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Adulting101 · 12-14-2017, 12:12 AM

Total Newbie here!
My husband and I are in the process of buying a 2015 30 RB Twin Flying Cloud from Bay Area Airstream, and I'd love some advice re: dealership orientation and checklists with a used trailer versus a new. I've read a couple threads re: new trailers, and I'm sure it's the same process, but I guess my question is, if we find something wrong with it will the dealership be less willing to fix it since it's not under warranty? I suppose we could just withhold our $ and walk away, but of course we'd rather not.
We live about 5-6 hours from the dealership, so this will be our first time actually seeing it, beyond just a video. I've toured this model before and we've done extensive research and feel pretty certain this is the model for us, and we knew we wanted to buy slightly used, and the timing is perfect, and it's a good price, and they are throwing in the hitch and new batteries, and, and....can you tell I'm nervous it's going to be wreck when we actually lay hands on it? I promise not to sign on the dotted line until our needs are met.
Wish us luck!

Protagonist · 12-14-2017, 03:01 AM

There's really no difference between the orientation you would need for a used Airstream and the orientation you would need for a new one.

You still want to have all of the manuals in hand. You'll still want to take notes. You'll still want to shoot smartphone video of the orientation for later review.

You'll still want to go over everything three times: (1) When the dealer demonstrates how to do it; (2) When you do it with the dealer coaching you; and (3) When you do it yourself without the dealer coaching you, just to make sure you've got it right. For (3) you may have to tell the dealer to be quiet so you can concentrate. For that matter, you may have to explain to him that you want to use this three-time sequence, because he'll want to demonstrate once and then immediately move on to the next item.

As for repairing anything that's found to be deficient during the walk-through, that will depend on whether the used trailer is a trade-in or is on consignment. If it's a trade-in, then the dealer owns it; if it's on consignment then the dealer doesn't own it; he's just and agent selling it on behalf of the previous owner. In the former case, the dealer should be willing to repair any deficiencies before you take delivery. In the latter case, the previous owner should be there along with the owner, and you can discuss the matter with hem if it comes up.

Woosch · 12-14-2017, 10:51 AM

Start educating yourself now. You can download the owners manual on the Airstream site. Learn what you can about the systems before you get there and it will make more sense when you do the walkthrough. Also, get a copy of The Newbies Guide to Airstreaming. Lots of good info.
We had a Class C before the AS so we knew how things worked. Hitching up was baffling to us at first. I would do this several times with the dealership as Protagonist suggested AND take a video as they go step by step through the hitching process. Be sure to look under the trailer and at the roof for any damage.
Learning is all part of the fun!
Best of luck

FCStreamer · 12-14-2017, 11:41 AM

Here's the list my wife and I used when we picked up our used 2014 last year.

http://www.ourflyingcloud.com/2016/0...checklist.html

Protagonist · 12-14-2017, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woosch

Be sure to look under the trailer and at the roof for any damage.

A selfie stick for your smartphone is an excellent inspection tool. Use it to get your phone above the roof line to take a video of the roof. Use it again to look underneath in the same way, without having to crawl on the ground.

dbj216 · 12-15-2017, 07:58 PM

Hi from Colorado and welcome to the Airstream community. You are buying a very special travel trailer that will draw attention where ever you decide to spend the night.

Your good dealer will train you in. Your good dealer will likely invite you to stay in the Airstream overnight on his property before you write the check. Your good dealer will help you adjust the hitch to your tow vehicle, and take you on a training ride where you can practice turns, backing up, accelerating and braking. Then you can back the trailer into a spot, unhitch, and maybe spend another night. You will want to try every switch, every faucet, every window, every appliance, dump and rinse the tanks, learn how to change a flat, check the batteries and I forgot what else.

Yes there is a lot to learn. Your good dealer is expected to help you get started.

David

Adulting101 · 12-20-2017, 11:04 PM

Thanks for all the great tips! We pick her up on the 28th- can't wait!

kendrick.l.j · 12-21-2017, 02:38 AM

Don’t be nervous or intimidated. Go slow look over Everything, touch everything, video the whole thing. Please spend at least one night in it before you pull out of the lot and know that even when you have done all of the above a little something may go wrong (hopefully a very little something) and it’s ok.

Peanut · 12-21-2017, 04:13 AM

Of course you’re a bundle of nerves otherwise you shouldn’t be getting such an expensive toy. Just try to make a shift from being anxious to being eager. Unless there is body work or a rotten floor involved, everything else is relatively cheap to fix compared to the cost of your new to you big baby.

dbj216 · 12-21-2017, 05:59 PM

Be sure to post pictures and tell us all about the delivery process and your first nights in the Airstream. New Year's Celebration?

David

Adulting101 · 01-08-2018, 10:16 AM

Well, we got our beautiful new Airstream home safe and sound.

The things we did right:
I videoed the entire tour
We practiced hitching and unhitching several times.
We practiced putting up and down the awning.
I folded down the beds.
I asked a lot of questions.

Things we didn't do right:
I guess I should have asked a few more vital questions.
I didn't test the Blue-Ray player or TV's.
I didn't have the guy go over the heat pump/furnace one more time, even though I didn't understand a word he said.
We didn't look on the roof.

Things we have learned on our own so far:
We can't get the Blue Ray player to work properly.
The furnace uses A LOT of propane.
The tank monitor gives the battery voltage, not the percent power they have left (That was a serious DOH! moment, after a day of freaking out about why we couldn't "charge" the batteries more than 13%").
We use a lot less water than I had anticipated.
We definitely need to invest in some good x-chocks.

We also weren't able to drive it home ourselves, because
A: we have't purchased our new truck yet (we will in February)
B: The loaner truck the dealership was supposed to be giving us ended up having some issues.

Bright side: the dealership was super great and had someone deliver the Airstream to us, 5 hours away.
Downside: We didn't end up spending the first night in it on the lot, like we had planned, and we didn't get to practice driving it.

So that's the latest update. Thanks again for all the great advice! Next time I'll try to take more of it

PKI · 01-08-2018, 11:10 AM

If you did not get the service dept and sales person's cell number, call the BAAA operator and ask first for your sales person to get info on the systems. If they do not have the info, move on to the service department. Those cell numbers can be a life saver when too far away to stop by for a chat.

The Blue Ray and Climate control are both mystery devices. The manual and practice are your friends. The Blue Ray remote does freeze up. Power cycle helps to clear.

Good luck. Pat