Our 25' 79 Ambassador was dropped off for service at the closest airstream dealership. (2 hours away) We have been communicating via phone. We have had lots of rain during the last 10 days....the manager called to say our unit was finally in the shop....ahead of our scheduled service date.
He stated that water had collected in the ac unit during these rains... there were no leaks what-so-ever....until they moved our unit into the shop..lots of water everywhere coming from the AC unit... Yikes!
He is saying that the gasket around the unit most likely has deteriorated...causing water collection and leaks.
He has recommended removal of original ac....replace gasket...with no guarantee that something will not be cracked/ crimped??? upon replacement of the old one. ( Which is in working order.)
We love this Airstream and plan to keep it for a long time....We are O.K. with replacing the old AC with the new. Obviously we would rather not do something that isn't necessary. We're sceptical, due to several comments from these guys about other issues ..leaving us to wonder how competent they are.
We plan to make the trip for a visit on this issue this weekend. Anything we should ask while we're there?
I've read all the threads about an AC to choose.
Lastly....
We noticed a collection of water in the pan under the fresh water tank....I remember reading that this could come from the AC causing a body leak....so...maybe the Bubbas are on the up and up.
If the a/c unit is the original, there really is no gasket. The unit is riveted in place on the roof, with the seam sealed with Vulkem. It is very possible the drain tube is clogged, causing the rainwater to collect, and run into the coach by overflowing.
Having just replaced the AC unit on my 75 Trade Wind, I would not remove the old unit unless I had a replacement ready to go back on (which I did).
The old unit did not want to come off the roof without a fight. The chances of removing my old unit and returning it were pretty slim. There were over a dozen rivets holding the shroud in place and several dozen screws holding the drip pan to the trailer as well. All of these screws were covered with massive amounts of vulkem which had to be heated before it would budge. Maybe your unit is not the same as mine, but if it is, it's a major job. My unit was no longer functional, leaked and had a broken shroud. It was an easy decision to replace it.
Your problem could be as simple as a clogged drain line from the drip pan. You can get to that be removing the inside cover and check it from there. The drain line should exit the trailer just in front of the street side wheels.
The drain line is shown here after the interior cover was removed as well as other stuff. The other picture is where I spent most of my day...
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Richard Wally Byam Airstream Club 7513
Your problem could be as simple as a clogged drain line from the drip pan. You can get to that be removing the inside cover and check it from there. The drain line should exit the trailer just in front of the street side wheels.
A quick and dirty way to check for a clogged drain hose is to shoot some compressed air up the hose, then stand back. If a bunch of crap comes spewing out, along with a lot of water, it was clogged.
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Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
Thanks for the info....we'll go check out the situation yet again....it concerns me that they mentioned a gasket when there is none???? What's up with that?
Oh well....can't wait to sit back and relax next to the campfire soon.
lots of water everywhere coming from the AC unit... Yikes!
I can see lots of water coming from the AC. The condensate pan can only collect water while the AC is running and will drain off to the ground. The pan that the unit is constructed on has drainage to the roof. Neither has a path to the inside of the trailer.
If it was a leak during heavy rain it would have shown up before they moved the trailer. I would look for a different source for the water before removing the AC.
__________________ WBCCI 12156 AIR 3144 WACHUNG TAC NJ6 2004 Excursion 4x4 1991 34 ft. Excella +220,000 miles, new laminated flooring, new upholstery, new 3200 lbs axles
Thanks, just got off the phone with this _____________. We asked that they just blow out the drain tube....leave the AC....and we'll find someone else to take a look once we bring her home...even if we have to travel many more hours and miles to find competent people. He STILL insists that there IS a gasket around the AC... not just rivets and vulkem seal ( AGAIN this is the original AC)?????AND he states that there is a danger of causing damage if they shoot compressed air in the tube for a cleanout???? AND that they can't guarantee that (I'm almost embarrassed to print this) that the tube will break apart causing lots of damage and all kinds of issues in the walls
Any thoughts? Besides moving to Jackson Center Ohio???
Thanks, just got off the phone with this _____________. We asked that they just blow out the drain tube....leave the AC....and we'll find someone else to take a look once we bring her home...even if we have to travel many more hours and miles to find competent people. He STILL insists that there IS a gasket around the AC... not just rivets and vulkem seal ( AGAIN this is the original AC)?????AND he states that there is a danger of causing damage if they shoot compressed air in the tube for a cleanout???? AND that they can't guarantee that (I'm almost embarrassed to print this) that the tube will break apart causing lots of damage and all kinds of issues in the walls
Any thoughts? Besides moving to Jackson Center Ohio???
Pickup the trailer and say "see ya."
That mechanic is blowing smoke all over the place.
Thank him for his advise, and move on.
It does not take much air pressure to blow out the drain line. And if it did blow off the AC. it would be in the ceiling where you could easily reattach it, from inside the trailer.
If you can simply take the exhaust from the vacuum cleaner you have at home, that's usually enough to blow out the line. Hook it up to the tubing that's near the rear wheel on the road side.
This just in..... from "our friends" down at "ye olde aistream shoppe"....this is a Coleman AC....so not the original....wrong info for 2 weeks now....
I'm headed down to pick up the unit....this weekend. These guys are truly scaring me.
Apropos of human nature in general and not Airstreams or their repair in particular, it is human nature for a person who considers himself an authority to immediately posit the direst of consequences if things are done any other way than the one he prefers.
Teenagers are abundantly familiar with this phenomenon, particulary in matters automotive and in relation to the male parental unit.
Al ittle closer to the material rather than social issue at hand, I own a 1979 31 footer with a similar A/C installation. When I got it after many years sitting, the drain tube was indeed plugged up, with mud, insect nests and Lord knows what other stinkiing debris. There was no internal leaking from it, but condensate did overflow the lip and run down the side of the trailer in the vicinity of the refrigerator vent.
The tube was cleared by running about eight feet of 10 gauge fence wire up the tube, eventually disloging all the aforesaid gunk. If I'd had an compessed air blowgun at hand, that's what I would have used. It's not like you would be pipe threading the drain tube straight into 350 psi or something. It's easy enough to control th pressur by just backing away the nozzle from the tube until results are achieved.
Or, for the timid, use a wire as a tube-clearing snake.
Except, of course for the dire. dire consequences of doing that. Okay, Dad. Time for your nap.
This just in..... from "our friends" down at "ye olde aistream shoppe"....this is a Coleman AC....so not the original....wrong info for 2 weeks now....
I'm headed down to pick up the unit....this weekend. These guys are truly scaring me.
The Coleman AC's had a drain pan, that the drain hose is connected to.
If that drain pan was not there, then water would always be running down the sides of the trailer when running the AC.
Latest update....
So....__________called to apologize...the tube in fact IS clogged "he says" and can't get it unclogged.
Yesterday, I gave EXPLICIT directions to complete the planned items we took it there for initially. (pack bearings.....replace electrical cord....replace vent ordered from Inland RV)AND to leave everything else ALONE!
NOW....he says there is a dent on the roof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had no dent.
Said he would e-mail a pic for me. No e-mail.
WHAT! In the name of BYAM should I do now??????
Has ANYONE EVER experienced this before? I am truly livid.
Saturday we pick the unit up.
Sounds to me like you need to get up there to that shop before you get another call that the entire trailer is destroyed!
Someone on here a couple of years ago had what sounded to me like a good idea for cleaning out the drain tube: get a long enough piece of heavy duty weed-whacker nylon line, chuck it up in a low speed electric drill, start said drill and slowly feed the line up the drain tube ... supposedly (sounded good to me) it'd whip around in there a bit and clear out mud dauber nests, etc., without too much risk of puncturing the drain tube as a piece of wire might do.
I read the installation manual for my A.C. unit a week ago, and while I don't remember what it said about gaskets, it absolutley nowhere mentioned a drain line at all. Yet it has one - I know for sure!
Get that trailer out of there as fast as you can. Do not let them pack the bearings. That is a job you want done by someone you have faith in.
I told a mechanic in a GM shop not to start my engine but to remove the pan and check things out. Two days later they told me I needed a new engine. I asked how they came to the conclusion? The said they started it. That cracked the crank in 3 pieces and cost me $8,000.00. Had they not started the engine and just done what I asked they could have repaired the loose main cap bolts in about 3 hours. I was out of state and had no recoursebut to go get the truck and bring it home for repair by a shop that knew what they were doing.
As for the dent you may be able to pull it out with a dent king if they did not crease it too bad.
Just get it out of there.
__________________ WBCCI 12156 AIR 3144 WACHUNG TAC NJ6 2004 Excursion 4x4 1991 34 ft. Excella +220,000 miles, new laminated flooring, new upholstery, new 3200 lbs axles
Yes! If I could take a day off...I would go NOW....rather than Saturday.
HowieE I feel your pain....It's UNBELIEVABLE! I could rant for days.
Would ANYONE know of a reputable Airstream shop in Virginia?
Trailer Buff Inc...is just 6 miles from me...but they are commissioned and will not take on small jobs..."newer" vintage airstreams...or give advice.
They are great people....very knowledgeable and very talented....but no help to the common Airstream folk except to host a rally once in a while.
Now I am worried about the other work being done......SURELY one can't jack a bearing job????????
The weed wacker line trick is all that I use but the procedure is to feed line from the spool up the tube from the bottom until you can't get it to go any farther, then cut the line at the spool and chuck it up in your battery powered screw gun and run it some until the tube is cleared.
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Crusty
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."
Lake Travis, TX
"Rancho Deluxe"
Latest update....
So....__________called to apologize...the tube in fact IS clogged "he says" and can't get it unclogged.
Yesterday, I gave EXPLICIT directions to complete the planned items we took it there for initially. (pack bearings.....replace electrical cord....replace vent ordered from Inland RV)AND to leave everything else ALONE!
NOW....he says there is a dent on the roof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had no dent.
Said he would e-mail a pic for me. No e-mail.
WHAT! In the name of BYAM should I do now??????
Has ANYONE EVER experienced this before? I am truly livid.
Saturday we pick the unit up.
If the dent is in the roof proper, it more than likely will pop out when the sun gets to the roof.
If it's forward or rearward of the awning rail, then the dent is in a segment.
The cost to replace "each" segment, is about $1200.00.
If a segment or more is dented, DO NOT leave the place without them signing a document that they did it.
Then you can have your insurance company, pay for the damage and they will subrogated against the dealer, and make them reinburse your insurance company.
Call the police if necessary, in case there is a dispute, so that you have a record showing the dealer is at fault.
It may be wise to post the dealers name, as a help to others, to "STAY AWAY."
Which is why we have pictures of our unit and take more before going to a repair shop. If you have pictures of before, take them with you. It has been my experience to avoid complete trust in any dealer, as many are not trustworthy, many will talk to you like they are your best friend, but only want exhorbitant amounts of money to do the work, and not always correctly.
buyer beware.
Marie
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When people lie to you, and refuse to honor their word, don't regret trying to follow a dream, new adventures and friends await you.
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