GOOD v BAD

[rwsjms7]

I have not yet purchased an AS. As you know, there are numerable decisions to make, not the least of which is the cost and making a determination about whether an AS is worth the premium price.

I am not against spending my hard earned money on things of value. I have found over time, you typically get what you pay for, but I have been very disenchanted by all the service issues I'm reading about on these threads.

So, what I'd like to hear is why some of you bought your AS - primarily those of you who bought NEW. I would specifically buy new to avoid the problems of used - apparently AS is not immune.

Also, I'd like to here about some of the GOOD experiences you have had rather than all the problems. Trust me, I live in the real world and I know there are always problems - that is life. I'm just trying to figure out if an AS is worth paying 3x's the price.

[FCStreamer]

You should realize this is an Internet forum where most people come for help with their Airstream issues. This is not representative of the entire AS community.

It’s like walking into a hospital and asking “anyone sick here?”. You are likely to get a higher positive answer than usual.

People with new Airstreams and no issues are not posting here. They’re out enjoying their Airstreams.

Good luck on your purchase.

[AWCHIEF]

Personaly I think you might have it backwards. New Airstreams seem the most prone to problems. Quality Control has not been one of their highest priorities in recent years. Hopefully that is changing with the new processes they have reported as being implemented. Used well maintained units have had the manufacturering QC issues mostly corrected. Like anything man made normal wear and tear is to be expected.
My trailer was 5 years old when I bought it. All maintaince and normal service was performed by the factory service center. On the way home after purchasing I stopped by Jackson Center to have them give it a good once over and look at a couple of specific issues. About half the bill was covered by appliance/system warranties that were still in effect. I believe in the practice of preventive maintenance. Normal walk arounds inside and out with screwdriver in hand catch and repair many small issues before they become big issues. Honestly most upgrades I have performed have been just because I wanted too not necessarily that they were required at the time. Modern multi stage converter, 6 volt batteries, convection micro wave oven and Television are examples. Water pump and nose jack were replaced due to self destruct. The jack was covered under warranty by Barker. Currently I am looking at replacing the jack once again with a more robust Husky Brute 5000 pound model. The jack post is slipping and I would rather replace it now than have it go out on a trip.
If I was Airstream shopping I would consider a well maintained 3 to 5 year old model. Major depreciation has already been accounted for and hopefully the warranty has been used to correct any QC issues. That said if “money was no issue”I would love to have a new Airstream. They are some serious eye candy.
Whatever you decide welcome to the Airstream family.

[MWBishop]

We purchased a new 2017 FC26U in May. No major issues so far. Did have a small water penetration leak at a window which I sealed and of course some typical screw tightening here and there. Overall we could not be more pleased.

[1973Argosy]

My 1973 has already outlived RVIA`s estimated 12 year lifespan of a new rv 3 times and is well on its way to the fourth. While there may be some issues to deal with on a new unit, it's bones are the same as the thousands of vintage Airstream`s still roaming our great land. So you pay 3x`s more for an airstream than sob but get a unit that will outlast the sob by forty to 50 years. I know what I camp in.......

[MsTara]

Originally Posted by rwsjms7

Also, I'd like to here about some of the GOOD experiences you have had rather than all the problems. Trust me, I live in the real world and I know there are always problems - that is life. I'm just trying to figure out if an AS is worth paying 3x's the price.

I have a 2017 16' Airstream Bambi. I adore her and have had minor issues. Issues that were fixed immediately by Holiday Travel Trailer (Airstream New Mexico). These issues were along the lines of buying a new car. Minor items that you expect whenever you buy a new car.

I had read all the Airstream and RV forums prior to making my decision. I was terrified to purchase an RV! Leaks, axles, filiform, slide outs failing, heaters not working, etc. etc. etc...

I then realized a couple of things. People only post when they have problems. People do not post about awesome things that they love. That is boring. Think about how many Airstreams everyone keeps on saying are being pushed out the door. These complaints are probably 1% of the issues.

I know 4 people that have brand new Airstreams, they all love them and have also had only minor issues.

My recommendation... Choose your dealer wisely, they will do the initial inspection for you and they will fix/maintain things before you even see them. Make sure they are reputable and they are available for maintenance, ask them what the turn around time is if there is an issue.

Those are just my thoughts, I had to step away from the forums for a long period of time because of all of the negativity. I would go out and check on Kitten to see if she had the problem, note that she never did.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by rwsjms7

So, what I'd like to hear is why some of you bought your AS - primarily those of you who bought NEW.
Also, I'd like to here about some of the GOOD experiences you have had rather than all the problems. Trust me, I live in the real world and I know there are always problems - that is life. I'm just trying to figure out if an AS is worth paying 3x's the price.

Is it worth it? I don't know, but it's the only trailer I was interested in.
I bought new, off a dealer's lot. I could have ordered for the same price and waited two months. After going back and forth a hundred times, I decided that buying off the lot had the advantage of you being able to sit in it and go over it with a fine tooth comb for leaks, ill fitting doors, locks that don't work, sloppy construction, etc.
I still think that's the way to go. After the sale, my salesman said he'd do the same. He told me that too often ordered units come in with damage from the delivery, and it's a grey area, because that's YOUR trailer. The dealer will attempt to fix it, but that's a crap shoot.
So, after checking my unit out twice in person, my complaints consisted of two shades missing the knob, the cap on the microwave drawer button was missing, and the cord of the microwave hung up on something before the drawer opened all the way. No leaks, no stains, no dents.
By the time I picked it up, they had fixed all my issues.
For my walk through, they had the A/C's going, the TV on, and spent as long as I wished to go over it.
(I forgot to bring a DVD to test the player)

I think that was pretty good for a new unit.

Ideally, you should spend a night in the new trailer before leaving. I've had other RV's so I felt I knew how things worked, but I should have tried the water heater and furnace too, and checked the level of propane in the tanks. Obviously, the toilet is hard to test on a walk through, but mine is electric(?) and I'll be learning at the worst time.
(Three buttons?) I liked the old fashioned, "Step on the pedal" manual type.
That's why there is a nice AS shoulder bag with many, many instructions.

Then there's the hitch. It's a big profit item for the dealer. I can buy an Equal-i-zer hitch from Amazon for $500 or less. The dealer charges $800 installed. Is it worth it? The dealer will not install a hitch you bring. I bought my hitch through (gasp!) Craig's list for $150. I had the truck side attached and adjusted as best I could without a trailer. I could have installed the "L" brackets myself, but it was 90 degrees that day, and we compromised by their guy installing and adjusting the hitch brackets for one hour's labor. I thought that was fair.

Now, the BIG stumbling block for me was attempting to trade in my very nice motorhome. The bottom line is, they offered me almost nothing in trade. I ended up selling it myself (RV Trader) to a nice couple, and renegotiating a deal on the AS much more favorably. However, that left me a little bitter towards the dealer. No matter how they present the numbers, you'll get a lousy deal with a trade.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

We bought our 30' Classic last spring. We have used it a lot over the summer. There have been no issues that have kept us from using it. Eventually I'll run it back to the dealer to take care of the minor stuff. Same thing on my new TV. Our neighbor's experience with their five year old 19' (and TV) has been similar. Talking to people in campsites, in general they don't have major issues. Some do have problems (... Basecamp ...) but most do not. There is a learning process (...Alde...Inverters on battery ...). That's a big bump in the road for some. People react to things differently. Indeed, spending $400,000 will get you a better "experience".

As mentioned above, some really get bothered about things. That's true in more than just the world of RV's. They then make a carrier out of talking about it for the next 20 years. The flip side is that others do get tossed off forums. It's tough to get an accurate read on this stuff from forum posts.

Simple answer: If you expect perfection and a hassle free life - don't buy an RV. That goes for any RV, including a monster expensive class A. It's also *very* true of boats (of any size) or that cute cottage by the lake. Read up on the possible issues. Learn about what you might have to deal with. Be prepared and you will likely be very happy with any of them.

Bob

[ShinyPete]

R-

We purchased our "Pete", a Flying Cloud 27fb twin as a new 2014 in Nov of 2013. We intended to purchase a used Airstream, if we could find the floorplan we wanted in Florida, and could work the deal trading a motorhome in as well - which is really a lot to ask a of used purchase. As it turned out, a long-time large-scale Tampa Airstream store was selling out (although we didn't know it at the time), and offered us a very fair deal on the new one that included trading our coach. So we bought the new one.

As it turned out, we have been thrilled with our coach ever since. We're happy we bought a new coach, and our only regret is that we waited for 15 years and 4 other RVs to buy an Airstream. We nailed the floorplan for us (and often our 2 small grandkids), and we spend 60+ nights aboard every year. We did have a list of items that were addressed at two visits to a dealer in the first year, and both the fridge and A/C failed under warranty, and were replaced at the dealer. So, yes, we had some issues, but they were addressed, and as it turns out, most of our failures were components, and had nothing to do with Airstream's quality nor construction.

Now, why were we so willing to pay 3x or more the cost of most any other trailer for an Airstream? Because we had 4 other RVs, and knew what we wanted. And that was a true half-ton towable, no particle board, no formaldehyde dripping interior, no glue-lam walls, no fabric roof, no wood framing, oh, and it had to be engineered to tow well, not just camp well. That left about 3 brands, and we bought our favorite!

Hope this helps.

[Rgentum]

I bought a 2016 AS FC 27 FB new from Toscano RV, in Los Banos, CA, at a great price & they also gave me a reasonable trade-in amount on an almost new 5th wheel. The pre-delivery inspection revealed a leak in the roof, which they fixed immediately, and a kitchen countertop whose formica had partially delaminated from its substrate. That couldn't be fixed immediately, because neither they nor Jackson Center had a replacement (they're made in batches, and all had been used) --- it's now being replaced under warranty. Now, 30K miles later, the cabinets have shifted & are being realigned under warranty, the jack broke and is being replaced under warranty (more correctly, I replaced it with a Husky 5000 & am being reimbursed for it under warranty), and the brakes on both the rightside wheels went out (while in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, coming back to Seattle from the 2016 Rally in WVA) and were replaced under warranty (by the AS dealer in Anoka, outside of Minneapolis). Do I have any regrets buying my AS new two years ago & paying what I did for it: None whatsoever.

[McDave]

To put it in perspective, compare a new Hyundai Elantra with a new BMW 530. The Sonata will run you about $20,000, while the BMW will run you about $60,000, or approximately the same 3X difference you were talking about between Airstreams and SOBs. No question the BMW will perform better, but how much better? That is a pretty subjective question, but 3X better? I doubt it. The BMW will probably cost you more in maintenance over its life than the Hyundai. It will probably cost you more in gas. There is no question that the BMW will decline more in value over its life than the Hyundai; after all, the Hyundai can't decline more than $20,000. But is BMW worried that people interested in a BMW will buy a Hyundai instead? No more than Hyundai is worried that people interested in a Hyundai will buy a BMW instead. The markets are just too different.

But BMW IS worried that its potential customers might buy one of 5-10 other luxury brands, and Hyundai has even more competition at its end of the market. That is the real difference between BMW's and Airstreams. Airstream is in the enviable position of carving out a niche where there is no direct competition. Any luxury product is going to be overpriced for what you get, but one would have to believe that one with no direct competition will be somewhat more overpriced than one with direct competition.

[Countryboy59]

We took delivery of a 2018 27' Serenity last week, trading our 2012 Bambi 19'. We took the Bambi to CanAm for new tires in April and walked out with an order for a new one. Been waiting all summer.

Visited it in production at the factory. I work in Manufacturing and understand how they sequence vehicles, and even got photos of it during initial build. CanAm is very experienced on Airstreams and made the entire process a great experience. The factory kept me informed and I toured when it went down the final inspection line. They were great to deal with.

After delivery to CanAm we camped on site the night before we paid for the trailer. A couple minor issues were fixed at delivery and there is one more thing we will return to CanAm for, probably in Spring.

The whole experience has been nothing but top notch, worth every penny.

[StreamNTyme]

[QUOTE=Mollysdad;
Then there's the hitch. It's a big profit item for the dealer. I can buy an Equal-i-zer hitch from Amazon for $500 or less. The dealer charges $800 installed. Is it worth it? The dealer will not install a hitch you bring. I bought my hitch through (gasp!) Craig's list for $150. I had the truck side attached and adjusted as best I could without a trailer. I could have installed the "L" brackets myself, but it was 90 degrees that day, and we compromised by their guy installing and adjusting the hitch brackets for one hour's labor. I thought that was fair.
[/QUOTE]

It amazes me people will spend a gazillion $$$$ on a new Airstream without a second thought and then scour the ads and Internet to get a cheap hitch, the most important item of the entire purchase, which helps protect their precious cargo, spouse & family, from possible danger on the roads. We have a Hensley and we also believe in Propride, no others can compare. Travel safely...

[PurdueMom]

We purchased a new Airstream because we wanted to have a two year grace period/warranty on fixing things. We'd never owned a truck or RV and had never towed anything. We were not worried about whether we'd like the Airstream. My parents owned an Airstream (new, 1963), plus my husband and I camped for 40 years. We have no regrets - except that maybe we should have made the purchase ten years earlier.

Every day on the road is a good day. The fact that I shed tears to have to pack things up over the winter is testimony to the pleasure derived in our Airstream.

There are many paths from which to choose. Do your homework. Make your best decision. Look forward with confidence and look back without regret. Get going. Savor the great outdoors.

Allyson

[Pete B55]

Originally Posted by rwsjms7

I have not yet purchased an AS. As you know, there are numerable decisions to make, not the least of which is the cost and making a determination about whether an AS is worth the premium price.



I am not against spending my hard earned money on things of value. I have found over time, you typically get what you pay for, but I have been very disenchanted by all the service issues I'm reading about on these threads.



So, what I'd like to hear is why some of you bought your AS - primarily those of you who bought NEW. I would specifically buy new to avoid the problems of used - apparently AS is not immune.



Also, I'd like to here about some of the GOOD experiences you have had rather than all the problems. Trust me, I live in the real world and I know there are always problems - that is life. I'm just trying to figure out if an AS is worth paying 3x's the price.

We ordered a new Classic a year ago going with an Airstream because there was nothing else like it; when we are on the road, the beach, the woods, it feels like home. Nothing matches the panoramic widows bringing the outdoors in.

Other than a long inspection day at the dealer bleeding/calibrating the Alde it’s been trouble-free (many thanks to others on this forum for giving me the documentation and information to help the dealer prep a Classic) . There have been minor issues with screws coming loose but nothing that loctite or glue has not fixed. There are countless posts on hot water problems and we found that knowing the system has given us more hot water than we need.

Will the Airstream have wear-outs from time and miles traveled? Unquestionably. But it’s worth it.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Expectations matter. If you have an image of total perfection, you *will* be disappointed in any purchase you make. It it trivially easy to construct a standard (in your mind) that no product can ever live up to. Do your research first !!!

My "trailer experience" dates back to the 1950's (as a kid). We've camped various ways ever since. I've been hearing tales of distress about this or that RV company my whole life. The idea that "things were better back in the good old days" is total and utter bunk. There have always been problems and people have had to deal with them.

You buy this or that specific example of a RV or truck or car. It does or does not have an issue. I get a good one and "everything is wonderful". I get one with an issue and "all of them being made now are total utter crap". If it's time to cry in the beer, I can always find help. A tale of woe is always a good story. We didn't used to have the internet. We *did* have campfires ..... and bars ...

Bob

[TravlinMan]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Expectations matter. If you have an image of total perfection, you *will* be disappointed.

This is exactly what I told my wife!

[rjack]

You have been given good comments. We just purchased our third AS, first new one, after having good experiences with two used ones....and 70K+ miles in Alaska, Newfoundland, Rocky Mtns., NPs, etc. Our dealer included a lifetime warranty on all appliances and essentially everything, and a substantial cash discount. One benefit valued is entirely new systems and parts, modern technology, nicer upholstery and mattresses, warranty service (PICK YOUR DEALER CAREFULLY) and pride of ownership. If properly cared for, depreciation is minimal. Our new 25'FB FC would sell easily for 93% of our purchase price after one year, with lesser depreciation after. Remember, your RV is essentially a complete house traveling 65 mph on often bumpy roads. Proactive maintenance with a screwdriver and vigilance is wise. If an AS fits your usage, there is no comparable alternative. It is a HUGE benefit to use covered storage. Safe travels. The Garretts

[rwsjms7]

Yes, I do realize that and I remind myself of that all the time. I understand forums, I've had many motorcycles and boats over the years. Thanks for your response.

[rwsjms7]

Originally Posted by FCStreamer

You should realize this is an Internet forum where most people come for help with their Airstream issues. This is not representative of the entire AS community.

It’s like walking into a hospital and asking “anyone sick here?”. You are likely to get a higher positive answer than usual.

People with new Airstreams and no issues are not posting here. They’re out enjoying their Airstreams.

Good luck on your purchase.

Yes, I do realize that and I remind myself of that all the time. I understand forums, I've had many motorcycles and boats over the years. Thanks for your response.