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10-08-2002, 01:56 PM

that is exactly what i was thinking!

When i bought my air stream i didn't know i was joining the few..... the proud..... and the elite....i want nothing to do with that......I can't believe some people........As for andy i think he is a know it all and i don't apreciate his attitude.....and i will take my money else where...Andy can charge what evr he wants to......there are others out there that have parts I can give you a number for another dealership if you would like......

The Proud and elete can pay there 500 bucks.......I will not cowboy up.

I think texans and alaskans have alot in comman.

I'll take you up on that toaste!

53flyingcloud · 10-08-2002, 02:14 PM

OVERLANDER,
I never said they did or didn't have a "warehouse" for parts. I said the parts department is in approx 5 or 6 bays of which, I should have qualified futher. This parts department is tied to the A/S store and, not to the manufacturing process. There the inventory of parts is quite another story in itself~!! It's under this one huge roof that, all of the parts are consumed in the building of new TT and MH.~ You might like to stop by oneday and, take a tour~ It is well worth the time. "IT'S FREE~!!
Anything else, I stand by my original statement~!

ciao

thenewkid64 · 10-08-2002, 02:16 PM

I have had the necessity to purchase a complete lockset from Inland many moons ago for our 77 Airstream. I was not happy about the price, I bought it anyway, but then we all want it for as little as possible.

As an example I needed to replace the coolant overflow bottle on my 95 Camry and was told that it was $140.00 dollars for a plastic bottle. I know that blow molding this bottle cannot cost more than $5.00 but that is the price from the dealer and there is no "bone yard" part available.

Some of it is supply and demand; other factors to consider are the changes in design, and what is expected on a travel trailer. Today many of the door locks are very much like the locks on the airstreams going back to the late 60's. SOB Trailers of that vintage had a more traditional door knob. So Airstream set a trend. As the lock evolved, it changed, and the production runs were small. Now almost all of the travel trailers use the same type lock and they are a lot cheaper. Unfortunately this is a cost of owning a classic.

Andy had the foresight and the capital to buy up many of the old parts when Airstream was going to dump them and now we have access to them. He has also invested in things like the locks that are no longer in production. The price may not be what we want, but it is better than not having any option at all. No one that I know of in the club or otherwise would turn up their nose at a $25.00 home lockset installed on your trailer, to each their own, everyone has a budget, and you need to do what is acceptable to you.

I know I am being long winded, but I guess I am trying to say that there are some big ticket items on a classic. You will need to decide how important they are to the ownership experience. The lockset, skins, and windows are the most extreme examples. Almost everything else is a standard parts bin product.

I know that we all differ in our opinions on parts and prices, and this is not necessarily a defense of Andy, but we are a capitalistic society. It makes our country great. Andy took the risk that he was going to be stuck with a warehouse of un-saleable parts and now he should make a buck on his efforts. There are other dealers out there that can get parts that are still used in current production. But for those hard to locate parts there will always be a premium price attached, no matter what the industry or hobby.

10-08-2002, 02:26 PM

thanks for the clear up!

I think taking a tour would be very interesting

10-08-2002, 02:42 PM

there are junk yards wich have car parts i went to one by seattle last winter and they were huge! parts are avaliable.......brand spankin new veichals there are less of in junk yards so it would make it harder to get parts easaly that are used and cheaper.If your vehical was new it should of been under warrenty if it's a little older best bet is if you didn't want to pay you could shop around......there are lot's of alternitive parts for automobiles. car quest/ napa/ shucks has lots of reproduction parts maybe yours was dealer only i don't now.....that is a bummer but if that plastic bottle had Airstream writen on it instead of toyota, it might have cost considerable more. Air Stream is not in the same catigory for parts as most automobiles wich probable explains the high prices..........capitalist society and all do you think that makes it right? to charge so much? I feal that some of the A/S parts carry more than a premium price take more like extravagant.

74Argosy24MH · 10-08-2002, 03:58 PM

Hey Overlander-

There is a choice. I have a 74 motor home. Measure yours, then go here. Search for H166. It was larger than the opening for the old lock in my door, but thin enough to fit within the door.

I did have to work on the door frame. It had to have 4 holes drilled (2 countersunk) for the mounting screws. The strike was too thick, I made a new one out of stainless, gives my elite Argosy some class. If you are fairly mechanical it is not bad. If not I know you could get it done and still save big $. Hey it's not a restoration, it is a repair. Some of us are into that.

John

10-08-2002, 04:03 PM

that looks good........i like the repair........do you know if your old latch was a KT? I will go measure my latch...thanks nice pictures.

74Argosy24MH · 10-08-2002, 04:28 PM

I don't know the brand. When I got the mh, the key was nearly smooth. The PO said don't worry about losing it, anything will open the lock. Figured that had to go and found the one at Camper's Choice. If it helps the old opening in the outer skin is 3 13/32 x 4 5/8.

If you don't want to bother with the safety compliant version (the one in there now isn't) you will only have to drill and countersink 2 small holes to hold the lock to the frame, that much easier to install.

John

Inland RV Center, In · 10-08-2002, 05:35 PM

OVERLANDER.
Are you seeking opinions or are you on a crusade to bad mouth Inland RV Center, as well as myself.
If you don't like the prices that Airstream charges for parts, then pick on them, NOT A DEALER.
We are not here to buy parts from Airstream at their price and sell them to you at your price.
If you spent as much time researching what it takes to keep replacement parts available for Airstreams, as you have with your bad mouthing and put downs, you would change YOUR attitude in less then a heart beat.
We are here to serve and will continue to be. If you don't like us, that's fine. Take your business elsewhere. But when you find that the "elsewhere" tells you only Inland RV has that part, because they had the forethought to get involved to provide many parts that were no longer available. That's the American way.
If in the future you need parts for your Airstream, please don't call us, as we are gladly accepting the fact that you do not want to be our customer. We don't want you as one.

Call someone else on your money, instead of theirs.

You spoke of time. Who I choose to talk with is my business, not yours. I stay very very busy talking with nice people all day long, everyday. I simply don't have the time to waste on anyone that could never be pleased.

Furthermore, I have not seen you donate hours upon hours of your time, trying to be helpful to others, as I have gladly done.
If you spent 37 years with the Airstream products, as I have done, and from many different aspects, perhaps you could be an expert as well. I have the international credentials, do you???

It would indeed be interesting to learn what work you do or what work you are involved with, so that we could have "equal time" in putting that industry to shame as you have repeatedly tried to do with the Airstream name, it's people and it's endeavours.

Simply put, if you don't like the thing, get rid of it, and let the rest of this group get on with far more useful subjects........
They need assistance and advice, not hearing someone go on and on and on, about a useless point.

Perhaps Andy Robonowitz will get enough of your crusade and delete this entire thread. But at least we got our chance to reciprocate.

Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com

10-08-2002, 06:06 PM

yep you got me i'm out to get air stream............i along with others that have posted me privatly have stated that they agree with me...and some of wich dont deal with you.... wich had to do with you not me........i just think they want to much for things and I want to know why.....you couldn't even answer me...I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH AIR STREAM PRICES.......i have no contoll over it, how is my asking people about it (prices) attacking a A/S its there parts maybe not there price tag...they did it to theselfs. i was trying to find out for my knowledge and the knowledge of others..... maybe some people out there like me had no idea what some of this stuff cost! just becouse i bought somthing old it shouldn't mean i should have to pay so much for so little.......

I am a mill operator for a limestone mine........... go ahead and put the industry to shame...............you need roads to pull air streams on.

if you don't like what you read don't read it..... just like if i dont like the price. i can ask any questions i want to you chouse to respond in the begining........do you even remember what the thread was about? i wanted prices from people for parts.....thats all. NOT CARS OR GROCERIES OR ANYTHING ELSE.

and from now on i wont mention names.....i take back everything everything bad i said about you...........

uwe · 10-08-2002, 07:03 PM

I paid $ 49.00 plus Ca tax for a door lock tumbler with 2 keys from InlandRV in Corona CA. This is the most I paid for an airstream specific part.I did pay $ 299.00 for a water heater, but that was a generic replacement from Atwood, nothing Airstream specific.
I have had bigger parts bills, but for several parts, not a single part. I believe this is what this thread was about,no?

thenewkid64 · 10-08-2002, 07:07 PM

I paid $25.00 for a NOS exaust fan cover for my kitchen vent from Inland RV and $35.00 for a new exterior outlet box from Colaw Salvage, with the outlet still in it. Of course since I have an Argosy it looks a bit odd with a silver vent cover and outlet box but it all works and does not leak! so I will get over it. I toohave bigger bills, like a new $1100.00 refer and my kitchen sink, counters, Etc. but that was off the shelf stuff.

74Argosy24MH · 10-08-2002, 07:24 PM

The gasket for my windshields was $150 from Airstream, $100 cheaper than the outfit I got the windshields from. Considering the size of the gasket and it was 1 piece (no cut and fit and glue, no leaks) it was not that bad of a deal. That is the most expensive single part for me from AS.

John

PeterH-350LE · 10-08-2002, 08:40 PM

I paid $2400.- for aluminum panels, 3 preformed corner panels and two large side panels. Sure made it pretty looking.
I also paid 530.- for a windshield, could have paid 1,000.- from an Airstream dealer.
Then I paid $41.- for a solenoid valve for the Airbag system. Could have paid $180.- for the very same valve from an Airstream Dealer.
All depends on what ya wanna do. And when you are ready to do it, don't believe all and everything someone tells you.

53flyingcloud · 10-08-2002, 11:32 PM

GAWD!
Will someone PLEASE show this guy how to use the "spell checker"~!!

ALANSD · 10-09-2002, 08:10 AM

while we are on the subject of pricing. My son left his retainer, (the plastic tooth thing that you wear after the braces come off)out where my dog got it and tore it up.
These two small plastic trays, cost 400 dollars to replace. $400 for 2 small pieces of semi-hard plastic. Draw whatever conclusions you want...
If he wants straight teeth we have to buy another set...If I could make a retainer myself I would....

If I want to own my Airstream I either get creative with my r&r or I pay a high price for the "right" parts. I have fixed many items creatively with lesser expensive methods, like the door lock I replaced with a new tumbler for 14 bucks, instead of the whole assembly for 185. Or the onan type filter I got from NAPA for 4 bucks instead of at the rv place for 12.

Sounds to me like if you want to own something special and unique you figure out a way to get it, and then how to keep it going after that.
No problem with dealers charging what they can get for specialty item, its your perogative to buy or not.

smily · 10-09-2002, 08:32 AM

Yeah what he said.

there are Options in this life, especially here in good ol' America.

I have heard that Texans believe that Texas is their own country.

No slam intended, I love Texas and the people.

Nobody is dragging consumers to Airstream and or it's dealerships.

Capitalism is the American way.

Thats all I have to say about that!

Smily

gwsullivan · 10-09-2002, 08:42 AM

I think if I owned something that was 30 or 40 years old and I could find a replacement part for it I would be very happy, regardless of the price. I wonder how much expense someone has incurred in 30 years just to store an item? I know real estate in California is very expensive, say nothing of taxes and insurance. Let's just be thankful we can find the parts we need to keep those silver twinkies rolling.

Inland RV Center, In · 10-09-2002, 09:19 AM

I wonder how much money and support the "Limestone Industry" donates to the churches that are supportive of our creator. It would seem to me that if I could get my raw materials free for the taking, that I could also reduce prices.
Airstreams do usually, but not always, need roads to travel on.
Thats why we have asphalt and concrete highways.
Since concrete, we would all agree is better, it's also more expensive.
Same for Airstream parts.
But some take the cheaper route, just like asphalt, which is the way our system works.
To each his own, BUT DON'T DAM THE PERSON OR COMPANY THAT DIFFERS WITH ONE'S OPINION.

Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com