Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 04-13-2018, 06:25 PM   #2401
Rivet Master
 
Howard L.'s Avatar
 
2012 30' Flying Cloud
San Antonio , Texas
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 681
Quote:
Originally Posted by NOAZRK2690 View Post
My 2004 34' S/O AS clear coat has been polished with Glare twice a year, is plugged into electric most of the time and sits outside all the time. There was no filiform at all after 13 years. About ten months ago I noticed Filiform developing on the wheels and now it is beginning on the edges of the end caps. Something has happened or changed. I believe there has been some kind of electrical change. Today I'm cleaning my grounding cable connection, sanding the plugs on my 50amp cord and ordering some Corrosion X and clearcoat touchup. Regardless of the potential effectivmess, I'm going to install a couple pieces of zinc sacraficial metal then keep an eye on it. I've also gotten into the habit of having one metal stablizer or the tongue jack make direct contact with the ground rather then insulated on plastic or wood.

Any other ideas? I don't agree that filiform is a "natural deterioration". In my case it started quickly.
Noazrk, have you been anywhere with the trailer recently that might have exposed you to salt air or any other humid type of climate. I’ve posted on this thread several times in the past with cause and effects accompanied with repair procedures for what you are seeing. An Airstream that has been kept high and dry in a friendly climate can go for years and never show Filiform. One trip to the beach can spell disaster if the trailer skin is not properly protected. No matter the age.
Howard L. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2018, 03:14 AM   #2402
3 Rivet Member
 
Snaken49's Avatar
 
2010 28' Flying Cloud
Fort Worth , Texas
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 146
The filiform corrosion usually starts at the edges of the exposed aluminum skin due the factory clear coat exposure when the sheet is trimmed for fit or when a preformed piece is dragged across the Airstream factory floor.

I bought a new 2010 28' Flying Cloud. I noticed what looked like a putty smudge at one corner of the tail assembly and thought nothing of it. My FC was washed at least 4 times a year and stored under open air covered shed with other RVs.

After a few months I noticed water dripping from that same taillight assembly days after the trailer was washed. Closer inspection revealed the "smudge" was in fact filiform corrosion.

I removed both taillight housings and discovered that they had been holding water every time the trailer was washed or used in the rain.

The installation of both taillight castings had scratched the clear coat enough to expose the skin to the water trapped under the housing. If left unchecked the filiform corrosion would have spread across both lower end caps of the trailer. I had both end caps replaced and new taillight castings installed to fix the problem.

There are many Airstreams in the storage facility that I use. Several including brand new models have filiform corrosion around running light housings and the edges of skin joints. I believe most of the corrosion problems could be prevented by better Quality Control procedures at the Airstream factory and a more complete effort to seal the aluminum edges before riveting the panels together. This would of course require a few more man hours in the build, multiplied the number of trailers manufactured per year would equal less profit or higher cost. Many would be glad to pay it rather than deal with filiform on a brand new trailer.
__________________
Old Cobra AH-1G Pilot
Snaken49 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2018, 01:52 PM   #2403
Aluminut
 
Silvertwinkie's Avatar
 
2004 25' Safari
. , Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
Unfortunately, outside of a high degree of maintenance, which may or may not work, you have two options:


1) Live with it and slow it as much as you can


-or-


2) Eventually take the trailer to P & S and have it stripped and re-sealed (understanding it won't be the last time you do it)


http://pandstrailerservice.com/




Honestly, what has been said and said again and again is that the issue comes from the disturbing of the protective coating when cutting, drilling or any type of scuff that gets below the coating that allows moisture in and begins the process.



Airstream use to seal/coat the trailers back in the day, and even back then, after a number of years, the finish would tarnish and eventually flake away and it's my understanding that new(er) EPA regulations basically gave that entire coating business to Alcoa rather than at the factory. There are pluses and minuses to both, but IMHO, a hybrid of both really is what may solve this or reduce it more than anodes, rabbits feet and placing a bunch of anti-corrosion pastes and residues.



Mine has gotten only slightly worse than the day I first started this thread. Many have been far less fortunate, while others have had either some great success, or more likely, better luck. I heard they are building 19 or more a week now. It's also my understanding that they get paid based on output, so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the faster they crank them out, the is a greater potential of disruption of the coating, that could lead to significant corrosion down the road, but again, it's hit or miss. My '03 had none, my '04 had it..both maintained identically. Your results can and will vary.
Silvertwinkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2018, 08:19 AM   #2404
Rivet Master
 
Howard L.'s Avatar
 
2012 30' Flying Cloud
San Antonio , Texas
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 681
Way back in this thread, I’ve posted protective ideas before. Might be worth doing so again for new owners who do not want to review hundreds of pages.

SKIN: most importantly, protect the edges and rivets. Applying a clear coat to exposed edges with a small artist brush will protect those areas. Floating a little Corrosion X or other oil product on the rivets and edges, then wiping dry, will help also.

THE CAST PIECES: door hinges, handle, tail light housings, etc. will show filiform sooner than you expect. Tape them off, sand old clear away and re-clear coat.

There a number of clear coats that will work. I always recommend Nyalic. It’s avail online from the manufacturer. It is a polymer product and thus a great protection against UV—does not break down like lacquer or enamel. It sprays and can be brush painted very well.

Catch it early. Get it stopped and protected via the above.
Howard L. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2018, 09:43 AM   #2405
Rivet Master
 
DoublTrouble's Avatar
 
2017 25' International
Carlsbad , California
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 706
I have followed a strict regimen since we took delivery of our 2015 . I wash monthly, clear coated edges with Nyalic , Corrosion X every 3 months on all rivets and edges and Griots paint sealant every 3 months . I have been able to kill little squiggles near panel edges and metal polished handle and sealed. Within 3 months I had corrosion coming from behind marker light where the light was rubbing directly on the skin and another under lights where metal burrs were left from the drilling of holes and rubbed the clear coat off. I have just found 2 places below belt line where I noticed filliform under belt line . An area I had not worried about previously. On the curb side I found a small burr which scratched the skin and a spot on the street side. I am quite sad about that spot, treating with corrosion X and watching closely. We store outdoors in
San Diego so maybe it's the proximity to the coast. But, the beltline should be monitored closely!
DoublTrouble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2018, 04:07 PM   #2406
Master of Universe
 
Gene's Avatar
 
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Grand Junction , Colorado
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 12,694
Best thing to do is move to the desert and don't travel when salt is on the roads. The only place I had corrosion were the taillights and exterior door hinges. It almost looked like pot metal, though I don't know what they are—an aluminum casting I suppose.

Every couple of years I would sand the discoloration off with very fine grit sandpaper finishing with 2500. It is easy to scratch the surface by using an aggressive grit out of impatience and then spend a lot of time sanding it out without more scratches. Then finding a touch up clear coat can be difficult. Auto parts stores have lots of colors and sometimes an additional pen comes with clear coat. If you can find a color that matches your car or truck, great, save it and use the clear coat pen on the Airstream. You could buy a gallon if you had some use for it, but a pen makes more sense. It never matched well, but I learned to ignore them anyway and at least they were sealed for a while. When I sold the Airstream, there was no mention of how the affected areas mismatched.

For several years they were selling Safaris (and possibly the Flying Cloud—same trim line, different name) without a molding on the belt line. Some people had corrosion at the place the upper and lower panels met. I had a molding (they call it an extrusion) added and never had a corrosion problem there. They saved some money by eliminating the molding for a few years, but got a lot of complaints and warranty claims. The molding came back. The molding had a silver colored decal attached. Over time it fades and the side of our trailer where sand blew against it during windy days, faded a lot more. Polishing did not help. If I hadn't sold the trailer, I would have considered a new decal, possibly a different color because it would look cool. The lower molding at the bottom of the aluminum is smaller, but otherwise the same. I would have replaced both decals, possibly with blue.

And, Silvertwinkie, I haven't seen a post for eons. I wonder who else from the distant past is still on the edges. "Distant past" on a Forum is a couple of years.
__________________
Gene

The Airstream is sold; a 2016 Nash 24M replaced it.
Gene is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2018, 12:50 PM   #2407
Rivet Master
 
DoublTrouble's Avatar
 
2017 25' International
Carlsbad , California
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 706
Well..... Since I don't tow in snow, road salt is not an issue. However, moving to the desert is definitely an issue. So, I will just have to live with it.....
Good idea though...
DoublTrouble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2018, 11:31 AM   #2408
Master of Universe
 
Gene's Avatar
 
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Grand Junction , Colorado
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 12,694
Quote:
Originally Posted by DoublTrouble View Post
Well..... Since I don't tow in snow, road salt is not an issue. However, moving to the desert is definitely an issue. So, I will just have to live with it.....
Good idea though...
Salt, either rock salt or magnesium chloride, gets absorbed into the pavement and when it rains, a solution of salt may splash upward. How serious that is, I don't know and I doubt there has been much research on it. And driving near the ocean brings new meaning to the phrase "salt air". Rinsing off the trailer may be a good idea, though the last few years we owned the Airstream, we didn't wash or wax it. It looked about the same and corrosion was limited as I wrote above.

Some of corrosion problems may be dumb luck, good luck or bad luck. If your trailer was transported cross country from Ohio in winter, it comes with salt at no extra charge. Did the dealer wash it down? Do they tell the truth when you ask them? Another case of luck.
__________________
Gene

The Airstream is sold; a 2016 Nash 24M replaced it.
Gene is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2018, 02:29 PM   #2409
NOAZRK
 
NOAZRK2690's Avatar
 
2004 34' Classic S/O
Currently Looking...
Kutztown , Pennsylvania
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 194
I polish my 2004 each spring & fall and it had no filaform until the spring of 2018. I waved a few rabbits feet around and decided to remove my interior air conditioner shrouds and spray expanding foam insulation between the inner & outer skin under the theory that a/c & heat pump leakage between the skins causes condensate to become trapped
NOAZRK2690 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2018, 02:48 PM   #2410
NOAZRK
 
NOAZRK2690's Avatar
 
2004 34' Classic S/O
Currently Looking...
Kutztown , Pennsylvania
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 194
[QUOTE=NOAZRK2690;2144154]I polish my 2004 each spring & fall and it had no filaform until the spring of 2018. I waved a few rabbits feet around and decided to remove my interior air conditioner shrouds and spray expanding foam insulation between the inner & outer skin around the air conditioner cut out perimeter under the theory that a/c & heat pump forced air leakage causes condensate to become trapped between the skins. Go ahead and laugh but my filiform is spreading on the piece of aluminum where the raw edge is underneath the top overlaped aluminum and it is along the aluminum frame rail that would block the air flow from traveling any further between the skins. Hot air from the heat pump that is allowed to hit the under side of the exterior skin must create condensate. Same with the a/c air on a hot exterior skin.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Gene View Post
Best thing to do is move to the desert and don't travel when salt is on the roads. The only place I had corrosion were the taillights and exterior door hinges. It almost looked like pot metal, though I don't know what they are—an aluminum casting I suppose.

Every couple of years I would sand the discoloration off with very fine grit sandpaper finishing with 2500. It is easy to scratch the surface by using an aggressive grit out of impatience and then spend a lot of time sanding it out without more scratches. Then finding a touch up clear coat can be difficult. Auto parts stores have lots of colors and sometimes an additional pen comes with clear coat. If you can find a color that matches your car or truck, great, save it and use the clear coat pen on the Airstream. You could buy a gallon if you had some use for it, but a pen makes more sense. It never matched well, but I learned to ignore them anyway and at least they were sealed for a while. When I sold the Airstream, there was no mention of how the affected areas mismatched.

For several years they were selling Safaris (and possibly the Flying Cloud—same trim line, different name) without a molding on the belt line. Some people had corrosion at the place the upper and lower panels met. I had a molding (they call it an extrusion) added and never had a corrosion problem there. They saved some money by eliminating the molding for a few years, but got a lot of complaints and warranty claims. The molding came back. The molding had a silver colored decal attached. Over time it fades and the side of our trailer where sand blew against it during windy days, faded a lot more. Polishing did not help. If I hadn't sold the trailer, I would have considered a new decal, possibly a different color because it would look cool. The lower molding at the bottom of the aluminum is smaller, but otherwise the same. I would have replaced both decals, possibly with blue.

And, Silvertwinkie, I haven't seen a post for eons. I wonder who else from the distant past is still on the edges. "Distant past" on a Forum is a couple of years.
NOAZRK2690 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2018, 08:45 AM   #2411
Aluminut
 
Silvertwinkie's Avatar
 
2004 25' Safari
. , Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
Quote:
Originally Posted by NOAZRK2690 View Post
And, Silvertwinkie, I haven't seen a post for eons. I wonder who else from the distant past is still on the edges. "Distant past" on a Forum is a couple of years.

Well, on this topic, the years it's been ongoing and the shear number of pages, I think it's up to what 173 now? It's like beating a dead horse. If things haven't changed in 15 years, odds are very little will change moving forward.


Back when I bought my 2003 19' Bambi, these were $24k. My current 2004 25' Safari was about $39k and that was a lot back then. Today these same sized models are nearly doubled in price. Folks keep buying them at these super high prices, and so if folks keep plunking down $50k, $60k, $80k, $100k....what's the incentive? The answer is that there is none and the proof is the longevity of this thread that has spanned about 15 years now.


I promise you that if sales started to fall off and the main reason was that folks were tired of spending 1/2 the price of an average house on an RV that basically had a higher probability of having finish issues, things **might** change. But that isn't the case. They are expanding the factory to crank out more than the roughly 19 per week I heard them doing. So folk keep buying them and in many cases roll the dice.



I know of no person that spends $50k to $100k on a car and accepts that the finish could start to fail within 5 years of purchase (some sooner, some later), yet somehow it's just accepted that your trailer in some cases will look like a Halloween costume.... your results can and will vary.
Silvertwinkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2018, 07:01 AM   #2412
3 Rivet Member
 
Snaken49's Avatar
 
2010 28' Flying Cloud
Fort Worth , Texas
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 146
I live in the DFW area. In 2008, I bought a 25' FB Safari and kept it stored in covered but open air lot. Fortunately not one speck of corrosion ever appeared.

I replaced it with a new 2010, 28' Safari which was stored in the same location. It developed corrosion on the left/right rear tail light panels. This was due to the taillight fixtures holding water and the aluminum cast fixture scoring and breaking the protective film on the skin. After some negotiation, Airstream issued a courtesy warranty repair of panels and taillight fixtures.

I still own the Safari, stored in the same place and happy to say no further corrosion.

Over time I've looked at other Airstreams, new and used that have been stored on the lot noticing filiform around taillights, seams and running light fixtures. As in the case of my 2010, I attribute the corrosion to manufacturing issues and inconsistent quality control during production.

Anyone with aircraft manufacturing or inspection experience would say that Airstream could take many simple steps during production to virtually eliminate most of the common filiform corrosion events on Airstreams.

Maybe they will someday. But in the meantime buyers should carefully inspect their prospective trailer before ever accepting it from a dealer.

Airstream exempts itself from warranty claims due to corrosion. However that will not hold on corrosion due mishandling of materials during the manufacturing process.

No matter the filiform issues and the higher price, Airstreams remain the best value for the dollar on the road today.

My Airstream was in for repair for 5 days. A neighbor on our lot lot bought a new 42' Class motor home for over $400,000. It has been the shop for warranty repairs over a half a dozen times for weeks over the first year.

Airstream is not perfect. But is the best of the best! [emoji4]
__________________
Old Cobra AH-1G Pilot
Snaken49 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2018, 08:47 AM   #2413
Rivet Master
 
Howard L.'s Avatar
 
2012 30' Flying Cloud
San Antonio , Texas
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 681
Here are a couple of photos of my 2012 Chevy 2500 20 inch wheels. The point being that clear coated (or for that matter painted) aluminum alloy can, and probably will, develop some filiform. Remember, the earlier "highly corrosion-resistant alclad" trailers were "plastic-coated" really, just so that pure aluminum would not tarnish. Given time, that earlier clear coating broke down leaving the sun burned look of some shiny, and some dull spots. Remove that old clear coat and buff those Alclad panels and you have a trailer that looks like a silver dollar. Filiform was not an issue because of that pure aluminum surface of the Alclad panels. Then, Airstream started using regular Alcoa alloy sheet aluminum and achieved the beautiful shiny glow by covering it with the pigmented clear coat of today.
I must say that today's clear coat seems to be of great quality and, to date at least, does not seem to fail. The problem is, of course, the aluminum alloy underneath is very susceptible to filiform corrosion. Galvanic corrosion will also go after our trailers, but it would also get the older Alclad trailers once that pure aluminum shell was penetrated by a dissimilar metal.
The filiform problem is going to stay with Airstream because of the clear coated alloy sheet aluminum or cast aluminum fixtures. If, however, Airstream would treat raw edges, treat rivet holes and better clear coat cast pieces, filiform problems would be greatly minimized. The real answer would be to go back to Alclad aluminum, but that $$$ is never going to happen.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	EB9A6546-7C72-4244-AE92-5880CFCEC69D.jpg
Views:	129
Size:	246.9 KB
ID:	321834   Click image for larger version

Name:	6F7E76E7-B76B-4383-A82E-CA09AA2AC130.jpg
Views:	128
Size:	234.1 KB
ID:	321835  

Howard L. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2018, 05:32 PM   #2414
Master of Universe
 
Gene's Avatar
 
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Grand Junction , Colorado
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 12,694
There have been discussions on this thread of galvanic corrosion. The arguments stating it is very unlikely that is the problem were persuasive to me.

According to Wikipedia, Airstream produced as of 2015, 2,600 trailers per year. I believe before the great recession, they were producing 2,700 per year, but a couple of years later were well below a thousand. It appear they were down to around 600 per year in 2009 (I had heard 700 back then, but it may have been worse). According to CNBC, in early 2018, they delivered 95 per week—4,940 per year. That doesn't mean they are all purchased, but they wouldn't be spending $40 million on a new plant if they weren't being sold. They don't release sales numbers, but from bits and pieces on the internet you can figure out production.

Using ballpark estimates—average retail of $75,000 x 5,000 units, that's a potential of $375,000,000 in sales. But their costs are probably far below that, less than 50% probably. It is still a lot bigger company than it used to be and can afford better design and quality control people. Certainly they can coat the edges of the aluminum.
__________________
Gene

The Airstream is sold; a 2016 Nash 24M replaced it.
Gene is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2018, 07:48 PM   #2415
Rivet Master
 
Howard L.'s Avatar
 
2012 30' Flying Cloud
San Antonio , Texas
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 681
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gene View Post
There have been discussions on this thread of galvanic corrosion. The arguments stating it is very unlikely that is the problem were persuasive to me.

According to Wikipedia, Airstream produced as of 2015, 2,600 trailers per year. I believe before the great recession, they were producing 2,700 per year, but a couple of years later were well below a thousand. It appear they were down to around 600 per year in 2009 (I had heard 700 back then, but it may have been worse). According to CNBC, in early 2018, they delivered 95 per week—4,940 per year. That doesn't mean they are all purchased, but they wouldn't be spending $40 million on a new plant if they weren't being sold. They don't release sales numbers, but from bits and pieces on the internet you can figure out production.

Using ballpark estimates—average retail of $75,000 x 5,000 units, that's a potential of $375,000,000 in sales. But their costs are probably far below that, less than 50% probably. It is still a lot bigger company than it used to be and can afford better design and quality control people. Certainly they can coat the edges of the aluminum.
But Gene, look who owns Airstream now. THOR. Yep, that big conglomerate that makes all kinds of SOBs. I’m not sure how you feel, but my bet is that 95% of their focus is on bottom line. Like Silvertwinkie said, Airstream sells every thing they make raw metal edges and all. Why spend the time and money messing around protecting those exposed areas.
Howard L. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2019, 09:41 AM   #2416
Aluminut
 
Silvertwinkie's Avatar
 
2004 25' Safari
. , Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard L. View Post
But Gene, look who owns Airstream now. THOR. Yep, that big conglomerate that makes all kinds of SOBs. I’m not sure how you feel, but my bet is that 95% of their focus is on bottom line. Like Silvertwinkie said, Airstream sells every thing they make raw metal edges and all. Why spend the time and money messing around protecting those exposed areas.

I would **think** it would be in their best interest because at some point, with the all the info out there on the internet, folks are going to wake up and say why would I buy a near 6 figure or 6 figure + rig that in all liklihood is going to have issues, in some cases less than 6 months off the factory floor? Got a good chuckle out of the factory did a "courtesy" fix. I love how they called the corrosion a maintenance issue, thus not covered under warranty. Very convenient. Explain to me how a newly built RV, on a dealer lot, that is no more than 6 mos old can have a maint issue? Answer, it can't. It's a production problem that they've thrown on us. I agree, long term if you don't wash and wax your rig, expect it to have problems.



I haven't seen (but also haven't looked a lot lately) at models built from 2015 on up through the current model year. It could be that the corrosion issue still exists and I just haven't seen or heard about it, or it could be that the factory has taken steps to significantly reduce the issue. Could be a bit of both. I seem to recall hearing the factory was coating the cuts they made with something, but that' was unsubstantiated. Proof would be in the puddin if any 2015 and newer could chime in.



I loved the posting about the alum rim that had corrosion.... I'd expect a wheel that is close to the ground to take a hit, but it's a replaceable wheel or at the very least able to be stripped and refinished relatively inexpensively and easily. Not so much when you have 50 or 100 rivets a panel to overlay, or remove and replace.


Me, here I am 15 years later and I have a few worms around the belt line a 1-2 stragglers, but I've been either luck or kept it at bay-- maybe a bit of both as well. Of course at 15 years old, I expect some finish to degrade....not a few months off the factory floor as was the case with my Safari and the tail lights assemblies....which I also got a "courtesy" replacement on, which I was thankful for....


I'd be very interested in hearing from folks with 2015 on up if you see any corrosion on your rigs....even moreso the units that have just crossed the 6 mo old mark.
Silvertwinkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2019, 06:40 PM   #2417
Rivet Master
 
2002 19' Bambi
Lafayette , California
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,554
Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard L. View Post
But Gene, look who owns Airstream now. THOR. Yep, that big conglomerate that makes all kinds of SOBs.
Just remember, Thor was founded with the purchase in 1980 of Airstream by Wade Thompson and Peter Orthwein. So "now" was 39 years ago and was the basis for the expansion of Thor into other parts of the RV industry.

Tim
Tim A. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-2019, 06:12 AM   #2418
Aluminut
 
Silvertwinkie's Avatar
 
2004 25' Safari
. , Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim A. View Post
Just remember, Thor was founded with the purchase in 1980 of Airstream by Wade Thompson and Peter Orthwein. So "now" was 39 years ago and was the basis for the expansion of Thor into other parts of the RV industry.

Tim


Post Thor purchase of Airstream, they (Airstream) continued to manufacture pretty much the same way in terms of exterior coatings for roughly 19 years. You'll also notice between say the late 80s and somewhere in the 90s, they (Airstream) also started to use fewer rivets in some body panels.....but I digress.


The thing is, post purchase of Airstream, Thor has brought some good things to Airstream. First and foremost, they saved it. Who knows what might have happened in 1980 (you recall double digit interest rates, etc). Second, the coating that they finally went with on or around 1999 that was done prior to assembly by Alcoa (pretty sure it is Alcoa), IS far superior to that of what they did prior, which was spraying the trailers with clear I believe.



Still interested in hearing from '14 to '19 owners if they see any corrosion (or not) on their trailers. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Silvertwinkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2019, 02:22 PM   #2419
Master of Universe
 
Gene's Avatar
 
2008 25' Safari FB SE
Grand Junction , Colorado
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 12,694
More history: when Wally Byam died in the late 1960's, his estate sold it to Beatrice Foods. I've never understood why Beatrice bought it, but they did a poor job with the legacy and it is true the early version of Thor "saved" it from demise. If they hadn't, perhaps other aluminum trailers such as Streamline, Avion, etc., would have survived instead. Those other ones were in some ways better trailers. It took almost 20 years before they started cheapening Airstreams significantly and not too many years later they brought in a cost cutter as president of Airstream who was the son-in-law of one of the principals at Thor. He made some bad messes (first Basecamp, cheapening basic structure, OSB subfloors, cheap materials, low wages and poorly trained employees, for example), but was given lots of leash because of the family relationship. He is still there and has presumably learned a few things.

The clear coat era started, I think, after Thor took over, but I am sure I will corrected if I am wrong. Before, I think the aluminum was bare of any coating. Those are the really shiny ones since any coatings reduce shine.

And I absolutely agree with Howard L. Thor's strategy is cut costs to the bone, or into it, make lots of cash, pay executives loads of money, buy up more companies and cheapen them too. About two years ago they bought Jayco. Jayco was family owned and made decent trailers. I don't think they were anything special, but not really bad either. I wouldn't buy one now. Competition in the industry was vicious after the Great Recession and quality and cost cutting hit just about every manufacturer that survived, so you have to be very careful. The money was good, especially at Thor, which had massive piles of money then (and now) and bailed out Camping World.

Silvertwinkie, there are active threads now complaining about the same quality issues that you and I and many others were reporting about 10 and 15 years ago. The same complaints started when this Forum was created and apparently there were similar problems before 2004 (isn't that when this started?) But, it does seem corrosion is less of a problem, perhaps thanks to this thread and the suggestions made here. For those seeing this thread for the first time, look for posts made by Bob Cross of Buffalo—he has done well with his solutions to corrosion. And, Silvertwinkie, isn't it time to change that quote from the Times?
__________________
Gene

The Airstream is sold; a 2016 Nash 24M replaced it.
Gene is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2019, 06:39 PM   #2420
Rivet Master
 
66Overlander's Avatar
 
1962 22' Safari
2016 30' Classic
Southeast , Michigan
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,986
Images: 41
Lots or errors in the previous post to correct . . . in no particular order.

Wally Byam died in 1962.

Airstream was then owned by the Board of Directors.

In mid 1966 Airstream became a publically traded company.

Airstream was sold to Beatrice in December 1967.

Airstream was sold to Thor on August 29, 1980.

All Airstreams have been clear coated since 1964.

In the late 1980s (I am thinking about 1988), the clear coat was changed to a more environmentally friendly, but less durable water based formula due to government regulations.

In the very late 1990s or very early 2000s(?) Airstream stopped spraying on the clear coat themselves and transitioned to precoated aluminum and the clear coat durability dramatically improved.

Overall there were both plusses and minuses for Airstream during their periods of Beatrice and Thor ownership. Too big a topic for this post.
__________________
Joe
Wally Byam Caravan Club International Historian
Vintage Airstream Club Historian
WBCCI/VAC #702 & #6768

66Overlander is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Ralph Lauren Vintage Airstreams ($150,000) Andy R General Interior Topics 1 07-10-2019 08:45 AM
Stainless steel corrosion Dave-O Stoves, Ovens & Microwaves 21 04-05-2014 06:30 PM
How did you get into Airstreams & Airstreaming? 83Excella Our Community 102 03-15-2009 09:48 AM
Airstreams in winter?? Curtis-79MH Airstream Motorhome Forums 6 03-27-2006 12:58 PM
Black water problems Rob Waste Systems, Tanks & Totes 3 08-31-2002 07:34 PM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.