Adios Airstream

[Mojave]

Just a quick note to say goodbye to everyone. You've all been super nice and super helpful however, we've just sold our Bambi. We were extremely disappointed with all the problems we had - far too many issues for a brand new unit. We only had it for a week and it was in the shop for 7 months.
Because of this experience we won't be purchasing another Airstream but may get back into RV'ing one day.

Thanks again guys - you've all been the best part of the Airstream experience.

Lisa & Paul

[THEPILL]

Hate to see you go!

Good luck finding the "perfect" trayler!

I have a feeling you will be back.

Either way.

Bye,
Shane

[Travel Bird]

;-( Good luck on your next adventure.

[TG Twinkie]

I'll bet A$ will be sorry to hear you're experience with their product. Like anyone at corporate will ever hear about or take action.
Boy! I don't think you can get much further west than where you folks live. Hope you have a better experience when you decide to go RVing again.
I hear there is a place. Either Abbotsford or Aldergrove that builds pretty reliable stuff.
We have good friends that live in Langley. And my wife is from Vancouver.
Again, sorry to hear about you had experience.
Wait a minute! Why am I apologizing for A$. Perhaps they should be writing here.

[Airtandem]

sorry to see you go. When you unit was in the "shop" do you mean the dealer or JC? Some times it is the dealer that gives the mfg the bad name. Was it the body or components that was the problem?
Hope to see you back here.

[masseyfarm]

You need a unit that doesn't leak for that Tofino weather.

Keep in touch. We need those "Long Beach" on site reports.

long beach, bc - Google Maps

Dave

[Phoenix]

Link to post, which describes Mojave's warranty problems:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...ml#post1119941

Does Canada have "Lemon Laws"?

Sorry for your bad experience. Hope you find another RV that will allow you to continue your dream...

[Fly at Night]

Very sorry to hear about your experiences. B.C. Airstream owners are few and far between. It is troubling when we lose one.

Tofino is enchanting.....but it's not a good place for leaky boats, houses, or trailers.

Storm Watching in Tofino - British Columbia, Canada - YouTube

[MrUKToad]

Sorry to hear about your experiences and even more sorry that you're leaving us, especially being some of the "Crazy Canadians" (like us) who've been through Andy Thompson's hands. Hope you have a bit more luck in your next adventure.

[Mojave]

Thanks guys. Again, you're all awesome and it's sad we didn't get a chance to meet you.

We went through Triangle RV for the repairs on the island that was a big mistake. Either way, we should not have had the issues that we had. We should not have had to loose over $20,000, and Airstream should have stood buy their product - and they did not.
We regret our decision buying the Bambi and look forward to the best choice we've made in a while - a reliable $300 tent.

Lisa & Paul

[AWCHIEF]

For what new Airstreams cost it is unconscionable for a company to act and treat customers as Airstream seems to be doing these days. Their current Quality Controls standards seem to be at rock bottom according to all the complaints. I am actually glad my Airstream is as old as it is so that I don't have to deal directly with them for any issues or problems that I may have. At least my 46 year trailer was built at a time when American workers actually took pride in their work and craftsmanship and products were built to last a life time.

[mefly2]

Sad, indeed to read these trials and tribulations of some folks who started out with the enthusiasm we all share for our AS ... only to have their Bambi dreams "rained out" from the inside. Sad also that they simply got worn down and gave up just to be rid of the problem. AS ... if you are listening somewhere ... address this issue with these folks and make it right for them!

[Bruce B]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

For what new Airstreams cost it is unconscionable for a company to act and treat customers as Airstream seems to be doing these days. Their current Quality Controls standards seem to be at rock bottom according to all the complaints. I am actually glad my Airstream is as old as it is so that I don't have to deal directly with them for any issues or problems that I may have. At least my 46 year trailer was built at a time when American workers actually took pride in their work and craftsmanship and products were built to last a life time.

We certainly have had an issue or two with our new Airstream but nothing that I'd say suggested that "current Quality Controls standards seem to be at rock bottom". I think our trailer is nicely assembled and the issues we have had have mostly been with accessories or things not built by Airstream themselves. Just so we are clear, I am a very critical consumer and I expect my "things" to work as advertised.

I'm sorry the OP has had a bad experience but it sounds as though Airstream was willing to uphold their part of the bargain and fix whatever was wrong. This is the contract we enter into when we purchase a new trailer. I have not read anywhere that the manufacturer has to supply another unit if a person is not happy.....

Sounds to me as though the original issue may have been mishandled by the dealer and things went downhill from there. I think the important "lesson" is to chose your dealer wisely.....

Bruce

[xrvr]

I do not see Triangle Rv listed as a dealer. Am I missing something? If they are not a dealer they certainly would not go to too much effort to fix your AS. In fact I do not know how they could fix it under warranty. Jim

[danlehosky]

Bruce, I too am critical and have high expectations. I do disagree with you on Airstreams response.
Airstream is the mothership, they control the dealer chain and need to make this process work. Mainly I think that a trailer that is less than a year old and has issues as severe as experienced by Mohave should have been handled differently, if only from a public relations standpoint. I think they took advantage of Mohave and I think he has some fault here as well. Maybe they just wore him out.
I know about implied and stipulated warrantys and how they work. So maybe you're right technically.
BUT, I have three lawyers in my family and none of them are timid, and I can pretty much tell you we would have a new trailer by now. Squeaky wheel and all of that. There are also workmanship and construction standards and build expectations that may or may not trump any and all warrantys. Thats why people have comlpeted operation coverage. I hope to hear on this forum from AS about this and why it happened. Are you listening Mr. Wheeler. This kind of occurance shakes my confidence in AS in general and especially THOR who is the real driver here.

Dan

Dan

[Bruce B]

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

I do not see Triangle Rv listed as a dealer. Am I missing something? If they are not a dealer they certainly would not go to too much effort to fix your AS. In fact I do not know how they could fix it under warranty. Jim

I might be more sympathetic if I had more specifics. From what I have read here and on the other thread it seems as if:

1. The trailer had some kind of leak and the owner elected to try repairing it at a non Airstream facility?
   
2. Airstream balked at paying a non dealer for repairs so the owner finally elected to take it back to the factory for the repairs that where subsequently made to the trailer?
   
3. After this the trailer was somewhere else and somebody said that it needed something else???? The owners then cut their losses and sold?

What else was wrong with the trailer? Who determined that it was wrong? What is the consignment sale you are referring to? Who determined the value of the trailer?

There is a lot that is not clear that I'd like to know before I decide to criticize....

Bruce

[danlehosky]

Bruce, all good points. I do think Mohave has some liability here as well. Does anybody have a reliable sequence of events thatled up to this? Maybe I'm missing something here too. Were the non AS dealer fixes authorized by AS?

Dan

[xrvr]

I do not think he ever took to an AS dealer or the factory. Jim

[TG Twinkie]

I guess I'm a little confused about the people who think it's OK that an owner of an A$ that is less than a year old would have to take said trailer on a 4,000+ mile road trip to have warranty work done. At their own expense.
If you bought a new Ford (anything) and they told you. Oh! By the way. If you need warrantee work done. You have to drive it (at your own expense) to Detroit to have the work done.
My trailer was built in 1974. It must have been past the era of "pride in workmanship". When I bought it from the original owners son. I expected to find numerous things that needed repaired. This trailer was in above average condition and I more or less knew it would turn into a money pit. I really don't have a problem with my purchase.
But!!! After reading this story and others like it. I would even consider buying a new one. I mean I read everyday about owners of units less than 5 years old dealing with the same problems I have encountered with my 38 year old.

[Bruce B]

Who said anyone had to take it to the factory?
This was a suggestion made here on another thread. The owners obligation was to return it to the nearest authorized dealer. This is something they elected not to do....
I still do not know the nature of the original failure or the reported next issues. No need to damn anyone with less than the entire set of facts.
Bruce