New Globetrotter Owner - 2019

[Dmmdtm]

Originally Posted by garypilot55

Still waiting on official announcement about 2019 models. Heard they extendedd warranty from 2 to 3 years.

So I confirmed through the AS rep via my dealer that the 2019 GT includes as standard: power awning, additional awnings, and rear camera. And warranty and coach net coverage will be 3 years.

We pick ours up in Sept and can’t wait!

D.

[StreamingEagle]

For those looking to purchase a 2019 GT, just talked to Woodland and they said the orders are out until December 2018 as of right now. There is possibility of getting it moved up, but Dec 2018 is expectations.

Nothing like picking up a new trailer in December in Michigan! LOL

[garypilot55]

After a six month wait, delivery of our new 2019 Globetrotter was Friday. After reading several post of quality issues from other new deliveries I was a little concerned. That quickly went away after our walk-through. I have to commend Southland RV (Atlanta) for their extensive detail to attention of delivery and explaining every aspect of the trailer. I have been consumed with reading forums and watching videos about Airstreams for the past several months and was well prepared. My wife videoed a couple of the detailed items such as hitch set-up, electrical discussions, etc. We went through the operation of everything ensuring it worked and had a basic understanding.

A few minor issues were found but nothing major that would impact the operation of anything, mostly cosmetic. After we take her out for a couple shake down trips we will schedule a follow-up visit to get the few things corrected and add a couple items this fall. Again Southland RV was fantastic!

The drive home with my new F250 through Atlanta expressways and back-roads was a breeze. As people have reported I couldn't even tell there was a trailer back there. People passing obviously could tell it was new and were giving the high-five signs.

Our first trip will be to Top of Georgia in a couple weeks to get more sage advice from other Airstreamers. Labor Day is to Charleston to hook up with my son from Virginia Beach who has a 36' trailer (other brand). From then on, the trips are endless. My wife and I are both Air Force Reserve retirees, I also retired from IBM and AT&T (last year). Now we have time and a great trailer to experience the country side. My only concern is when will I find time to fly my Bonanza Aircraft!

Picture not the greatest, we forgot to have the dealer take one before we left.

Gary and Michelle

[GOUSC]

Congrats! Nice looking set up. We got our GT in April and also had no real issues on delivery (only 2 minor items that were easily addressed. We love our GT and tow with a 2018 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Duramax. Basically the same set up as you so I know you are pleased with your towing experience.

[brick1]

Congratulations. We have also been very happy with our purchase and service from Southland. Our new F250 tows great��
Enjoy your new toy...

[garypilot55]

We were excited about our first trip after a very thorough check-out of the trailer. As I sad before we elected Top of Georgia because of the proximity to us and the wonderful people there.

After a short 1.5 hour drive we arrived at Top of Georgia with no issues. Everything worked great on the first day, then things went downhill fast. When we were in the pre-purchase phase I was adamant about NOT wanting an electric awning after reading all the horror stories online. Airstream elected to make the new 2019 models mandatory with automatic electric awnings (bad decision in my opinion) so we were stuck. As luck would have it, it broke on the very first trip. I extended it, closed it when we left for the day and then attempted to open the next day - no luck. The status display panel was showing it was still open even though it appeared closed. I followed the instructions to attempt to correct, no luck. Called Zip Dee directly - couldn't help and said it needed to go back to the dealer. Added to the list of repair items.

First night we had hot water with no problem. 2nd day we were running the hot water and noticed it was warm, not hot. Eventually after draining the tank of the hot water, there was none. Tank was filling but not heating. Tried everything, electric, propane, both. Nothing

One of the cabinet lights over the table in the front would not turn off when the door was closed - they are magnetic switches. Called Airstream to see if there was a way to control those lights other than magnetic switch - no there isn't. Airstream advised cutting the wire so battery would not drain.

I have to admit I was a little concerned about the quality of my new trailer. Called the dealer (Southland RV - Atlanta) where we bought it on the drive back and asked if I could bring it in on Saturday. We had already planned a family event in Charleston, SC the following Wednesday so I wanted at least some hot water. Southland RV Service was fantastic.
They were able to fix everything in time for me to pick it up on Tuesday and also added an EZ Start on one of the AC units.

Awning - they were own the phone with Zip Dee for hours with no luck. They found some wiring issues and ended up extending manually and retracted it to get the system to obtain the correct status.

Water Heater - replaced the control board.

Light - replaced the bad magnetic switch.

We got back yesterday from our 5 day second outing to Mt. Pleasant SC KOA (nice campground). I'm glad to report everything worked perfect, especially in the 90+ degree weather. Sure glad I got two AC units.

I'm very pleased with our purchase and understand issues will occur. I see in the forums and other reports the control boards on the new water heaters seemed to be an issue. I wish there would be some sort of recall process if they suspected a bad batch of control boards and recommend replacements. I did send Airstream Headquarters an email of my concerns - no response.

Again - I can't thank Southland RV enough for their quick response to the issues, definitely recommend them. Can't wait for our next outing.

[AirstreamInc]

Originally Posted by garypilot55

We were excited about our first trip after a very thorough check-out of the trailer. As I sad before we elected Top of Georgia because of the proximity to us and the wonderful people there.

After a short 1.5 hour drive we arrived at Top of Georgia with no issues. Everything worked great on the first day, then things went downhill fast. When we were in the pre-purchase phase I was adamant about NOT wanting an electric awning after reading all the horror stories online. Airstream elected to make the new 2019 models mandatory with automatic electric awnings (bad decision in my opinion) so we were stuck. As luck would have it, it broke on the very first trip. I extended it, closed it when we left for the day and then attempted to open the next day - no luck. The status display panel was showing it was still open even though it appeared closed. I followed the instructions to attempt to correct, no luck. Called Zip Dee directly - couldn't help and said it needed to go back to the dealer. Added to the list of repair items.

First night we had hot water with no problem. 2nd day we were running the hot water and noticed it was warm, not hot. Eventually after draining the tank of the hot water, there was none. Tank was filling but not heating. Tried everything, electric, propane, both. Nothing

One of the cabinet lights over the table in the front would not turn off when the door was closed - they are magnetic switches. Called Airstream to see if there was a way to control those lights other than magnetic switch - no there isn't. Airstream advised cutting the wire so battery would not drain.

I have to admit I was a little concerned about the quality of my new trailer. Called the dealer (Southland RV - Atlanta) where we bought it on the drive back and asked if I could bring it in on Saturday. We had already planned a family event in Charleston, SC the following Wednesday so I wanted at least some hot water. Southland RV Service was fantastic.
They were able to fix everything in time for me to pick it up on Tuesday and also added an EZ Start on one of the AC units.

Awning - they were own the phone with Zip Dee for hours with no luck. They found some wiring issues and ended up extending manually and retracted it to get the system to obtain the correct status.

Water Heater - replaced the control board.

Light - replaced the bad magnetic switch.

We got back yesterday from our 5 day second outing to Mt. Pleasant SC KOA (nice campground). I'm glad to report everything worked perfect, especially in the 90+ degree weather. Sure glad I got two AC units.

I'm very pleased with our purchase and understand issues will occur. I see in the forums and other reports the control boards on the new water heaters seemed to be an issue. I wish there would be some sort of recall process if they suspected a bad batch of control boards and recommend replacements. I did send Airstream Headquarters an email of my concerns - no response.

Again - I can't thank Southland RV enough for their quick response to the issues, definitely recommend them. Can't wait for our next outing.

Hi garypilot55,

Congratulations on your new Airstream! We're very sorry to learn about the issues you were having but we are very happy to hear that you were taken care of by Southland RV. Please don't ever hesitate to contact us if need any assistance.

You can also reach Airstream Customer Service and Technical Support at customer_support@airstream.com

Thank you.

[gene3]

Originally Posted by garypilot55

We were excited about our first trip after a very thorough check-out of the trailer. As I sad before we elected Top of Georgia because of the proximity to us and the wonderful people there.

After a short 1.5 hour drive we arrived at Top of Georgia with no issues. Everything worked great on the first day, then things went downhill fast. When we were in the pre-purchase phase I was adamant about NOT wanting an electric awning after reading all the horror stories online. Airstream elected to make the new 2019 models mandatory with automatic electric awnings (bad decision in my opinion) so we were stuck. As luck would have it, it broke on the very first trip. I extended it, closed it when we left for the day and then attempted to open the next day - no luck. The status display panel was showing it was still open even though it appeared closed. I followed the instructions to attempt to correct, no luck. Called Zip Dee directly - couldn't help and said it needed to go back to the dealer. Added to the list of repair items.

First night we had hot water with no problem. 2nd day we were running the hot water and noticed it was warm, not hot. Eventually after draining the tank of the hot water, there was none. Tank was filling but not heating. Tried everything, electric, propane, both. Nothing

One of the cabinet lights over the table in the front would not turn off when the door was closed - they are magnetic switches. Called Airstream to see if there was a way to control those lights other than magnetic switch - no there isn't. Airstream advised cutting the wire so battery would not drain.

I have to admit I was a little concerned about the quality of my new trailer. Called the dealer (Southland RV - Atlanta) where we bought it on the drive back and asked if I could bring it in on Saturday. We had already planned a family event in Charleston, SC the following Wednesday so I wanted at least some hot water. Southland RV Service was fantastic.
They were able to fix everything in time for me to pick it up on Tuesday and also added an EZ Start on one of the AC units.

Awning - they were own the phone with Zip Dee for hours with no luck. They found some wiring issues and ended up extending manually and retracted it to get the system to obtain the correct status.

Water Heater - replaced the control board.

Light - replaced the bad magnetic switch.

We got back yesterday from our 5 day second outing to Mt. Pleasant SC KOA (nice campground). I'm glad to report everything worked perfect, especially in the 90+ degree weather. Sure glad I got two AC units.

I'm very pleased with our purchase and understand issues will occur. I see in the forums and other reports the control boards on the new water heaters seemed to be an issue. I wish there would be some sort of recall process if they suspected a bad batch of control boards and recommend replacements. I did send Airstream Headquarters an email of my concerns - no response.

Again - I can't thank Southland RV enough for their quick response to the issues, definitely recommend them. Can't wait for our next outing.

Hi Gary,
My wife and I are expecting to get our 2019 GT in late January. We are trading in our 2017 International 27FBQ. We live in San Diego and are using the dealer (Airstream, inland empire) who we bought the international from.

I wanted to find out if you have some advice on the best way to conduct the walkthrough once the GT gets to our dealer. In particular anything you learned after your walkthrough that we should be doing/checking during our walkthrough. In know that with my International I should have paid more attention to the fit and finish in the galley area.

Have you had any trouble with drawer alignment when you open or close them?

Thanks,
Gene

[nryn]

@garypilot55 I have an F-250 as well and my 2019 Globetrotter will be delivered to my dealer sometime in the next few weeks. Could you share some details on your hitch setup?

Thanks!

[brick1]

Originally Posted by nryn

@garypilot55 I have an F-250 as well and my 2019 Globetrotter will be delivered to my dealer sometime in the next few weeks. Could you share some details on your hitch setup?

Thanks!

I have a 2018 F250 diesel towing my 28 Serenity with a Fastway E4 weight distributing/sway control hitch. You will need a 6 inch drop to level the trailer, 2.5 inch shank (so you don’t have to use the 2.0 inch reducer and an 18 inch vs 12 inch extended shank so the truck tailgate can drop without hitting the jack stand. I use 6 washers, which results in one inch drop in the rear, and no rise at the front wheels.
Tows like a dream...
brick

[garypilot55]

Originally Posted by nryn

@garypilot55 I have an F-250 as well and my 2019 Globetrotter will be delivered to my dealer sometime in the next few weeks. Could you share some details on your hitch setup?

Thanks!

Sorry for the late reply. I have the Equalizer Hitch and have no issues other than I'm unable to open the tailgate when it's hitched up. I think if I turn the jack assembly 90 degrees on the trailer their would be enough clearance to lower the tailgate. I haven't found a good source to see how to do that. Dealer installed it and set everything up. It's level and tows great. Here are a couple pictures.

[garypilot55]

Originally Posted by gene3

Hi Gary,
My wife and I are expecting to get our 2019 GT in late January. We are trading in our 2017 International 27FBQ. We live in San Diego and are using the dealer (Airstream, inland empire) who we bought the international from.

I wanted to find out if you have some advice on the best way to conduct the walkthrough once the GT gets to our dealer. In particular anything you learned after your walkthrough that we should be doing/checking during our walkthrough. In know that with my International I should have paid more attention to the fit and finish in the galley area.

Have you had any trouble with drawer alignment when you open or close them?

Thanks,
Gene

Hello Gene - it would be a typical walk through with a new trailer. So far we have been on about 6 trips with our trailer and everything has been great after the first trip. Minor issues here and there but nothing major. So far all the drawers have worked okay. The bottom drawer below the sink tends to open sometimes when towing. The attention to detail is okay. If you look at other forums you can see people commenting about their experiences and comments on the new trailer. One thing that sort of bugs me is the alignment of the overhead cabinet doors when closed. They don't seal very well and you see a slight gap like they are warped. Light goes off so it's a non issue but just looks uneven.



Last couple trips I have experienced the awning not closing on the 1st try (again I hate the electronic awning and mandatory option to have it). It will close and when it's about 6-12 inches to the trailer stop completely. I have to re-open and close it again. It may take 1-2 times to get it closed. I'd cycle through opening and closing the awning a couple times at the dealer.



We are headed to Florida next week and then on a 10 day trip to Texas in January, our longest.


Hope this helps.

[HHPJ]

Originally Posted by gene3

Hi Gary,
My wife and I are expecting to get our 2019 GT in late January. We are trading in our 2017 International 27FBQ. We live in San Diego and are using the dealer (Airstream, inland empire) who we bought the international from.

I wanted to find out if you have some advice on the best way to conduct the walkthrough once the GT gets to our dealer. In particular anything you learned after your walkthrough that we should be doing/checking during our walkthrough. In know that with my International I should have paid more attention to the fit and finish in the galley area.

Have you had any trouble with drawer alignment when you open or close them?

Thanks,
Gene

My advice is to spend the night at the dealership, working and using everything over and over again.

[brick1]

Originally Posted by garypilot55

Sorry for the late reply. I have the Equalizer Hitch and have no issues other than I'm unable to open the tailgate when it's hitched up. I think if I turn the jack assembly 90 degrees on the trailer their would be enough clearance to lower the tailgate. I haven't found a good source to see how to do that. Dealer installed it and set everything up. It's level and tows great. Here are a couple pictures.

Gary - I had the same issue with the tailgate hitting the jack stand. I replaced the shank with a 2.5 inch ( to eliminate the 2.5 - 2.0 reducer) and 18 inch extension. Lift gate clears. New shank came from Mikes Trailer Hitch, just south of ATL in Riverdale. They even bolted it up for me.
brick

[nryn]

@gary—thank you. I’ve been leaning towards the Equalizer in the interest of keeping things simple, even though the ProPride is on my order sheet.

@brick—that’s awesome advice. Getting the liftgate open is essential for us. I’ll bring this to my dealer on Monday.

Originally Posted by brick1

Gary - I had the same issue with the tailgate hitting the jack stand. I replaced the shank with a 2.5 inch ( to eliminate the 2.5 - 2.0 reducer) and 18 inch extension. Lift gate clears. New shank came from Mikes Trailer Hitch, just south of ATL in Riverdale. They even bolted it up for me.

brick

[brick1]

Originally Posted by nryn

@gary—thank you. I’ve been leaning towards the Equalizer in the interest of keeping things simple, even though the ProPride is on my order sheet.

@brick—that’s awesome advice. Getting the liftgate open is essential for us. I’ll bring this to my dealer on Monday.

It was not easy to find a 2.5 inch shank, 6 inch drop with 18 inch (15 inch to pin hole) length.
brick

[WaLee]

Originally Posted by nryn

@gary—thank you. I’ve been leaning towards the Equalizer in the interest of keeping things simple, even though the ProPride is on my order sheet.

@brick—that’s awesome advice. Getting the liftgate open is essential for us. I’ll bring this to my dealer on Monday.

Once you get the hang of the Propride it’s really an easy hitch. To me it is worth the expense.

[DMT]

Originally Posted by garypilot55

Sorry for the late reply. I have the Equalizer Hitch and have no issues other than I'm unable to open the tailgate when it's hitched up. I think if I turn the jack assembly 90 degrees on the trailer their would be enough clearance to lower the tailgate. I haven't found a good source to see how to do that. Dealer installed it and set everything up. It's level and tows great. Here are a couple pictures.

Loosen the set screws and rotate the head unit 90 degrees. That’s what most people do when faced with that problem. It’s what I did. There is no need to unbolt and rotate the entire jack assembly. Simple, and takes less than five minutes.

Don

[subfan1]

Originally Posted by garypilot55

Hello Gene - it would be a typical walk through with a new trailer. So far we have been on about 6 trips with our trailer and everything has been great after the first trip. Minor issues here and there but nothing major. So far all the drawers have worked okay. The bottom drawer below the sink tends to open sometimes when towing. The attention to detail is okay. If you look at other forums you can see people commenting about their experiences and comments on the new trailer. One thing that sort of bugs me is the alignment of the overhead cabinet doors when closed. They don't seal very well and you see a slight gap like they are warped. Light goes off so it's a non issue but just looks uneven.



Last couple trips I have experienced the awning not closing on the 1st try (again I hate the electronic awning and mandatory option to have it). It will close and when it's about 6-12 inches to the trailer stop completely. I have to re-open and close it again. It may take 1-2 times to get it closed. I'd cycle through opening and closing the awning a couple times at the dealer.



We are headed to Florida next week and then on a 10 day trip to Texas in January, our longest.


Hope this helps.

Regarding the electric awning. Ours did the same thing and I searched here and then confirmed in the awnings owners manual; whenever power is removed from the control panel ie: turn power switch off, you must press the “close” button before opening the awning.
Apparently the control electronics are not very smart. I tried this on our unit with success.

[Lhenry83]

Just picked up my 2019 “Globetrotter- 27FB” and pull it with my F350 6.7 Diesel. I went ahead and purchased the Equalizer e4 hitch w/sway bar.