tail lights you'd be fine as they have reflectors built in.

Will scan these documents in and post them. Not huge, like the axle recall, but a recall nonetheless.

FYI......

[Silvertwinkie]

Here are the actual docs....

[5cats]

Oh yeah, nothing says professional like a couple of stickers plastered on my trailer.

On the upside, I suppose anything in the vicinity of those cast taillights might hide some corrosion

Seriously, though: there is already some factory-installed conspicuity tape in seemingly purpose-built recesses in the side moldings toward the rear of my rig at bumper level -- definitely lower than the location in the recall. I wonder if it's be ok to place this stuff on the bumper rather than on the trailer skin?

-jd.

[SilverRanger]

Wondering if there is a classier way to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, other than applying those two 15 cent stickers sent to me by the manufacturer of the best travel trailers in the world?

[Silverwanabe]

If a driver can not see an Airstream in front of them in traffic, they have no business on the road!

[pilgrim]

You think a couple of little dots lacks class??? I think sending out a single letter and expecting him to tell all AS owners about the recall is the real kicker! They certainly put a lot of faith in Silvetwinkie.

[SilverRanger]

Originally Posted by pilgrim

You think a couple of little dots lacks class??? I think sending out a single letter and expecting him to tell all AS owners about the recall is the real kicker! They certainly put a lot of faith in Silvetwinkie.

Should that have been the case, it would have been a brilliant strategy from Jackson Center because Silvertwinkie has the network genius to disseminate the information, and the cost of the stamp appears to exceed the cost of the stickers.

The letter, stickers, and illustrated diagram was waiting for me in my mail box when I returned (safely) from my 2500 mile road trip last night. I feel safer now.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by SilverRanger

Wondering if there is a classier way to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, other than applying those two 15 cent stickers sent to me by the manufacturer of the best travel trailers in the world?

Hi, my trailer already has some pretty nice reflectors in the back, but they are under the bumper and may be hard to see. Why not give us the same plastic, chromed frame, type reflectors for the recall?

Originally Posted by Silverwanabe

If a driver can not see an Airstream in front of them in traffic, they have no business on the road!

Hi, a reflector is really only good at night when your lights aren't on or don't work. Still it looks like a very small reflector for such a large vehicle.

Originally Posted by SilverRanger

The letter, stickers, and illustrated diagram was waiting for me in my mail box when I returned (safely) from my 2500 mile road trip last night. I feel safer now.

Hi, I just came home from a 4,500 mile trip and still didn't receive my letter. And if you click to enlarge the picture on the left, you can barely see the right rear reflector on my trailer. From the center you wouldn't be able to see it at all. Also if enlarge the picture on the right you can barely see the left reflector.

[sempi2]

We are newbies and since we are not original owners, imagine we would never know about this except for this wonderful forum.

[yakman]

How about a strip of that SOLAS 3M tape across the bumper. That's a pretty darn good reflector of any light.

[Whizzo]

All I could think about when I read the title was: Oh crap, how do I handle a recall from across the sea? Then I saw the issue, and thought, are they serious? Then I pulled up a few pictures of the trailer - sure enough, it has those little reflectors installed. They sure look small and not terribly critical to me.

I just hope no really big recalls happen...

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Just got in the mail a letter dated May 1, 2009 from Airstream saying that:


Your travel trailers potentially were built without rear reflex reflectors. The lack of of reflectance could lead to reduced visibility of the travel trailer resulting in a crash increasing the risk of physical damage, injury and possibly death.....


So it basically looks like if you have cast alum tail lights, they want you to stick these two red reflective stickers just above the bumper in line with the rear lights. Seems the lack of reflectors is the cause of the recall. I suspect if you have any of these trailers that has the old style tail lights you'd be fine as they have reflectors built in.

Will scan these documents in and post them. Not huge, like the axle recall, but a recall nonetheless.

FYI......

Gee maybe that's why the cop hit me! He was not blinded by the required reflectors. Not sure if my trailer was included. I have not seen a letter from Airstream yet.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

Not sure if my trailer was included. I have not seen a letter from Airstream yet.

Apparently, Classics aren't included in the recall. I guess it's just the International styled LED bezels that are in the recall.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, my trailer already has some pretty nice reflectors in the back, but they are under the bumper and may be hard to see. Why not give us the same plastic, chromed frame, type reflectors for the recall?



Hi, a reflector is really only good at night when your lights aren't on or don't work. Still it looks like a very small reflector for such a large vehicle.



Hi, I just came home from a 4,500 mile trip and still didn't receive my letter. And if you click to enlarge the picture on the left, you can barely see the right rear reflector on my trailer. From the center you wouldn't be able to see it at all. Also if enlarge the picture on the right you can barely see the left reflector.

Uh, those two images don't look like the same trailer. The stripes don't match. The point is well demonstrated, though.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

Uh, those two images don't look like the same trailer. The stripes don't match. The point is well demonstrated, though.

Hi, Minnie's Mate. You are the second person to make note of a difference. The picture on the left was when our trailer was brand new and at it's first camp sight in La Pine, Oregon. The picture on the right was after I had the blue stripes installed and later when I installed the amber lights in the lower tail light housings. Also a California license plate with an Airstream license frame. [Same trailer, different year]

[HansenClan]

Ha! They aslo thought by painting fire engines green or even yellow they would make them more visible. Like all the flashing lights aren't enough for drunks to aim at. Crash right HERE! (flash flash flash flash flashety flash).

[elfirebob]

I had already placed a few black dots (looks grey) from 3M on the back bumper of the Den that reflect white at night...and oh yeah, the whole license plate is reflective...

Our rig also already has two rear facing side reflectors built in to the lower molding, is that a fix A/S started to comply?

[Silvertwinkie]

Oddly enough, when I got home this evening, guess what I got in the mail?

You guessed it, another recall letter with the same instructions and another set of stickers.

Guess the factory is trying to tell me something after my last post (which is missing due to the forum issue that happened today). That post a day or so ago was saying that I pulled most, if not all my stickers off the Safari, and would most likely not stick these on my trailer. Now I have 4 reflective stickers.

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

Gee maybe that's why the cop hit me! He was not blinded by the required reflectors. Not sure if my trailer was included. I have not seen a letter from Airstream yet.

It would appear from the descriptions I already have the reflectors.
I am curious where you can get the black reflective 3M stickers. On a grey day the Trailer and truck dis-appear.

[crazylev]

Hey, what happened to my post from yesterday???

Actually there are a few posts missing here, notably by the originator of this thread, Silvertwinkie.

What gives?