Quality Control Issues on Brand New Airstream

[LNBright]

Likewise, I've two old Land Rovers (a '60 and a '72): I've had a couple of Discoveries. I'll admit, I don't know that I'd own another Rover that wasn't under warranty (unless a Defender fell into my lap). But modern Land Rover has gone in a different direction: aside from my old ones, I don't know that I'll revisit them again.

[roc97007]

Originally Posted by skyguyscott

Totally off thread topic warning:

Turns out there is a reason Americans pronounce the brand “jag wire”

Further off-topic warning:

I remember in fourth grade I told all my classmates that When I grew up the car I wanted to own was a Jaguar. There is probably a Twilight Zone episode based on the premise of a guy who gets everything he wished for in fourth grade, and if not, there should be.

Later, of course, my sense of taste grew more refined. For instance in high school when I first laid my eyes on a 79 Mustang, well, surely that was the pinnacle of automotive design, unlike my older friends who thought the same of the AMC Gremlin, the cretins. Just today I got behind a Mustang of that era; a more pitiful mustang I have rarely seen outside a junk yard.

I finally did purchase an airstream, however, and it has been mostly joy for me, but I bought a previously loved unit.

I now return you to this perennial thread already in progress.

It's a Good Life (The Twilight Zone) 1961. :-) Considered one of the best Twilight Zone episodes of all time. Starring a young Billy Mumy.

[roc97007]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

^
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Consider... Jaguar+TATA=India.��

Bob
����

The indication to me that Jaguar had "jumped the shark" was when wife and I were watching an old 1970s British sitcom about a very rich elderly woman, and a running joke was that her Jaguar was always having problems.


This was long before Tata.



When your company's lack of reliability becomes the butt of jokes on TV... it's difficult to recover from that. Not impossible, just really difficult.

[roc97007]

Originally Posted by n2916s

I’ve been on this Forum for, I believe, 16 years. There have always been periodic “Airstream QA and Quality sucks” threads along with dire warnings that if they don’t improve the product drastically, that the company is doomed.

They just doubled the size of the factory. Maybe their QA really does suck, I don’t know — I’ve never owned a new one. But it doesn’t appear that there is any public, wide-spread opinion that the product is rife with flaws.

Every magazine article I’ve seen published about them are total puff pieces extolling the brand. How many potential buyers are reading this thread? The Airstream Forum at all?

Again, are people getting “lemons”? You bet. Is it universal, common, rare? No one seems to know. But, there are no signs that the company is suffering despite the years of dire warnings.

There is a rhetorical device where one diminishes the other side's argument by taking it to ridiculous extremes. I didn't say Airstream is doomed. Jaguar isn't doomed, despite their terrible reputation, and Harley isn't... well, MAYBE isn't doomed. As one of the apparently few satisfied Harley owners, I'm a little anxious about that.


What I did say is that Airstream has developed and continues to develop negative mindshare, and this will eventually hurt them. This is not hyperbole, but an honest assessment based on customer complaints here and elsewhere.

[s1000pre]

Hopefully some light on the horizon. My 2020 Int. Was assemble late 2019 and was a complete mess. I’m not going to list the numerous issues I had from the small annoyances with every crooked wall plate to sunlight visible around the entire door and everything in between. My 2021 is a completely different story. Everything works, well assembled, straight, tight, all around great quality. If Airstream was having issues, they sure might be past it. I know This is only one example, though I read there was an awareness of quality control issues in Jackson Center which have been addressed. This 2021 is a completely different product!

[candrews768]

We purchased a 2018 Classic 33FB. Love the unit and have traveled so far about 6K. The inspector said this unit was hardly used and only had minor issues.

I am pretty handy and will dig into issues if need be. During the course of our travels I had to do just that. Digging into the depths of the airstream revealed large bundles of wires that are just floating. Looks as if they are just pushed into a corner with electronic boxes attached. In addition I found that electrical boxes (outlets) in the front by DC distribution box was unattached. I believe this lead to the loose inverter wire.

We have had a few issues like the following crop up that I attribute to the design and or build.

- Lower bay compartments coming unattached from the upper chassis
- Inverter wires loose
- firefly integration issues (1.7 system)
- Multiplex panel inop
- Alde circuit board replacement
- Sofa Switch replacement
- Atwood jack failure

I called Jackson and attempted to get them to cover the storage bay issues and the multiplex. I purchased a Good Sam Warranty and they are covering most of the items except these.

I find it annoying that a company like Airstream would NOT stand by their product. Also, the inability to get service done in a timely fashion at either Jackson and or a dealer is an issue. Many of the tech(s) I am dealing with at airstream are trying hard but not trained real well.

Just my thoughts

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by roc97007

The indication to me that Jaguar had "jumped the shark" was when wife and I were watching an old 1970s British sitcom about a very rich elderly woman, and a running joke was that her Jaguar was always having problems.
This was long before Tata.When your company's lack of reliability becomes the butt of jokes on TV... it's difficult to recover from that. Not impossible, just really difficult.

...."Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers in Brazil, China, India, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom."

TATA...Don't get me rong...things have greatly improved since TATA bought Jag.
Same thing with Royal Enfield MC...many improvements since mfg was moved to India.

Bob
🇺🇸


AMHIK
MCAS El Toro

circa 1966

[Gibson3798]

I had a funny exchange with a fellow camper on a recent trip. He was admiring our AS and told me it was his wife's dream to own one.

He had a brand new TT (can't remember the brand but it was very similar to every one you see) and he made me laugh when he said he "can hear their trailer coming apart, going down the road".

Stuff will happen to ANY unit you buy if you drag it down American highways. In case you haven't lately, they're a mess.

So buy another brand and see what it's worth 10 years from now and if it develops and problems along the way.

[roc97007]

Originally Posted by s1000pre

Hopefully some light on the horizon. My 2020 Int. Was assemble late 2019 and was a complete mess. I’m not going to list the numerous issues I had from the small annoyances with every crooked wall plate to sunlight visible around the entire door and everything in between. My 2021 is a completely different story. Everything works, well assembled, straight, tight, all around great quality. If Airstream was having issues, they sure might be past it. I know This is only one example, though I read there was an awareness of quality control issues in Jackson Center which have been addressed. This 2021 is a completely different product!

Did you trade the 2020 in for a 2021? What kind of trade-in did you get if I may ask?


The reason for the question, we have a 2017 Basecamp that had a whole bunch of problems when we bought it in mid 2018. We thought we had them all fixed, but then discovered in mid-2020 that the floor had rotted out under the fridge. At that point the trailer had spent so much time at the dealer, and so little time on the road, that we are still on our first bottle of propane.


Anyway, we investigate trading the 2017 in for a 2021 Basecamp 16. We choose new because a lot of the design problems we had experienced with our current junker had apparently been fixed in 2021. No particle board floors (composite now). Problematic gas/electric fridge replaced with 12/110 fridge, rumors that the factory was putting out a better product.


The thing is, the trade-in for this particular trailer, which we had hardly got to use, was about half what we paid for it. That and the increased list price of the 2021 Basecamp 16 means that we'd essentially be buying it over again. Original price $32K, with trade-in, an additional $30K. The dealer didn't give us any breaks on the list price, and didn't give us any breaks for consideration on the problems and lack of use we'd already suffered. He said they couldn't give us any more for such a problematic trailer. (Which he had sold us!)



Total cost $62K (not counting improvements we'd had done on the original) to get a trailer we could actually use.


The Basecamp 16 isn't worth $62K.


So, I'm wondering what kind of deal you got. It can be in percentages and not actual dollar amounts.

[roc97007]

Originally Posted by Gibson3798

I had a funny exchange with a fellow camper on a recent trip. He was admiring our AS and told me it was his wife's dream to own one.

He had a brand new TT (can't remember the brand but it was very similar to every one you see) and he made me laugh when he said he "can hear their trailer coming apart, going down the road".

Stuff will happen to ANY unit you buy if you drag it down American highways. In case you haven't lately, they're a mess.

So buy another brand and see what it's worth 10 years from now and if it develops and problems along the way.

That's currently our plan. I'll let you know how it pans out. I can't see giving Airstream any more money.

[roc97007]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

...."Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers in Brazil, China, India, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom."

TATA...Don't get me rong...things have greatly improved since TATA bought Jag.
Same thing with Royal Enfield MC...many improvements since mfg was moved to India.

Bob
🇺🇸


AMHIK
MCAS El Toro

circa 1966

You're right, I've read reports (just today) that Jag's reliability has improved since Tata bought them. Color me surprised.


And totally agree on Royal Enfield. I occasionally see them on the road, and I love their classic styling. I would consider owning one.

[candrews768]

The issue's are quality control. We purchased a used 2018 classic. The previous owner did not do to much maintenance. Leaving out those items the following has failed in the first six month's

Inverter wiring loose so inop
Alde electric inop so a new board
Atwood jack broke, so a new one
Two electric shade motors replaced
Multiplex panel inop...wire harness replacement at 1800.
Audio video equipment replacement done wrong at dealership, works but remotes dont work with a radio vs infrared system. More of a pain in the A.
Bedroom speaker inop
Lower bin storage detaching from the chassis
LP tank gauge replacment
Gray tank sensor replacement.

I am thankful that I purchased on my own, not the dealer a Good Sam policy. They are covering most these items.except the Mp panel.

When I have troubleshoot some of these items, I have found wiring to be all over the place with no binding of the bundles.No labels for what they are for. I have found electronic and electric boxes attached to nothing. I am sure with the movement of the rig these are flopping around and put stress on the wiring.

I would think that AS would have been built on a quality process and stand by their product for defects such as the detachment of the lower storage bins from the chassie. Jackson told me no. If I was going to purchase another airstream, I would only purchase used and not new. Get it at a better price and upgrade the items as you go along and fix the wiring etc.

[jamesbrink7]

My first post...Not sure if I'm in the right place or not.
Just took delivery on a 2023 27FB Globetrotter. Our 3rd and hopefully last travel trailer.
Big dent behind stove that happened somehow before we signed the papers and brought it home. Also a rivet behind stove that was installed incorrectly. Everything else looks to be good and the trailer is beautiful.
I had a local dent wizard work on it for 3 hours and he could not fix it. Was told by dealer that we will be taking to Airstream this week to have the unit gone over and the problems fixed. Super annoyed and hoping issue gets resolved.
Our Airstream dream is not starting out on the right foot.

[Hans627]

Originally Posted by jamesbrink7

My first post...Not sure if I'm in the right place or not.
Just took delivery on a 2023 27FB Globetrotter. Our 3rd and hopefully last travel trailer.
Big dent behind stove that happened somehow before we signed the papers and brought it home. Also a rivet behind stove that was installed incorrectly. Everything else looks to be good and the trailer is beautiful.
I had a local dent wizard work on it for 3 hours and he could not fix it. Was told by dealer that we will be taking to Airstream this week to have the unit gone over and the problems fixed. Super annoyed and hoping issue gets resolved.
Our Airstream dream is not starting out on the right foot.

Your annoyance is understood. But don't let it spoil the joy of having an AS. If taking it to Airstream this week means taking it to Jackson Center, it will be repaired. They do first class work. I had a major self induced dent repaired like new.

Even though you have a three year warranty I would suggest you go over everything carefully before going to Jackson Center so you don't have to go again.

Oh, and I almost forgot, welcome to the forum!

Best wishes!

[pcskier]

One incorrectly installed river (what does that actually mean?) and a dent that will be fixed? (What does this interior dent look like?) if these two issues have upset you, it’s likely your experience going forward will be a very unhappy one, sorry to say.

[jamesbrink7]

Originally Posted by Hans627

Your annoyance is understood. But don't let it spoil the joy of having an AS. If taking it to Airstream this week means taking it to Jackson Center, it will be repaired. They do first class work. I had a major self induced dent repaired like new.

Even though you have a three year warranty I would suggest you go over everything carefully before going to Jackson Center so you don't have to go again.

Oh, and I almost forgot, welcome to the forum!

Best wishes!

Thanks for the welcome and encouragement. We are very excited for sure. It's our 3rd camper and hopefully our last. Just bummed that our brand new dream AS (that we waited forever for) had a big dent inside upon delivery right next to the stovetop. Looks like someone slammed something into the sidewall. Weird for sure. Hopefully get it fixed and move on.

[jamesbrink7]

And yes we are taking it to Jackson center. Luckily we are just 2 hours away.

[Hans627]

Originally Posted by jamesbrink7

And yes we are taking it to Jackson center. Luckily we are just 2 hours away.

Make sure you allow time to take a factory tour and it is my understanding that reservations need to be made ahead of time.

And also visit the museum.

Have fun!

[jamesbrink7]

Thank you...Will let you know how it turns out.