WE DID IT! 20' safari 75th anniversary edition

[thejpark]

We finally found the airstream we have been looking for & after a few days of price haggling we got it for what we offered. My question is about maintenance. It looks like new. He is the second owner. Bought it at 2 years old. It has been used very little an garage kept. He says everything has been kept in working condition . When we went look at it , he had it hooked up & showed us everything was working. Even though everything is working it has been sitting inside for awhile because he said the just don't camp anymore. What kind of maintenance should we do & what things should we be checking for? Also is there a list of regular maintenance that should be done somewhere online? We are newbies to airstream so any info is appreciated. Thanks

[wulfraat]

I'd run a cup of bleach through the fresh water tank to start to ensure it is sanitized along with all the supply lines.

Check the battery voltage to make sure it is holding a good charge (12.6v+)

Check the tires - if they are goodyear marathons and the manufacture date is more than 3 years ago you should seriously consider replacing the tires regardless of tread wear (search this forum on the topic - many people including myself have upgraded to michelin LT tires...)

I'd also pull the wheels and check out the condition of the drum breaks / pads). Replace pads if needed. Also grease the hubs while you are at it - or have a local shop do it for you.

The last area you should check out is the roof and all associated sealed joints. If you plan to keep the trailer for any length of time consider having all the roof items re-sealed / caulked....

That's all I can think of...

[djarrett]

Congrats and what wulfraat says!

Dendy

[mpsgolf]

Congrats and welcome!

wulfraat is right. Definitely check grease in wheel bearings. I bought a used AS a whole back and the grease was almost dry! Expensive repair if the beatings seize.

Maybe have propane leak checked for safety and leak detector if installed. Also smoke and CO batteries if installed.

Items mentioned here are mostly key safety items.

Enjoy and be SAFE!

[banderabob]

Wulfratt has it covered. Read through the owners manual, it helped us when we became the 2nd owner of a 4 year old unit. And if you are handy (I've not determined if I am, as of yet), there is a general maintenance and repair book that has been mentioned in the Forum previously. I don't recall the name or author, but maybe someone will post it!

[Silverbee]

Welcome and congratulations on your purchase.
We owned that same year and model for almost 5 years and it served us well. We really enjoyed it. Just needed more space for our doggies.

The only problem we ever had was a small leak on the end cap. It ran down the interior wall, so was clearly visible when it happened.

Did the current owner have water hooked up to the trailer? If not, check for any water leaks (sinks, shower, etc.) once you hook it up to a water source.

Also check on the age of the tires. They can look fine, but need to be replaced if they are over 5 years old, especially important with a single axle trailer.

All the best.
Tom and Deborah

[OTRA15]

STOP WORK ORDER!

thejpark,I hope you did not take wulfraat literally about (only) "a cup of bleach" going into the tank !!! [and I have not taken the time to read more posts yet]

You should dilute a gallon of water with a cup of bleach, in a separate container, and then pour this into the fresh water tank. Then fill it full with good quality FILTERED water, and let it sit for a couple of hours, during which you can also pump the tank water through all your lines and let them sit for a total of two hours or so. Then drain all lines, fill tank with good quality filtered water again, and rinse everything out until you cannot smell or taste bleach again.

More later . . .

Originally Posted by wulfraat

I'd run a cup of bleach through the fresh water tank to start to ensure it is sanitized along with all the supply lines.
. . .

PS -- You can also use city water to flush out the lines after the bleach is gone, assuming you have a sewer hook-up for the grey water to run free.

PS2 -- Welcome to the forum!

[Nomad518]

Use a screwdriver to check all the screws on your interior cabinets. They tend to loosen over time. Checking them now and then can help avoid unpleasant surprises with cabinet doors falling off or worse. Replace screws in stripped holes with larger screws or fill the hole with the filler material of your choice.

Check the condition of your holding tank drain hose to see if it has leaks. Replace it if so. Make sure the holding tank valves all work smoothly if that wasn't part of the demo from the prior owner.

I'd replace the fresh water fill hose and filter to be sure you're starting with zero contamination. You don't know where that old hose has been.

[thejpark]

Thanks everyone! Great advice. So glad I joined. You guys are awesome!!

[tvketchum]

Another great source of advice is a local unit of WBCCI. Great people, Airstream experience to share, fun rallies and trips, awesome food, and tall tales around the campfire. See www.wbcci.org for a group near you!


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

Tom
TVKetchum

[wvstreamer]

And since it has been stored inside be sure to check for any leaks that wouldn't have showed in storage. That happened with my classic. It had a great inside life but I found a leak after I parked outside. A complete sealing and a skylight and all is very good.
We are on the east coast ...Newport News Park this weekend so looks like Hermine will test my sealing work. Enjoy your AS....life is good with an AS.

[ulwbob]

you are a one day ride (350 miles) away from the Mother Ship (Jackson Center, Ohio). After repacking the bearings, and confirming the brakes are ok and freshening the water tank I'd tow it to the plant and have them check and reseal the seams and give it a general going over. Might cost a bit but to me the peace of mind would be worth it that all is and will be ok for the forseeable future. You can check for things like loose screws but if the seams or windows leak I'd leave it to the pros.

Bob, Mason, Ohio
lots closer to the Mother Ship I admit!

[NC Camper]

Originally Posted by banderabob

Wulfratt has it covered. Read through the owners manual, it helped us when we became the 2nd owner of a 4 year old unit. And if you are handy (I've not determined if I am, as of yet), there is a general maintenance and repair book that has been mentioned in the Forum previously. I don't recall the name or author, but maybe someone will post it!

I think the book you are referring to is The (nearly ) Complete Guide to Airstream Maintenance by Rich Luhr. It chocked full of great information!

You can find it at Amazon or the Airstream Life Store for the same price.