Very disappointed 2018 Classic 33

[RVforfun]

Time for a CLASS ACTION SUIT??

One person said nope to my suggestion and suggests going camping instead. That's a great idea except for one thing. If you have problems, Major problems which distract from enjoying your camping then the problems need to be addressed. While I respect that person’s thoughts I’m guessing by the age of his unit that he has no warranty. My unit and many others posting have a warranty and speak about similar problems that I am having or had. Like myself they paid good money making the decision to by an Airstream so they could go camping WITHOUT a list of major problems. Things like no heat, TV issues, no hot water, and water leaks I consider as major problems and need to be addressed. I don’t need to hear those who continue to point out that you should expect some problems. The word “some” is reasonable, “many” or MAJOR problems are not! Been there / done that and it’s getting old like me. I don't want to end up holding the bag after investing over 100K and I don’t know anyone that does.
I have lost count of the number of trips to the Airstream factory or dealerships and I kept thinking that my list of problems has been corrected when I leave only to find another list of problems developing before I even get home. Some had previously been fixed and some new have developed. I think many of the problems start with Airstreams extremely poor-quality control and while not all, some individuals who may lack of expertise that is required to build a quality unit. It is my understanding AS is now building 95 to 105 units a week. You might like to argue these points but that’s for another day.
During my return trips to the factory shop where they make great efforts to repair and/or replace the problem items I continue to be confronted with an excessive amount of what I consider major problems. Like myself, I am sure that most owners make great efforts to make their unit available for the repairs under the warranty but the warranty is only good as the results along with the frequency of repairs. At some point the warranty will run out leaving the owner holding the bag. If any Airstream continues to have MAJOR problems it becomes a monster and this should not be tolerated by any standard. Giving Airstream or their representative dealers reasonable time to correct the problems is reasonable. After doing that and having continued problems it becomes unreasonable and unacceptable and that is my point. There will always be individuals who do not agree with this or this posting but only you as an individual owner are the deciding factor!
Maybe, just maybe it is time to put this on the table. Some may disagree, some may not want to address it, but everyone having problems will benefit in the long run. Thank you for reading this and your options are welcome.

this is also posted on page 15 in error. Sorry

[SteveSueMac]

If opinions are truly welcome - here’s mine for your consideration.

Drop the idea.

First - the ONLY people who win in a class action suit are the lawyers. If you get anything, it will be table scraps while the lawyers will be rolling in it. That’s IF you’re “successful” in your quest. And how are you going to feel then with your “victory”? You think you’re ticked now?

Second - I offer that suggestion for your own benefit. What do you really want? Do you want an AS that functions better? Work it out with the factory and/or build more skills and take care of things yourself. Do you want to get a different product/brand? Go do that and be happy camping. Life is too damn short to waste it being pissed at the statistical reality you don’t want to deal with. You can’t change what AS produces, only how you deal with it. If you can’t get satisfaction at the factory or through your own efforts, cut your losses, buy something else and go be happy.

That’s my $0.02. I really wish you happiness.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by AirUSN

I feel for you and your continued dissatisfaction and disappointment.

I visited the local dealer just to view the (NEST) and one of the sales pitch was AS has a 3 yr warranty now.

My immediate inside voice wondered if the extended extra year was to fix what the mothership already knows is constant poor quality and the quick fix is to add an additional year to address all shortcomings and hopefully fix issues from production while trying to make all the disappointed customers somewhat happy with the brand.

Just a thought.

I sincerely hope your appointment this month fixes your list of issues and the fixes don’t create new or worse ones when you depart. If they fail on this round of repairs, I’d seek a full refund or full replacement of the 33 or maybe different unit, one without recent ‘updates’ to improve the overall quality.

Fingers crossed 🤞

I think a longer warranty is a good idea for something that is as difficult to bring in for service as an RV. I still have over a year left on the warranty but will fix the things I’ve found myself. I want to camp during camping season (March through late November) and won’t tow it (won’t drive my truck either) when there is salt on the roads.

For me it would be ridiculous to make a list of things like loose screws, drawer hinges that don’t line up, etc. I’d rather just replace the screws (with a dab of epoxy and replace the drawer hinges, and my dealer would probably give me replacements for the asking). Dealer visits would be for major stuff like water leaks and maybe the water pump (sucking air somewhere). For that matter, it’s not that much work to remove the pump itself and have it looked at.

I knew when I bought this thing that it would not be real practical to drop it off for service and pick it up after work. I also realize that to check an item like this at 50 points in the build process would probably result in a six month build process and aircraft pricing.

Unlike some others I’m actually amazed how my 2018 Serenity is holding up after driving on some of the roads I’ve been on. If it was a $400,000 single engine Cessna I might think differently but I think the Airstream is still a great value for a completely hand built item that was one week from sheets of aluminum to picking it up at Can Am.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by RVforfun

I am sorry if I offended you. That certainly was not my intention. You are by far a better man then I spending two years of your life working out warranty issues. I should have worded it differently with respect to your unit not having a warranty. What I was trying to say was that many of the folks who are still under the factory warranty are finding some major problems and not like yourself, aren't inclined to spend two years trying to correct issues that should have been addressed at the factory. I agree with you 100% when, using your own words you spent two years working warranty issues and it should have been done before it left the factory. Your right! You made my point better then I. I agree 100% with your statement. The difference I don't feel like I should take the time I have left on this earth to babysit a 100 thousand dollar plus RV because Airstream is busy pushing out units without proper quality control and apparently forgetting that those purchasing these poorly delivered units are becoming more disenchanted with their purchase and every day this becomes more obvious in the blogs.

Continued poor quality = unhappy customers. Point made!?

I’m not offended, just trying to be helpful.

We all have choices to make. Some of us choose to resolve warranty issues over the life of that warranty, some of us choose to fix many issues ourselves, some of us choose to hire fancy lawyers to seek satisfaction and literally wait decades for a possible payout, and some of us don’t buy RVs at all.

As I’m sure you know, this is not just an issue with Airstream. Sadly, pretty much every remotely affordable RV out there has the same issue.

You want perfection? Buy a Bowlus Road Chief and hope for the best. Ironically, the only recently made Bowlus I’ve seen in the wild was at an Airstream dealer, where it was in need of some kind of service. [emoji6]

[crispyboy]

Originally Posted by chgragg

We are getting ready for our first trip in our 33 Classic in two weeks. Now I am not sure if I should look forward to it???????

You have got to be kidding..... You should really be excited about your first trip. Just take things as they come and don't get excited. Take some time before you leave and get to know and understand the trailer and the systems on board. Live in it a few days before it ever leaves your driveway. These trailers, the systems aboard, wood screws and rivets aren't rocket science.

I suppose that I am on such a different level as I would be tickled beyond belief to be able to have a spankin' new trailer. In my "economic world" it is an everyday occurrence to fix a few things here there and everywhere. It is just part of life......

[kendrick.l.j]

I’m jumping in to say that I understand your frustration completely. I have also spent a fair amount of time and energy correcting warranty issues but I don’t believe starting a class action lawsuit against Airstream is a good use of your time, money and energy. Rocinante is dead on when he stated that the only people who win in this type of suit are the attorneys. How much of your hard earned money do you want to give to a law firm to start the fillings? How many decades do you think it’s going to take to see this through the appeals process? Thor Industries has deep pockets to finance many, many appeals. Even if you “win” it may be your grandchildren that see any financial gain while you spent millions trying to prove a point.

[AirstreamInc]

Originally Posted by RVforfun

One person said nope to my suggestion and suggests going camping instead. That's a great idea except for one thing. If you have problems, Major problems which distract from enjoying your camping then the problems need to be addressed. While I respect that person’s thoughts I’m guessing by the age of his unit that he has no warranty. My unit and many others posting have a warranty and speak about similar problems that I am having or had. Like myself they paid good money making the decision to by an Airstream so they could go camping WITHOUT a list of major problems. Things like no heat, TV issues, no hot water, and water leaks I consider as major problems and need to be addressed. I don’t need to hear those who continue to point out that you should expect some problems. The word “some” is reasonable, “many” or MAJOR problems are not! Been there / done that and it’s getting old like me. I don't want to end up holding the bag after investing over 100K and I don’t know anyone that does.
I have lost count of the number of trips to the Airstream factory or dealerships and I kept thinking that my list of problems has been corrected when I leave only to find another list of problems developing before I even get home. Some had previously been fixed and some new have developed. I think many of the problems start with Airstreams extremely poor-quality control and while not all, some individuals who may lack of expertise that is required to build a quality unit. It is my understanding AS is now building 95 to 105 units a week. You might like to argue these points but that’s for another day.
During my return trips to the factory shop where they make great efforts to repair and/or replace the problem items I continue to be confronted with an excessive amount of what I consider major problems. Like myself, I am sure that most owners make great efforts to make their unit available for the repairs under the warranty but the warranty is only good as the results along with the frequency of repairs. At some point the warranty will run out leaving the owner holding the bag. If any Airstream continues to have MAJOR problems it becomes a monster and this should not be tolerated by any standard. Giving Airstream or their representative dealers reasonable time to correct the problems is reasonable. After doing that and having continued problems it becomes unreasonable and unacceptable and that is my point. There will always be individuals who do not agree with this or this posting but only you as an individual owner are the deciding factor!
Maybe, just maybe it is time to put this on the table. Some may disagree, some may not want to address it, but everyone having problems will benefit in the long run. Thank you for reading this and your options are welcome.

Hi RVforfun,*

We're very sorry about the issues you are having/have had. Please send us a direct message with your contact information and the last 6 digits of your VIN so that we can escalate it to our Customer Service and Technical Support team. *

Thank you.*

[mayco]

Nothing will change until people stop buying the product. Till then, well, happy camping!

[AirUSN]

And to a certain point, customer service. Although the mothership is watching and leaving a message, which is the same almost every time, I would hope additionally, they reach out via PM to make contact and provide real contact info. At least sign your name at the end of the basic message.
[emoji112]

[Acheron2010]

Originally Posted by AirUSN

And to a certain point, customer service. Although the mothership is watching and leaving a message, which is the same almost every time, I would hope additionally, they reach out via PM to make contact and provide real contact info. At least sign your name at the end of the basic message.
[emoji112]

Perhaps my experience is different, but as a new owner, I am in regular contact with my dealer for any issues, and they are extremely helpful. And this week I received an email from the Mother Ship's customer service rep who coordinates member warranty service. I do not know whether I am in the minority, but I am a satisfied customer.

[RandyNH]

Originally Posted by AirUSN

And to a certain point, customer service. Although the mothership is watching and leaving a message, which is the same almost every time, I would hope additionally, they reach out via PM to make contact and provide real contact info. At least sign your name at the end of the basic message.
[emoji112]

When you call tech support for something do you think you've actually reached the manufacturer or the call center located in India, same thing here, Airstream pays to have someone scan the threads and provide a canned response, although they have stated they are based in the US.

[Rocinante]

Calling Airstream customer service is fine and good, and may help get things resolved, but in our experience, a strong dealer with a great service department is crucial to success. There were several instances during our warranty period when our dealer (one of the largest) had to go to bat for us and beat up on Airstream corporate to get them to approve warranty work for some of the things that were wrong with our trailer.

Think carefully about where you go to buy your Airstream. Do they have a 5-rivet-rated service department and are you confident they can take good care of your Airstream when it needs service? Do they move enough "tin" to apply pressure to corporate if it doesn't' want to warranty something that it should obviously take care of for you? Can you get to that dealer for service without driving more than an hour or two to get there? Given the weak QA / QC at corporate, there's a very good chance you'll need a non-trivial amount of warranty work on your new travel trailer, so these are all very important questions.

As I've said before, if I don't have a great dealer within easy reach of wherever my home base (or home range, if I'm full time) happens to be, I'm not buying a new Airstream. Same applies to any other brand of RV.

This issue is a critical decision point which far too many folks are willing to write off at purchase time and then moan / groan about after the sale. I see it here all the time, where folks say "Hey, I saved 24.5% on my Airstream, bought the unit and towed it all the way back home, but now I have warranty issues and my closest dealer is 300 miles away!"

Sometimes, I feel like Cassandra from Greek mythology.

[Ray Eklund]

My 2006 Airstream 23 foot Safari was my education on trailer ownership,

After eight years of tinkering and repairs... it was an excellent reliable trailer.

After four years of tinkering and repairs..., myself, my 2014 25 foot International was an excellent and reliable trailer.

I sold it two days ago to a 31 year old, new to Airstream Trailers. He is going to be one happy 'camper'. A previously owned trailer of any brand... of a handy experienced owner is better than any warranty and any RV repair shop.

After your first two years of ownership, you will be competent enough to do the simple stuff. It is this Airstream Experience that will pay off for years. If you are not handy and have tools... you will not be able to maintain and keep your trailer at 100%. The learning curve was steep for me in 2006. Today... it would be difficult to sell me a new or used Airstream, as I know too much.

Nancy and I enjoyed our 12 years of camping in our Airstreams. Once you work out the 'bugs', you will be among an excellent family of Airstream Nomads. It will take some time and turning over in your sleep... but your trailer will become a Home on Wheels. You need to do what you can, when needed. Simple problems need not cause you grief.

Nancy and I are back to Tent Camping. Our first love, next to our two Blue Heelers. Why? Because we can. Our Airstream was our Tent on Wheels.