Dexter Brake Drums Needed STRANDED

[gordyfj49]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Yes...I spent 45+ years in service and did exactly that at the GM stores I worked at. When needed we did what was necessary...our CSI was a top priority.
It has been proven over and over that CSI means nothing at JC or the dealers. 😠

Bob
🇺🇸

Ha,
Where was a guy like you when my POS GM C5 Z06 corvette sits and waits for parts!

Wadestream, Go online & get the parts. Find a buddy that can put them on for you. If I was there I would do it. I work for Beer!!

[Rgentum]

Two of my four brakes crapped out while I was in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in 2016, returning from the AS Internat'l Rally in WVA. I drove to the closest AS dealer, outside of Minneapolis. They determined that the two brakes needed to be replaced and that they were under warranty by Dexter. The problem was that they didn't have the parts and it would take 2+ days to have them shipped in. They called their nearby NAPA store, a half a mile away, who had after-market replacements. The brakes were replaced and we were back on the road that afternoon --- and at no charge.

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by AtomicNo13

Consumable parts should be stocked as high priority items.
Instead I see Live Riveted lifestyle items.....fail to the Airstream owner!

I'm on the road full time... The last place I would go for parts is an Airstream dealer, unless my wine tumbler, or logo golf tee broke!

Airstream factory in Jackson Center typically will not sell bigger ticket parts. They will always refer you to a dealer, which is why you see mostly foofy type stuff on the Airstream Store website. The only exception is if you are at the factory itself, then they will sell you nearly any part.


Personally, I think it is a waste to not take advantage of the web to it's fullest given the difficultly this owner is exp, but playing the devil's advocate, that also takes human resources to accomplish an significant on-line presence with a wider range of product. Not that I think Airstream can't afford it with double digit profit margins, but simply not the business they want to be in I suppose.

[JakeBB]

For what its worth I attended a Dexter Q&A at the 2017 International AS meeting in MI. If interested I would be glad to repeat some of what I learned. Call Jake 512-557-4850

[overlander63]

There is no law that says you have to buy parts for a 6-year-old, long-out-of-warranty trailer from the dealer. Go find and buy the parts yourself, and either install them yourself, or pay a local RV shop or mobile tech to install them. Lack of planning or preparedness, or even an emergency repair on your part, does not constitute a crisis for the dealer.
And before anybody yells about it not being that way in the auto industry, I can assure you I heard those words, almost verbatim, from my local Lexus dealer about an issue with my out-of-warranty car and its problems.

[MickeyC]

Redneck Trailer is a Dexter dealer and there are two stores in California. Not sure how close they are to you but here is the contact info:

California Fresno 559-834-4655
California Mira Loma 951-685-8384

Good Luck
MC

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by eva52

Ha,
Where was a guy like you when my POS GM C5 Z06 corvette sits and waits for parts!

Wadestream, Go online & get the parts. Find a buddy that can put them on for you. If I was there I would do it. I work for Beer!!

Right here in WNY...😂

Bob
🇺🇸

[Action]

Originally Posted by Wadestearns

I am at an Airstream dealer. They should know how to get the parts need better than I. Not the case. Once they provided me with the part numbers I can find them easily. Why can’t Airstream service do that instead of stranding me for two weeks. I’m not in the middle of the desert. I’m in Los Angeles.

You would want to ask the dealership service department that question.

I suspect the Airstream dealer doesn't do a lot of service. Typically a dealership will do what works best for them. They may like to sell units and service them not so much. Just a guess on my part.

And as a consumer you might not care what the dealership's marketing plan is for your market. You might go to a place that does service. Like this one. http://lomitatrailer.com/ that does order Dexter parts or may have Dexter parts on hand.

Or some other trailer service center.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

[Action]

As a comparison to the automotive industry, Airstream produces about 4000 units annually.

That is about the production of a week or two for any single larger US car manufacturer.

Hardy comparable. The same will hold true for parts production.

>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

[Paprika]

A couple of comments. First, the Nev-R-Lube bearings and Nev-R-Adjust brakes used on recent Airstreams are proprietary to Dexter and are not interchangeable with commonly used trailer brakes and bearings.

I had a brake failure on my new 2017 International 27FB last summer--the right rear brake locked up due to the adjuster falling "into the guts." I disconnected the wire to that brake and managed to free it up with some back-and-forthing, but by the time I was able to get to an Airstream dealer, the part was worn down to a literal nubbin just from rattling around inside the drum.

The dealer, Airstream Adventures Northwest in Caldwell, Idaho, had what looked to me like a pretty good stock of Airstream parts (not just t-shirts and decorative doodads), and they had a Dexter distributor just up the street, but it turned out that the parts for the Nev-R-Adjust brake were not in stock anywhere local. (Caldwell is a Boise suburb. Boise isn't L.A., but with a population well over 200,000 and plenty of RV sales and parts places, it isn't exactly Podunk.) The parts had to be ordered, and took three or four days to arrive. In short, based on my experience at least, I wouldn't necessarily expect to find these parts in stock even at a good Airstream dealership.

Finally, I should add that the folks at the Caldwell/Boise Airstream dealership were competent and well-organized, treated me very well, and even let me stay in a full-hookup site next to their dealership while the work was being done. I recommend them if you are in that area and need work.

[smithcreek]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Yes...I spent 45+ years in service and did exactly that at the GM stores I worked at. When needed we did what was necessary...our CSI was a top priority.
It has been proven over and over that CSI means nothing at JC or the dealers. 😠

Bob
🇺🇸

Then the interesting question is why are so many AS dealer service departments not up to par. In most car dealerships profit is made in the F&I and service departments. I guess most AS dealers make some kind of rational choice to put a low priority on the service department.

[featherbedder]

Originally Posted by smithcreek

Then the interesting question is why are so many AS dealer service departments not up to par. In most car dealerships profit is made in the F&I and service departments. I guess most AS dealers make some kind of rational choice to put a low priority on the service department.

The largest profit is in serv. not parts as stated. My youngest son has own repair shop ASE certified in all form of mechanics & fire engines that is special certification, big trucks [diesel gas air brakes etc.] plus welding except under water, & auto body repair after 2 yrs at repair school {some rate it #1 others #2 in nation} to quote him, money is made in repair, small amount in parts.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

As noted above, AS in JC is far from the only place to get parts. Indeed their parts ordering process is not quite as fast as the "next day for free" that we all get used to online. When I was there getting brake work done on a different year trailer, they had all the parts in stock.

Dealer parts departments can be excellent and they can be an utter pile of poo. How much sales volume they do has virtually noting to do with service and parts. A "big dealer" can be a joke for parts. A smaller outfit may do a very good job.

I've stood at the counter and had it "explained" to me that they only order parts once every two weeks *if* there are enough needed to make it worth their time. If not the order waits. They can't afford fast shipping so it will take a week or two for them to get in. Bottom line is that if you want the part, it *might* get here in 6 weeks if it's in stock when we get around to ordering it. If your trailer is in service needing a part that is not in stock ... it will sit ....

Needless to say, that's not the sort of dealer I'd ever shop at again. Had I known how bad they were, I would have driven 20 minutes further to another dealer who does an excellent job on parts. Dealers are independent businesses. Their only connection too AS is that they get to hang out a sign. AS apparently has very little control over how a dealer operates.

After my "brake fun" on the road, I stoped at the small repair shop attached to where I store the trailer. We chatted about Dexter brakes and the availability of parts. Since it was a slow day we even poked at the computer. I live in a small town in rural PA. There are three places in the area that stock the parts for my brakes .... That's just counting the ones the repair guy knew of off the top of his head.

So bottom line, you have a dealer that isn't up to a really complex task like a brake job on your trailer. That would suggest that they likely struggle to tie their shoes in the morning as well. Take your business elsewhere ... quickly. You very much do not want an idiot working on your trailer. Consider yourself lucky to have found out *before* they trashed something important.

Bob

[Action]

The comments above from smithcreek and featherbedder are very true in the automotive industry.

Just not the RV industry. Mostly because of volume of units sold. The other factor is urgency. While people on vacation are urgent, many are not. They are having RV during down time. Unlike the automotive industry where the vehicle being worked on is necessary for daily use.

In the pre-1970s automotive dealerships did a lot of their own things. (Especially pre-war and just after the war) Then competition came in from Asia touting not only quality and customer service. Meaning the manufacturer cared about the end user even though the manufacturer did not sell to the end user. That may seem like a duh in this day and age however that was a very unique concept back then.

The dealership was always driving the bus as far as marketing. Parts and Service may have made money and for many dealerships it did NOT! Face it many car dealers came from vehicle sales. They were vehicle sales people before the ran a dealership. Used vehicle sales, Service sales, parts sales and warranty sales were necessary pieces to the end all be all which is new vehicle sales. And many new car dealership shad that focus!!!! I know as I was in that business from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s.

Today the car and light truck world has changed dramatically. The new car dealership attitude from back then would not survive now. And many of those dealerships and owners do not exist in the new car world.

However this is the RV world. When some new RV dealerships handle a low volume product from several manufactures. Those manufactures do not have the hammer to say they must invest in parts and tools. So the RV dealership may not be invested the same way a car dealership is invested. Even in big cities. If they are kudos. However don't always expect that. Specially when the RV manufacturer doesn't make the part. because most RV manufacturers do not make the running gear. They contract out with a company to buy those parts. The RV manufacturer only makes the coach and much else is sourced from a vendor. So the new RV dealership may be happy letting other shops repair the vehicles they sell new. They make their money selling new units.

>>>>>>>>>Action


BTW new car dealerships have a requirement not only to invest in training, parts and tools but they are required to have a facility that is acceptable to the manufacture. Or the manufacture ends the agreement and the dealer can no longer sell new vehicles. That facility has to be updated from time to time under that same agreement.

[Wadestearns]

Originally Posted by smithcreek

Do you really not understand the difference between wholesale and retail?

I totally understand the difference.
I just came to the place that I thought would be a one stop shop. They make money on labor but there is no labor if they don’t have parts.
I do not have time or understanding on what parts are needed that is why I take it there.

[Wadestearns]

Originally Posted by featherbedder

The largest profit is in serv. not parts as stated. My youngest son has own repair shop ASE certified in all form of mechanics & fire engines that is special certification, big trucks [diesel gas air brakes etc.] plus welding except under water, & auto body repair after 2 yrs at repair school {some rate it #1 others #2 in nation} to quote him, money is made in repair, small amount in parts.

I’m sorry but there is no service without parts. In order to be a profitable business they should no how to source parts fast. Get the work completed so that they can bill the customer quickly. RV service centers seem to be fine just having it sit there without collecting revenue.

I this case if I could not get it repaired I had now way to pick it up for 4 months. The dealership just seemed to be fine that I would inconvenience and insure several thousand dollars in expenses expenses without the Airstream.

I told them that I would have them flown in from anywhere because of the expenses that I would incite without the Airstream.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Wadestearns

I’m sorry but there is no service without parts. In order to be a profitable business they should no how to source parts fast. Get the work completed so that they can bill the customer quickly. RV service centers seem to be fine just having it sit there without collecting revenue.

I this case if I could not get it repaired I had now way to pick it up for 4 months. The dealership just seemed to be fine that I would inconvenience and insure several thousand dollars in expenses expenses without the Airstream.

I told them that I would have them flown in from anywhere because of the expenses that I would incite without the Airstream.

Hi

If your customer base is ok with your taking 4 to 6 weeks to get parts in, then that's very much the way to go. Inventory cost is the gotcha in the parts department. Zero inventory means zero inventory cost and that's a winner !!!! ( at least for the finance guy).

Stop and chat with any parts department manager. She (or He) will tell you about the endless meetings about inventory turns. There always are metrics and they aren't going to be met if the parts "don't move". That metric may be 2 turns a month. (welcome to Walmart ....). A unique part for an 8 year old trailer is not going to make the cut in those meetings.

I'm by no means suggesting that I would ever go to a place like this for service. I also would never on my most insane day ever run a company that way. However it *is* a free country. People can run a company any way they wish. If their perfect world is pure sales and as little service as possible, they get to run a company that way. There are a number of places that operate on this model .....

Bob

[chipster45]

If the parts that you need are the same as on a 2001 30’ Classic, I have what you need in excellent condition.
I changed over to disc brakes and saved all of the parts from the drum set up.
Located in Banning, Ca. Not far from O.C.
909-437-1207
Happy Trails,
Chip

[waynedonald]

E-Trailer has everything you need

E-Trailer .com

[rickandsandi]

I realize I am coming to the party a little late but why not call Dexter for the parts? I had an emergency last week needing a new brake assembly and new drum. Shipped the parts I needed overnight and back on the road.
Their customer support team is awesome and knew exactly what parts I needed. Hopefully you have made the needed repairs and are back on the road.
Rick