Our new AI punchlist

[TayaraTravel]

Today we took our 1-month old 2017 GT in for its after-sale fixup. We've camped about 7 total nights since delivery, and found most of the initial problems. I don't know if this is typical, but here FYI is the list. Not too bad (so far):

1. Driver's side rear sunscreen loose. Sunscreen and privacy shades not working.
2. Remote control for power shades sticking, light stays on.
3. Side screen door poorly mounted, screws missing, jumped track, not latching.
4. Fresh water leak at outside shower cold-water valve.
5. Rust stains on roof at attachment points of power awning
6. Loose rear view mirror on driver's side

[c21]

Originally Posted by TayaraTravel

Today we took our 1-month old 2017 GT in for its after-sale fixup. We've camped about 7 total nights since delivery, and found most of the initial problems. I don't know if this is typical, but here FYI is the list. Not too bad (so far):

1. Driver's side rear sunscreen loose. Sunscreen and privacy shades not working.
2. Remote control for power shades sticking, light stays on.
3. Side screen door poorly mounted, screws missing, jumped track, not latching.
4. Fresh water leak at outside shower cold-water valve.
5. Rust stains on roof at attachment points of power awning
6. Loose rear view mirror on driver's side

I would call that a reasonably short list. Everything should be easy to remedy.

[mrcolin2u]

Rust doesn't sound good on a new van [emoji51]

[TayaraTravel]

Originally Posted by mrcolin2u

Rust doesn't sound good on a new van [emoji51]

Agreed. This was a little surprise we just discovered yesterday when we looked down on the van from a second story window. Didn't have time to investigate before taking the van in. Will be interested to find out what they say about it.

[Lily&Me]

Looks like the screws...

Maggie

[InterBlog]

Here's what's potentially concerning to me: If Airstream didn't properly seal the penetrations at the awning, what did they do with *the rest* of the van body's penetrations? You'd be wise to watch all such areas for similar evidence of incipient rust. At the slightest appearance, bring it back to the dealer for warranty work.

Here's a pic below that shows basically what needs to happen, for anyone who might not be familiar with the importance of this. This was taken when LB_3 was installing our side cameras on the exterior of the rig. (Ignore the neodymium magnet - that was temporary, to catch metal shavings.) He cut a hole in the van body for the camera mounting. The penetration was then sealed with blue Rustoleum because blue is what we happened to have on hand. Basically the process consisted of cutting the hole, spraying some of the metal paint onto a disposable surface (paper plate or whatever), and using a Q-Tip or similar device to thoroughly dab several coats onto the exposed metal surfaces (including the back-side surface). Cutting tends to shatter and chip the edge of the original body paint, and the coating that is added must encapsulate every last micron of exposed metal, or else it'll be off to the races with rust from that point forward.

When I recaulked our roof recently, there was one location where I failed to re-cover less than a square millimeter of exposed metal. In the swamp that is Houston, I had a rust streak appear within 48 hours.

The challenge with an exterior appurtenance job that shows evidence of inadequate sealing is that the installation must be removed from the van to properly treat the affected areas. It's labor-intensive, in other words. With some shops, there might be incentive to cover up the problem cosmetically rather than investing the time to do it the way it should have been done during the initial build. I'd be on the look-out for that, too.

[Mcrid]

A trick I use for non-ferrous drilling work is to apply Bluetape below the area to be cut/drilled. Peel it back so the tacky surface will catch the shavings. For non visible cut edges, you can apply liquid electrical tape. makes for a good thick seal.

[coasttocoast]

Yes, you are going to have maintenance issues. It's a machine with a lot of parts. You need to be mechanically inclined, and I hope your dealer is nearby. The screen door likes to pull off its track, especially when someone new is taking a look. They always want to put their left hand on the screen door handle to enter, and their right hand on to exit. You have to be direct and tell people that the handle is on the right to get in. The screen door works better if you install a magnetic latch about half way down the door. It will keep the door from sliding on it's own if you are on an incline. One other thing, when you are retracting the dump hose, you need to remove the slack from the hose before flipping the switch. Just pull the hose with some slight pressure until you see the slack come out. Then reel in the hose. Try to guide the hose on so that it reels in without resistance. Lastly, you must keep your batteries on a maintainer when not in use; otherwise, you will require new batteries very soon.

[TayaraTravel]

Originally Posted by coasttocoast

...One other thing, when you are retracting the dump hose, you need to remove the slack from the hose before flipping the switch. Just pull the hose with some slight pressure until you see the slack come out. Then reel in the hose. Try to guide the hose on so that it reels in without resistance. Lastly, you must keep your batteries on a maintainer when not in use; otherwise, you will require new batteries very soon.

Already discovered the hose "best practices" by trial and error! Reading this forum prepared me for basic battery hygiene and i keep it plugged in during storage.

The dealer's after-sales briefing was woefully inadequate. I feel sorry for new buyers not inclined to do their homework. During the "tech walkthrough" a dealer employee made an unintendedly meaningful remark. I asked if their Interstate customers ever reported trouble with bio-diesel contamination (an issue I learned about on this forum). He said: "I don't know. We never see our Interstates again. People buy them and take them to California, Alaska, ..." I suspect other reasons why this particular dealer never sees Interstate customers again.

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by coasttocoast

.Then reel in the hose. Try to guide the hose on so that it reels in without resistance..

It would be a lot better if the hose retracted more slowly.

I consider myself to be like the level-wind mechanism on a fishing reel. I hold the hose in the palm of my left hand and move my hand from side to side as the hose retracts so that it doesn't all lump up in one area.

[FlyFishinRVr]

Originally Posted by TayaraTravel

The dealer's after-sales briefing was woefully inadequate.

The dealer plays such an important role in a new buyer's ownership experience. One that's just interested in "moving units" won't take the time needed to properly receive, inspect, and prepare a coach for delivery. They also typically rush through the walkthrough so they can get the papers signed, pat the new owners on the head, and send them on their way so they can get to the next customer.

While I understand the desire to sell as many units as quickly as possible, I very much see the need for some oversight by Airstream to ensure all of their dealers are "doing it right". I keep reading too many reports of people driving home in brand new units and finding plumbing leaks, inoperative equipment, loose fasteners, etc. Yes, the factory should catch these before letting them out the door, but a second check by the dealer could really raise the overall experience of new owners.

In my case, my dealer was excellent (Bay Area Airstream in Fairfield, CA) and they tested all systems prior to delivery, then spent as much time as I needed going over everything when it was delivered. As a result, I didn't have a single thing wrong on day one. I've had a couple things fail as I've used the coach, which I expected based on previous RV experience and doing a lot of reading, and have taken care of them myself, but so far I have zero complaints with my purchase and attribute much of that to a well-executed delivery.

Moral of the story: do some research on not just the coaches, but also the dealers, and maybe go a bit further to buy from one that has a reputation for solid performance, both before and after the sale. Maybe over time this "natural selection" will weed out the dealers who are just interested in "moving units" and eventually everyone will have a better new-ownership experience.

[Mcrid]

We acquired our AI from Chilhowee in the Alcoa TN area. They tested all the systems before we arrived. The Tech was not rushed in our briefing and they told us ahead of time to expect to spend an entire morning for walk through and paperwork. I give them very high marks. Oh, fair price as well. Gave the local Houston dealer a chance to match and they declined. I've had plenty of maintenance items do deal with in use, but so far nothing I could not handle.

[amirm]

Our screen door was improperly screwed in. So despite having tons of adjustment, you can barely get it to ride on its rails and latch when closed. Hopefully yours is better and it is simple adjustment.