Pre-Delivery Inspection

[gastockman]

I'll be taking delivery of a new 2013 Interstate Lounge on Friday.

Anybody have any words of advice during the pre-delivery inspection process?

Any "I wish I had known that" before driving away from the dealership?

Thanks
Glenn

[overlander63]

Take a camcorder with you to take a video for future reference.

[azflycaster]

Spend your first night at the dealers lot. Check everything that night and have any issues corrected before you leave in the morning.

[wayneskid]

Two things that worked for me:
1. Download the owners manual from the Airstream site (the latest they have posted is for the 2012 MY, but that will get you started) here:
Airstream, Inc :: Owners Manuals
Read the manual thoroughly before your delivery appointment and build a list of questions to ask at time of delivery.
2. Find the time to spend the night in the moho after delivery (if there aren't better options, the dealer should allow you to park overnight on his lot) and use this time to read the 2013 owners manual and try every system and function you can. Hopefully the dealer has left some water in the fresh tank for you. Build another list of questions to ask the next day at the dealership.

Enjoy your new camper. I still love mine!
Wayne

[SilverRanger]

Great advice from Terry, Richard, and Wayne. I strongly endorse spending the night, if possible. Make a checklist before you get there, and a list of questions for the next day. Wish I had video taped my orientation.

Congratulations on your new Airstream!

[gastockman]

Thanks guys. All excellent ideas.

I will use the video camera in my smartphone.

Already downloaded the owners manual and gone through it once. In the process of going through it again. This time I'll put together a list of questions.

I'll see if I can spend the night at the dealer.

Thanks again for your great responses.
Glenn

[AWCHIEF]

What dealership are you using? Our local Airstream dealer here in Gulfport, MS. has several spots plumbed and wired for over night stays.

[Len n Jeanne]

We agree on spending Night One on the dealership lot! In fact, they (Can-Am in London Ontario) strongly recommended it.

Good thing, too, because this was in March and the furnace decided to blow the fuses-- twice. The owner finally loaned us a space heater from their shop to get through the night.

To us, the main thing was the ***warranty*** from Can Am. If anything went wrong, they simply fixed it, no questions asked. And some other things did. Like the cupboard over the bunk working itself out and falling on the bed somewhere in Wisconsin, en route from Ontario to Vancouver, BC.

Enjoy your new Airstream!

[btowntincan]

Make sure you check your systems on all power sources (shore, battery and propane) to ensure they work every way possible and that you understand the operation every way possible. Good luck!

[r carl]

Go to a car wash and while one is spraying water the other can be inside looking for leaks.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Spend your first night at the dealers lot. Check everything that night and have any issues corrected before you leave in the morning.

We have four pads forRVs, but we had to stop allowing overnight stays after ournsurance threatened to cancel our coverage. We have an unofficial deal with a close by campground for our customers.

Originally Posted by r carl

Go to a car wash and while one is spraying water the other can be inside looking for leaks.

Most dealerships don't have a car wash on site, and frown on allowing their techs to travel to one with the customers.

[73shark]

Definitely take it out on the road and use both city streets and then some open road. Have someone ride in back while on the road and listen for noises.

Check tire pressures, especially the inner duals. One of mine had a bad Shraeder valve and was down to 25 psi. You will need a double-sided gauge to do this.

[cnq50b]

Thanks for the idea of video-taping the walk thru... I'm picking up a 'new-to-me' Airstream Interstate in a couple of weeks... I'm reading the manual, building my list of questions, but videoing the walk-thru is the best idea ever!
Thanks!

[73shark]

cnq50b: Just noticed that you are a "neighbor". Are you buying from a private party or a dealer?

[Friday]

Originally Posted by r carl

Go to a car wash and while one is spraying water the other can be inside looking for leaks.

Careful with pressure washers and RV's... they are not designed for the pressure, or the angles that a pressure washer can push water...

[Gene]

Glenn,

Assuming the Interstate has similar issues as a trailer—

Run everything once you have camped for the night. The furnace may not be comfortable in August, but open the door and turn on the fans, and let her rip. Check all the registers for hot air.

I don't know if the heat pump on the A/C will work at high temps, but try it.

Look underneath for leaks, and then everywhere else—in cabinets, anywhere there are water lines. Make sure the drain under the sink is tight and doesn't leak. Some newer trailers have problems draining the kitchen sink—water comes up in the shower even if the grey tank is empty; I haven't seen anything on that for Interstates though. That can be fixed.

There have been some problems with the sound system—does the TV play through the system, do DVD's work, etc. Some models have noise from the subwoofer if it isn't adjusted right.

Make sure all the windows open easily—they can stick on the rubber seals. Use a putty knife carefully to loosen them and then spray silicone on the rubber. Make sure the window locks are all properly tightened—we lost a window on the way home because one lock was loose.

Some trailers sit on the lot for a long time and the batteries may not have been maintained well at a dealer—check the cells with a hydrometer.

Make sure the fridge works on electric and propane. There are plenty of things to check, so this is just a few.

The dealers give you 2 hours for the inspection, but if that isn't enough time, ask for more. No matter how well you prepare, you will forget something and feel confused. That is normal.

We came to the dealer and got 4 hours. Then we went to a nearby campground and found about 5 things that needed fixing. We went back to the dealer and got them fixed.

You will probably need sewer hoses, water hoses, and a bunch of other stuff too.

Gene

[cnq50b]

In response to 73Shark, buying from a dealership in Florida. So happy to see a fellow Interstate here in OP! I'm open for any & all advice you toss my way.

[drew05]

I would follow all of the above. Additionally bring a note pad and take notes, and as lots of questions. The dealer should allow enough time to cover the entire vehicle. Ours lasted 2-3 hours. On your first night, especially if at the dealer, fill all of your tanks. Yes i know that is a lot of water, but if there is any construction debris in the tanks, or the valves do not open or close properly, now is the time to identify and fix the problems. You can also ensure that the level sensors work properly.

Good Luck and Congratulations

[73shark]

Originally Posted by cnq50b

In response to 73Shark, buying from a dealership in Florida. So happy to see a fellow Interstate here in OP! I'm open for any & all advice you toss my way.

My salesman at MB-KC gave me a steno pad and pen and said to write down all my questions that came up. It turned out to be very handy.

When new, Airstream puts all the manuals and instructions for installed equipment in a softside briefcase. Try to make sure that's still w/ your unit when you get it.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by 73shark

My salesman at MB-KC gave me a steno pad and pen and said to write down all my questions that came up. It turned out to be very handy.

When new, Airstream puts all the manuals and instructions for installed equipment in a softside briefcase. Try to make sure that's still w/ your unit when you get it.

Try to make sure ALL the manuals are included, too. My Interstate was missing the manuals for the LPG detector and water heater (interestingly, both are Atwood products). I was able to download copies of the manuals from the Atwood web page, but shouldn't have needed to.

There was also no manual for the retractable step by the sliding side door, and I can't find one online. The best I was able to do is a catalog from the company that makes the step. In Italian.

If anyone from Jackson Center is reading this, a high-quality scanned copy of all the manuals, on DVD, would be nice, too.