2009 25' FB International
2018 27' Globetrotter
Tavares
, Florida
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,725
Ordering an AS
Can a new AS be ordered from the factory and picked up there bypassing the dealers?
Also where can I find a list of the options (other than colors and materials) available on a new FC? There is nothing that I could find in the brochure or on the website.
No. Airstreams are sold only through authorized dealers. How would they keep any dealers if they sold direct? And I might also add you cannot order through a dealer and pick the unit up at the factory. Delivery is made only through the selling dealer.
2009 25' FB International
2018 27' Globetrotter
Tavares
, Florida
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,725
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al - K4GLU
No. Airstreams are sold only through authorized dealers. How would they keep any dealers if they sold direct? And I might also add you cannot order through a dealer and pick the unit up at the factory. Delivery is made only through the selling dealer.
Understood and that's what I thought. I saw some posts of people going to the factory to have tires and wheels changed and just thought I would ask the about factory direct.
I might suggest you contact several dealers and see if any will give a complete list of the options available. Also, I would call Jackson Center and ask if they can supply a list of options and the prices.
For reasons i do not understand (like a lot of things) obtaining information on the new model line up is difficult.
I am aware or at least think I am, of doing a custom Airstream. But, this becomes very pricey, and may not be worth it. This definitely would require the factory to approve what changes are made, but there have been custom Airstreams built in the past and for money I am certain they would be accommodating.
The best solution is to sit down with a dealer and go over everything about two or three times, asking for or even strongly suggesting that unless you can have certain options, there will be no deal. Such items as disc brakes, 16" wheels & tires, even interior colors may be possible options, but only with the payment of big dollars.
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Happy trails and Good Luck
Ms Tommie Fantine Lauer, Greensboro, NC
AIR #31871 KQ3H www.fantinesvoice.com
I remember reading somewhere that there was some sort of "change fee" one could pay and request changes to the trailer before its built. Like an extra skylight or delete a skylight. I asked two dealers and they looked at me like I had four ears. I didn't press the issue since its not a big deal now, but when I am ready to buy I'd love to upgrade the bed to a King size even if it means deleting the side storage areas. I know I can do that "After market" but am curious if that is even an option from the factory.
__________________ 2014 Airstream Flying Cloud 30' Recliner: Base weight 6422, GVWR 8800 2013 Cadillac Escalade Tow Vehicle: 6.2L, 403hp, 417 ft-lb., 4x2, 3.42 axle ratio, Max Payload 1573, Max Towing 8300.
2015 30' Classic
2012 28' International
Greensboro
, North Carolina
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,708
Realize that if you don't want something (like a skylight), you will pay a "delete fee" to do so. The Airstream options list is not a long one. Some of us like to do the modifying (other than the structure) ourselves. IMHO, Airstreams lend themselves to considerable personalization.
Not a lot of options out there. In many cases it might be a matter of asking. If the dealer doesn't know, he will call Airstream. Other possibility is that you call Airstream and ask. From my experience I know some items can be upgraded or changed. For example on my '04 Classic I asked for the 15K heat pump unit. At the time, the 13.5K air conditioner was standard. On my '01 Safari I asked for the underbelly spare tire carrier be added. Again at that time the Safari's didn't come with this as standard equipment. I know my dealer always asked for two skylights to be added on any trailer he had built. You can probably get the 16" wheel and LT tire upgrade if you order a trailer that usually comes with 15" wheels and ST tires.
On my Safari, the only awning supplied was the patio awning. I could have ordered additional awnings if I wished. I didn't do that and regretted that decision and had the dealer add the extra awning later.
I remember asking for the ultra leather sofa in place of the cloth sofa on my Classic. Again I think the best action would be to call Airstream if you have something in mind.
Jack
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Jack Canavera
STL Mo. AIR #56 S/OS#15
'04 Classic 30' S.O.,'03 GMC Savana 2500
ZBoater, I'm for modifications to suit your own needs, but a 76" wide King bed in 96" leaves 10" on each side, for fairly miserable access? Factory side cabinets wouldn't work, so new oddly narrow ones needed. Very unlikely you could order it like that but their factory Service Center may do it after purchase if you took it back there, and if they couldn't talk you out of it. It just wouldn't fit, from a practical viewpoint.
Here's a pic of the bed on my boat. I'm used to going in and out through the foot of the bed...
This one I may have to do aftermarket. There's just not a lot of options here in Florida. It may be worth a trip to the west coast. Lots of Airstream renovation companies out there. As good an excuse as any to do a cross country trip!
__________________ 2014 Airstream Flying Cloud 30' Recliner: Base weight 6422, GVWR 8800 2013 Cadillac Escalade Tow Vehicle: 6.2L, 403hp, 417 ft-lb., 4x2, 3.42 axle ratio, Max Payload 1573, Max Towing 8300.
Ordering a new AS can be within a month or two, or considerably longer. Some factors are model, dealers allocation, factory schedule, I.e., how many months behind they are, and if post construction options are added. Each dealer can tell you how long the wait is once you choose one to order. The delay for options would determined by what changes were ordered
Ms Tommie Lauer
Greensboro, NC
2015 Serenity 30 RB / 2008 Dodge Cummins 4 X 4
WBCCI #4165 AIR #31871
__________________
Happy trails and Good Luck
Ms Tommie Fantine Lauer, Greensboro, NC
AIR #31871 KQ3H www.fantinesvoice.com
Ask your dealer for a copy of the order sheet for your particular model of interest. It will have the available options and the MSRP for those items. Common options are: awning package, dual air conditioners (for larger models), power awning, microwave / oven options, ultraleather, solar, and inverter.
Also a dealer may have already ordered a unit for their inventory which is waiting to be built and can still be modified saving you some wait time.
We ordered ours over the phone LONG STORY, had dealings with two different dealers. I had the sales person pull up his order sheet and go through every standard item as well as every option and we ordered from that. Order came in exactly as we had ordered it.
As an aside to dealers vs direct. Having run a company for a while where we utilized dealers, distributors and factory direct stores MOST manufacturing companies with brains prefer to use dealers and distributors. The main reason is economic - as a manufacturer if I move a product to a company store, it is still my product and as such part of my companies inventory - it's not a sale and must be carried on the books. However, if I sell to a dealer/distributor the minute it rolls our of the plants gates its a sale, off our books and inventory and on to the dealer/distributors books - it's a sale, whether it has a real home or not it goes into the dealers inventory. So, by utilizing this network of partners we would increase our turns and move more units than by utilizing company stores only. I loved dealers/distributors, my board, however, like to think they had control by having the corporate name on the front door and owning the company owned sales and service facilities. We parted ways as friends - I retired.
I just ordered a Flying Cloud from our local mid-sized dealer in Ohio. They said we could get it as a 2015 in April or wait until the factory expansion was finished and get it as a 2016 in the middle of May. We also talked to a big dealer in CA that has a lot more factory slots and they said we could get a 2015 by the end of March which would have been about 8 weeks from when we ordered. The factory capacity will go from about 50/month to about 75/month after the expansion is complete.
Also we asked about special ordering Espresso Ultraleather for our Flying Cloud, since the standard colors were black or cashew. The Airstream rep said they would do it, but for the same up charge as ordering the whole Serenity trim.
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