More $%#^$ Leaks - 2008 Safari Sport 22

[nesvt]

Hey, I'm back again. Been a year since purchase and I still haven't had a single trip without problems.
2008 Safari Sport 22 foot, purchased last year new from leftover inventory, still have a year left on the warranty.

Mentioned a window leak and other things in this thread.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...let-91308.html

It was at a certified service center earlier this year. They did a great job. My list was VERY long. One of the things on the list regarded water dripping outside of the trailer, under the shower area, whenever I used the shower. They were not able to reproduce the problem. Well, the first shower I took, the water is dripping outside again. I'm thinking it needs the weight of a person in the shower to cause the drip? Maybe? Took a shower the second day. Puddle is getting larger. Don't want to get in trouble at the campground, so on day 3, I decided to use the campground shower. Step outside and land in water. But, I didn't use the shower that morning and it has more water than the day before. Confused. Appears to be dripping in three places at the rear of the trailer, curb side. It may be one leak and water is just coming out in three places. Oh wait, there another puddle on the street side. Awesome. And what's that small wet spot? Oh, it's leaking at the black tank sensor too.

Where is the water coming from for the large leak? I took a few pictures. I was thinking shower drain, but I didn't shower on day 3 and it is leaking worse. Maybe it's the gray tank after it reaches a certain level? Maybe it's part of the city water line? Totally confused and frustrated. I shut off the water supply and drained the gray tank (which was probably 1/8 full).

I can't go back to NJ. Cost too much in vacation time, gas, campground fees for overnight stays during drop off and pick up. Might try the new place in MA.

Another thing on the list was to re-calibrate the gray sensor. Now the gray tank doesn't even appear on the monitor panel. It jumps from fresh, black, and battery. No gray.

Norm

[Bigventure]

In image two it looks like dew running down the side. Between the 110 outlet and the step light.
The gray tank could be cracked. I've heard of this before.

[nesvt]

The discolored area in image two on the outside of the trailer is just dirt/grime. I live on a dirt road. It's from the drip cap track over the entrance door. The leaks are underneath and several inches from the edge of the trailer.
Cracked gray tank would make sense.

[mutcth]

I guess you need to weigh the value of getting repairs done under warranty vs. the costs of a trip down to Colonial. If you're willing to pay for the fixes, you could take it to Colin Hyde up in Peru NY (near Plattsburgh). Then again, paying for a new gray tank yourself (if that's the cause) would be bad.

I haven't used the new dealer in Mass (our local dealer shut down 3 years ago) but am curious how good their shop is.

It's very possible that you're leaking at one of the crimp connections on the tank. My fresh water tank is doing that...

Tom

[nesvt]

Woops. The dirt on the outside is from the awning and support rods. It needs a wash.
I've heard nothing but excellent things about Colin Hyde, but if it's covered under warranty, I'd like to avoid taking money out of my near empty pockets. I'll be about 15 miles from the place in MA tomorrow because of work. Seems like good timing, if they'll take it in.

Norm

[dkottum]

Call Airstream customer service and explain your situation. They may authorize Colin Hyde to do the warranty work.

doug k

[nesvt]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Call Airstream customer service and explain your situation. They may authorize Colin Hyde to do the warranty work.

doug k

I tried that with the window leak I had earlier this year. The guy is an expert, has references a mile long, has extremely reasonable rates, and is the closest place to home. But, they told me it had to go to an authorized service center for any warranty repairs.

[nesvt]

Appointment made for MA tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Rabbit's foot rubbed. Avoiding black cats.

[nesvt]

Here is an update.
AIRSTREAM SUCKS

How was that? This unit has spent more time with problems than without them. It was supposed to be a NEW trailer. New my arse.

I had to take vacation time to bring it in for repairs the first time. Paid for too much gas. Had to pay for two nights at a campground (drop off/pick up). A few tolls. A few meals. Cancelled camping trips because it was in the shop so long. Actually rented a friggin trailer one weekend so my family would not kill me. I work 60+ hours a week on salary. My free time is valuable to me. Back in shop again last Friday. I am in Vermont. Dropped it off in MA. We have already had three frosts. It is cold at night. Apparently I made an unreasonable request. I asked Airstream to pay for the winterizing while it was being repaired in MA. Estimated cost at $135. My request was denied. They think the repairs should be done this week. Do they know what the problem is yet? No. How can they estimate it will be done this week? I'm out between $1500 and $2000 and they can't handle $135? Outstanding.

End of angry rant.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by nesvt

Here is an update.
AIRSTREAM SUCKS

How was that? This unit has spent more time with problems than without them. It was supposed to be a NEW trailer. New my arse.

I had to take vacation time to bring it in for repairs the first time. Paid for too much gas. Had to pay for two nights at a campground (drop off/pick up). A few tolls. A few meals. Cancelled camping trips because it was in the shop so long. Actually rented a friggin trailer one weekend so my family would not kill me. I work 60+ hours a week on salary. My free time is valuable to me. Back in shop again last Friday. I am in Vermont. Dropped it off in MA. We have already had three frosts. It is cold at night. Apparently I made an unreasonable request. I asked Airstream to pay for the winterizing while it was being repaired in MA. Estimated cost at $135. My request was denied. They think the repairs should be done this week. Do they know what the problem is yet? No. How can they estimate it will be done this week? I'm out between $1500 and $2000 and they can't handle $135? Outstanding.

End of angry rant.

When you bought the trailer it was used one year with one year warranty left. There were indications of poor dealership and the dealer had gone out of Airstream business. You have been subjected to a series of poor dealer experiences since then. The used trailer was problematic when you bought it and has been ever since.

There are decent Airstream repair shops out there, although mine is also not one of them. You've got to get hooked up with someone who is capable of doing the work and who is trustworthy. Your Airstream experience would be totally different.
Maybe a one-time trip to some dealer with a decent reputation can get this thing straightened out. As for winterizing, it will always be your responsibility.

doug k

[nesvt]

doug, it was not used. It was NEW. It came with a two year warranty. I still have one year left. They are working on a leak in the plumbing system. I'll pay for the winterizing myself because it has to be done before I bring it back home, where it is cold.

[Moflash]

Your trailer looks to be almost 5 years old and it has probably sat outside on he lot and things are going to deteriorate.I assume you saved alot of money over a 2012 and a new trailer warranty instead of no warranty on a used 2008.You had to expect some issues on a hold over trailer but that is what the warranty is for.
Airstreams are like boats (a hole in the water in which you throw money).
But they are wonderful things. The people that have them learn to have patients.(I know I am one).
There is always going to be something that needs attention,but oh well.....

You have to have a since of humor.....we all do...read more of the forum

it is like owning a Lamborghini it whines all the time and its high maintenance but when its going down the road there is nothing like it!

It sounds like they are trying to get you taking care of you.

[nesvt]

I have a sense of humor. Read my other threads. Patience... I have some. Unfortunately I am also a bit naive and expected the four year old trailer to be like new. My mistake. Not to take it all out on Airstream. I believe many of the issues are due to dealer neglect.

Oddly enough, I used to have a small boat. I sold it earlier this year to pay for the unexpected costs of dealing with the Airstream repairs.

[nesvt]

I'll add something else. Airstream customer support basically told me that the trailer would be repaired by the end of this week. Because I should be able to pick it up by Friday, and the weather is warm in Ohio (???), I can winterize it myself.
Well, it won't be done by Friday. The problem has not been identified yet. Parts may have to be ordered. Whatever. I think it was just a blanket statement saying they don't pay for winterizing, which makes sense. I just thought this was an exception from the norm. With what I've already lost, the $135 won't kill me.

[Wabbiteer]

I've been saying "Gee, wouldn't it be something to be doing these upgrades and modifications on a new Airstream trailer" for the last FIVE years... Can I post scary pictures for you of truly end-stage Airstreams? Would that help?

[Phoenix]

You mentioned that you had frost on the trailer several mornings. On our Bambi, the frost melts in the early morning and drips down the sides of the trailer. Those water stains on the side of your Airstream, just above the arrow farthest to the right, could be the tracks from melting frost. If you were to catch the water and measure it, you'd be surprised how much condenses on the outside skin.

In the evening, if you tape a dry paper towel over that water path near the bottom of your trailer, you'll be able to tell for sure in the morning. I'll bet that paper towel is soaked. Of course, this only works if it isn't raining.

As for the tank sensors, we gave up on ours several years ago. One of our friends, who had the same model Bambi that we do, just spent several hundred dollars getting the sensors and wiring replaced; and one of them has stopped working again.

We boondock a lot and have tested the capacity of our gray and black water tanks; and thus have given up on using the tank monitors. The black tank is easy; take a flashlight and look down the hole after flushing. We always fill our tank to the top before dumping, and you'd be surprised how long you have to stand on the flush pedal to fill that tank. I really doubt if you have to worry much about that one.

As for the gray water tank, we have two pre-teen granddaughters that frequently travel with us. We can get two rounds of showers for the four of us out of the fresh water tank plus seven more gallons, which are added after the fresh water tank is empty. So, I don't think you have to worry about the gray water tank overflowing either. The exception is when you are in a campground with full hookups. However, this is usually not a problem, especially if you leave the gray tank draining all the time.

Note: If you have not already heard the horror stories, do NOT leave the black water tank draining all the time. I will not repeat the details here, unless you ask why.

[Moflash]

Mine was the same.A few leaks here and there.Junk skylights.Outside door that locks on its own.Unreliable tires GYM's.Noisy cheap water pump no pressure in shower.Mattress that I wouldn't even donate when new for fear of retaliation.Foam cushions that are without comfort.Shower doors that lock you in.Bathroom mirrors that fall off for no apparent reason and shatter.Filform corrosion that needs attending to regularly so it does not take over.................

But you know what? I love having my Airstream. It just took a little getting use to. Kinda like a marriage? Haha

[nesvt]

Originally Posted by Moflash

But you know what? I love having my Airstream. It just took a little getting use to. Kinda like a marriage? Haha

What a great analogy! I can relate, and I really do like the trailer. It's our first. Sometimes I just think I may have bought more than I can afford.

Some of my images may be confusing, especially with the arrows I added. There is no water dripping on the outside vertical panels. The water is leaking under the trailer when the gray tank starts filling.

The frost I mentioned is ground frost. Nothing on the trailer. Temps dropped in the area. I don't want to drive it back from MA to VT in cold weather. Wind chill will drop the temp even more and I don't want to take a chance of anything freezing.

Thanks for listening/reading and thank you all for the replies.

Dinner was good. Beer was cold. As long as I help my wife with the dishes, everything will be fine.

[Bigventure]

Nothing will freeze in the trailer. It would have to be down around 29 degrees. All the plumbing runs inside the unit. If your that worried, fire up the heater and put it at 50 degrees. The tanks have heaters as well, I think you only have to turn them on via a toggle switch.

[dkottum]

You have had a frustrating experience, done your best to make this work. It will and you and wife will have many years of enjoyment with your Airstream when the bugs are worked out. I understand the Sport models are quite basic and that will be to your advantage in the long run. We're with you hoping this repair gets things in order.

doug k