uneasy airstreamer cryin' again

[TIMEMACHINE]

Originally Posted by Annemac

It seems to be leaking from the top of the front window, down through the screen and we had little drops of water hanging from the bottom ledge of the window, one on the left and one on the right. Nice and symetrical.
Oh yeah, and the carpet is wet again.

Annemac,

We had a similar problem with our 06 Safari 25FB/SE. We have the front pano windows and the leak we had was the middle front window at the curbside of the window at the top which ran down to the bedside table next to the queen bed. We had it repaired at Jackson Center. We were told the problem was the way the front middle solar guard is attached. It was suggested that the screws that hold the top hinge will back out with time thus causing the seal to allow water in through the upper window. Ours did it on one side, maybe your is doing it on both sides.

Hope this helps.

John

[Colin H]

Our Sealtech machine is priced out using our normal shop rate of $60/hr. Typically it'll take one to two hours to test & mark all of the leaky areas on a trailer. This depends of course on the size of the trailer & the number of leaks. Oddly enough we did a leak test on a 73 Argosy that had a very rotted floor so it obviously had serious leak issues at some point in it's life. The antenna base leaked really badly, but there were only minor leaks elsewhere. The previous owner had repainted the exterior with a brush using very cheesy house paint in order to make it look good on ebay. I'm sure the photos looked reasonably good but it looked horrible up close. I suspect this cheesy paint actually filled in many of the leaks. The problem is, the floor damage was already done & required major work to bring it back to usable road worthy condition. Beware of "Polished Turds" or in this case it was a "Painted Turd".
Colin

[Radman]

I would say just be patient. Keep the dealer busy and let em fix the whole shootin match. No matter how long it takes. I once owned a new vehicle and was having issues with it's performance. When it was all said and done ,I had taken it into the dealer 27 times. I had all of the service invoices to prove it. So save yours for any issues down the road. I finally had an attorney write a letter to the regional rep. and requested a meeting at the dealership to discuss the problems and possible solutions. We met at the dealership and he asked "What would it take to make you happy with our product"? That was the right question at the right time. I simply said "Just make it right for us" and they did just that.
It took em several days with multiple mechanics working full time to get things right. All under warranty thank goodness. I was so frustrated and angry towards the end. However, I feel your pain, I really do. I feel that persistence on your part may be the best weapon you have. Pretty soon the dealer will know you guys by first name. Hang in there and good things will happen. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck........

[DFord79]

Most states have lemon laws. I live in Washington and the laws are quiet specific. If your vehicle spends a certain amount trips and time in the shop for repairs of the same thing and is not fixed it might fall under the lemon law. You just have to find the specific law and someone to interpret it. Here in Washington the state attourney general is really a good place to start with quality issues and finding out the specifics of the law. Your state will vary but there are laws to help with these kinds of issues. The sad part is very few take advantage of them. I personally only know of ONE person who used the lemon law a few years back with a new Dodge truck. After repeated issues with the transmission and some other quality issues He useed the lemon law and got a check from Chrysler for the entire purchase of the truck. He then went and bought a new Chevrolet with the money. So I know I does work. UNFORTUNALTLY not all states back up customers concerns this well.

[Jim Clark]

You can use a special machine to find leaks or a leaf blower. I have used a leaf blower on my boat to find deck leaks, let it blow in a sealed hatch and soap it down and follow the bubbles.

[Annemac]

As far as a picture of my leaky unit goes, you can now see a wee one here as my avatar. Too bad you can't see the leaks.

[Annemac]

Hey TIMEMACHINE John...BINGO!
Yes, we were told that this was the cause of our leak too.
Our dealer put in larger screws with some kind of gunk on them to really seal the deal. So far, so good. We just had a rain and everything is tight and dry!
Yipee!

[Mel]

Fantastic! So, when's the next camping trip?

[Annemac]

Just a two nighter, just a couple of hours away, at the beginning of June...
Just a couple of geezers, staring at the stars, and howling at the moon...
and then back to work on Monday!

[TIMEMACHINE]

Originally Posted by Annemac

Hey TIMEMACHINE John...BINGO!
Yes, we were told that this was the cause of our leak too.
Our dealer put in larger screws with some kind of gunk on them to really seal the deal. So far, so good. We just had a rain and everything is tight and dry!
Yipee!

The forum proves its value once again...now if any other FB has a similar problem they know where to look. Happy to see it worked.

John

[J5MM]

Originally Posted by TIMEMACHINE

The forum proves its value once again...now if any other FB has a similar problem they know where to look. Happy to see it worked.

John

Yep -- your right. This is EXACTLY the same spot where our airstream is leaking doggonit. Now I'll know where to tell the RV repair guy to fix it (or maybe I'll just do it myself).

Wonder what that "gunk" was that they put on the larger screws to really help seal it.....

[BSmiley]

Like so many others, our 2006 Safari LS FB (twin) has leaked somewhere since we bought it in late Feb 2006. Our unit was manufactured in Dec 2005, and after going back to the dealer, 4 hours away, a couple of times, we took it back to the factory, an 8 hour trip, who did resolve that leak.

We took our unit back to the factory in 2011 to have a Sealtec leak test done, and alegedly the leaks sealed. We left the factory in a pouring rain, and had water come in the bottom of the door. So much for that episode!

In 2014, the floor seemed soft under the dinette, so after pulling out the living room and pulling up the linoleum, there was a 6 X 4 foot section I could poke my finger through,it was so rotten. Back to the factory to have that fixed, and they couldn't tell me where the water was getting in. The width was exactly the same as the tool tray on the back bumper, but the insulation was dry with no indication of water intrusion. This repair was $3400+.

Now water comes in over the window in the back and drips into a garbage bag from the top of the window. I've been looking, sealing areas where I think it comes in, but have yet to stop it. Back out on top again today.

I've been to major RV shows working to convince prospective buyers to buy an Airstream. Frank Bates of Bates RV in the Tampa area followed me around for an hour listening to me talk with prospective buyers, while visiting the big Tampa RV show. I noticed he seemed to always be there and asked him who he was and what was going on, and he told me I was a better salesman than any he had on staff. I used to be sold on Airstream, but no longer!

In conclusion, my aim is to get rid of this unit as soon as I can find and fix this leak. I'll never again grace Airstream trailers with praise, only state that my experience has not been a positive one.

I'd rather give up camping than to spend more of my life in an Airstream.

[KelloggKid]

My wife and I have been going through the year long process of trying to decide which model AS to buy. Now I'm not so sure I even want an Airstream. We like their looks and the light, bright interior but I'm very concerned about this whole leak thing. The only dealer close to us is small with a limited inventory and the next nearest dealer is 5-6 hours away.

Our daughter and her husband bought a FC31 a little over a year ago. They recently discovered that the bypass valve on the water heater has had a slow drip the entire time. The subfloor was damaged so they took it to their dealer who promised to ship it back to the factory to be repaired. After 2-3 weeks of excuses they are now saying they will attempt to repair it locally.

I really prefer the AS over SOB but when I read comments that say "they all leak" and when I hear about dealers and a factory reluctant to make good on the warranty I have to ask myself if I shouldn't look elsewhere.

Are these isolated incidents or do they really "all leak"?

[Zymurbrian]

KellogKid, I hate to say it but, yes, all Airstreams do leak. My 2012 was a total "Hangar Queen" during the two years of warranty service. Luckily I had a dealer on 1.5 hours away for most of the time. I was there so often my truck could drive there on its own. Besides many other issues, I had both of my panoramic Windows completely removed and resealed under warranty.

Be prepared, if you get an Airstream you are taking on a life of regular maintenance. Had I known the extent prior to purchasing I never would have done it. Washing by hand, especially after every trip to the coast, waxing by hand at least twice a year, checking the seams and rivets with Capt. Tulley's Creaping Crack Cure, using Corrosion X on the entire rig at least twice a year (for those of us who camp or live at the coast), regular use of a good moisture detector on the flooring to check for water intrusion, etc., etc., etc.

Unfortunately, Airstreams are still better than the alternative. Recently I had a friend visit an RV show during a strong rain storm. Several of the brand new SOBs in the show were leaking like a sieve as they sat on display.

If you decide not to buy an Airstream because they are more work than you intended, I totally understand. But, for Heaven's sake, don't buy an SOB; they are even worse.



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