Maybe purchasing 25ft safari

[Ssmookler]

My wife and I are lookiing at purchasing a 25 ft safari. Are there particular issues we should be looking at with the trailer? This would be our first AS, a dream come true.

[SteveSueMac]

Hi and welcome. Are you thinking of a particular year or are you planning on buying new? Both will have issues, one will come with a 2-year warranty :-)

Good luck!

[John&Vicki]

Perfect length! Ample room, easy to tow, good resale value, and you can get in most parks. Of course I may be biased.

Poppy

[Ssmookler]

Looking at 2007.

[Ssmookler]

What issues would we need to be aware of with a2007?

[dkottum]

The 25 has been a very popular size for many years so Airstream has built them in various configurations. Front, rear, side and no dinette. Front and rear queen bed, corner bed, and front or rear twin beds. They are now built with either front or rear dinette only, and a choice of queen or twin beds either way. Any preferences?

And some of us are pulling out dinettes and putting in various lounge chairs and recliners. So they can be altered but not much due to appliance locations, weight and balance, and cost.

[dkottum]

Search filiform corrosion on 1999 to 2014 models as this is a common recurring problem on the shells of trailers exposed to coastal salt environment and northern winter road salt.
That's most of them. It can be repaired, mitigated and managed but takes ongoing effort.

The rear bumper plate where it joins the shell has no seal and very commonly allows water to enter and rot the plywood subfloor. This can be extensive and costly to repair. Very, very common problem with Airstream for many years. In 2012 on they finally added a seal there which seems to work.

Look for wet or rotted subfloor. It may be soft and wet under the vinyl, the vinyl may be discolored, or you may have to probe through the vinyl with a moisture detection meter to know if the subfloor is wet.

Like most travel trailers, Airstreams leak water. It can be repaired and managed with ongoing effort to prevent damaged to subfloor and corrosion.

Appliances do fail, so check them out thoroughly. The original electrical converter has a limited life, as do the batteries. Check tires for wear, damage, aging (original 2007 tires need replacement).

Get some Airstream-knowledgable help inspecting the trailer and expect that at least some repairs will be needed.

[Del Gurney]

Having put a few hours into some fixes I would check out the storage compartments outside for leaks (gaskets may be old). I think that by 2007 AS had learned not to use OSB flooring (that can lead to serious floor rot if the trailer has any leaks). Make sure you look at the top of the trailer and inspect that all sealants are in good shape around skylights, AC etc. Other than that you'll have to use your own judgment of the previous owners fastidiousness in maintenance. Run up all the systems on all voltages/gas.
The 25's rarely come up for sale on the open market as they are the biggest of the small trailers (or smallest of the big trailers). Safari models were the least expensive product line (compared to the "Classic", "International" "CCD" etc) but I'm very happy with mine. good luck

[Alumitater]

We own a 2007 25' Safari front bedroom SE model. It is a great size and floor plan. We absolutely love ours. I will offer a few observations and a cautionary note:

Ours was manufactured as a queen bed model, but the original owner converted it to a twin bed which is the configuration my wife and I were looking for. We are both tall and just do not fit on the short queen. The twin plan also makes the trailer seem more open and longer.....the beds are easy to make up....and one mate does not have to crawl over the other for the midnight head calls.

The front bedroom model offers an additional benefit. Most of the time when you back into a site, your best view is out the back of the trailer....which is where your living/dining area is in a front bedroom model. Your view of the street is out the front bedroom window, and who cares as you only sleep in that part of the trailer.

The 25 is easy to tow, easy to park and a perfect floor plan for a couple, at least in our opinion. We are relatively new to the Airstream game...this is our first Airstream....but we have put probably 30K miles on it in the 2+ years we have owned it, so we have spent some time aboard on which to base our opinion.

You should be aware that this vintage of Airstream has had a number of reported leaks at the back bumper which can lead to floor damage. This can be a significant expense to repair.....trust me....we had it. The main culprit seems to be a lack of proper sealing between the rear bumper and the trailer. There are several very good threads on this forum (search floor rot) which document the issue clearly. Airstream has modified their manufacturing process in an attempt to eliminate this issue I believe.

Our trailer had a secondary leak at the step light by the entry door, but I think that one was a bit of an isolated problem.

So if you are considering an 07, one of your principal concerns should be a through examination of the floor (including the subfloor) for any sign of floor rot...especially in the rear area. Get someone familiar with the issue to help you inspect....look especially for discoloration or replacement of the vinyl floor....a sure sign. Use a moisture meter to examine the floor to see if there is indication of a leak.

If the unit has had a leak and repairs made, be insistent on documentation of where the repair was made, by whom and what they did. If the repair was done professionally (like at the factory), then I would not hesitate to purchase the trailer if it appeals to you. Any trailer could, and probably will, leak somewhere sometime. It is continuous leakage unaddressed that causes significant damage.

If you are shopping at a dealership...even an Airstream dealership (not Foley RV in Gulfport, which is a great dealership not open at the time we bought) ...I would strongly caution you to not blindly accept their word about any such repair. We did and got misled (polite word for lied to) about the leak and where the repair was made. Demand to see the paperwork and have the repair inspected by an independent inspector.

It appears you are in Ohio, thus close to Airstream's Factory Service Center. They do great work and are honest through and through. Use that resource. I eventually ended up taking our trailer to the factory for a professional repair for our floor rot and could not have been more pleased with the repair and our treatment.

Probably more information than you bargained for, but you should be aware of the issue. Again, great trailer, great size. Just be an informed consumer. Best of luck! Tom

[aftermath]

I've got an '06 25 FB and we love the layout. I will second everything said earlier and will add one point to look at.

The converter/charger was a piece of junk in ours. The PO basically parked it and plugged it in for the vast majority of time and the batteries were overcharged and ruined. When we were looking at it, at his place, it was plugged in so everything was working just fine. On the way home we had to stay overnight at a campground with hookups so we didn't notice the problem then either.

We ended up buying two batteries and a new charger. I went wit an IOTA as per the suggestion from our local dealer. It wasn't an expensive thing and now I have a dependable 3 stage charger. I would check the charger and make the change as soon as you can.

Enjoy the new trailer. We have the queen and love it. Of course, we are not tall people and find the bed much easier to make than the models with the bed squished into the corner. Everything is relative.

[Munchie]

Alumitater, I have some questions for you but when I PM you it will not let me saying I'm to new of a member. Can you provide a contact or email
rbspeid@aol.com thanks.

[Ssmookler]

just got home from spending Sunday with in=laws and delightfully overwhelmed with everyone's suggestions about what to look for. It sounds like besides an overall assessment of each system, to be most cautious on assessing leaks. Having never had a trailer, let alone an AS, I am unfamiliar with a "moisture detection meter."

Another silly question for those who are more experienced. Can you check for a "soft floor" by walking over every inch and where it buckles or gives, that would be a place for a closer investigation??

I hope to put a bid on this 2007 safari located in Jackson Mississippi. Does anyone know someone willing to help with an inspection of this Airstream??

Thanks for your comments so far. They have pointed us in the right direction.

[StreamNTyme]

We love our '07 25' FBSE. See our pics of many modifications.
We did have to do extensive repair to the dinette area as there was a large leak running through the base of the center window. This was found by my husband visually inspecting under the table/lounge area and then a few pricks w his pocket knife confirmed the extent of the damage. The dealer wanted to repair the leak and fix the floor, however my husband is an experienced cabinet & home builder so we felt more comfortable having him do the work and consequently got a very good deal from the dealer. He repaired the leak, removed the dinette and lounge, removed the entire wet area of sub floor, removed and all the vinyl flooring. I have extensive photos of the repair process, insulation and new floor installation, if anyone is interested, I will post them. We have installed many more drawers, shelves, dividers, blinds, shades, and modified more. I have made new drapes. You can see my photos of the mod's on my page. My husband just finished modifying the table, I will post those photos later.

[Alumitater]

Originally Posted by Ssmookler

just got home from spending Sunday with in=laws and delightfully overwhelmed with everyone's suggestions about what to look for. It sounds like besides an overall assessment of each system, to be most cautious on assessing leaks. Having never had a trailer, let alone an AS, I am unfamiliar with a "moisture detection meter."

Another silly question for those who are more experienced. Can you check for a "soft floor" by walking over every inch and where it buckles or gives, that would be a place for a closer investigation??

I hope to put a bid on this 2007 safari located in Jackson Mississippi. Does anyone know someone willing to help with an inspection of this Airstream??

Thanks for your comments so far. They have pointed us in the right direction.

Lots of very good information in this thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f396...eak-56099.html

It is a bit long, but you will be well versed on the issue if you read it through.

There are also some suggestions on a moisture tester, I just purchased one at Lowe's for about $30. Pretty simple device which has two prongs which you push into the wood and get a reading of relative moisture content. I plan to incorporate it into my quarterly inspection of our trailer.

As far as someone to assist you in Jackson, MS, I don't personally know anyone up that way, but you can check with WBCCI to see if they know of anyone. I think they keep up with experienced Airstream owners who assist with inspections. Another thought is to contact the folks at Foley RV in Gulfport. They are an Airstream dealership and may be able to help you identify someone.

You are learning how helpful folks on the Forum are....I have found it to be an excellent source of information and help with issues as they come up. Glad you are participating!

As we say in the South, holler if you need us. Tom