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loberg · 12-15-2015, 11:44 AM

My wife and I bought a new 2016 30' International Signature trailer. It's had some problems that have been taken care of. There is still one left. We have a terrible creaking problem in the bedroom floor. As far as I know I have two options. We can try to live with it or let the dealer fix it under warranty. Aside from the long haul to get it there my biggest problem with that option is that they have to cut open the under belly, put some shims in, & then patch it up. That seems like a very invasive fix. So I was wondering if anyone knew of another way to fix it. Thanks in advance.

KJRitchie · 12-15-2015, 12:54 PM

Since it's brand new you have a two year warranty. You can probably wait to see what happens. Maybe the creak will dissipate or you can just plan to make a trip to the dealer or JC at a later date.

More than likely due to the length of your trailer there are multiple sections used for the subfloor so its probably a joint and due to temperature and humidity it may creak more at sometimes.

Does it creak just as much when the stabilizers are down? Is the trailer on uneven ground when you notice the creaking?

If the repair can be done from underneath that would be a better solution then tearing up the vinyl floor. The underbelly can be removed and riveted back.

Kelvin

loberg · 12-15-2015, 01:22 PM

It doesn't matter if it's on even ground or if the stabilizers are up or down. It's worse on one side of the bed than the other. I think I'll probably bite the bullet and take it to the dealer. They have to keep it for a few days. So it's 3 hours there, 3 back then I have to do it over again when they're finished with it.

SCOTTinNJ · 12-15-2015, 02:17 PM

For what it's worth, I would wait. You are likely to find additional issues that warrant attention. They can all be addressed at once.

Also, depending on where you are and where you are traveling, you may want the repairs done at Jackson Center or a reputable dealer such as Colonial.

That said, the underbelly removal and shimming is not that difficult for a decent dealer.

Wayne&Sam · 12-15-2015, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCOTTinNJ

That said, the underbelly removal and shimming is not that difficult for a decent dealer.

And it's the belly pan- it's not like they are opening the exterior skin.

loberg · 12-15-2015, 02:42 PM

Ok. Thanks. Point well taken.

Drathaar · 12-15-2015, 05:20 PM

This is common on Airstreams, or at least not uncommon. It seems to come and go with weather and humidity changes, and with how the trailer is positioned. We took ours in for warranty work, and the temporary fix was working with screw tension in areas where something was attached, including the vinyl trim around the edges. We considered taking it to the mothership for a more permanent fix, but decided to just live with it. I'll get the screwdriver out and work things over if it gets on my nerves.

It sucks to spend that much money on an Airstream, then have something like this be a nagging issue, but it's not a fatal disease.

AnnArborBob · 12-15-2015, 06:20 PM

Dropping the belly pan to access the underside of your floor to address this issue is not a big deal for an experienced Airstream mechanic. I would not let the dealer simply "cut" out portions of the belly pan to access the affected area. I agree with others here that you might want to wait a year or so to see if the problem goes away or expands to other areas of the floor. Might as well do the surgery only one time.

Pat Cassity · 12-15-2015, 09:53 PM

Loberg, had exactly the same problem on my 2015 27' Serenity. I was told to loosen or remove the screws in the trim on the floor under the window. When I did so, the floor noise disappeared. I was able to screw a couple back in at a different angle but one had to be left out to keep the noise from returning. Hope this helps.

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loberg · 12-16-2015, 03:33 AM

Thanks Pat, I'll try the trim screws idea. I will be extremely happy if that turns out to be the fix. If it doesn't I'll probably take the suggestions of waiting a while. I'm not living in the trailer full time so I guess I can live with the noise the times that I use it, for now. If the problem persists I will have it taken care of before the warranty expires.

overlander63 · 12-16-2015, 03:40 AM

The creaking is from two pieces of the plywood floor being positioned slightly too close together, and rubbing against each other when you step on the joint. It is most common at the corner of the bedroom floor near the base of the bed.
I have successfully stopped the creaking by removing that grey strip that is screwed to the edge of the floor, gently pulling up the edge of the flooring, and liberally spraying silicone dry lube on the floor where the two pieces of plywood meet and touch.

**Rocinante** · 12-16-2015, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCOTTinNJ

For what it's worth, I would wait. You are likely to find additional issues that warrant attention. They can all be addressed at once.

Scott is 100% correct about this. Start a punch list and when it gets long enough, take your trailer in for warranty work. If your trailer is anything like ours, you'll definitely be going back more than once for warranty work for a bunch of minor issues (e.g. each one is annoying, but none of them stop you from camping). Might as well make each trip count for as much as possible!

mefly2 · 12-16-2015, 09:36 AM

Our squeaks were coming from the trim around the edge of the floor ... several drops of Armorall between the aluminum trim and the side wall and voila ... squeaks gone.

overlander63 · 12-16-2015, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mefly2

Our squeaks were coming from the trim around the edge of the floor ... several drops of Armorall between the aluminum trim and the side wall and voila ... squeaks gone.

FWIW, there is a squeak, and a creak. The creak is from the movement of the wood against another piece of wood, and the squeak is usually from the vinyl trim piece rubbing on the aluminum wall.

ShinyPete · 12-16-2015, 03:11 PM

FWIW our creaking floor on our 2014 27fb Flying Cloud in front of the fridge (a subfloor seam) went away on its own at some point. I haven't heard it in months and it used to do it a lot. Heh whatever.

I also agree strongly with waiting to make a 6 hr dealer trip until you have a good punch list of items. And you will..... We just did our last warranty list repair visit in October as ours was expiring. We didn't have many items that time but had several appliance failures and punch list items done on dealer visits @ 3, 6, and 14 months or so.

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loberg · 12-19-2015, 05:16 AM

I finally had a chance to get over to my Airstream. I tried loosening the screws on the trim under the window. I am extremely happy to report that it worked. The noise is not 100% gone but it's much much better. I can definitely live with it the way it is now. I'm so happy that my trailer will stay intact & not be cut open anywhere. I understand that cutting open the underbelly is not that uncommon or a tremendously big deal. But I was not happy with the thought of my brand new, VERY EXPENSIVE, trailer being cut open & patched up. Thanks to all for your replies. Especially Pat, who originally posted the idea of loosening the trim under the window. I'm a happy camper.

overlander63 · 12-19-2015, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loberg

I finally had a chance to get over to my Airstream. I tried loosening the screws on the trim under the window. I am extremely happy to report that it worked. The noise is not 100% gone but it's much much better. I can definitely live with it the way it is now. I'm so happy that my trailer will stay intact & not be cut open anywhere. I understand that cutting open the underbelly is not that uncommon or a tremendously big deal. But I was not happy with the thought of my brand new, VERY EXPENSIVE, trailer being cut open & patched up. Thanks to all for your replies. Especially Pat, who originally posted the idea of loosening the trim under the window. I'm a happy camper.

A 23FB came to the shop yesterday with a bad squeak under the front bedroom window. I showed one of the new techs how to perform this, and, combined with some silicone dry lube, completely stopped the squeak.