New AS Damaged in Transit from Factory

[interstateflyer]

Good decision. Happy Airstreaming.

[J. Morgan]

I am not exactly saying "don't offend the dealer", I am saying don't be offensive.

There is no reason to be offensive. Until and unless the customer accepts delivery and pulls the trailer off the lot the sale is not complete.

In any case it seems as if the OP has it all under control anyway, and it seems to have been handled without either party resorting to offensive behavior.

My point might be best demonstrated by me saying that I never, never, never, get belligerent with servers in a restaurant ,,,, at least until I have my food in front of me....

Follow me here?

(Note, the post I was responding to here has been deleted,,,, so if tis post seems "disconnected" that is why)

[JFScheck]

Cancel and order new one, period - or pick out new one on lot as you did.

These things have enough issues on their own without having a full panel replaced by local dealer as a repair, and remember, it will be a few years before the issues manifest from the repairs!

Now I wonder, can we post model, or dealership, or VIN so some unsuspecting future member does not pay full price for this very same trailer?

[perryg114]

Airstream will get the first one back and put it back to new condition and sell it. It is not a big deal to them. They won't have to loose a complete trailer or anything.

Perry

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by reinergirl

Heck no, in order to do this repair correctly with buck rivets they would have to remove everything from the trailer in that area including the interior skins. They won't do that so they will have to use Olympic rivets which are notorious for leaking.

If the damage isn't substantial it's possible the dent can be pulled out. I would rather have a pulled out, slightly visible area than all those Olympic rivets. Of course at a substantial discounted price.

Even if they assure you an extended warranty, who's to say they'll stand behind it? They could claim you didn't keep up on normal maintainence/rivet sealing.

If I was paying full price, I'd have them ship another.

If you do decide to go ahead, I'd suggest educating yourself and supervising the repair. I once saw a newer trailer with a repaired panel, they actually riveted through the protective plastic and ripped it off at the end. There were little bitty pieces of plastic shreds under all the rivets, Wanna bet they leaked?

Sorry, to hear this.....

Yeah, one of my clients brought in a brand new trailer to have substantial interior changes made to it. I showed them a couple of replaced panels on the rear, along with the rear window, done with olympics They were never told that it had been damaged & were the first to title it. Needless to say, it leaked like a sieve. Although they lived in Vermont, they purchased the trailer from a dealer somewhere in the Gulf States. This trailer also had remains of plastic sticking out from behind the olympic rivets.
If I were to buy a new trailer, I would inspect every seam & rivet for signs of replacement before I handed over the final check. These trailers have enough problems on their own, without adding to the potential issues. Keep in mind that the Service Center at the Factory replaces panels with olympic rivets too...............some get lucky, many don't.
Colin

[Rhino33]

This is a tough call, particularly since you are in Texas and that is quite a bit farther from the factory than we are. (~ one hour!) If we were spending the money on a new one, I would be inclined to want a new one, unless the repair is to your standards and maybe the dealer throws in a few perks for the hassle. However, we have been rehabbing a 1980 unit, so I can't even imagine making the decision to buy a new one, then have it damaged. Whereas my husband sometimes flies off the handle about things, it is usually better to 'be nice to the server' because you never know when you will need them again.

We'll keep a spot for you at the campfire in the meantime, keep us up to date on the situation and know we all wish you the best of luck!

[Silverflames]

Get the 27 footer and start camping!!!


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[switz]

If you decide to stay with the damaged unit, when it is sent back to the factory for repairs, be explicit in requesting a proper repair (interior out and bucked rivets on the outside panel). For the over $100,000 price, I would plan to be there at the service center to "observe" the repair process to ensure compliance with your request.

I was at the factory when our Classic was built and caught the omission of the custom work order details. They had to replace the flooring after removing the parts of the cabinetry already installed.....

I strongly suggest you stay with the 30. There is a huge comfort difference living with the dinette in the 25FB/27FB.

When we had the 25FB and spent time on a trip, we could not get comfortable sitting to watch the television. The cross frame bed was an issue for us. We decided the Classic 27FB with twin beds would solve our issues. After ordering the 27FB, we decided to upgrade to the current 31' Classic. We are glad we did the jump to the longer model.

[clancy_boy]

Since the dealer is paying all transportation costs of the unit to the factory (I would hope) then you should make the trip at little cost to you and watch the repair. They can do the work and put it out on the Teraport each night for you to stay in. It's no luxury location and the town is small buy friendly. That way you can catch anything during the reconstruction and ask lots of questions. While work is being done and the last night after work is done it's free to you. Try everything twice, check for all kinds of issues and they will fix it with parts under warrenty for free.

Go get emmmm.

[mayco]

ISUZUSWEET, hehehehe, me too. I think i see a new dent or blemish about every other day, it has quite a bit of character.

[J. Morgan]

We will just say my trailer is "well used",,,,,, I polished over countless bumps, dimples and ripples....



Here is how I handled an ugly dent and a patch....

(I am not saying that the OP should lower his expectations, just a casual conversation...)

[Laidback1]

Folks,
Worked with the dealership today and my wife and I decided to go with the FC 27' Twin instead of the 30' that was damaged in transit. We are pleased with the deal made and looking forward to picking it up next Wednesday. Thanks for your thoughts and comments!

[Jack46]

I had a similar issue occur when we purchased our first AS in 2008. The dealer sent it back to Jackson Center for repair and gave us $1,000.00 credit to purchase accessories, etc. The repair was fine.

[Silverflames]

Glad to hear it all worked out. There is only one thing left to do. Post pics of your new Baby!!!


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[tvketchum]

Yes, please post pics! You should have had the shakedown cruise by now.

[Dave-Nancy]

Yep ... Ours had damage, also. Part of it looked as if someone attempted to conceal it. Our good dealer fixed it all, under warranty.

Our advice is to take a delivery inspection very seriously. You may need to hook up to water and electricity before you get to see all the possibilities (i.e., fuses blow, water filter leaks, etc.). Also, be sure to crawl underneath and look at the underbelly. Our dealer thinks the gash they had to repair was from unloading it from a transport (?). The warranty is wonderful! Dave