A Discount for Sorting

[John&Vicki]

After reading about the constant issues with new Airstreams I have concluded that it will usually be necessary to debug it. It’s standard practice and accepted when buying a used Porsche that there will be the same process, we call it “sorting”. I know it seems like comparing apples to oranges, a new Airstream vs. a used Porsche, but the process seems very similar. The main difference is expectations.

It’s understandable that when you pay a premium price for something that you expect it to be turn key. Which appears to seldom happen with Airstreams. Maybe it would be a good idea when negotiating the purchase to include a sorting discount or walk away. That’s when you have the best hand. Why should you take all the risk when a big part of the problem is sloppy dealer prep?

If we fight back maybe they’ll get the message and adjust their little profit formulas.

Cheers,
John

[Caffeinated]

Airstream production can’t keep up with the demand. Good luck with that.

Mike

[John&Vicki]

Buy a good used one. A well sorted used one. The very, very best way to buy an AS is to buy one from a longtime member here. You’ll save money and probably have less work to do on it.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by John&Vicki

. . .
If we fight back maybe they’ll get the message and adjust their little profit formulas.
. . .

Very unlikely IMO.



The supply-and-demand RV marketplace already makes "sorting" adjustments in the price-negotiation process IMO.

Ditto to your Post #3.

Peter

[tbashin]

Here's some good info on why the state of the RV business is where it is and why to NEVER BUY A NEW RV.

https://www.curbed.com/2019/9/18/208...s-poor-quality

[Hoagie]

We've purchased two RVs, both new off the dealer lot.
The first one cost right around $20K. Our Airstream cost over 5 times that much.

The $20K trailer had no water leaks, the wiring was well laid out and neatly routed, the water heater worked correctly,... in short, we never had a reason to take it in for warranty work.

So when we dropped over $100K on an Airstream we naturally assumed the quality would be in-line with the price tag. Nope. Both sink drains were cross threaded and leaked. The Hot/Cold lines on the kitchen sink not only weren't tight and leaked, they were reversed. We had to have multiple cabinet doors/drawers replaced due to scratches and gouges on delivery. Had to have the kitchen counter replaced because the stove opening was cut wrong. The shower door was hung out-of-plumb causing failure of the bottom seal. The fresh water tank gauge stopped working. The wiring was so bad it led me to send a letter to JC asking if their electricians owned wire cutters, wire ties or had a clue how to route wiring. The water heater either puts out a few minutes of scalding water or about 15 minutes of luke warm water. (Yes, I've followed all the recommendations on the Aldi thread.) That's just a short list of the issues we've had in the first two years of ownership. Now the warranty has run out and we are on our own.

Yep, you expect to find a few things when you buy new instead of used. But I feel you also have a right to expect better quality overall when you spend this much money. And as for the "Airstream production can't keep up with the demand" argument, then don't. Take the time to build them right, build them well, and buyers will just have to accept that quality takes time.

Not sure what our next RV will be, but it if is Airstream we won't be buying new unless we get a lot more assurance of quality out the door. Might mean a trip to JC to oversee the build.

Anyway, that's just my $0.02 worth.

[John&Vicki]

[quote]
Here's some good info on why the state of the RV business is where it is and why to NEVER BUY A NEW RV.

https://www.curbed.com/2019/9/18/208...s-poor-quality
[unquote]

Spot-on article. Here's the chief take-away:

“The rule, typically, is don’t buy a new RV. If you buy a new RV, you’re going to be sitting in a dealership for two years getting it fixed,” says Greg Gerber, founder and editor of RV Daily Report, an online trade publication he ran for 10 years.


And if you buy one like the one Ray Ecklund sold a while back, you win the lottery.

[new2trailer]

Originally Posted by John&Vicki

After reading about the constant issues with new Airstreams I have concluded that it will usually be necessary to debug it.

It’s understandable that when you pay a premium price for something that you expect it to be turn key.

If we fight back maybe they’ll get the message and adjust their little profit formulas.

Cheers,
John

John, generally customers will not pay for a «*sorted*» product. How much would you pay for a sorted product? How many man hours? What hourly rate would you pay? Those are the questions that you control.

Mike

[Ol Bob]

"Might mean a trip to JC to oversee the build".

Good luck with that. Suggest you do the Jackson Center dance before you commit to a new build first. You will find impossible to follow your new dolly down the assembly line - if you can find it at all.
They are too busy and too far behind to allow for what you have in mind.
Consider used. They are a better known quantity.

[ghaynes755]

I've bought 3 new ones in the last 10 years. No major issues and never sat at dealer lot for 2 years getting things fixed. And the items found were minor and never impacted use of the trailer. Do a thorough pre-sale inspection and walk away if the items aren't fixed before you sign the deal and hand over your cash.


Having read Greg's stuff I put it in perspective. He has a viewpoint to sell. Kind of like asking a roofing company to inspect your roof for damage after a hail storm. Or asking a consultant what they suggest. Many of them will give you the answer that you want not necessarily the answer that is most accurate. They all have something to sell you.

[perryg114]

You should buy an SOB if you want problems. Yes when you pay $100k for something, it should be premo but the RV industry is not quality driven. I agree buy a used one then if you have to fix stuff you did not spend $100k on it.



Perry