Our First Airstream Experience

[XpeditionsTV]

Today, and after a few years of looking and thinking about it, we bought our first Airstream. It is a 31' Soverign (1974) from Jay, a really nice fellow near Ocala, Florida that we met because of his ad in the classified section.

We hooked up and headed away as we had always dreamed about. It was about 2 minutes into our excitement that the serious side of life swelled up. The engine started sputtering and coughing. I couldn't go faster than 35 mph. Cars were backing up behind us on a dark 2 lane road. There were too many curves and too few signs. It was all made more alarming when a bright flashing "Check Engine Light" alarmingly strobed. I was really stressed out hoping we would make it to town. Quite a great first impression of what it feels like to tow an Airstream.

Once in town the trailer was unhooked and we headed to an AutoZone about 6 miles away. With a "reader" connected it was decided plug 6 is not firing. I suppose it must be the distributor... The plugs, wires and coil are all new.

I suppose we'll find out tomorrow once we get sunshine on the subject.

It's great to finally own an Airstream. Kathy & I are really jazzed about it! A big thank you to within this community who have offered sugestions as we asked questions.

Best Wishes
Jerry Wills

[Fyrzowt]

Jerry, Good luck with your mechanical issue, and I hope it's resolved easily without too much fuss.
Don't discount the fact that whoever installed the new plugs may have cracked one. It's easy to do.
Enjoy your new baby and congrats!
Dave

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. Congratulations on your new baby.

Bummer problem so soon after picking up the Airstream. That sounds like my kind of luck. Let us know what it was.

[LHall]

Originally Posted by XpeditionsTV

Today, and after a few years of looking and thinking about it, we bought our first Airstream. It is a 31' Soverign (1974) from Jay, a really nice fellow near Ocala, Florida that we met because of his ad in the classified section.

We hooked up and headed away as we had always dreamed about. It was about 2 minutes into our excitement that the serious side of life swelled up. The engine started sputtering and coughing. I couldn't go faster than 35 mph. Cars were backing up behind us on a dark 2 lane road. There were too many curves and too few signs. It was all made more alarming when a bright flashing "Check Engine Light" alarmingly strobed. I was really stressed out hoping we would make it to town. Quite a great first impression of what it feels like to tow an Airstream.

Once in town the trailer was unhooked and we headed to an AutoZone about 6 miles away. With a "reader" connected it was decided plug 6 is not firing. I suppose it must be the distributor... The plugs, wires and coil are all new.

I suppose we'll find out tomorrow once we get sunshine on the subject.

It's great to finally own an Airstream. Kathy & I are really jazzed about it! A big thank you to within this community who have offered sugestions as we asked questions.

Best Wishes
Jerry Wills

Good to see another member from Phoenix. Congratulations on your AS. As for the tow vehicle issue, I had the same thing happen once right after a tune up. A chunk of carbon broke free and lodged into the spark plug annode causing a misfire. A mechanic told me that this is not uncommon after a tune up since the new plugs fire hotter. Could also be a cracked plug.

Good luck and safe travels.

[juel]

Congratulations. We just bought a "new" 1976 31ft Sovereign. Aren't they the greatest trailers, and all that room. Does your's have the rear bedroom? We pulled ours 900+ miles home with the new 07 Ford and I can tell you when your tow vehicle is working right, they are a dream to pull. Let us know how this all turns out. If you come through Oklahoma, and need a stop-over PM me. I suppose you will be going on I-10 or I-20, back to Phoenix. My husband is currently working in Tucson. If you need help, PM me and I will have him get with you.

[Goin camping]

Hey now that glass is half full.

When your truck broke down you had a place to stay as comfortable as a five star hotel.

Happily it sounds like the truck problem will be easily solved.

[XpeditionsTV]

Ok... Day 2

After installing a new electric brake system, replacing all the tires, repacking each wheel and getting all the lights working, we finally decided it was time to head out. It was really an exhausting day for us. I have to tell you about the folks who helped us. The company is called Collins Tire in Umatilla Florida (352 669 3847). Bruce Collins is the owner and helped us with the tires. He's quite a neat person and says he's been in the tire business for 35 years. He knows his business.

The greatest part was meeting one of the most honest mechanics I've ever encountered. John Wayne... He patiently stopped what he was doing to see that we were well taken care of and helped.

Now about that ignition issue... It's still an issue. I suppose we'll have to take the Suburban to a Chevy dealership. It has very poor power when needed. On the straightaway it runs pretty smoothly, as without the AS. However, when power is needed it studders and shakes the whole vehicle like you have a flat or something worse.

We just drove 230 miles to Tallahassee this way. It was not as big a problem as we were destined to encounter though.

Somewhere along the backroads of Florida we crossed a slight dip as we moved thru an intersection. Well, it would normally be slight at the speed we were traveling, which was not all that fast considering the engine issues we're having.

Suddenly we heard a God awful sound of scraping. Looking behind to see if I could determine what the noise might be, I saw debris scattered down the road. A long black umbilical cord trailed behind us. I quickly pulled over and dashed out of the Suburban and ran to the back of the trailer.

What I saw stunned me. I was speechless...

From just behind the rear tire a flap of metal had come loose. I soon discovered this "flap"actually goes all the way to the front of the trailer! Holy cow!!!!!! Wet insulation, really really rusted braces and rotten wood. All I could think was, "How in the hell do you fix this on the side of the road???"

I just sat there on the ground on the side of the road and honestly couldn't think of a thing a person could do to "fix" this issue. 31 feet or more away, the Suburban sputtered and shook. Normally, because we spend alot of time in the Amazon and Andes, we have to be very ingenious without resources. However at that moment - with the sun about to set - I was at a total loss of ideas. I felt numb and bewildered.

Then, a fellow stopped by. Dave Redman in a big black Ford saw we were in trouble and pulled up behind our big mess.

Within 20 minutes he had made thin ropes (4 of them) and created supports through the now "too big" holes where rivet once rested.

Dave drove off laughing about how handy Duck Tape is... We drove off wondering what in the world do you do when all the braces are gone... completely rusted away. Kathy thinks we should remove the entire "pan" from beneath the trailer and inspect the whole thing. I'm not so sure, but hey what do I know... Ok, I can answer that. Nothing, really.

It's certain the wood will need to be replaced in the back. Braces will somehow need to be replaced, too.

Gosh... We've had all this excitement and it's only day 2! I can't wait for tomorrow : (( I'm sure the Tallahassee Chevy dealership will smile as we drive away. For now, our Airstream is parked at the hotel we're staying at for the next week. I hope we can get this thing fixed before we continue on.

Best Wishes Folks
Jerry Wills

[Bob Thompson]

As for the weak and sputtering Suburban, if you haven't replaced the fuel filter recently, it could be the cause. What you describe happend to my GMC pickup and a fresh fuel filter was the cure. As soon as you need power, it's starved for fuel and caughs and sputters. Safe travels. Bob T.

[LJH]

You got The Duke to work on your Burb, I am impressed! This is a great story, I can't wait for day 3. Good Luck Jerry!

[TBRich]

You're sure having your trials and tribulations, for sure...I feel for ya! However, I must say that you are better-humored about it than I'd be...hang in there and it's bound to get straightened out and get better...

Good luck, and "keep the faith!"

TB

[XpeditionsTV]

Opening the door to the room we're staying this morning was a good experience. The really bright Florida sun danced across the Airstream parked 40 feet away. With all the adversity we had faced, and all the exhaustion we had endured since buying the '74 Airstream, it just felt good to look across the lot and see its smooth and shiny persona sitting there. For a brief moment I felt it tug at my feelings as if to say "Don't give up on me...".

Ok, then I had a "Cup O' Joe" and realized the rust must be everywhere. Plus, the Suburban was running like crap... What a mess. Reality sucks...

My friend Bill Foss (The Art & Music of Bill Foss) is here in Tallahassee with us and just saw our Airstream this morning. He felt it was really amazing looking. I showed him our nicely tied up rear end. Since he knows a little about these things he wanted to look inside to examine the rust and construction. The duck tape strings snapped away one by one and the bottom fell down again with a dull thud. When he finally said he felt it was fixable I felt a sigh of relief. It faded as he continued to say he hadn't a clue how it would be done. We discussed this over a donut... Donuts always make events feel a little bit less heavy. I don't think you can eat a donut and be stressed out a the same time. Of course I wasn't looking through that large rotted hole in the floor of the Airstream at the time.

Within minutes we headed to the Chevy dealership nearest us - University Chevrolet. Every person we met there was interested to help us. We got in right away and within 30 minutes I was shown a bad spark plug. Yup... it was a bad plug! I guess even new plugs go bad. But these are not just any plugs. These are 1 million watt plugs made by Pulstar (Pulse Plugs - 20,000X More Powerful Than Spark Plugs. Greater Horsepower, Fuel Efficiency, Torque.) and cost $25 each. Without the trailer we had an increase of almost 4mpg and alot of power.

A standard plug was installed for $108 and the Suburban was running smoothly again. I was relieved... and a little more broke.

While waiting I decided to call Jay. I had decided to see if a refund might be possible. No answer.... So, I left a polite message.

Once we got back to the room I received a phone call Jay. I'm sure he had no idea what a can of worms he had opened when he asked how things were going. Now, as you might imagine, I didn't say things were going well. I explained the situation and asked for a refund. After all, 50 miles down the road and the ass end of the trailer falls out you might think things are pretty bad... There was an uncomfortable silence at the other end, then a heavy sigh. He had no idea this was wrong with the Airstream. He seemed really troubled by the news.

Jay told me he would make it right. So, I can bring it back to him (250 miles back to where we were) or find someone to fix the problem locally (Tallahassee). Another alternative would be to let him know what I thought it would cost to fix. Whatever the decision, he would support us and help to fix the issue. If it couldn't be fixed? Well, the conversation didn't get that far since Bill had said he thought it could be fixed.

[side note: Kathy is getting a bit concerned this is going to be a mess...]

I have a feeling Jay wants to handle this with respect and honesty. So, I have a question for you have who read this far:

What do you think it would cost to fix this problem? We're going to take pictures tomorrow morning and can post them here (I think) for you who want to see what we have going on. I'm sorta confident it is repairable, but have no idea what this requires. Perhaps one of you would have an idea. If so, please let me know. I'll pass it on to Jay, the fellow who sold us the trailer.

All in all, day 3 has been another interesting day we would have missed without our silver beauty sitting in parking spaces 8 through 16 at the Suburban hotel parking lot somewhere on Silver Slipper Lane in Tallahassee, Florida.

No, I'm not kidding.. this is where we are right now.

Best Wishes Everyone
Jerry Wills

[Stream 1529]

Jerry,

I've read this thread with my mouth open in horror. You sure do have much more patience, understanding, compassion, and perserverance than I do. Y'all are the picture of the half-full glass that I keep hearing about.

I think y'all may want to call an Airstream dealer and talk with their service manager to get a feel for what you may be in store for. Not only $$$ but potential problems that are as yet undiscovered. Then make a decision on whether to seek a refund or repair.

Over the past, Bates RV in Dover, Fl has had good reviews. I hope others here will chime in. Their number is 888-228-3778. Give them a call and have a serious talk with them.

I'm sorry about your problems, and I wish you smooth roads and following winds.

________Tom

[LJH]

Good morning Jerry, glad you got the Burb running. I use Bosch Platinum plugs in my '99. They are very reliable and seem to last forever. As to the trailer situation, you do need an expert evaluation. Try the Forum search to find a member who does inpections, chances are good that you can find one near, give them a call. You might also try a local AS dealer, they may have someone willing to take a look. Everything on an AS can be repaired or replaced. The question is cost and tme. If this is the AS that you realy want and have the time and money, go for it. If you are looking for a ready to go unit, call Jay, work something out and keep looking. Keep Smiling! Once you two find the AS that adopts you (and they do adopt you) this will be a great campfire story. Good Luck!

[XpeditionsTV]

Today started with a bang. Kathy opened her eyes, sat up in bed and told me we needed to get a refund. Dazed and half asleep I mumbled something like "Huh!!!! Get rid of that wonderful gleaming beauty sitting out there???" Then it occurred to me she was probably right... Now both of us are starting the day wondering what we've gotten ourselves into.

The posts we have received during this highly exciting journey into the world of Airstream have been wonderful. Kathy & I excitedly opened our email this morning to read the latest from what you great folks have had to say. It's encouraging to know you're out there -- Thanks so much to each of you.

After a quick mug of rich Columbian coffee we unpacked our cinema camera, shot a few stills and sent them to Jay. Afterwards, we opened all the windows, sat in the Airstream and wondered what we should do next.

Finally, I decided to ask Jay for a refund. We'll know soon if he agrees. if so, Monday we head for Ocala.

Kathy is really concerned about the mold. It seems to permeate the inside. As everyone knows, mold is a serious issue. I suspect it's from the rear.

I checked the flooring per recommendations from you folks reading this and from other threads Kathy has been digging through. The floor seems to be perfect everywhere except the back. I suppose that's a good thing!

Ok, I'll post Part 2 later this evening.

Best Wishes
Jerry

[pilgrim]

I keep thinking about the folks that have volunteered to do inspection jobs for others. Can you imagine the problems he (she) would be having right now if all this had been missed??? Unless inspecting is one's strong suit and I do mean STRONG suit, I don't think that's anything one should be involved with!

Best of luck with day three and four and however many more follow! What an adventure - for all of us!

[safari 28]

All I can add for you folks is once you find a rig that gives you decent reliabiity you were born for this type of travel. Most would have given up at this early stage.

Regarding mold. I am in the HVAC industry and working nationally for over 25 years in the business. Please be very careful with this issue. Some mold species combined with various individual allergies can be deadly or at best a sick building type problem. Best of luck in your decisions.

[XpeditionsTV]

Actually, it's day 5... I was to tired to post a continuation last night. Kathy and I are in Tallahassee to conduct a seminar called "The Gateway Experience" and were setting up the meeting room until late last night. For more about our seminar you can visit our webpage: Welcome to Jerry Wills.com Look for the "Tallahassee Gateway' link. You might also find the written or video testimonials pages interesting. Segments from my many appearances on FOX TV are included on the video testimonials page.

So, to continue with day 4:
I spoke with Jay. Once he saw the pictures and understood what had happened he has agreed too refund us all but $400. The $400 is being held for repairs he will need to complete. We now have hope.

Jay has been a gentleman about this, handling this unfortunate issue with integrity.

Monday we leave for Umatilla - 250 miles away. I'll post a followup once we have completed this leg of the trip.

Best Wishes
Jerry

[Gene]

Originally Posted by XpeditionsTV

Actually, it's day 5... I was to tired to post a continuation last night.
I spoke with Jay. Once he saw the pictures and understood what had happened he has agreed too refund us all but $400. The $400 is being held for repairs he will need to complete. We now have hope.

Jerry, apparently you are more patient and trusting than most people. I can't imagine that what you explained could be fixed for less than thousands, many thousands perhaps. I wonder where the seller came up with $400? I don't know whether it was an "as is" deal, so maybe you're lucky to get the rest of your money back. I suppose it's possible Jay didn't know about the rot or the extent of it, but I'd be skeptical. The best thing is that you were only a couple of hundred miles away and had to be in Tallahassee anyway.

When we picked our Safari at the end of October, we were only 100 miles from the dealer when we discovered a window had blown out. The latch had not been adjusted properly, probably at the factory. Your story makes our mishap seem pretty minor.

Good luck with this experience. I'm sure you'll be reading a lot of threads for a while to learn what to look for and which Forum members do inspections.

Welcome to the world of Airstream. It can only get better.

Gene

[XpeditionsTV]

The day started at 5am. Without a shower or breakfast we loaded a few items into the Suburban. We had already hooked up to the Airstream the night before (well, it was still nighttime, really...). Lights were blinked off and on and our brand new NAPA Auto brake controller was checked. Everything was good to go. If all went as planned we would arrive to Collins Tire before noon.

My eyes were really blurry. Semi's passed and almost blew us off the roadway every time they passed. We had decided to travel on I-10 to I-75. Even though there were few trucks so early, the ones roaring down the road were being driven by the same evil spirits we're all familiar with from that Stephen King movie "Maximum Overdrive". I actually saw the clown face on one big rig, grinning as once again we were blown to the right.

Pulling an Airstream is an interesting experience. Your first inclination is that you forgot to release the parking brake. Once you get past this odd feeling you try to accelerate and quickly discover that the word "quickly" doesn't apply. Instead, you gradually go faster until you hit 65 or so. A demon controlled truck passes again and you're back to 45 and overdrive kicks in... since we have those great plasma plus I suppose you could say we shifted in to maximum overdrive : )) Pulling an Airstream also lets you see how white the bones are beneath the skin of your fingers. They seems to glow in the foggy early morning light. I also have come to understand why there are already ridges on the steering wheel.

We arrive to Collins Tire by 11:30am (5 1/2 hours later). I explained to Bruce (the owner) that we needed to swap our brand new 8 ply Goodyear's for whatever he might have lying around. Within 30 minutes he had located a good set of replacements, tires were swapped out and we were on our way. The new tires were easily stored in the back of the Chevy.

Bruce commented this was a free service. He was really sorry for the trouble we had and wanted to do his part to ease our worries and expense. I was really surprised. In Phoenix and elsewhere we have traveled this would have been at least $15 a tire. I could see in Bruce's face he was sincere. John Wayne looked up as I walked by. Within a few minutes he had cleaned up and came out to say "Hi". I explained our current mission to him. As usual, he smiled warmly and told me he felt we were doing the right thing. "It's pretty bad when you buy something and it literally falls apart before you get far down the road." John is also a sincere person who takes the prize for honest and reliable. I can easily see how he and Bruce make a good business together.

We finished by 12:30 and headed off to see Jay. I had called to let him know when to expect us. He was standing in the yard as we pulled in.

After being directed where to park the Airstream we unhooked for the last time. The first thing he asked was, "What did you hit!?" The tone was tense and angry. It suddenly occurred to me he thought we had acted irresponsibly. Somehow, through incompetence, we had inadvertently bashed the tail of the trailer. Jay had no way of knowing we had towed a fully loaded 35 foot cargo trailer across the US a few years earlier. Kathy & I both had driven large trucks, towed huge trailers and navigated mountain passes without the luxury of electric brake controllers. Through rain, ice and snow we had never had an instance or accident.

I looked at Jay and explained we had simply run across a rail-road track at about 20mph. It was rough (like they almost always are) and within a few minutes, while accelerating down a hill, I heard a god awful noise... Well, you all know the rest if you've read this story completely.

To say the mood was uncomfortable would be an understatement. I was reminded of how I once stood too near a large wasp nest in the old barn behind our farm house. The wasps were buzzing my head and shoulders. I anxiously waited for the sting. Thankfully, I wasn't stung then or now. For most of us it's the fear of being stung that causes the greatest anxiety. I'm sure Jay felt as worried about being stung as Kathy & I.

After a brief inspection Jay handed Kathy the refund. Once counted we said our farewells and headed to the open road again. It felt very good to put this behind us... very, VERY good!

The Airstream glared at us in silence as we pulled away. Perhaps it was the way the sun hit that amazing UFO colored body.

We drove back to Collins Tire. I had the idea that perhaps Bruce could resell those tires. After all, they only had 500 miles on them - still new, really. I told Bruce to ask $75 apiece for those tires and send us a check once they sold, which he agreed to do. If anyone reading this needs a set of 4 new tires at a savings of $33 per tire I suggest you call Bruce Collins (352 669 3847) in Umatilla, Florida.

And so goes the last installment of this, one story from the road. If anything, I hope it might help another novice like ourselves understand these basic insights:

1. Never believe what you're told. We were told there was nothing wrong (so far as he knew) with the trailer. Nope, no rot or leaks that I know of... Untrue statement if you're told this. Think about it folks. If YOU had an Airstream trailer sitting in your driveway wouldn't you at least know if there was a gaping hole under one of the beds???? (!)

2. Take your time. If you're told (like we were told), "I've had another offer and if you don't decide now there's a fellow on his way to buy it...", you should walk away. You better take your time and make an educated decision, one based on YOU checking things like water pressure, lights, toilet flushing, holding tank integrity, brakes, suspension and water damage. YOU need to ask the seller to clearly show you what works. If you're shy, you'll be taken advantage of. Demand to see stuff working or proof it is in good working order. The costs to fix these things will add to your cost of the trailer. You don't want to spend an extra $2000 for a trailer? Buy a cheap one like we did and THEN you can spend that much or more to finally have what you thought you were getting. It's no joking matter... it's your hard earned bucks that will be flying out the door and your ego that will be bruised when your wife asks why you didn't check that in the first place.

I now have a completely bruised ego...

3. If you're not sure you should ask to tow it to an expert and PAY this person to tell you what the truth is. It's always more prudent to believe someone who is NOT in a position to make a bundle off you because of the sale.

4. Hook up and tow the trailer 100 miles. If the seller won't let you do this you should walk away. How will you know if the frame is warped, rusted thru or other issues if you don't have this experience? Besides, now you'll know how much gas you'll use, how much power you have (or don't have) and what you're needs are for successful towing (your brakes, trailer brakes and brake controller, etc).

I know many of you who will read this already have experience towing. However there are going to be those who are much like Kathy & I. You might have towed before, but not something like this... or perhaps never towed at all. You had better get a qualifying run in to be certain this is for you. Those demon possessed trucks can really freak you out.

Our experience has been tiring and more tiring... All together we spent about $1000 for this education and drove over 800 miles. Kathy has been a jewel the whole time. You see, it was more my idea to get this than hers. I appreciate her patience and humor. I also thank Jay for being a man of his word. He could have said "screw you..." but didn't. I'm grateful there are still those with this kind of integrity left among us. Finally, I'm grateful for all of you reading this. without your suggestions and support I would have felt pretty alone with all of this.

It's now behind us... Tallahassee is sure a nice place. Warm weather, sunny skies. It's kinda like summer here (85 today) while the rest of the US is freezing. I think I'll buy a motorcycle and ride down to Key West. I'm ready for a cheeseburger in paradise and a cold draught beer...

<Kathy is staring at me wondering if I'm serious... She's ready to go! >

Yes Kathy, I am

Best Wishes to you all and good luck

Jerry Wills
producer
Xpeditions TV

Do you like UFO's and Rock music???
ELEMENT 115: You have to see this....
Element 115 - the band Classic-rock and Beyond from Phoenix Arizona and the Milky Way Galaxy

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, sometimes you get a free education and sometimes it might cost you $1,000.00 but you will be much better off next time if you still have an Airstream in your dreams. And with the knowledge you just got, you will save yourself thousands of dollars on your next adventure. Or if you didn't learn, you could write a good book on all of your miss-adventures. You write an interesting story. Thank You for sharing with us.