About that new Demco Hitch

[turk123]

A little birdy told me that this only affects 2020 models with the new Demco couplers. He also said that the reference to "December resolution" is news to him and the first he's heard of that comment.

My 2019 trailer was built in October of 2018 and is not affected. The dates posted here are accurate for models using the new coupler. Everybody take a deep breath as official statements are going out to those actually affected. Airstream is also working hard with Demco to put out an accurate statement to those affected.

After I contacted Demco yesterday, I am still awaiting a direct statement from Demco. This is a serious matter, but not sure if any trailers have actually released from their balls resulting in damage.

Best to not tow your affected trailer until a resolution is found.

[Phantom98]

Originally Posted by turk123

A little birdy told me that this only affects 2020 models with the new Demco couplers. He also said that the reference to "December resolution" is news to him and the first he's heard of that comment.

My 2019 trailer was built in October of 2018 and is not affected. The dates posted here are accurate for models using the new coupler. Everybody take a deep breath as official statements are going out to those actually affected. Airstream is also working hard with Demco to put out an accurate statement to those affected.

After I contacted Demco yesterday, I am still awaiting a direct statement from Demco. This is a serious matter, but not sure if any trailers have actually released from their balls resulting in damage.

Best to not tow your affected trailer until a resolution is found.

Turk,
Please read the Part 573 Safety Recall Report Submitted Nov.6 2019. If you read it very carefully you can find out who knew what and when they knew it. Also, The December 20 date is on the third page of the report.

[turk123]

Originally Posted by Phantom98

Turk,
Please read the Part 573 Safety Recall Report Submitted Nov.6 2019. If you read it very carefully you can find out who knew what and when they knew it. Also, The December 20 date is on the third page of the report.

I did read the report and was asked to provide this link. It appears as if Airstream is unaware of that date and its significants. They are looking into it.

[turk123]

I found out that the NHTSA requires by law a 60 day to remedy the situation. Airstream has told me that they have responded as soon as 48 hours when they found out and is working to make this right with its customers.

I guess I can see why the date was published in the report, but it is better explained now. Maybe those affected should not wait for a call but should call Airstream to "check-in". I would rather see that than people complain they have not been called yet. Get proactive on this serious issue. It looks like Airstream will correct Demco's flaw in manufacturing. What that solution is would be interesting to know. Some of those affected could chime in here.

[Pickles]

Got a call from Jackson Center a few days ago regarding the recall, they're sending the lock to me in Ft Myers. Just towed to Florida from Chicago when all this recall stuff was starting--early November.
Called the closest Airstream dealer to me to have the Demco coupler checked out. They told me next appt would be in February. Wish I could stay that long, but only have this campsite until December 16. I told the service scheduler this should be a PRIORITY since the trailer might "uncouple". I then replied that I am going to call Airstream and ask them if I have to bound my trailer with the lock thing until a dealership "has an opening" some months from now to install the shim.

DEMCO: How long will it take to check and install the shim? How long will the shim last?

AIRSTREAM: Should dealers be told that this recall should be given PRIORTY STATUS?
For the money we paid for a 2020 27' Globetrotter and now have the possibility of it dislodging from the tow vehicle, some compensation should be given. Will having a "shimmed up" coupler be a negative for future resale? Probably...

[mikeinca]

I tried looking up my VIN on the NHTSA site and it said that it "could not be processed at this time". Our 2020 Globetrotter was built in August of 2019 so it at least has the potential to be included in the recall. A call to Airstream customer service on Monday is apparently in order.

Maybe I missed it somewhere in the thread, but perhaps the Demco rep could answer the question of whether ALL couplers supplied prior to August 29, 2109 are out of spec.

Again, maybe I missed it, but most importantly what I haven't seen from the NHTSA, Airstream or Demco is a statement saying that it is definitely unsafe to tow my trailer until this issue is resolved. If that's the case, such a warning is the very FIRST thing that should be forthcoming. We have a trip coming up next month so this will need to be resolved for me one way or the other before I decide to hit the road.

[turk123]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Got a call from Jackson Center a few days ago regarding the recall, they're sending the lock to me in Ft Myers. Just towed to Florida from Chicago when all this recall stuff was starting--early November.
Called the closest Airstream dealer to me to have the Demco coupler checked out. They told me next appt would be in February. Wish I could stay that long, but only have this campsite until December 16. I told the service scheduler this should be a PRIORITY since the trailer might "uncouple". I then replied that I am going to call Airstream and ask them if I have to bound my trailer with the lock thing until a dealership "has an opening" some months from now to install the shim.

DEMCO: How long will it take to check and install the shim? How long will the shim last?

AIRSTREAM: Should dealers be told that this recall should be given PRIORTY STATUS?
For the money we paid for a 2020 27' Globetrotter and now have the possibility of it dislodging from the tow vehicle, some compensation should be given. Will having a "shimmed up" coupler be a negative for future resale? Probably...

This is outrageous! You can tell Airstream corporate has not considered this a priority when they did not notify their dealers to treat this as a priority. Outrageous!!

Is this dealer North trails RV? That is where I bought my trailer. Pm me if this is the dealer you contacted. If it is, I want to raise some h*ll!

[Phantom98]

Originally Posted by mikeinca

I tried looking up my VIN on the NHTSA site and it said that it "could not be processed at this time". Our 2020 Globetrotter was built in August of 2019 so it at least has the potential to be included in the recall. A call to Airstream customer service on Monday is apparently in order.

Maybe I missed it somewhere in the thread, but perhaps the Demco rep could answer the question of whether ALL couplers supplied prior to August 29, 2109 are out of spec.

Again, maybe I missed it, but most importantly what I haven't seen from the NHTSA, Airstream or Demco is a statement saying that it is definitely unsafe to tow my trailer until this issue is resolved. If that's the case, such a warning is the very FIRST thing that should be forthcoming. We have a trip coming up next month so this will need to be resolved for me one way or the other before I decide to hit the road.

Good luck with that. I private messaged Demco a few days ago and told them I had a 2020 Classic ordered and was scheduled for delivery in December. Will you have your hitch fixed before I receive my Airstream?

Demco's response was:" We have already fixed the coupler issues. However I can't say directly if your trailer is affected or not so it would be best to contact your Airstream dealer directly. They should know the build date range that is affected by the recall" In other words he don't know.

I looked at the Safety recall report and the Vin Range numbers don't make any sense.

This is a serious deal and should be treated that way.

[Phantom98]

I do know that when I ordered my Classic I payed for a New Airstream with a Good Hitch. Not a patched up piece of crap. I think every owner of a recalled hitch should have them replaced by Demco or Airstream and not let them get by with just patching it up.

[turk123]

Originally Posted by Phantom98

I do know that when I ordered my Classic I payed for a New Airstream with a Good Hitch. Not a patched up piece of crap. I think every owner of a recalled hitch should have them replaced by Demco or Airstream and not let them get by with just patching it up.

Agreed. The coupler is defective. Put on a new corrected one or ask for the coupler they used previously. I would not budge on this one. Who knows if the fix actually works and for how long? Lots of pressure involved.

[mefly2]

Very Scary, indeed. We had this situation on an SOB ... a coupler that released due to excess tolerance during a very slow speed turn. We were told that the entire coupler would have to be cut off and replacement welded on! We ended up with the trailer tongue under the TV bumper when we got it stopped ... quite a gouge in the road from the camper jack as well.

[turk123]

I may be completely out of my league here, but years ago, my trailer hitch on my Ford F-250 was a sloppy mess. Ford corporate sent me to a local machinist to have it looked at and welded. The machinist who specialized in hitches for farm equipment told me he could not weld it and would not weld it. He said the pressures involved would only break the weld sometime down the road.

He told me to replace the hitch with a third party hitch like Curt. He also said that Ford knows better than to ask this of him.

Ford paid for a new Curt hitch and its installation cost. No questions asked.

Running a bead of welding or welding in a shim is ludicrous. I would question their thinking on this if it were me.

[Phantom98]

Originally Posted by turk123

Agreed. The coupler is defective. Put on a new corrected one or ask for the coupler they used previously. I would not budge on this one. Who knows if the fix actually works and for how long? Lots of pressure involved.

It would be different if this was a loose cabinet door or a faulty faucet. This is a serious safety hazard. According to Airstream there are 1888 Airstreams running the roads or sitting on lots all over the country with a defective coupler that can possibly unhook without warning. I know that it makes you think twice every time you see one going down the road or worse meeting one.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by turk123

Running a bead of welding or welding in a shim is ludicrous. I would question their thinking on this if it were me.

I don't necessarily have a problem with the fix if the manufacture has done their due diligence and comes up with a solution that is both safe and effective. Almost every recall involves redesigned parts.

What is disturbing, though, is that there has been a lack of clarity around just how serious the problem is. Have there been any actual failures or is the recall being done out of an abundance of caution? Under what kind of circumstances might the coupler come loose? Surely Demco and Airstream must have some ideas about this.

A few years back, Porsche had a potential problem with a part from a supplier for the valve train in one of their GT engines which they believed may have caused catastrophic engine failures and fires in just a couple of cars. Nevertheless, within days Porsche held up all production and sales worldwide of the model involved, issued a "do not drive" notice to owners and sent a flatbed to pick up the car. They engineered and tested a fix, flew out factory technicians to replace the entire engine, compensated each owner generously for the time their vehicle was out of service and extended the replacement engine warranty to 10 years and 120K miles. As the owner of one of those cars I can tell you; THAT's the way a premium manufacturer deals with a problem and maintains the loyalty of their customers. Just sayin', Airstream....

[billrector]

Originally Posted by mikeinca

I don't necessarily have a problem with the fix if the manufacture has done their due diligence and comes up with a solution that is both safe and effective. Almost every recall involves redesigned parts.

What is disturbing, though, is that there has been a lack of clarity around just how serious the problem is. Have there been any actual failures or is the recall being done out of an abundance of caution? Under what kind of circumstances might the coupler come loose? Surely Demco and Airstream must have some ideas about this.

A few years back, Porsche had a potential problem with a part from a supplier for the valve train in one of their GT engines which they believed may have caused catastrophic engine failures and fires in just a couple of cars. Nevertheless, within days Porsche held up all production and sales worldwide of the model involved, issued a "do not drive" notice to owners and sent a flatbed to pick up the car. They engineered and tested a fix, flew out factory technicians to replace the entire engine, compensated each owner generously for the time their vehicle was out of service and extended the replacement engine warranty to 10 years and 120K miles. As the owner of one of those cars I can tell you; THAT's the way a premium manufacturer deals with a problem and maintains the loyalty of their customers. Just sayin', Airstream....

Before you get to high on Porsche......I too had a Porsche (911) and there was this problem known as the IMS bearing. When it failed, it took out the entire engine. It was/is an expensive bearing to change (approx. $3000). They did nothing and got hit with a class action suit. Porsche settled but refused to release how many issues they had s owners could determine the risk. Ask me how I know? Oh....and don’t forget Dieselgate.

[lsbrodsky]

" THAT's the way a premium manufacturer deals with a problem and maintains the loyalty of their customers. Just sayin', Airstream...."

In my years of owning an Airstream I have seen nothing that puts them in the category of a premium manufacturer, just a premium price. Airstream's response comes as no surprise to me. They talk about customers but we all can cite companies that really do have a focus on customer satisfaction. This hitch seems like a serious problem and I hope it gets resolved quickly without any harm to people or equipment. Although it is irrelevant, what was wrong with the old, proven hitch?

Larry

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by turk123

.........

Running a bead of welding or welding in a shim is ludicrous. I would question their thinking on this if it were me.

The shim is not welded in; it’s part of the assembly. If anything, it’s in compression while it takes up the excess clearance. I believe there is an illustration posted earlier in this thread. IMHO it’s a good fix.

I think the comparison with the welded “fix” Ford suggested for your F250 is not a valid one.

[eagletoo]

My concern is part #6 - the bolt (screw?) that holds all the pieces in place. Will this be another piece of hardware to periodically check, similar to checking the leg nuts for tightness?

[Phantom98]

Originally Posted by KK4YZ

The shim is not welded in; it’s part of the assembly. If anything, it’s in compression while it takes up the excess clearance. I believe there is an illustration posted earlier in this thread. IMHO it’s a good fix.

I think the comparison with the welded “fix” Ford suggested for your F250 is not a valid one.

I respect your opinion but IMHO it is a patch.

[GCinSC2]

Posting for information only, no hands on information from me. Link is for a video showing DEMCO eZ Latch repair kit R&R from etrailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...RoCciwQAvD_BwE