Corrosion problems with new Airstreams

[Fly at Night]

I am wondering if I am inflicted with vision problems or the key to non-corrosion is keeping the trailer outside in one of the wettest climates in N. America (i.e. any corrosive particulates are washed off before they can inflict damage) because I have not seen anything on the FaN's skin that I would categorize as filliform. Yes, I have noticed a couple of minute imperfections in the clear coat, but am not sure if it's filliform or a regular scratch. I have kept the trailer Walbernized, but it is out in the elements 365 days/year - and it rains almost constantly from October to May.

However, the housing on the rear tail-lights have blemishes. I have covered it with Boeshield. If it gets worse, I will probably have them chromed.

And, I still like my trailer.

[Fly at Night]

...to add to that, a couple of years ago I was swinging a metal bucket enroute to feeding the livestock, lost my grip on the bucket, it went flying, and hit the FaN. Part of the clear coat was damaged. I covered it with clear nail polish and really Walbernized the area because from reading these forums, any insult to the clearcoat is the genesis of filliform. Have seen nothing so far.

[streaminwild]

Fan may have a point. I wonder if Airstreams in Seattle Washington have filliform problems? I have a 1999 exella classic 30' with minimum filliform. I wonder what upper management changed ie. vender of aluminum , assembly procedure, or clearcoat formula after yr.2000 to cause this problem? The aluminum wheels I bought has more filliform than the whole trailer... they're off a 2011 airstream. If it wasn't for the govt. bail-out... G.M. would be no longer.

[streaminwild]

Originally Posted by scamp

But how many new airstreams could be sold if they make them properly !

You can only imagin. If the factory was automated they could pass the savings to us. The ralleys would be back to the 50's and 60' numbers. The old pictures show no less than a hundred in attendance. The competeters would shudder to this fantacy.

[dkottum]

Everyone has their own Airstream quality experience. Ours was beautifully assembled at the factory, and has no corrosion whatsoever going on three years. Everything works. If it doesn't we will fix it.

We inspected ours thoroughly for operation and defects when we bought it. There were none. We treated the shell, fittings, and underbody for corrosion the day we brought it home. I bought an inexpensive Sonin moisture detection meter from Amazon and checked it for dampness in the plywood subflooor, which revealed four leaks in the shell.

We had a trip planned to have reclining chairs, table and cabinets installed in the front of our trailer at Jackson Center factory service so while there we had their 26 point inspection done as well as a Seal Tech pressure leak test. That confirmed the four leaks in the shell and they fixed them under warranty. They replaced all of our exterior clearance lights because of the poor seal design.

We use a quarterly inspection and maintenance plan to check systems, check for leaks, and renew anti-corrosion products. We put a new top quality polish on yearly. If something works loose, we tighten it. If we break it, we will fix it. If we don't like something, we change it. It there's a nick, we touch it up with clear acrylic or paint. And if the roads are salted I don't pull our Airstream on them. I'm guessing it won't be sitting at the beach much either, but that's a personal choice, we have plenty of fresh water at home.

And we use it, been on the road 18 months since new, traveled coast to coast twice and border to border several times.

There are many, many Airstreamers over the past 80 years who have done something similar. Keep the tool kit and maintenance products at hand and use them.

In the time I took to write this I could have treated half the shell for corrosion. That's how easy it is.

[Fly at Night]

Originally Posted by streaminwild

Fan may have a point. I wonder if Airstreams in Seattle Washington have filliform problems? I have a 1999 exella classic 30' with minimum filliform. I wonder what upper management changed ie. vender of aluminum , assembly procedure, or clearcoat formula after yr.2000 to cause this problem? The aluminum wheels I bought has more filliform than the whole trailer... they're off a 2011 airstream. If it wasn't for the govt. bail-out... G.M. would be no longer.

streamin, I am truly beginning to think same, re: a wet climate is actually good for clearcoat preservation. The FaN is also hosed down 1 - 2X per week in the summer because the livestock kick-up some dust. The trailer is also dripping with dew in the morning. It is a trailer that spends most of its life wet.

BTW, people who dwell on this wet coast also have the best skin. I'm not making this up; our dematologists attribute it to the rain/moist air.

So, what is good for the complexion is also good for the Airstream skin - even without Oil of Olay?

Does your trailer look older than your husband?

Oil of Olay commercial - YouTube

[scamp]

To me this is not acceptable four leaks on a two year old trailer ,and replace clearance light gaskets did airstream just start making gaskets for clearance lights ? Kinda crazy yes I know there are maintenance on airstreams but they need to fix this problem not just put the same defective gaskets back on , to me they never fixed the problem you will have the same problem back in less then two years and your floor is wet and rotting out,not to mention other dampness problems frame rusting etc. hate to be negative but can you imagine if car manufactures did this ! There would be a lot of lemons cars out there or they would be out of business .

[jpons]

I completely disagree with this statement and you assumptions about why people buy Airstreams or how uninformed AS buyers are. Quality can always be better, but compared to other brands of Travel Trailers Airstreams are WAY better built in my humble opinion. So yes, while I purchased partly based on the allure of the Airstream brand at least 50% of my purchase decision was made on the superior quality of Airstream compared to just about every other kind of Travel Trailer.

Originally Posted by ggoat!!!

However...Airstreams don't sell based on quality control. They sell based on their PERCEIVED quality but mostly on their look and history at this point.

[switz]

I wish our unit arrived and met our expectations for a $100,000 trailer versus the issues that greeted us.

A simple run to Jackson Center is about 1,950 miles EACH way or nearly $800 in diesel fuel for the trip. That makes a beginning price for "free" warranty repairs seem not so free.

And many of our issues were due to a "don't care attitude" like improperly installed alignment blocks for the couch arm rests, duct work collapsed because the cabinet was put on top of crossed runs, sloppy cut ins of the wall covering around the access hatches, dented ceiling material.... the list just goes on. I pointed out both in person and via email to the QC manager while I was at the factory watching snippets of the assembly process the loose rub rail by the center awning brace. It was NOT fixed before the trailer left the factory.

So the corrosion issue is just the decorative icing on the "issues" cake!

[r carl]

Originally Posted by scamp

To me this is not acceptable four leaks on a two year old trailer ,and replace clearance light gaskets did airstream just start making gaskets for clearance lights ? Kinda crazy yes I know there are maintenance on airstreams but they need to fix this problem not just put the same defective gaskets back on , to me they never fixed the problem you will have the same problem back in less then two years and your floor is wet and rotting out,not to mention other dampness problems frame rusting etc. hate to be negative but can you imagine if car manufactures did this ! There would be a lot of lemons cars out there or they would be out of business .

I always wondered what happened to the Yugo.

[streaminwild]

There's a current thred called ''Should this be the new Airstream''? Carbon fiber trailers may be the next rage. I'm surprised on how many streamers might consider this concept. Thor better look in the rear view mirror if the manufactor rounded the corners off... Fan I'm buying misters for Airstream to simulate the wet coast climate as for me...I would have to do a complete face off restoration.

[Bigskyrider8]

Just purchased a beautiful red Honda 3000 watt generator today, works perfectly no corrosion issues......I'm sure it will outlast my new AS, very sad commentary on "American Made".

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by silverwheels

Howard, are you suggesting a class action law suit? It has been addressed here many times, however no one has jumped on the band wagon.

I can appreciate that GREGU's concerns were addressed, but he had to drive to the factory. And that's 100's of miles away for me. Has anyone had any success contacting AS and requesting they front the cost for repairs done locally?

Not suggesting class action at all. In an earlier post I commented how that was discussed here in 2007 and like you said, the idea pops up again ever now and then. Clear coated Aluminum will never be without problems. As owners we should know that and try our best to maintain. But reports such as GregU's show many of our problems could be avoided with better construction care and quality control.

Those of us posting on this thread are voicing our frustrations, our efforts to repair, our attempts to get the company to come to the table with help. We really are a pretty good knowledge base of what happens in the field. My question to the group is, should we, as a group, approach Thor with suggestions that we feel will improve the quality of the product that leaves the factory. Maybe I'm being naive and they don't care, but to blow off a big group of concerned owners would be awfully foolish. Not sure exactly how to do this, but we are many, Lawyers here, business Execs here. I'm thinking someone would know how to approach the company and who to contact. Just an idea, just a question.

[streaminwild]

Maybe we should have a filliform rally at the plant. I mean Airstream rally.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by scamp

To me this is not acceptable four leaks on a two year old trailer ,and replace clearance light gaskets did airstream just start making gaskets for clearance lights ? Kinda crazy yes I know there are maintenance on airstreams but they need to fix this problem not just put the same defective gaskets back on , to me they never fixed the problem you will have the same problem back in less then two years and your floor is wet and rotting out,not to mention other dampness problems frame rusting etc. hate to be negative but can you imagine if car manufactures did this ! There would be a lot of lemons cars out there or they would be out of business .

Let me explain the leaks as others may find the same ones. Two were at each end of the optional street side awning arm brackets where water is funneled down like gutter ends. The screws/rivets were sealed but not well enough for this spot. One where the lower entrance door hinge screw had loosened over time. The other at the rear window larch that was not tight enough. They're not shocking, easily fixed and we verify it during quarterly inspections.

Our Airstream is corrosion free. Meantime the Toyota truck we traded recently suffered a well rusted frame and heavy filiform corrosion on its aluminum wheels. The Tacoma we had before that had such a rusted frame Toyota was replacing them so they didn't break in two. We don't have to imagine if car manufacturers did this, we experienced it.

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by Bigskyrider8

"All that glitters is not gold"
Three weeks ago I picked up my new 23' Flying Cloud, brought it home and tucked it in my garage. After reading about corrosion issues and build quality I've spent the last two days crawling underneath mine, cleaning, scrubbing and applying T-9. I've found three panels that have rivets that have pulled out or were never punched through causing the panel to sag about 1/4 inch in spots.....disappointing for sure.
I also found gobs of silicon on the roof seam that has pushed out and appears like sloppy application at best. Is what it is, but............I understand it's not a BMW (I've owned many) or a Ferrari, I've raced many, but I expected better.

Welcome ... understand that the AS is not perfect and often disappointing in QC, but it is still the best assembled that we have found. We had a hit list of over a dozen problems - mostly addressed by ourselves (dealer from whom we purchased is 600 miles away and local does not have a good record with many AS owners) with a few parts supplied by AS.

[Steve & Mary]

I've tried to stay away from this thread but seeing it some much the last several days I decided I would take a look at the most recent comments. When we purchased our trailer new back in 2008 I also thought I had done all of my homework. Only to have a year or so pass and signs of filliform show up did I then learn of the issues the newer trailers were having. We to did a through check when we picked up our trailer. Only later did I notice a couple of items which did not fit perfectly but they were easily fixed by myself. We have had several issues with our trailer and AS has been good to help us get those resolved. Our closest AS dealer is several hours away and AS have always sent me the parts and I've done the installation. Back to the corrosion issues. AS has changed their process over the years and corrosion has become an issue with their trailers. I have seen post on here where some will tell you it's aluminum and filliform just comes along with ownership but that it not completely true. I have owned three aircraft and my current one is 40+ years old. The aluminum on it is much more durable than what my trailer has. What I do now is keep a much closer eye on my trailer for corrosion issues. And when found I address them ASAP. Corrosion X is what I use on my aircraft and I carry on the process to my trailer. We enjoy our trailer. It bothered me at first that we had spent so much money and I had missed the corrosion issues. But I got over it. I try to always make good educated decisions. But even at 58..... sometimes I mess up. I just write it off as a bad one, get over it and move on. Life is just too short and I am not going to worry over this. We love our AS and have plans to do some serious travelling at the end of the year when I will retire :-)

[scamp]

Originally Posted by Steve & Mary

I've tried to stay away from this thread but seeing it some much the last several days I decided I would take a look at the most recent comments. When we purchased our trailer new back in 2008 I also thought I had done all of my homework. Only to have a year or so pass and signs of filliform show up did I then learn of the issues the newer trailers were having. We to did a through check when we picked up our trailer. Only later did I notice a couple of items which did not fit perfectly but they were easily fixed by myself. We have had several issues with our trailer and AS has been good to help us get those resolved. Our closest AS dealer is several hours away and AS have always sent me the parts and I've done the installation. Back to the corrosion issues. AS has changed their process over the years and corrosion has become an issue with their trailers. I have seen post on here where some will tell you it's aluminum and filliform just comes along with ownership but that it not completely true. I have owned three aircraft and my current one is 40+ years old. The aluminum on it is much more durable than what my trailer has. What I do now is keep a much closer eye on my trailer for corrosion issues. And when found I address them ASAP. Corrosion X is what I use on my aircraft and I carry on the process to my trailer. We enjoy our trailer. It bothered me at first that we had spent so much money and I had missed the corrosion issues. But I got over it. I try to always make good educated decisions. But even at 58..... sometimes I mess up. I just write it off as a bad one, get over it and move on. Life is just too short and I am not going to worry over this. We love our AS and have plans to do some serious travelling at the end of the year when I will retire :-)

You have a good attitude towards this corrosion problem and couldn't have said it better , it's just a shame airstream can't just get it together and make this problem better .

[SilverCabin]

Originally Posted by dkottum

I bought an inexpensive Sonin moisture detection meter from Amazon and checked it for dampness in the plywood subflooor, which revealed four leaks in the shell.

I'd like to hear more on this. Perhaps some pictures and how you used it to detect the leaks. In a later post you said the leaks were on the shell at awning attachments. How did you trace them from the floor to there?

So we don't hijack this thread, perhaps a reply on a maintenance forum thread would keep everyone happy.

Thanks,

Randy

[AL13]

Originally Posted by streaminwild

Fan may have a point. I wonder if Airstreams in Seattle Washington have filliform problems?

Hmmm, wonder no more. Last Friday I was preparing to take mine in for some service and when I walked around to check the lights just before driving off, I noticed that the rear tail light housings have started to develop it. Nice, a new project to start when I pick it up this week.