2018 23FB - Total Loss

[Rovin Raven]

I met a new Airstream trailer owner who just sold his boxy one, but kept the same tow vehicle. He said you can tell a big difference in the aerodynamics when driving. This is a also big deal when you cross the middle of the country, where I have seen boxy trailers struggling in the high winds, when we were fine.

[johndorst]

I have friends who purchased a 5th wheel TT as they already have a truck sufficient to pull it. After 2 years, they are getting it bought back under the lemon laws. It spent more time in the shop getting things repaired (mostly the slide outs) than in their driveway or campsites. And, their research said this was one of the best brands for quality. Every time they went camping, the slide outs came off the track. They'd take it back, the dealer would keep it for 2-3 months, repair the cosmetic stuff and get the slide out back on the track. Next trip, it would break again. Turns out that the slides used weren't the right ones for the size of the slide outs. The manufacturer decided after so many repairs to just call the issue closed and deny further warranty repairs.

Are there going to be issues with a new AS? Yup. Are they fixable? Yup. Can you buy a 2-3 year old unit for 30% less that meets your needs and has already had most/all of the fixes done? Yup. Will and AS last longer than any other TT out there? Most definitely. Will it be worth more % wise in 10-20 years than a competing unit? If you take care of it (and steer clear of hail storms), almost definitely.

[Phil&Sher]

We bought a 2008 25 FB SE from an AS dealer in 2011. The (one) prior owner had decided to upgrade to a 30 footer. Not only did we save thousands, but all the "new trailer issues" had been resolved on the 25. We've towed all over the SE U.S. in it and are currently spending about four months a year living in it full time. We've had seven years of RVing pleasure with very few problems. Just a suggestion

[AircraftMech]

There's a whole gang of paintless dent removers that follow hail storms. Insurance companies love them since they save them so much money. If your insurance co. totaled your AS, I have two questions:
Can you buy it back?
Do these paintless dent guys work on AS?


I've seen the work, you can not tell a car was in a hail storm. Any car dealer that had a lot full of cars (possibly near your incident) would be able to recommend someone - or just look locally.

[dougfrank]

I have never posted a reply to this AS forum but i am compelled now because of the following:
I took delivery of a 2018 23'FB flying cloud this January. It was an upgrade after using a new 2013 19' flying cloud for more than 50,000 miles without a single problem.
the new 23FB has been a sore disappointment, and this is not a complete list of what went wrong in the last 9 months:

- water pump check valve failed twice! second replacement new pump being installed next week
- fresh water drain valve leaked since purchase. broke off @ 3,000 miles ago and required my filling the valve opening with a bolt covered in gorilla glue so as to keep fresh water in tank. to be replaced next week. clearly, the metal protective piece under the valve does not keep rocks/debris from hitting it from the front of the rig
- two window shades broke off the windows! the shades above the table are not screwed on under the storage cabinet above them; clearly installed after the cabinets went on first....
- toilet cover broke off one side of hinge
- hinge of bathroom door cracked at top two screws (i never travel with the door open)
- microwave broke out of the cabinet three times (!), both to the front and rear; once the door broke off the bottom hinge and was hanging. upon inspection and self-repair, it is held is place by only the front pieces and is literally a kitchen counter-top installation, sitting on two wooden rails under four small plastic feet.
- Interstate batteries with rig lasted less than 4 months with voltage dropping below 10v. i suspected both batteries each had a bad cell and were defective when purchased. i never had a single problem with the batteries in my 2013 19' flying cloud. Bought 2 new AGM batteries which are functioning perfectly.
- furnace stopped working while temperatures were just below freezing for days. I had to drive 414 miles round trip to meet a mobile repair who corrected the short in the ignition wire.

I could go on, but i am sorely disappointed with my second new AS. if there is a better travel trailer in the market i would buy it! i am also keenly aware that the parts not made but airstream but chosen by them are the fault of those manufacturers.
The mother ship in Ohio has been helpful with warranty work and reimbursement for my out of pocket expenses for the above (and more) problems.
what have i learned? if you go to alaska, don't expect any service for your rig up there, and not even from atwood authorized repair.
we'll see in the coming few weeks how well an AS dealer can repair/replace the many problems i experienced with a brand new 23FB!
I cannot help but wonder whether the quality of construction/design of new Airstreams has declined in the 5 years between my two purchases.
Thanks to all for your attention to this narrative. I would like to hear from any new AS owners who are experiencing similar disappointments!

[istdoc]

Originally Posted by Alumatube

I am very surprised to see no one has mentioned A/S made slide-out trailers, from about 1998 to 2008 or so, in several different lengths and configurations. They were heavier, but some people said the extra hitch weight made them tow better. Quality was good, from owners' reports. Best of both worlds, if you can find one used!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33817114@N08/3141332947
(From Colonial Airstream)

WOW...the extra width of a slideout on an Airstream solves a lot of the concerns I have about use. Ours is a 2010 23' FB FC and it entertains 4, serves 4 (if you are friendly) and sleeps 2. The slideouts make this a completely different trailer.

Having said that, I am not a fan of OWNING a trailer with slideouts. I have never met a seasoned trailer owner who doesn't have several horror stories about their slideout. I don't want to join the club...and subscribe to the KISS theory of trailer/RV ownership.

Having said THAT...I think that I will NOT share pictures of the AS slideouts with my wife!!!

-Kurt-

[ride2k]

We went from Lance to Airstream, last year

[davidraisler]

Originally Posted by Alumatube

I am very surprised to see no one has mentioned A/S made slide-out trailers, from about 1998 to 2008 or so, in several different lengths and configurations. They were heavier, but some people said the extra hitch weight made them tow better. Quality was good, from owners' reports. Best of both worlds, if you can find one used!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33817114@N08/3141332947
(From Colonial Airstream)

We have a 2007 30’ Classic with slide out. Bought it used in 2008. We had 3 previous SOB’s with the last one destroyed by hail. What a mess! The slide did have some issues but only needed lubrication and
the rubber gasket reglued. It has a 30’ queen bed and walk-in thru bath. I absolutely love and would have no other brand. It feels elegant and is well made. Anything else I step into does feel cheap! It pulls easily with a Hensley hitch. Sorry for your troubles. Hope to see you back on the road soon.

[ride2k]

Chris, we hear you when it comes to quality and service but when you think abut it thry’re, all RV’s, mostly built with similar, standard, components. The difference is workmanship in assembling the parts.
For what’s its worth we went from a 2010 Lance, last year, to a 2015 27’ Front Queen, International Signature. I found it right here on forums. As with any used rig they are each unique because of prior usage. This one was a plum. I had it examined by an independent RV tech and had long phone convos, with its then owner. I was convinced it would be the best value available at the time. And I bought it sight unseen from Canada, and hired a shipping firm to tow it to Arizona, where we live. Bugs and issues had been found and corrected by its prior owner, while it was under warrantee. He, a German engineer who’d treated with utmost respect and tender care. Several upgrades had been included or added, 16’ wheels with Michelin tires, rear camera system, of course we got the hitch and a number of nice decorating items, carpet runner and so forth.
Since November 2017 we’ve spent north of 100 nights in our unit, towed it over 6,000 miles and with only a couple of exceptions, had little trouble. One was the tendency of the led can-lights to go bad and I’ve replaced about three of those.

OK, so I’ve given you our story, now the point.
If you have, or take the time, to turn over the rocks and look there are going to always be good value to be had relative to new, or other used rigs. Patients and focus are virtues in this regard.
As to Airstream vs other brands. We had a very good four year experience with our used Lance. We have nothing bad to say about Lance but it is true the Airstreams are higher-quality when it comes to the cabinetry and precision. My recent move to Airstream was largely pride of ownership, never discount that, along with wanting a bigger rig with more comfort, which encouraged my wife to be happy spending more time with me in the rig. 😉😊LOL RVing it always been my idea.
All the best and you look and decide. db

[Overstreet]

Steinbeck traveled with Charlie (dog) in a smallish truck camper.

You could get a Heartland, 41 ft fifth wheel like my daughter and you'd have more room to store all your regrets. Size matters but not the way you might think.

Totaled...….. you mean cost of repair is more than 50% of replacement value? Have you really priced repairs? Note that golf ball dimples can be cosmetic.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by demijac

We've been full-timing in a 2014 Classic 27FB for almost five years and are generally on the move at least nine months per year. Learned alot from this thread that has confirmed, that for us, we made the right decision for the right reasons:

- something big enough to full-time in
- something small enough to get into just about any National or State Park
- something light enough to tow with a Toyota Tundra
- queen side bed with an aisle and end table on both sides
- easily sleeps two or three grand kids at a time
- options for inverter and solar

We had some initial quality issues in the beginning but they were minor.

The one change we would make is the layout of the lounge area. It's a great layout for sleeping extra people but when there's just the two of us, it's only really comfortable for one of us to watch TV. One day, we may take it to a place that can modify the layout to accommodate two recliners without our having to sacrifice too much of our current interior storage.

The one big surprise from this thread is that nobody came up with an industry recognized 'next best high quality alternative' to Airstream. I've often wondered what that might be as I always like to have a solid Plan B ready to go if needed.

Agree 100%! That's exactly why we got the 28' FC but with twins this time...we had that same lounge area with previous 2 25' FC's, we owned, and the layout is terrible for watching TV, especially if you have more than 2 people over..."everyone has a stiff neck" at the end of the night! We liked the pantry, microwave, and oven in the 27', but after the 25's, wife said "no way" again...I actually really like the 26' U shaped dinning, but she did not like the refrigerator door across from bath door, and thought the hallway was too dark and narrow...I didn't mind, and I still do like the 26', but...the 28' is what she wanted, and I have to say, it's been pretty nice for us...grandkids and adults visiting have lots of room and TV is easy to watch with plenty comfortable seating...cushions could be stiffer on the couch, but that's another discussion.

[absteen]

Hi Chris.
We have a 2017 27FB and really like it a lot. We traded in a 2001 25' Excella.
The Excella was trouble from the git go. Electrical, furnace, water heater, fridge(three times), and leaking skylight. You may ask why a new one? Well, every brand, just like cars, have bad days. They gave me a decent trade in on the 17, even though the fridge was gone. Only issues with the 17 is that the door must be closed very firmly (hard) to close tight, and I don't even want to know what they did to the Samsung TV. Works great with the Wally ect, but they brought out an audio pair through a hole that I think hooks up to the trailer speakers. In doing so, they totally disconnected all audio out connections, including the optical. Phone call to AS tomorrow Other than that, a really great trailer with way more room than the 25". Please, trade it in for something, no duck tape, goo, or paint on the wreck. It is still an Airstream after all
Andrew

[DC Bruce]

Our 2015 FC 27 twin is our first RV (although we have owned 30 and 36’ sailboats ). We did some shopping before purchasing but found even the nicer, smaller Class As to be too big for where we wanted to go (national and state parks).
We had, and have had, zero quality issues with our trailer. Yes, a few screws came loose and the catch on one of the bedroom cabinets failed after 3 years.
Maybe it was built on a good day, or maybe our dealer (Colonial Airstream in New Jersey) did a great job of prepping the trailer for delivery. Many of the initial quality issues reported by others should have been caught by the dealer.
I’m getting ready for our second cross-country trip right now. Although the trailer has been unused for a year, everything works fine.
Our first cross country trip was three years ago, and we fulltimed in the trailer for 8 months.
One immediately apparent advantage of the Airstream over any other RV I’ve seen (motorized or towed) is superior light and ventilation. Unless you plan on spending most of your time cheek by jowl with other RVs in a commercial park, this really important. Windows are expensive and installing them is labor-intensive.
My wife and I travel with our 100 lb. Golden Retriever. You can see some photos of our 2015-16 trip on our blog: thegoldenyear.com.

[77walter]

25ft Twin RB.
2018. Yes, I understand the temptation.
AS quality control issues have been minor.
CS from AS and the dealer have been everything I would expect.
Yes I would do it again.

[Jack Moore]

180,000 miles in 12 months is 500 miles a day. Really. Tell me more.

[nickclifford]

hey ... I'm curious what a total loss looks like? Just aesthetically damaged or dents in the roof that doesn't affect the seams and water intrusion .. can you share pics ? thx

[nickclifford]

on this subject, I have a vintage model 31' ... love the space ... when it comes to campgrounds, gas stations, backing up etc is there really all that much of a difference between 28' & 31'? Seems like most restricted campgrounds in Cali require 22-23' trailers for admittance, after that any length works ... thoughts ?

[Greg Lewis]

I have to agree with the lack of customer service we are having a minor issues with our 23FB microwave coming loose and they are inept at handling it.
AS build quality is good but should be way better for the price, we looked at Lazy Daze ClassC RV’s and their quality is way above AS but we didn’t want another vehicle to maintain so chose an AS trailer.

[StreamNTyme]

Total loss of the repairs will cost more than the value of the rig. In the case of hail, it is very expensive to replace aluminum.

So they will pay you the "agreed upon value" if that is how your ins. policy reads. One problem is that most ins. policies use NADA for value which is totally wrong. So then you have to prove the worth by finding someone who has recently purchased a rig just like yours: year, size, model, etc. Once the insurance co. pays the owner, the ins. co. may offer to let you buy it back for very little and you will have a salvage title.

To avoid issues with value you can get an appraisal which you should consider if the rig is more than 3 years old.

[StingrayL82]

All RVs, regardless of what year, type or brand, have QC issues. Our ‘71 had the infamous rear end separation issue. Even after it was “restored”, it happened again a few years later.

You said yourself that you can pocket a bunch of money and get a bigger non-Airstream brand, which tells me that deep down in your gut you know full well that the only thing you’re spending that $80K on is a name, and even then it’s a name owned by Thor Industries, which has a bunch of other brands under its belt.

If you want kitsch and the ability to say you own an Airstream, then spend the big bucks, but if you want to be practical, buy something else. I liken it to owning a classic Jag...yeah, they’re beautiful cars, but at the end of the day, they still have Lucas electrical systems, so they’re really just a pretty piece of crap.

Anyone else remember the CCDs that had overhead cabinets falling on their heads several years back? I rest my case.