new owner of used Airstream 2015 Bambi 22FB Owner -- need help

[Scran]

Hi -- Hoping to get some help to determine the value of a 2015 22FB Sport.
I bought one (Aug. 26, 2017) from a dealer who neglected to inform me that it was ever damaged. Found pieces of broken window glass under the bed and around the window seal. Then when it rained the right side passenger window LEAKED... BAD...
I am not happy about the whole deal to say the least.
I was really excited with my new Bambi until I realized I'd been taken.
Want to find out what the base price of my camper should be and then try to figure out how much to negotiate to compensate for the problems.
Hate to think of the water damage going on between the skin and inside wall....
I'd really appreciate whatever help I can get with this.
Thanks in advance.
Scran

[uncle_bob]

Hi

The simple answer is that there is no "price book" for used AS trailers. A 2018 lists for $53,900. You might be able to buy one for $44,000 on a good deal. Anything more than that would be "to much" for a used trailer. Finding a 2015 for less than $36,000 at a dealer would be unlikely. On a private sale or trade in, you might see numbers below that.

That's all based on "summer" numbers (as in August). We are now into the end of the season. If you started the process of looking now you should find a bit more wiggle room on prices. Wait until February and a bit more would come off ...

Bob

[Scran]

Thanks U. Bob -- Thing is, I already bought this trailer -- right passenger window was broken out and not repaired well. The dealer neglected to tell me about any damage or repairs so I bought it thinking it was in perfect like-new condition. Then after I noticed the glass chunks under the bed and around the seal of the window the truth came out -- AFTER I had it for a month.... Wondering how much to try to negotiate for an adjusted price. What I'd really like to do is return the trailer for a full refund.

[Al and Missy]

Don't let buyers remorse cloud your judgement. I had a similar incident happen with buying a car. On the car forum I was advised not to let the bad dealer experience ruin the car for me. It took a while, but I got over it, still have the car after 14 years, and love it.

What did you think the trailer was worth when you bought it? Hopefully you did some research and had an idea of a fair price. The only thing that has changed is you discovered some poorly repaired and undisclosed damage. Consider that the dealer may not have known about it.

The economic value of the damage will depend highly on what the actual damage was, not so much on the value of a comparable trailer. If a neighborhood kid hit a baseball and broke the glass, that is one thing but if a tree fell on it and someone replaced a panel and did a bad job that is something else. How long has it been leaking? Is there associated rot in the floor? I think you need to know more about the damage before making an economic assessment.

Was the dealer an Airstream dealer? If so, talk to them and if not satisfied, talk to Airstream.

Al

[uncle_bob]

Hi

There isn't anything you will find out here that is likely to help you on a phone call with the dealer. Have you talked to them about the issue? Was there a warranty as part of the sale? One of the normal reasons for buying from a dealer is that there is some sort of warranty. Usually it's for a limited time period (like 30, 60 or 90 days). From my experience, even if it was 30 days, a phone call now is still "in warranty". I'd see what they have to say about the issue. About the best outcome you can expect is a proper repair.

Bob

[Scran]

Thanks for your response!
Yes, they knew full well about it -- they did the repairs (badly) I think they were waiting for the right customer to unload it on -- namely, a woman 400 miles away.
It was beautiful and immaculate looking nothing apparent until it rained and LEAKED inside -- water coming down the inside wall and a wet mattress -- then I found some little chunks of window glass that told the tale and they fessed up.

[Scran]

Accidentally posted this under Uncle Bob's reply -- but thanks to you too U. Bob.
Thanks for your response, Al and Missy!
Yes, they knew full well about it -- they did the repairs (badly) I think they were waiting for the right customer to unload it on -- namely, a woman 400 miles away.
It was beautiful and immaculate looking -- nothing apparent until it rained and LEAKED inside -- water coming down the inside wall and a wet mattress -- then I found some little chunks of window glass that told the tale and they fessed up.

[Scran]

Still learning how to navigate this forum -- sorry

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Well, if they made the repair on the trailer and it leaks, I'd suggest that's a pretty good reason for them to make the repair right.

400 miles is a bummer. Welcome to Airstreams in the current era. Most of us are an inconvenient distance from the dealers we bought from. The days of multiple dealers with deep stock on the lot in each state are long gone.

Was this an AS dealer or not? If it's not an AS dealer, that adds an additional wrinkle to the whole repair process.

Bob

[SilverHouseDreams]

Sorry for your troubles, it is bothersome that any repair was done that didn't include verifying that it was weather tight. Reality is, these aren't motor vehicles so their likely is no law that requires disclosure of any "accident". Additionally, without knowing the cause/circumstance of the damage it may never have been disclosed in any case. Windows break, that is fact. Any glass window that is in tact just hasn't broken yet, it isn't that it will exist for eternity without breaking. If I look at our TV (tow vehicle), it has had 2 windows replaced...one was from being rear ended by a motorcycle and the other from someone deciding to smash a $800 window to steal a $100 baby carrier. Neither likely require any disclosures in sale.

Sorry for your troubles, but your best course of action is to get the sealant redone around the window, verify there isn't any long term damage/mildew/mold and to move on. There are many avenues of unseen water damage that only rear their head over time, such as when someone connects to the black water flush instead of the city water inlet and floods the trailer.

We ourselves bought a trailer, brought it home and upon going through the manual and every service order for everything done to the trailer find out that it had much more extensive repairs...including several exterior panels, windows, etc. Does it detract from the quality of the trailer? Likely not, if it looks perfect otherwise and doesn't currently have any interior water damage then there is no long term impact. Sealant degrades overtime or just fails for various reasons, the same thing could happen to any Airstream at any moment. You can visit the maintenance/repair section of the forums just to see how many potential repairs exist.

Again, sorry you feel like you were taken advantage of. None of us were present to know what was and wasn't asked/answered, but I'd just work with the dealer on getting compensated for the cost of getting the sealant repaired and a pressurized leak test done and verifying no existing interior water damage exists.

[Lily&Me]

Might contact the Better Business Bureau and see if they can help you with dealer negotiations.

Maggie

[mfrez]

One broken window and shoddy repair shouldn't turn you off to the trailer. I bought a 3 year old 25fb and on my first trip during a rainstorm there was water running down the inside of the dinette panoramic window. I freaked! But then through the helpful members on this forum I figured out it was coming from a clearance light. Redo of the seal and it's been good ever since and I'm happy with my purchase.

I would see if the dealer will tell you when they did the repair. That and the weather in your purchase area might tell you how much water got in. Get a moisture meter and probe the floor under the window to see if you even have a problem. It might not be as bad as you think. Then get them to repair it right or take it to a local dealer and send them the bill. Report it to the BBB if they don't pay it.

It will be ok