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Old 11-18-2018, 08:43 PM   #2801
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Delaware , Ohio
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3" lift, fabricating 10" x 3" x 3" spacers

After receiving measurements and guidance from Ronnie late last week, I purchased 48" of 3" square steel stock, 1/4" thick on Friday. Saturday I cut four pieces 10 1/8" in length to make four 3" spacers for the Dexter axles. After cutting I used a vertical mill and finished the ends to create four 10" finished pieces..

I proceeded to make all measurements for the holes, as per Ronnie's instructions, and center punched each. I used a magnetic base Milwaukee drill press at one end of a 4' x 8' x 1" thick steel top welding table. With the use of a center-finding pin, I pinpointed the center of each hole, locked the stock down using the drill press, then clamped each section to the table before proceeded with a pilot, followed by a finish hole. I completed the work by dressing everything with a power tool.

Hardware in the form of grade 8, 5/8'-18 (fine thread) x 2" long bolts with back washers and nuts are arriving tomorrow at which time I will custom fabricate flanges to hold the heads from spinning. The flanges will be welded on in a fashion similar to that used by Ronnie and Scott.

I will sandblast the four 10" x 3" x 3" spacers in preparation for painting. When the painting is complete I will proceed to the install.

Thanks Ronnie for the assistance!

Jim k
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Old 11-18-2018, 09:12 PM   #2802
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Jim your tools and access to tools have me thinking covetous thoughts.
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Old 11-18-2018, 09:40 PM   #2803
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Suspension Spacer Stock; centering, and drilling holes in steel stock

Here are a few images of centering and holding stock before clamping to table, drilling a pilot hole and final hole.
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Old 11-19-2018, 04:24 AM   #2804
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I too now use the portable 30 amp Progressive. If my current trailer was a forever thing I would go with hardwired. But being able to move it to the next saves money. Cindy, this unit does more than protect from surges. It switches off power to protect you when voltage gets too low or high and with various wiring faults, some serious. The one I have now is the third. The first replaced an under warranty unit and another was a hard wired 50 amp in my previous toy hauler.
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Old 11-19-2018, 07:14 AM   #2805
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OH no,I think I screwed up! When I did my lift I bought my blocks from a fabcating shop precut to 10 inches. I measured and drilled my blocks with a makita 1/2 inches drill with a harbor freight step bit! No center finding bit or magnetic anything! Clamps huh! Dress it up? what I cleaned blocks with brake cleaner and mineral spirits. Then painted with rusty metal primer rustoleum with a fancy finish coat of rusty metal silver rustoleum left over from my mail box!

Just kidding of course! Wow nice tools and workshop! I thought Ronnie and rob had all the cool tools. My shop does have a 40 inch flat screen and a beer fridge.

Have fun with the install. Looking forward to more pictures.

Scott
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Old 11-19-2018, 07:27 AM   #2806
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One needs to install a "mounted" surge suppressor in an accessible location. This is the sacrificial part to protect the rest of the electrical system in the trailer from bad electrical events. So if it has to do it's ultimate sacrifice job when one is on the road, one has to have a replacement on hand and/or be able to by-pass the wiring to make an interim direct wired connection.
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Old 11-19-2018, 07:59 AM   #2807
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FloydCoVa View Post
OH no,I think I screwed up! When I did my lift I bought my blocks from a fabcating shop precut to 10 inches. I measured and drilled my blocks with a makita 1/2 inches drill with a harbor freight step bit! No center finding bit or magnetic anything! Clamps huh! Dress it up? what I cleaned blocks with brake cleaner and mineral spirits. Then painted with rusty metal primer rustoleum with a fancy finish coat of rusty metal silver rustoleum left over from my mail box!

Just kidding of course! Wow nice tools and workshop! I thought Ronnie and rob had all the cool tools. My shop does have a 40 inch flat screen and a beer fridge.

Have fun with the install. Looking forward to more pictures.

Scott
Repent, brother. Clearly you didn't get the memo about over-engineering over-building everything. If you aren't going to comply please keep it to yourself. I really screwed up, I bought the kit from Dexter that came painted and a lot of that rubbed off in shipping.
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Old 11-19-2018, 03:02 PM   #2808
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Wow boys! I had a chance to spend a day at an airstream dealer (never done that before). The girls went to the Pioneer Woman Mercantile in Tulsa Oklahoma and that freed me and my dad to spend the day at leisure Time RV in Oklahoma City. I spend a few hours looking at everything from the new Nest , basecamp, 33 classic, 30 classic 23, 25, 27 globetrotter, I’ll have to say I was NOT Impressed see the photos attached. This kinda crap work has got to stop. I did not go to pic these units apart but dang I was able to find these examples of poor workmanship will out even looking hard.
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Old 11-19-2018, 04:02 PM   #2809
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Old 11-19-2018, 04:31 PM   #2810
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I can now see why they are starting to give out 3yr warranties instead of 2! As for the rest of my opinion, I'll keep them to myself and I'm sure you all can fill in the blanks. Ours are 2016 and have had our shares of small fixes but not that many in one post shown above!

I'm still trying to keep up with everyone here on their mods. I do tell the wife that my "projects are only as good as how many tools I need to buy" lol! Thank you to all who've contributed whether its large or small and one day I will give back to the community...now where they heck did I put my thingamajig?
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Old 11-19-2018, 06:08 PM   #2811
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🤢🤮 wow. Those are pretty bad. You should send that to the COO.....
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Old 11-19-2018, 06:35 PM   #2812
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🤢🤮 wow. Those are pretty bad. You should send that to the COO.....
Don’t worry. I did. They can do better than this. The wire under the wall is by far the best. That was on a 23d in the wheel well storage area. Where we moved the wires. There was no standard. I looked at 3 different 23d units and the wires where all secured in a different place.
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Old 11-19-2018, 07:36 PM   #2813
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That gas line in fridge worries me. Those crimps can create leaks real fast...
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Old 11-19-2018, 10:51 PM   #2814
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New 23 CB (aka D)

I retired in June 2017. In November of that year I adopted Earl -- a Springer Spaniel and my traveling companion. In that same month I acquired an Airstream 22 Sport so Earl and I could travel together.

After a year and 8,000 miles in the Sport, I knew Earl and I needed a little more space and comfort. In early November of 2018 we took delivery of a 23CB International. It's the perfect floor plan for a man and a dog.

Our first outing with the 23 was to Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys last week. Earl and I had a great time and the 23 proved to be that right choice for our adventures.

Prior to taking delivery of the new Airstream I subscribed to and read all of the post in the 23D thread where I learned a great deal about strengths and weaknesses of our new rig. We're excited to members of the 23D community.
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Old 11-20-2018, 02:08 AM   #2815
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I retired in June 2017. In November of that year I adopted Earl -- a Springer Spaniel and my traveling companion. In that same month I acquired an Airstream 22 Sport so Earl and I could travel together.



After a year and 8,000 miles in the Sport, I knew Earl and I needed a little more space and comfort. In early November of 2018 we took delivery of a 23CB International. It's the perfect floor plan for a man and a dog.



Our first outing with the 23 was to Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys last week. Earl and I had a great time and the 23 proved to be that right choice for our adventures.



Prior to taking delivery of the new Airstream I subscribed to and read all of the post in the 23D thread where I learned a great deal about strengths and weaknesses of our new rig. We're excited to members of the 23D community.


Welcome to the 23D(CB) family! Plenty of good folks willing to share and help out on this forum.
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Old 11-20-2018, 06:06 AM   #2816
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Granda,
Thanks for sharing that story and the pic. I have an older 23FB but like both 23s... the 23s are perfect for many folks. One of two with a little one or two or a dog, is a perfect fit. Nimble but just big enough.
Clint
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Old 11-20-2018, 06:07 AM   #2817
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< snip > I was able to find these examples of poor workmanship without even looking hard.
I just cannot get my head around Airstream allowing this to continue. Where is management in this? The culture on the assembly floor should match the name on the building, and while 'fixable,' it would require a sea change in thinking top to bottom. I'm sure that my [former] work life was much like many here: I had five manufacturing plants in three countries, all were ISO9000 facilities. Consistent quality was expected - and achieved... every day. I had great people in staff and line management, each of whom were fully committed to the quality of our products and processes. Airstream's quality consistency has been sketchy for quite some time... either they don't care (inexcusable), or they don't know how to fix it (also inexcusable). I'm thinking that "somebody" at the top at Airstream is afraid for their job, and unwilling to rock the boat by instituting - and championing - a total quality program.

Maybe I just got lucky... our 23D is a pretty good one
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Old 11-20-2018, 06:39 AM   #2818
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Granada, Welcome aboard. You picked a dandy trailer. My wife and I too have a dogs. I am about to retire soon. We bought a 2015 23d last spring and have only camped in it three times, enough to know we made the right choice in size and layout. I have been following this thread all year making up grades. This thread is great as I have learned so much about our trailer. The people here are great! They are friendly, inventive,funny helpful. This summer we will be trying out all of the up grades by actually using ours a lot more and with all the upgrades less problems along the way for sure. And if there is a glitch along the way with all I've learned we should get it fixed ourselves. And if I can't figure it out I know where to go for some help. Have fun Scott
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Old 11-20-2018, 07:03 AM   #2819
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" I'm thinking that "somebody" at the top at Airstream is afraid for their job, and unwilling to rock the boat by instituting - and championing - a total quality program."

Rob , I think you are right . These big companies are all about lowering the expense ratios. They relie on the name to carrie on. By lowering the cost to do business they can raise profits. I'm sure they have cut corners and employees to save money. They do this to raise profits. This will only last for a short while then the y will loose money as the economy changes and people will take their money some where else. This is the same thing Hunter Harrison has done at CSX. So if the people at the top at Airstream don't follow along the people at the top of Thor will get someone else to get the job Done. I feel quite sure the employees making our trailers know better but can't do nothing about it. I have a 2015 23d and see some short cuts but the things I here about in new trailers lately are far more numerous. Just my 2 cents, Scott
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Old 11-20-2018, 07:03 AM   #2820
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Pinching or drilling into and shorting wires either 12vdc or AC seem to be a consistent problem off the JC assembly line. We have the shorted 8 main dinette led lights on our 2018, and there must have been at least 6 trailers at the end of the assembly line pulled aside being looked into for wiring shorts when we were did our tour last week in JC. And the service center is swamped with the next available appointments in mid February.
Don’t get me wrong we love our Airstream, but they need to address the QC issues or it’s going to come back to bite them. Thankfully I’m handy and am willing to work on and improve the few deficiencies we have uncovered in our 23CB, but if I had to return to the dealer or JC to fix these issues repeatedly I’d get frustrated real quick.
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