Tomorrow Begins My Journey

[rowiebowie]

Wow, after all that, you even had few positives to say at the end. You're a better man than I.


No excuse for it to get out of Jackson Center with the Fusion problem. Likewise Colonial not checking it out prior to your pickup. Now your into personal expenses and the finger-pointing stage between Mercedes & Airstream. And still no solution!


I was expecting tales of happy water adventures and pics of your new kayak carrier. Sorry for your troubles man.

[eyechip]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

Wow, after all that, you even had few positives to say at the end. You're a better man than I.


No excuse for it to get out of Jackson Center with the Fusion problem. Likewise Colonial not checking it out prior to your pickup. Now your into personal expenses and the finger-pointing stage between Mercedes & Airstream. And still no solution!


I was expecting tales of happy water adventures and pics of your new kayak carrier. Sorry for your troubles man.

Oh, Colonial checked everything prior. Fourteen hours before I picked it up. Sure, they were transparent to the problem but called me the evening before to tell me with no options to fix before I picked up in the morning and needed to head west. So while they claim transparency and that they did a required pre-check my issue is that they had three weeks to check all the systems and chose to wait until hours before.

[InterBlog]

Stories like this are good general indicators of Airstream's delivery process. The argument is often made that user forums disproportionately attract people with problems (i.e., complainers). But when new members join pre-purchase AND THEN proceed to have major problems, it's a pretty safe bet that their experiences are more toward the representative end of the spectrum, whether it's Fusion not being fixable, or couches falling apart that cannot be fixed months on end, or dead AGM batteries, or whatever.

[Alex AVI]

EYECHIP - Very sorry to hear these issues. In the grand scheme of things, the technical issues behind your audio/speaker/Fusion defects are not complex. It is fairly easy to troubleshoot. What is outstanding & baffling is how neither MB or AS is able to figure it out. It doesn't require an engineering degree to fix this. Then adding insult to injury, rather than deciding how to fix it instead of pointing fingers and even having the gall to charge you, they finger-point instead of acting as professional collaborators with a formal Upfitter Partnership. They do have a Partnership Agreement that buyers who get shafted like this can take them to task on.

I am happy to hear, though, that you love the rig. Yes, she is beautiful. It is hard to do, that is separate & compartmentalize the problem to the proper place and to not take it out on the AI. We had major issues with our AI (and still have some on-going unfixed issues that dealer nor Jackson Center seems to not deem a priority). But our AI has given us a lot of joy in it's 6,000 mile 6-month life with us, notwithstanding the problems. The problems have seemed to always be the dealer handling of such minor issues.

Admirable to see your positive attitude amidst all these. You sound like you are a person who won't let the negative drown the positives. Kudos to you. Best to you on remainder of your trip.

[Lily&Me]

Sorry to hear of all the issues with your sound system, but so glad everything else seems to be meeting or exceeding your expectations.

Maggie (an 11 year Interstate owner)

[AirstreamInc]

Originally Posted by eyechip

I have been amiss these days in updates and expressing my thanks to everyone. Much because my barely on the grid status has resulted in some quirky bug that would not allow me to post here without errors coming up. It appears I can again now...gonna update a bit more now I hope.

It's been a hell of a few weeks! Here is a summary....

1. Made it to Colorado in my brand new rig with no music or bluetooth given the faulty Fusion/ speakers/wiring...whatever it is...system on delivery. I was ok, I was introspective. I hummed a lot.

2. Ran some rivers around Glenwood Springs which was wonderful and the weather was amazing. I had problems at that point (since corrected) where I had no fridge (bad connection to the fuse) and I remember most my friend in a 2008 Outback asking me if I wanted a COLD beer at the takeout. Coolers are handy. Low tech is not so bad. Damn him.

3. Made it to Vegas and started the chaos of what I thought would be simple. Fix the brand new unit to have a system that I could listen to music and use bluetooth for my phone. Seems simple right? If not familiar to this I was told at delivery that the Fusion system would work but there was no sound or speakers or bluetooth ability. Ok?

4. Dropped off at Mercedes of Henderson, NV. They called a day and a half later and said it was not a problem with speakers but an issue with the Fusion system. Ok, I took andUber back from the Strip and dropped it at Airstream Vegas (thanks to prodding and pushing to Colonial to be an advocate).

5. Airstream Vegas took a look and decided the Fusion system was faulty. They had a new one overnighted from the LA store and installed it. It still did not work. They replaced the speakers on the dash. It still did not work. After a few days I gave up. But they did talk me into changing the batteries to the 6V in the interim while they waited for the new Fusion which I got suckered into and probably paid too much (do NOT ask me what I paid).

6. After five days I was desperate to get out of Vegas. I picked up the rig and was told by the dude at Airstream there that they replaced the entire Fusion, replaced the dash speakers (which I had to pay for with a promise from Colonial that they would reimburse) but that, in the end, it was the door speakers that were the problem. Huh? They said that now it was a Mercedes issue and how could they not have seen this when I had it to them originally? Wait, what? So I left Vegas with a new fusion system, two new speakers on the dash and still nothing was fixed. I had no choice but to move on. And thinking that this whole thing is getting fishy.

7. After kayaking in the Sierras for a week I arrived in LA. I scheduled with help from Colonial for an appointment with Mercedes Sprinter service at Keyes in the Valley. They took one look and were like, "Stuart (that's my name) this is an Airstream issue...how could four speakers be blown and faulty at once (makes sense) and clearly this is a wiring issue on the part of Airstream.

8. I left it as I need to fly out pf LA tomorrow morning until Tuesday for meetings but the guy there was pretty clear..we will look but if it's the wiring, which we think it is, you are going to pay for the opening up of the dash and doors. And we will, most likely tell you to bring it to Airstream. FML. At this point I have no choice. I am in the rabbit hole.

9. I won't even mention the bound black wire that was hanging down and appeared out of nowhere on the passenger side near the exhaust. Frayed and dragging when I pulled into the Mercedes service. Just another top ten hit to deal with. But I got this. I dunno what it even is.

10. I have reached the end with the fusion and this debacle. My synopsis is this...Colonial had three weeks to run a test of the rig before I took delivery. They had a deposit and confirmation of my own financing long before. They chose instead to run their tests the afternoon before I arrived for delivery. They left me handcuffed as plans were made, my delivery trip was set and I (wrongly?) expected a new vehicle with a $185K MSRP would come ready to go and checked out for issues and that I would not be told 14 hours before I pick up it up that "Oh, we just found a problem wit the Fusion and sorry you made plans and have a schedule when we could have checked this weeks before so can you cancel everything for some days while we troubleshoot?"

So here I am. Three weeks, three service centers, blame going back and forth, no solutions, Uber charges up the wazzoo, and what is billed as the "best in class" being a nightmare to get one simple thing: a solution.

Funny, the dangling frayed wire seems so less of a concern (when it should be a major concern) because I am so obsessed and frustrated to just be able to have a sound system that works. And F$king bluetooth.

Other than that things are well. I love it, I hate to admit it amidst my losing patience but I will. She has been a champ and a beauty sitting next to the river for days as my pod of comfort. And yes, the outdoor shower works great. Well, when I don't run all the fresh water out by accidentally turning on the faucet in the bathroom as I exit.

I am keeping positive. What other choice do I have?

Hi eyechip,

We're very sorry about the issues you are having. Please send us a direct message with your contact information and the last 6 digits of your VIN so we can share it with our Customer Service and Technical Support team.

Thank you.

[eyechip]

Quick Update:

First of all thanks everyone for the kind comments. I appreciate very much the encouragement. I am not one to use forums for complaints. I am more posting here so that any others who might experience a similar issue will have a resource of my experience to turn to in the future.

So Mercedes in the San Fernando Valley finished their work. And, sadly, it's not resolved. They took out the entire dash and doors and worked with Colonial on the wiring schematics to make sure they got everything connected properly. But the sound still did not function. All I got from them was a quote from the Mercedes service guy that "this Fusion system is clearly not compatible with Mercedes" and that is it. Of course we all know that is not true. Yet still, nothing.

So now I am on 7 days of accumulated time in Mercedes in Vegas, Mercedes in LA, and Airstream Vegas. A new Fusion system. New rear speakers (which do work) and still no one can understand why the front speakers are not working.

Mercedes in LA charged $600 for the work to take out the whole front area and check the wiring. Luckily Colonial did step up and pay for this. I just hope nothing else got messed up in the process of all this prodding into the wiring and systems.

Last night after the results were given from Mercedes, Colonial said "Uncle" and there is nothing they can do now. That I need to bring it back east for their Mercedes dealer to look at. Claiming in this demand that I should have never taken delivery and waited a few days while they worked on it. I admit to losing it at that point with the simple rationale that they had three weeks to check the systems and did not do it until 14 HOURS before I arrived for delivery...knowing full well that I was heading straight out for a month with concrete plans made (naively thinking I guess that a new best in class vehicle with a $185K MSRP would have a sound system that worked).Also that two very major sprinter service centers for Mercedes and Airstream in Vegas worked on it and can't fix. So how is their Mercedes dealer in NJ so special that I now need to wait a month with no sound system until I am back in that area?

I countered further with the reasoning that we have seven more days in the second largest city in America to get this fixed - so find an audio specialist. They agreed they would try.

More updates next week. We will see.

[LB_3]

The fusion system is a mess. I’m thinking you ahould return it and threaten Colonial with a lemmon law lawsuit for motivation. Best case they fix the stupid fusion system. Worst case they buy the van back and you can go get another one. Some where in the middle is having Colonial make you whole and abandoning the issue so you can go get some 19 year old audio installer put a real system in for you.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by eyechip

Quick Update:

More updates next week. We will see.

EYECHIP - I am very sympathetic to your plight. If this was not a warranty unit, I would have volunteered to physically isolate this for you. Not sure how comfortable you are getting into the weeds of troubleshooting issues with MB & AS dealers and JC. It is not an easy task.

Given everything you have posted, 2 things are clear:
1. They are not logically troubleshooting this.
2. Whatever mininal logical troubleshooting process they have used, they are using the "shotgun" method to try and fix it.

At this point in the process, the steps below should have been done already. However it seems like they have not done so:

1. Pull out Fusion head unit and bench test it. i.e. remove it from AI, put on a table, hook up to a 12v source, and connect some cheap speakers to it. This would isolate if the problem is in Fusion head unit or still inside MB/AI.

2. If Fusion head unit does not work on the bench, then keep getting another until you find one that works.

3. If Fusion head unit works on the bench, then move to isolate if it's MB chassis or AI/Fusion wiring. To do this, disconnect the AI/Fusion wiring harness that is plugged in to the MB harness. Then grab any one of the MB OEM head units and plug in to MB harness.

4. If MB head unit works, then it is an AI/Fusion wiring harness problem. MB is done. It's an AI/Fusion problem.

5. If MB head unit has same problem, then it's an MB audio wiring harness problem.

Steps 1-5 is a 1-hr. job tops including a coffee break. It's pathetic MB or AS can't figure out a simple audio problem. Any automotive audio specialty shop can figure this out.

This is a longshot but still keep it in mind - Fusion or MB head units are connected to MB CANBUS, which means that if CANBUS is stuck in a state where it is trying to use speaker phone function from steering wheel controls, it could disable the front speakers.

[eyechip]

Wow, Alex...this is amazing info. I am forwarding this to Colonial now to arm whoever they find in LA this week to implement your steps. You are right in that so far there is a lot of shooting into the wind and hoping. This needs a far more methodical approach to isolating the issue. Add another beer to the tally I owe you.

[eyechip]

I thought I would divert a bit of the discussion for a peak at my rig.

[InterBlog]

Beautiful pic! I am not a fan of black (too hot for us here in the Deep South) but I love the simple contrast of those two together.

[tugboatannie]

Love the kayak carrier setup! If it’s any consolation (misery loves company?), our 2015 Grand Lounge came with a Kenwood/Garmin GPS audio system that is the most miserable pathetic POS that I’ve ever seen in a vehicle. The Kenwood head is currently on its way back to us from somewhere out east, after my DH spent a day pulling it out of the dash. We’ve never been able to use it for accurate navigation, instead using our iPhones and paper maps. Last trip, not even the radio/Sirius/Bluetooth would work on the Kenwood system, so DH & I were reduced to talking to each other for ten days (gasp!). It doesn’t sound like Kenwood’s Fusion system is any better......

[wachuko]

Eyechip, do you have your rig? Or is it at the dealer? The CANBUS setting, that Alex mentioned, is easy to check in the config menu.

[Mansderm161]

The shell stations I've used have the green sticker

[eyechip]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Eyechip, do you have your rig? Or is it at the dealer? The CANBUS setting, that Alex mentioned, is easy to check in the config menu.

It's in LA at a Mercedes Service center. I already emailed Colonial with the info Alex provided. I am going to have them try the obvious and easiest first with this CANBUS setting. Would be pretty hilarious (or not) that this would be it after all of the hands, money and time.

I had to fly to Miami suddenly for meetings so they have all week to figure out before I head back and out of LA.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by eyechip

I thought I would divert a bit of the discussion for a peak at my rig.

EYECHIP - really nice kayak setup. I think the all black AI with the all blacked out windows look the most rad of all the color choices. I also noticed the roof A/C also has the optional black top casing. When you get your front windows tinted, the package will be complete. I envy those who have black AI's. But I could not handle buying another black vehicle to keep constantly clean. One full size black pickup truck is enough for me. And as INTERBLOG said, it is a tough color to have here in this heat. In fact, once summer arrived, I detailed my truck, put in the garage in covers never to be used again until November. It's been my routine for the black truck. Best of luck on the troubleshooting.

[Boxster1971]

EYECLIP - the rear rack looks great. Good luck on getting the audio fixed.

[eyechip]

The black is so damn sexy though!

But yeah, I have already been through two Blue Beacons this trip. Dirt roads along rivers and the Black AI do not make for an attractive look later on.

As far as the heat...yeah, the high desert areas were a b$#&h during the day and even when I (rarely) ran the AC (my gen has a total of 3.3 hours in three weeks) it never really cooled and I just shut it down after an hour. No question that the black version does retain heat very well! With that, I am hoping that in the fall and early spring it will stay warmer in their longer into the evening when I am most likely paddling in the east. I am just going with that rationale for now, lol.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by eyechip

The black is so damn sexy though!

But yeah, I have already been through two Blue Beacons this trip. Dirt roads along rivers and the Black AI do not make for an attractive look later on.

EYECHIP - did they charge you as a van or motorhome under 30 ft. ? We're any of them near me in LV or Barstow or LA ? I do my own when at home but just washing this huge beast myself takes at least 4 hrs. I probably overdo most of my cleaning chores, and get carried away in areas like the undercarriage, wheelwells, doorjambs, wheels/tires, radiators. But on the road, I barely can wash off the bugs on bumper. So I may want to avail of their services. How well did they do? I was told no machines used.