Warranty frustration, Nashville TN

[Brooksjaso]

My family bought a 2018 22FB Sport. This is the Airstream we thought would be good for us as we are a small family of three and only use it on the weekends. It is six months old and so far the oven door has never opened without pushing the button and then prying the door open, the screen in the panoramic window has broken loose from the molding, the knobs that hold the window open will not stay on, the clips that hold the blinds in place have broken, the shower head leaks so we just keep it on the floor, the black water tank sensor has never worked, the DVD player will not play DVDs, many plumbing leaks, several places are now rusted and finally our hot water heater will not ignite. Nashville is one of the fastest growing cities in the US, but there is no one that can do warranty work. We are not retiriees, so we don’t have time to haul the trailer several hours to have it looked at. When I bought this Airstream I had to call Airstream and ask them to find me one as there were none available in the Southeast. . The closest was in Travers City Michigan. The dealer there is fabulous, but it is impossible for him to deliver any warranty work. I think the control board is bad in the hot water heater, but Airstream will not send me one, they referred me to Atwater, Atwater refereed me to the local dealer, Cullen and Maxey, and they do not have any parts, don’t work on Airstreams and can’t order the part. Meanwhile my wife and I have decided that we want something bigger, so we ordered a new 30’ Classic and decided to trade the sport in but we are having second thoughts on taking delivery due to problems and no where to get warranty work performed. I have asked Airstream why they won’t open a dealership in Nashville, but have not received much of a reply. I really want to love my Airstream, and I am excited about the classic (ordered in December, suppose to be here this month) but I am having second thoughts due to where I live, the number of problems and the lack of resources to resolve warranty issues. Is anyone experiencing the same problems?

[cole3444]

The Airstream factory in Jackson Center Ohio is five and a half hours from you straight up Interstate 65.

[SteveSueMac]

Hi. It can be frustrating but hang in there. Much of what you described are simple repairs you’re going to have to do throughout your owning a home that rolls on the road. Other stuff isn’t unique to AS and I would imagine you could arrange with AS to have work done on your water heater and stove at almost any local RV dealer as those parts are industry standard - not unique to Airstream. Last - if you haven’t yet - you might want to connect with a local WBCCI unit so some experienced folks can show you the ropes a bit. None of us are born knowing how to do this stuff [emoji3]

Good luck!

[Tn Traveler]

There is a dealer just outside of Knoxville just about 150 miles east of you.

[devilsbox]

Originally Posted by Tn Traveler

There is a dealer just outside of Knoxville just about 150 miles east of you.

Chilhowee RV Center, we had a good experience here back in January when we were headed south.

Larry

[cegardner]

We had service within an hour but always chose the trip to the factory. It is a fun trip with much to do with kids in the area. Like museums and state parks. You get to tour the factory. You do have to plan your time there. Get an appointment. Where are you buying your classic. If you need to head back to work, plan your trip to the factory then leave it for a week and come back

[crestonrv]

Chilhowie in Knoxville , out of doors mart in north Carolina ( Colfax )
you might consider shopping there for your trade , dlrs prefer to service what THEY sell.
your atwood problem can be addressed ba any atwood dealer , the knobs , trim ect that are as specific have to be addressed by an as dealer . note that adjustments and cosmetics are normally only war. repairs for 1rst 90 days .

[Milo1952]

Originally Posted by devilsbox

Chilhowee RV Center, we had a good experience here back in January when we were headed south.

Larry

I looked it up on airstream website. Chilhowee , TN. they have one near you.
Closer than Michigan and Ohio. My "17" international 30 is currently in for warranty work at Airstream of Chicago. I will share my experience with you as
soon a i get the trailer back this week. Also closer than michigan.

[kendrick.l.j]

Your situation is very common. That brand new Classic will likely have many of the same minor problems you are having with your 22. I am so sorry you didn’t find the forum sooner to know more about what to expect. Most of us become very handy very quickly and learn to repair the small things ourselves instead of taking the AS to a dealer where it will sit for weeks or months waiting to get things repaired or replaced. It’s just the nature of RV and not limited to only Airstream. Trading up from the small units to a larger one within the first year is also very common. Those cute little ones can get awfully cramped and you realize there is no place to put your stuff. You’ll also learn to bring a lot less with you.
Again, I feel bad for you that you know beforehand but you are here now. Keep reading and learning. The more you know the better you can understand how all this works and learn to do most repairs yourself. There is a blue search box at the top that is pretty good at finding information about a topic or issues you are having.
I strongly suggest that you spend at least one full day and night going over each system on the dealers lot when you pick up your new Classic on the dealers lot. Learn how the Alde system works, in detail, not just a push this button. Learn where the valve placements are, bleed valves, mixing valve, etc. know exactly how the Firefly works and how it works with the other systems before you take it off the lot. Get all warranty issues fixed immediately. Find the fastest route to Jackson Center, OHIO. There is a subsection here that is devoted to all things Classic. Start reading now. Airstream Forums > Airstream Knowledgebase > Airstream Trailer Forums > Classi>2016 - Current Classic (all lengths)
After the first year, maybe 18 months, you will have a perfectly tweaked Airstream that you will love for decades but the first few months can be rough. There is a lot to learn so take it slow.
Airstream dealers are not in every state, let alone in every city and Good Airstream Services Center are even rarer. I live in FL, if I can’t fix it myself I go to Jackson Center, Ohio to have any service done because the service centers here are not always reliable. What I do is pretty common.
I bought my first RV which is my 2017 Classic about 18 months ago. I was in the same boat as you are and I know just how frustrating it can be. I can sympathize completely. Take a deep breath. Tackle one problem at a time and you will get though this.
First step is to find the closest 5 rivet service center and go from there. Good luck.

[Julie-Bob]

Welcome to AS quality control. You are it. AS as any other RV manufacturers relies on the buyer to find problems. Welcome to the AS family. Safe travels.

[tkambler]

I also live in Nashville, and I also just purchased the same model you have (2018 Sport 22FB)! Small world. Just PM’d you. Perhaps we can swap tips.

[GMFL]

I would not be scared to take delivery of you coming Classic. There are growing pains with a new Airstream. But once you get the bugs worked out they really are the best units you can buy.

[Viks]

There is an Airstream dealer in East Tennessee. It’s just south of Knoxville so jump on the I-40 and you’re only a couple of hours away. Excellent service dept. I live in KY and took my warranty fixes there. It’s called the Chilhowee RV Center, on Airport Road. Google Maos will show you exactly where.

[james.mileur]

Southland RV in Norcross GA was great for us.

[Brooksjaso]

Well, we traded in the Sport and after 4 months of waiting, last Friday we took delivery of a brand new 2018 30' Classic. It was delivered from our favorite dealer in Michigan. 24 hours later, we discovered a cracked pipe under the bathroom sink just after the trap (Tail piece, Lift and turn drain) causing about a half-gallon of water to leak under the sink. So, can't wash your hands in the bathroom, but I guess it doesn't matter as there is no hot water. The second time we turned on the Alde heating system it failed with overheat red failure. Of course, Airstream's answer is to tow the one day old trailer to Chilhowie Airstream which is 3 hours away from Nashville. I am trying my best to love Airstream, and I know Airstream is trying to market to a diverse demographic and not just retirees, but I am not a retiree. I cannot just pickup and haul my trailer 3 hours every time something breaks, which is starting to seem like a monthly occurrence on the TWO 2018 Airstream trailers I have purchased in the last 9 months. So, my choices are, dig into the Alde system myself and hope I can figure out the problem, pay someone to replace the cracked PVC pipe in the bathroom or let it sit for a few months until I am available to haul the trailer 3 hours to Chilhowie. I don't mind an adjustment or two, but if I wanted, or had time for a project, I would have purchased something that needed renovation.

[brick1]

Try Southland RV in Atlanta. We have been very pleased with how they handled our purchase of an International Serenity 28.
brick

[kendrick.l.j]

Brooks, first welcome to the forum, second, and mostly importantly, start read the Much ADO ALDE thread. Then read all about your Classic under the sub-thread 2016 - current. http://www.airforums.com/forums/f248/ What you are describing is what every single owner of 2017 and 2018 Classic owners has dealt with. Get to know your Alde system. There are no short cuts. 99% of your issues can be fixed quickly and easily by you, without special tools or advanced degree in engineering and without a trip to any dealer. What you are posting about has been fully discussed in agonizing detail since the Fall of 2016.
So now you have 2 choices- read, do some homework, “fix” it yourself (which what I would highly recommend and can be done by you in one weekend with zero cost) OR take it back to the dealer and have it sit there for the rest of the summer until they can get to it.
I know your frustration personally, been there done that and venting about lack of quality control isn’t going to help you much. I am sorry you did not know about this site prior to taking delivery but now you do so use this site with all it’s resources, make the necessary adjustments and then you can enjoy your AS.

[ROBERT CROSS]

snip...."That brand new Classic will likely have many of the same minor problems you are having with your 22." 😳

Lets get real here.....there are NO minor problems.
Pretty clear...both JC and the dealer dropped the ball.
Stand tough and demand a proper PDI be done & problems rectified...no excuses.

Don't drink the...
👎

[TheHoff]

I have been an Airstream owner for 15 years. During that time I have learned some very important facts. Airstream’s business model it to make shiny things that get you to buy them. They have better than average designs, but only average parts and assembly-and that is in an industry that would be extinct if lemon laws were applicable to RV’s. They are not interested in fixing all the flaws they send out in their new vehicles, regardless of how much your pay. You can bet they are aware of them. Behold the Airstream forum where desperate owners try to keep their rolling dreams moving forward for another trip. Dealers will promise you the moon, but rarely meet minimum expectations. My third Airstream was a 2016 Interstate. After 12 months of ownership, we noted 37 problems that required repairs/ replacements/upgrades. Since that time we have added another 15 issues. You are mostly on your own unless you live close to a good dealer, and even then getting the vehicles in for service, waiting on parts, and paying out the wazoo will be usual.
I am not being cynical here, just realistic. You own an Airstream because of the mystique and the fact that you are challenged to learn about all kinds of stuff that shouldn’t fail, but predictably does. It is a like/hate relationship, and you are mostly on your own to keep it working. The customer service dept at Airstream is very hit or miss-
Good luck with whatever is not working for you right now, and thank you Utube and Airstream Forum

[Brooksjaso]

FYI- on my first trip with it, went to tilt awning, center awning bar bent, awning collapsed striking my 10 year old son, camper is two weeks old. With the help of other campers I spent several hours dissasembling the awning and strapping it against the trailer. Trying to pack up now, just found pool of glycol in the rear storage compartment, hot water has never worked. Bathroom sink leaks, no longer angry, just feeling hopeless