At Jackson Center

[dkottum]

We are in Jackson Center Service Center to fix leaky, corrosive clearance lights (they replaced them) and a loose door hinge, buy a few goodies at the Store, and get a factory tour. We are impressed with the whole operation on our first visit, these are nice people and very helpful.

A couple of notes at the tour:

1) They are building 31 trailers a week

2) I saw a new Classic on the line with Eddie Bauer style wheels and 16" Michelins, and stainless steel stove vent. Other Classics on the line had 15" GYMs and plastic stove vent. This leads me to suspect you can order a new trailer with such upgrades, something my dealer denied.

3) All cabinetry assembled in the factory of plywood or solid wood, no particle board. All upholstery cut and sewn in the factory.

4) They allowed us to go into some partially completed trailers during assembly, and ask the workers questions. Very useful in understanding how they are constructed.

5) Showed us the water leak test rooms, and said only 4 % of new Airstreams have leaks. (For me 100% on my two new trailers, although minor leaks at pano windows and door hinge.)

Highly recommend a visit for repair work, Service Center very good and have the parts at hand, and to see the factory.

doug k

[Kosm1o]

Who was your tour guide? When we went last year, we were guided by an employee who had been there over 50 years. He was amazing. Fortunately, we live only about 150 miles from there and I was likewise impressed with service and wouldn't hesitate to take our trailer there. Kos

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by dkottum

2) I saw a new Classic on the line with Eddie Bauer style wheels and 16" Michelins, and stainless steel stove vent. Other Classics on the line had 15" GYMs and plastic stove vent. This leads me to suspect you can order a new trailer with such upgrades, something my dealer denied.

Last I knew, there was a $500 change order, plus the cost of the parts installed.

[BradS]

When we bought our trailer a few years ago, we were also told by the dealer that upgrades and or changes were not allowed. I will never understand why some dealers are so against allowing people to buy what they really want. I am learning that you can have anything you want if you can find a sales person that does their job

[Jwestman]

When we were there 2 weeks ago, they had a 30 on the line going to China. It is an impressive tour. Staying out at the Terraport is fun. We met some great people who were extremely helpful to a couple of newbies like us.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Kosm1o

Who was your tour guide? When we went last year, we were guided by an employee who had been there over 50 years. He was amazing. Fortunately, we live only about 150 miles from there and I was likewise impressed with service and wouldn't hesitate to take our trailer there. Kos

Most likely,the guide was Don Ambos.

He was the Jackson Center service manager over 40 years ago.

Nice guy, even in his senior years.

Andy

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by dkottum

3) All cabinetry assembled in the factory of plywood or solid wood, no particle board. All upholstery cut and sewn in the factory.

doug k

Unless they've changed in the last couple of years, that's not totally true.

We've got a '10 31' Classic, and I accidentally, and unknowingly spilled some water that set under our computer over night, and the "writing table" swelled up from the water. Come to find out, it is laminate over particle board in the center section, and Airstream wanted $640 for just the new table part, not the entire cabinet.

Had a new one built out of solid wood at a local cabinet shop for $145.

[dkottum]

Andy, it was Don Ambos and he is a terrific and knowledgeable fellow. Very proud of his Airstream legacy.

Steve H, I think all particle board is gone. Our 2012 has none and there was none at the wood working/cabinets section of the factory. The Classic hickory components are milled by a nearby shop and assembled at Airstream.

These folks are extremely helpful in every way, a pleasure to be here.

doug k

[vswingfield]

Don't know what Airstream is doing about it now, but in the furniture industry particle board is common under laminate. Even on fairly high-end furniture. (Fairly high-end, since truly high-end would not have laminate anyway.)

I was once told by a furniture salesman that you had to use particle board under laminate, you couldn't put laminate on plywood. Gotta love salesmen sometimes.

To be honest, I've never seen laminate on anything but particle board. Except in my Excella, of course. But I did that myself.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Steve H, I think all particle board is gone. Our 2012 has none and there was none at the wood working/cabinets section of the factory. The Classic hickory components are milled by a nearby shop and assembled at Airstream.

doug k

Mine is the Classic with the Hickory interior, and the writing table center section is laminate over particle board. You can't easily tell it by looking because it has wood laminate on each side, and good quality. The way you can tell is by looking for a joint in the center section of the table, and if you can not see one, or if there is not a matching joint on the reverse side, it's wood laminate over particle board.

The main dinette table, however is solid wood, and you can tell it is by the joints, and the cross pieces underneath to keep it from warping.

I suggest you don't get yours wet.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by BradS

When we bought our trailer a few years ago, we were also told by the dealer that upgrades and or changes were not allowed. I will never understand why some dealers are so against allowing people to buy what they really want. I am learning that you can have anything you want if you can find a sales person that does their job

Lots of sales operations like RVs and automobiles have a strong preference to sell whatever's on the lot, regardless of what the customer wants/needs. Unhelpful sales personnel should become unemployed sales personnel, because we should take our business to a salesman or dealership that wants it.

[Airslide]

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear that your experience was consistant with others. This too is on my bucket list of places to visit.

[jcanavera]

I was given a similar story from my dealer when I ordered my 2001 Safari. In this case the trailer did not come with a spare tire and carrier option. The dealer said he would do this modification after the trailer was delivered to the dealership. I wanted a factory build rather than having to have the underbelly cut and retrofitted by the dealer. I called the factory and they said since this was doable and I subsequently informed the dealer that the factory said it was okay. They placed the order and my Safari had the modifications done there. No up charges other than the actual cost of the tire and wheel.

Call and check before taking the dealer's word.

Jack

[azflycaster]

Don does a great job with the tour and as he mentioned on our visit in July, the Airstream factory tour is one of the top 10 tours in the US.

10 must-see American factory tours | Fox News

[jcanavera]

I think the biggest surprise was the amount of freedom they gave us back in the summer of 2002 when I went up there. Don allowed us to go into the trailers take pictures and talk to the folks working on them. I've got a lot of video that I shot there.

While there were yellow lines painted on the floor, supposedly for us not to cross, Don didn't seem to enforce them. He noted that he told Airstream that he wouldn't do the tours unless he could do them the way he wanted to. He talked about safety and told us a story about him getting reported about not enforcing the safety glasses being on. Apparently by someone taking the tour reported him. I remember one worker cautioning me in the area where the frames are upside down and the tanks and other items are being mounted. I came close to the edge of a trailer being worked on and the worker pointed out the aluminum underbelly which was hanging over the frame (it had not been trimmed back yet). He saved me from slicing my exposed thigh.

Jack

[Freedomrider]

Originally Posted by dkottum

2) I saw a new Classic on the line with Eddie Bauer style wheels and 16" Michelins, and stainless steel stove vent. Other Classics on the line had 15" GYMs and plastic stove vent. This leads me to suspect you can order a new trailer with such upgrades, something my dealer denied.

dkottum,

This 30' Classic that you saw on the line at Jackson Center was mine. Can you tell me exactly what stage or how much was completed on this unit? I am at the point that I need to get a VIN # for my insurance. My dealer told me that Jackson Center would not give him any information on my unit they were about a week from completion.

Glad to hear about the "Stainless Steel Stove Vent", I had no clue.

Thanks

[Aage]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Airstream wanted $640 for just the new table part, not the entire cabinet.

Had a new one built out of solid wood at a local cabinet shop for $145.

That was the famous "change order fee" at work.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by Freedomrider

dkottum,

This 30' Classic that you saw on the line at Jackson Center was mine. Can you tell me exactly what stage or how much was completed on this unit? I am at the point that I need to get a VIN # for my insurance. My dealer told me that Jackson Center would not give him any information on my unit they were about a week from completion.

Glad to hear about the "Stainless Steel Stove Vent", I had no clue.

Thanks

Freedomrider, the exterior was done and it had been through the leak test. it was in an area that was fitting the interior, not sure what stage though. A pretty good guess is finished by the end of the week. They should surely have the VIN for you.

LABigDogs; Mark, you were there with us, do you remember this trailer and what stage it was in. You mentioned to me there were two trailers with two air conditioners on them, was this one of them?

doug k

[mutcth]

Doug, in the end, did you decide to ask JC what it would cost to have your trailer modded for a recliner or two?

The tour sold us on buying an Airstream. Pure and simple. We stopped there while towing our T@B (at the time, another Thor product). Seeing the trailers pushed us to start looking for aluminum when we got home.

Tom

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by mutcth

Doug, in the end, did you decide to ask JC what it would cost to have your trailer modded for a recliner or two?

The tour sold us on buying an Airstream. Pure and simple. We stopped there while towing our T@B (at the time, another Thor product). Seeing the trailers pushed us to start looking for aluminum when we got home.

Tom

I did, a couple months ago, $4200. That would include two ultra leather recliners as in the new 30' Flying Cloud, the console/folding table between them, materials needed to modify, and all labor ($109 per hour). They would have to rebuild the cabinet around the converter (it is under the side seat) and reroute/lengthen the front external power hookup wiring. A fair price perhaps for labor involved and retail price of the furnishings/cabinet materials needed.

There is an old Airstream in one of the Service Center bays that they have rebuilt installing new assembly line materials. Decent work and nice looking two axle (new style wheels/tires) vintage unit, it's for sale but didn't ask price.

Decided not to do it as I was looking for a winter project at the time and could save some money. We'll see, may have them do it another time.

The factory tour would be the best sales pitch they could throw, so much more inspiring and confidence building than the dealer/showroom fling. I feel much better about the quality of my Airstream after seeing them built and the value in the price. It appears they are truly concerned about the quality issues, Don Ambos lets you wander about the units in safe areas of the line to look them over and ask questions to the workers. He claims there is an ongoing effort to decrease outsourcing materials and bring them in-house to better control them, such as with the cabinet construction and laminating equipment being used.

doug k