East Bay Area (of California) service options

[scarletbison]

Hi all,

Well we've done it. Moved clear across the country from NJ to CA. My 2014.5 AI extended Lounge arrives via flat bed on Thursday. It has been in storage with regular exercise for the van the better part of 2 years. The vehicle seems fine but the the house battery is not holding charge anymore and I suspect will need to be replaced. Does anyone have any service locations in the area they would recommend.

For the mercedes side of things it appears that Merecedes of Pleasanton is a full Sprinter dealer and is closest to my new house in moraga. But as far as airstream issues it looks like there is a dealer in Fairfield CA but I don't know anything about them.

Any suggestions would be great. Also, I will be storing in a lot with clear sun but no power, so any suggestions via that arrangement would be great too.

[FlyFishinRVr]

Welcome to the left coast!

I bought my Interstate from Bay Area Airstream in Fairfield and can recommend them. They seem like an honest shop and treated me very well, both before AND after the sale.

Re. storage in a lot with no power, that's my setup. The 100W solar panel + my new(ish) MPPT solar controller does a fine job of keeping the batteries topped up. I keep everything off (fridge, propane, etc) to keep the parasitic draws to a minimum.

[mikeinca]

I'll second the recommendation for Bay Area Airstream Adventures in Fairfield. They're part of a string of dealerships that I believe are the highest volume Airstream sellers in the country. More importantly, they've treated us very fairly and have been responsive to all of our questions. Welcome to the Bay Area!

[PKI]

Fairfield is Bay Area Airstream Adventures. They are part of a dealership group that includes locations in Washington, Oregon, and Bosie Idaho.

There was a time that BAAA got some negative reports from customers. The Group Management got their ears bent and the Service Department received a makeover. The team works hard to find solutions to design shortfalls and upgrades that folks need. When they work it out the concept gets forwarded to AS corporate to reinforce the knowledge base.

The Service Team holds training sessions for owners. Call them up and get on the E-mail list for notifications. You'll get your arm twisted for upgrades, but it's an opportunity to ask questions, get a free lunch, build a relationship and learn which techs know their stuff.

Service got busy over the last couple of seasons, so make your reservation well in advance.

Storage - contact Bat Area Indoor Boat and RV Storage. They were full, but leased some more space and may be able to help you. Located in Antioch down the street from the police station. http://www.bayindoor-rvboatstorage.com/

We have been happy with BAAA, but if you do not find them to your liking, Toscono RV in Los Banos gets very good reports as well.

Several good WBCCI units in the area. International Rally is in Salem Oregon next year. Not a bad drive up I5. Travel safe. Pat

[Boba]

Welcome to the Golden State! I've used the dealer in Fairfield as well as a few others. In my opinion there is none better than Vinnies North Bay Airstream Repair. A bit farther for you than Fairfield but well worth the extra drive. The owner used to be the service manager for one of the largest Mercedes dealers in the Bay Area so may be uniquely qualified for your coach. Smart, honest and a nice guy to boot.

[graysailor]

Bay Area Airstreams is the best AS dealer Fairfield, CA that I have been too. There is also a very good Mercedes dealer in Walnut Creek, CA which is much closer then the Pleasanton dealer for you in Moraga. AS dealer would be about a 50 mile trip and the Mercedes dealer about a 5-10 mile trip.

[jldmd]

Just wondering if there is any near the South Bay. I live in Los Altos Hills and just recently acquired a 2012 Airstream Interstate. By the way, I am having Quality RV solar in Fremont install a 400 Watt solar system in with lithium batteries in September...Really nice guy that uses AM Solar parts. He seems very knowledgeable.

[Happy Days]

Perhaps my expectations are too high. I expect Lexus or Mercedes quality service since Airstreams are the Lexus/Mercedes of the RV world. The service techs at the Fairfield dealership are very nice and tries very hard to provide excellent service. However, both times I took it to them, the agreed upon service was not completed as expected and I fixed it myself. This was warranty service and I'm not sure if the service will change after the warranty period. I am preparing myself by searching other alternatives. Vinnie's (although 50 miles away) in Santa Rosa may be the best option at this time.

[rchawkins]

I'm another fan of Bay Area Airstream. Good work fair prices and fixed on time

[PKI]

Originally Posted by Happy Days

-- snip -- I expect Lexus or Mercedes quality service since Airstreams are the Lexus/Mercedes of the RV world. -- snip -- Vinnie's (although 50 miles away) in Santa Rosa may be the best option at this time.

Yes, the RV world is not Lexus. Airstream is an icon, not a perfect coach. That's the Bolus at double the price.

Vinnie's good. Backed up so call with lead time.

Also, be sure to tell the service manager at BAAA your issue. They can't improve without feedback. Unfortunately, in the RV world, the customer is part of the solution. Check the work before you leave. We've had the service writer, tech and supervisor all at work to make it right.

Good luck with your travels. They are much more fun. Pat

[Gamehawkers]

I bought from Bay Area Airstream . Lots of issues with the trailer from the factory that took almost 18 months to resolve. They stood by the product and fixed everything on warranty. Good to go now. Factory was slow getting replacement cabinet doors that had to be reordered 3 times before they were not damaged upon arrival.
Not Bay Area's fault just frustrating.

[graysailor]

http://www.avalon-rv.com Only works on Airstreams. I have been there and they are quite good. They are also quite busy. They do every and anything you could want done to your Airstream.

[graysailor]

I think that all the dealers have certain issues with the factory. It can take quite some time to get factory replacement items. The factory being busy does not want to take parts off the line and send to dealers. Also the factory is pretty inflexible with a lot of issues.

[sheriff1]

Now at 6 weeks waiting for a replacement fresh water tank from Bay Area Airstream.

[FlyFishinRVr]

Originally Posted by sheriff1

Now at 6 weeks waiting for a replacement fresh water tank from Bay Area Airstream.

They don't make them, the factory does. If you call BAAA, they will likely tell you they are waiting on the factory to ship it. [emoji849]

[sheriff1]

Originally Posted by FlyFishinRVr

They don't make them, the factory does. If you call BAAA, they will likely tell you they are waiting on the factory to ship it. [emoji849]

Actually the factory (Airstream) doesn't make them, purchased from an outside vendor. In this case I was just informed it has been drop shipped from that factory. "Should" be in the end of next week.

[graysailor]

My fresh water tank also needed replacing and it was about a two month wait at the AS dealer in Messa, AZ. The factory can be quite slow shipping some parts.

[sheriff1]

Originally Posted by graysailor

My fresh water tank also needed replacing and it was about a two month wait at the AS dealer in Messa, AZ. The factory can be quite slow shipping some parts.

That's interesting, where did your tank fail? I'm assuming it was your 30'.

[graysailor]

Apparently either the water inlet or outlet valve cracked (plastic). As I understand it these valves are welded into the tank itself. I got tired of dropping by the dealer to check on progress so I never actually saw the crack. This did not affect using a shore water supply.