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Old 01-31-2018, 07:53 AM   #1
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2018 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Ponte Vedra Beach , Florida
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 21
Power Shade problem

One of my night shades on my 2018 Grand Tour is locked up...the shade is in the track and free of any obstacles and I can hear the motor running but the shade won't come down. Has anyone dealt with this problem or knows how to get at the roller mechanism to adjust the distance that the shade travels when lowered? I have an appointment to return to the dealer but would like to avoid that trip if I can fix it myself. Thank you.
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Old 01-31-2018, 08:12 AM   #2
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2016 Interstate Lounge Ext
Lake Oswego , Oregon
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My experiences with these shades that when they fail, total replacement is required. I'm not at all happy with any of these so-called automated shades. Rear screen is the worst.
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Old 01-31-2018, 08:38 AM   #3
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2018 27' Tommy Bahama
2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Clifton , Virginia
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I would keep the appointment and take it to the dealer. In my almost 3 years of owning this '16 GT, I had to take it back no less than 12 times just because of the automatic shade issues. It's so nice and impressive looking when all is working, BUT... you feel so helpless when it's not. I worry about when the warranty runs out in a few months. I am almost tempted to keep all the shades closed and not touch them ever, so at least I'll have privacy at night while camping.
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Old 01-31-2018, 08:51 AM   #4
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League City , Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cjrdad View Post
I would keep the appointment and take it to the dealer. In my almost 3 years of owning this '16 GT, I had to take it back no less than 12 times just because of the automatic shade issues. It's so nice and impressive looking when all is working, BUT... you feel so helpless when it's not. I worry about when the warranty runs out in a few months. I am almost tempted to keep all the shades closed and not touch them ever, so at least I'll have privacy at night while camping.
Twelve times?! You win the prize for biggest indictment of this bell-and-whistle shade nonsense that I've ever heard.

For the benefit of other owners, what is the dealer telling you regarding the central problem? Is it a defective component, such as a plastic part that keeps breaking? Or an electrical issue, or what?
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Old 01-31-2018, 09:09 AM   #5
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2018 27' Tommy Bahama
2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Clifton , Virginia
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Oh, please don't get me started! All different... Dead motor. Stripped gears. Only working individually but not when doing all. Too long. Too short. And combinations. As I type this, the Rear Driver Night Shade is stuck in the open position...
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Old 01-31-2018, 02:05 PM   #6
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2017 Interstate Lounge Ext
Mooresville , North Carolina
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Right now, my drivers side mid sun shade is inop. Dead..

I am going to drop the side wall and do some troubleshooting. I need to learn the difference in the "original" motorized shades and the "new improved" shades. There was a post on here recently with pictures. My 2017 is a July 2016 build, so I have no idea when the improved shade was implemented at production.

In 18 months, I have only had the drivers side front night shade become inop. It was replaced by Airstream when I was there in April 2017 for the drivers side awning install. Otherwise I have been lucky that they have all worked until now.
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Old 02-01-2018, 08:17 AM   #7
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Hi FlStrmr,

We're sorry to learn about the power shade issue you described in your 2018 Interstate Grand Tour Ext. Please call our customer service and technical support team at*1 (877) 596-6111, option 2 so we can learn more and help.

Thanks.
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Old 02-03-2018, 06:53 AM   #8
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St amant , Louisiana
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Had my 2018 for 6 months. Brought back to dealer 4 times for the shade issue. The last time was as FlStrm described above where the motor continued to run continuously non stop and nothing moving. Pulled on those darn things and fooled around with it until I couldn't take it.
It is a the dealer now and they said they had to replace the motor. Sorry but I don't get it. The motor was running its $&@&!?$& off but that supposedly fixed it. We will see.

Come in Airstream. We have a problem
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Old 02-10-2018, 06:57 PM   #9
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Venice , Florida
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I have a 2016 and the same problem. Have an appointment to bring it in in a few weeks. What do you do in a campground when they don't come down? Put on a show for your neighbors?
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Old 02-10-2018, 08:47 PM   #10
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2019 Interstate Lounge Ext
Jackson Hole - Tetons , Wyoming
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Power Shade problem

Quote:
Originally Posted by AirstreamInc View Post
Hi FlStrmr,

We're sorry to learn about the power shade issue you described in your 2018 Interstate Grand Tour Ext. Please call our customer service and technical support team at*1 (877) 596-6111, option 2 so we can learn more and help.

Thanks.


Dear AS INC (more than one forum monitor?)

We (you) know the shades have been a problem for years.

Can’t we (perhaps) involve the vendor to provide a redesign to eliminate this problem?

I’m on my fifth ASI since the 2014.5 model, and I “yearn” for the accordion blind. My 2017 model seemed like it was perfect 95% of the time.

On the 2018 unit I have a 50% failure rate with two shades inop, “dead in the water” in the down position, and three shades intermittently inoperative.

(Please don’t encourage me to call the help line, that’s insulting).

We, and you, know there is a problem. Why keep shipping ASI to customers (for year) as if there’s no problem?

Let’s not continue to force the customer to deal with the “symptom” of the problem (inop shade) because for some of us it’s a two day event to return for service...in my case 7 hours of driving, a rental car and a hotel. Can I bill every single service visit to AS from now on? What’s my time worth?

Idea:

Let’s actually (perhaps?) “fix” the problem at Airstream and either build it properly (shade mechanism) or re-design the setup?

But to continue selling and shipping this problem-filled feature isn’t honorable or honest in my opinion (unless your dealers are demonstrating the blinds to prospects, while sharing the failure-rate is over 50%).
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Old 02-11-2018, 06:15 AM   #11
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The easiest way to fix this would be for Airstream to offer a manual option. Then very few people would buy the auto-shades and proceed to experience an intractable problem like this. People specify various options in their builds - why can't this kind of stuff be part of that process?

Our manual shades are approaching 11 years old and not once have we ever had a failure. A few of the strings are beginning to look a bit frayed, and I know they can't last forever. But these have been amazingly good, reliable shades. They do require me to reach out my hand to raise and lower them, but I'm not medically incapacitated; I can manage that task.
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Old 02-11-2018, 06:53 AM   #12
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2018 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Austin (Hays County) , Texas
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During the purchase walk through on my "new to me" 2014.5, the tech told me several times just how fortunate I was not to have the power shades. I didn't realize at the time just how accurate that statement was.

I agree with InterBlog, there should be a manual blind option. I'm 85 and I can still operate the manual blinds and they have not been a bit of trouble.

It is an easy job to restring the manual blinds. I had to do it once when our cat got stuck behind a blind and broke the string. There are kits available with new string and all of the small parts.
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Old 02-11-2018, 10:36 AM   #13
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Schoharie , Unknown
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottP View Post
Dear AS INC (more than one forum monitor?)

We (you) know the shades have been a problem for years.

Can’t we (perhaps) involve the vendor to provide a redesign to eliminate this problem?

I’m on my fifth ASI since the 2014.5 model, and I “yearn” for the accordion blind. My 2017 model seemed like it was perfect 95% of the time.

On the 2018 unit I have a 50% failure rate with two shades inop, “dead in the water” in the down position, and three shades intermittently inoperative.

(Please don’t encourage me to call the help line, that’s insulting).

We, and you, know there is a problem. Why keep shipping ASI to customers (for year) as if there’s no problem?

Let’s not continue to force the customer to deal with the “symptom” of the problem (inop shade) because for some of us it’s a two day event to return for service...in my case 7 hours of driving, a rental car and a hotel. Can I bill every single service visit to AS from now on? What’s my time worth?

Idea:

Let’s actually (perhaps?) “fix” the problem at Airstream and either build it properly (shade mechanism) or re-design the setup?

But to continue selling and shipping this problem-filled feature isn’t honorable or honest in my opinion (unless your dealers are demonstrating the blinds to prospects, while sharing the failure-rate is over 50%).
AS continues to build to their current standard because you continue to buy them. According to others on this forum, very very few folks have any issues with their AS units, it appears your one of those people... good luck...
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Old 02-12-2018, 12:05 AM   #14
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Jackson Hole - Tetons , Wyoming
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Power Shade problem

Quote:
Originally Posted by EZTOO View Post
AS continues to build to their current standard because you continue to buy them. According to others on this forum, very very few folks have any issues with their AS units, it appears your one of those people... good luck...


“Say’s the owner of a 29 year old $13k trailer...”

Thank you so much for your opinion and valuable contribution to the conversation.


Anyway, I’ve spoken to two service managers about the power blinds since our 2017 delivery in September of 2016. One manager felt the failure rate was 75% and the other felt it was 90% (in terms of units which will return with a power blinds issue). Purely a “guess” on their part in both instances.

I really felt AS figured out the power blinds issue in 2017. Hmmmph!

We’ll see if our next service appointment in March can get these puppies working smoothly.
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Old 02-12-2018, 06:23 AM   #15
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I’m rather glad my AS has rather simple manual roll-up window shades. Simple, durable, and reliable. No mechanical stuff other than a spring and ratchet mechanism...
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Old 02-15-2018, 06:35 AM   #16
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2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Harrisville , Michigan
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I have 2 shades on my 2016 that aren't working...nice feature BUT please go back to manual shades!! Even my dealer could not adjust them so they don't bunch up when going down.
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Old 02-20-2018, 01:14 PM   #17
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2017 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Houston , Texas
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I've had the usual power shade failures also. All are currently working, except one dead sunshade which I ignore. If another shade fails, I'm ripping them out and replacing with manual ones.

Airstream really has screwed this up baaaaad.
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Old 02-20-2018, 06:24 PM   #18
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2017 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Seaside Park , New Jersey
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I had one shade replaced a week after ownership. I’ve had zero issues since but I’m very careful. I put one shade down at a time so if I see an issue I can stop the shade and fix the problem. Most of the time my issue is too much slack in the shade and it sometimes comes off track while driving. I personally love the shades but a manual version of the same shade wouldn’t be a deal breaker.
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Old 02-21-2018, 10:32 AM   #19
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2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Houston , Texas
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The power shades are a great feature poorly executed. The first fatal flaw is the OEM install does a sloppy job on setting the limits. Second the limit adjustment screws are not easily accessible. Third, the fuse rating are undersized. It is not uncommon for a fuse to blow if you initiate all shades at the same time if they have been stationary for some time. Fourth if the tracks are not perfectly aligned, there is a tendency for binding and last, the programming wire/button combination is poorly secured and are known to be eaten by a retracting blind.

So other than that they are great!
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Old 02-22-2018, 09:33 AM   #20
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2017 Interstate Lounge Ext
Calgary , Alberta
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Night and Sun Shade AS Interstate Hassles

So...once I pick up my AI from the dealer this week and head south out of Canada, I am really hoping this is the last of my hassles with these shades. Question: If I give up on these, how would one convert these shades to manual operation? Would you keep the factory blinds and then install something that provided the ability to roll them up and down.

Strange - how a nuisance like this is just about enough to sell this 2017 AI, and move to a brand that is more headache free!
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