accuracy of release date?

[bradk]

Howdy fellow airstreamers,

I'm the proud owner of a zygote of a 2006 19' International CCD, slated to be "released" at the beginning of April and to the dealer by mid-April.

Question is, how accurate are the "release"/"delivery" dates that Airstream quotes? I'm trying to plan a trip to go and pick up the trailer and spend a couple of night in it and need to book the time from work.

thanks for any insight/stories/experiences,
brad and nicole.

[Condoluminum]

Messages here indicate dates pretty accurate, as Airstream/THOR use relatively sophisticated ERP systems to manage incoming materials and schedule production. Always subject to weather or vendor surprises, but should be close.. You might want to contact dealer or Airstream and ask if there's a limit on how long they'll hold it if you want to add a week or two to your personal schedule for safety cushion...

John McG

[CanoeStream]

Ditto to Condoluminum -- as lead times vary during late summer (low) and late winter (high), you'd better believe Airstream understands about when your unit will be coming down the line. I found my dealer more than willing to hold the trailer for a period due to my distance, faith in him, earnest money deposited (not great) and work/leave issues I could not avoid.

Enjoy the anticipation and planning!!!

[2airishuman]

hi bradk

is sure is exciting awaiting the big birth!

takes about 10 business days on the line....so the start date is the first issue.

predicted start dates aren't the same as actual starts...but they try.

delays can happen on the line....mine was 1-2 days from completion when a whoooooooops happened....while i was just feet from the trailer on the factory tour. this added 5-6 days to the build time....yes.

transport to your dealer can be affected by weather and the drivers....

so my suggestion is plan your pick up trip and camping adventure 10-14 days after it is to arrive at the dealer...this will give you more cushion on the delivery times. it you can wait until the build has started (to plan) that's even better....

so you must have a late march start date?

cheers
2air'

[bradk]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

so you must have a late march start date?

Anticipating the bouncing bambi twinkie with much angst. Nicole already has a box of essentials ready to go.

We were'nt advised on a start date but were given a release date and a ship date.

specs:
19' CCD Bambi
Overhead bunk
a-v upgrade
other stuff
aruba interior
orange cabinet glow

can't wait!
brad.

[wheel interested]

aruba-- cool color that will be sweet! Congratulations. Good to hear you and Nicole are expecting.

[jimmickle]

If your dealer will work with you, you might try to do what we did when we picked up our 2002 Sarari. We stayed in the trailer overnight on the dealer's lot. It gave us a chance to really check everything out, and then the next day to have corrections made. Fortunately, there were only a couple of small things wrong as he had a really good job of prep. We then went home with assurance that everyting worked. Only when everything was done, did we finish all the paperwork.

[Chaplain Kent]

Welcome to the forums and congratulations on your new Airstream. The wait is exciting.

[Silvertwinkie]

I found that the factory is pretty close if not totally dead on when the RV will go into production line. Of course, you'll have to add delivery time and how long it may take your dealer to do the pre-delivery inspection and correct any issues.

[bradk]

Originally Posted by jimmickle

If your dealer will work with you, you might try to do what we did when we picked up our 2002 Sarari. We stayed in the trailer overnight on the dealer's lot. It gave us a chance to really check everything out, and then the next day to have corrections made. Fortunately, there were only a couple of small things wrong as he had a really good job of prep. We then went home with assurance that everyting worked. Only when everything was done, did we finish all the paperwork.

I plan on spending the night at Bretz RV and test everything under the sun. The last thing I want to have happen is to be back in Canada with the trailer and find a defect. The closest dealer is 3 hours away.

Does anyone have a handy link to the checklist inspection. I found a thread a while back with it but haven't come up with anything on the search just yet.

thanks,
brad.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by bradk

Howdy fellow airstreamers,

I'm the proud owner of a zygote of a 2006 19' International CCD, slated to be "released" at the beginning of April and to the dealer by mid-April.

Question is, how accurate are the "release"/"delivery" dates that Airstream quotes? I'm trying to plan a trip to go and pick up the trailer and spend a couple of night in it and need to book the time from work.

thanks for any insight/stories/experiences,
brad and nicole.

Brad---I feel your pain!!!! We took delivery of our 06 classic jan 3rd after a 12 week wait. The estimated production date was right on. I'm not the most patient person in the world so this was a lonnnnnnng wait for me. My only advise is Patience -Patience- Patience. -------Pieman

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by bradk

Anticipating the bouncing bambi twinkie with much angst. Nicole already has a box of essentials ready to go.

We were'nt advised on a start date but were given a release date and a ship date.

hi brad

well your dealer is playing with you a little bit then....because the start date is the only 'real date'.

after placing the order, the factory gives the dealer a build date....this is the day they plan to start building. all other times are estimates based on this one fixed date. the factory will notify the dealer of the build start date...about 4 weeks prior.

depending on factory activity, build start dates can be from 4-8 weeks after the order is placed....the factory has no idea when you/dealer do business...they only know when the dealer books the order.....mine booked the same day....others may take a week, before sending the order to jackson center. for example if dealer a placed an order for 20 units just the day before your dealer places your order....you'll be behind 20 more units....

if you haven't received a vin# your order isn't scheduled yet. if you've got a vin (or the last 6 digits) then you can call the factory for info...like when they will start building and when they expect to finish.....and when they expect to send to your dealer.....

this is the most accurate way to time the arrival...and the folks at jc are used to expectant owners calling....

if you cannot visit the factory while your trailer is in production.....some folks have arranged for a factory rep to take pix during the process, which is sort of cool.....so if your dealer hasn't got a vin yet......the build isn't scheduled.

some dealers can have a trailer ready for delivery very quickly and others may take a while....this can be good or bad.....since the delay may be for prep/inspection or too show the new unit a few days....to the general public...

cheers
2air'

[Boondocker]

[quote=bradk]Anticipating the bouncing bambi twinkie with much angst.



Congrats on the coach!

[87MH]

One of the things I noticed when I took the factory tour last year was the fact that practically ALL of the units on the line were the same model - and all of the wall panels being built were for a different model - .

It makes sense that the factory would do a "run" and turn out the projected needs of a particular model at one time, and then set up the line for the next model run....

This production schedule (running only related models on the line at one time) certainly facilitates the factory employees "learning curve", and I am sure it makes the parts procurement guys job a lot easier...also makes for a fairly accurate estimate of unit completion....

BUT - on the other hand, if you wanted a particular (and not-so-common) model, and the factory just finished running that model through, you might have a looooong wait for the aluminum gestation process in the womb of the factory.

There were maybe a couple of dozen units awaiting shipment on the "back forty" last year about inventory time.

[2airishuman]

87mh

unless jc has changed how they process orders.....i don't think they do a run or batch of any models....

every one of those wall panel assemblies you saw has an order sheet attached, with full details of that specific trailer build....that follows each trailer from start to finish....it even specifies who ordered it....and when and which dealer and so on....

yes there may be many of the same model being built on any given day...but that's because those are the units that have been ordered...

when the quick silver model was available ...they surely would be building several on any given day....till the orders were completed.

when i've been on the tour, there were very few classics (2-3) on the line....because most orders are for safaris and bambis....mine was the only 34 on the line....so it was easy to find....later in the fall i saw 2 34s nearly next to each other.....

cheers
2air'