Airstream not any different than the others

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Airstream01

Krazyjohnny. That stinks man. I am going to the Mothership around the middle of December mainly just to see the place, stay at the tera port, etc, as I don't have any issues that need warranty work just yet. If I get a chance, and the nerve, I will ask them about their lack of customer service to those that are having what I consider pretty serious issues with nearly new trailers.

You might as well start at the "top" of the list.

Ask for Dave Schumann, when your at the service department.

You can also call ahead and make an appointment with him.

Andy

[Airstream01]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

You might as well start at the "top" of the list.

Ask for Dave Schumann, when your at the service department.

You can also call ahead and make an appointment with him.

Andy

Thanks Andy. I think Dave is the individual that called me last week regarding my comment card/survey I sent them after I bought my trailer.

Edit-it was Jim ??? that called me. I plan to call him back this morning.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Airstream01

Thanks Andy. I think Dave is the individual that called me last week regarding my comment card/survey I sent them after I bought my trailer.

Edit-it was Jim ??? that called me. I plan to call him back this morning.

You must have talked to Jim Parrot.

He is a well informed, knowledgeable, very nice person, that has been around Airstream for many years, and is in charge of warranty Customer Service.

He works directly under Dave Schumann.

Andy

[Krazyjohnny]

Jim is the guy my service folks have been dealing with. I called him directly and spoke with him. He is a nice guy. No complaints about his demeanor at all. Their policy is the stinker. They got my 50 large and seem to left me on my own. Everyone here has been extremely helpful.

The owners manual needs some serious updating and editing to the specifics of each trailer model. I have heard just in this string about running gear balancing, tires, suspension of the trailer, suspension on the TV, hitching, type of tow vehicle, etc. that could have caused the problem I am having repaired. Some of this is mentioned in the manual but nothing on details on some of this stuff. Ther was info on caster and camber of the axles, tire maintenance, wheel bearing packing, hitch heights, and washing and waxing the trailer.

[Airslide]

Thanks 2air for bringing us back to reality...... I thought for a minute we were all going to have to run outside and adjust our load bars

[Krazyjohnny]

All,

I appreciate your input and insight into this issue. I will be doing some scientific type tests once I get the trailer back. I am taking care of the repair without Airstreams assistance. I still cannot believe there is no technical data from the "mothership" on this isuue so we as the end user can be informed well enough about how to care for our investment in their company.

My steps will be as follows:

1. fill the propane and load the trailer as it for most of our trips

2. take the trailer to the CAT scales, disconnect it and weigh it again.

3. weigh the tongue separately

4. get one of my engineers to bring out his equipment and measure the forces without the bars and with the bars. This will hopefully determine if the bars are too stiffly loaded for the tongue weight.

[Krazyjohnny]

From what I have read over and over again it appears that the point Andy and others are trying to make is that the bars not only transfer weight to the steering axle, but also act as a "suspension" for/at the ball.

[REDNAX]

Originally Posted by Krazyjohnny

From what I have read over and over again it appears that the point Andy and others are trying to make is that the bars not only transfer weight to the steering axle, but also act as a "suspension" for/at the ball.

These were my thoughts yesterday as I watched a driver of poor skill and non-risk averse behavior pull a late model SAFARI (25'?) at about 65+ mph eastbound from Houston on Interstate 10. As this was my first chance to observe -- from behind -- the behavior of an A/S new enough to assume good axles/shocks/tires, I was dismayed to see the amount of trailer "bounce", by which I do not mean suspension action alone. I have watched dozens if not a hundred or more other trailer types in the past few years (plenty of "winter" Texans in transit) so I lit the fire on the Cummins to pass him on the port side -- three lane roadway -- and moved back over to lane 3 after a survey of TT/TV and hitch rigging. An F250 Ford shortbed, with no WDH or anti-sway.

The trailer tracked well (discrepancies between trailer and truck during his almost-abrupt lane changing// also no body lean or roll), but this new roadway wasn't a great contributor to the amount of trailer bounce (up & down motion; evenly front and rear; simultaneous). As if a child were pounding a fry pan on the ground by the handle, repeatedly, constantly.

Not many miles further I saw him off the frontage road in the dirt next to a rural overpass cupping his chin as he executed a walk-around.