Proud Owner of Safari 2004

[AirHog]

Hopefully on 4-2-04 we will be becoming a first time owner of a 25 ft Safari SS 2004. We can't wait to join the club of AS owners. We have been reading all of your wonderful posts. We would appreciate any last minute advice of things to look for, while we are getting the 2c tour of the unit by the dealer .

[thenewkid64]

Welcome to the forum and to the swelling number of Airstream owners!

Been quite a while since I went thought a dealer PDI, but one of the things that struck me as a good idea from the forum was to video tape it if you have the ability. That way you don't have to try to remember whether the rep said black tank then gray tank, or the other way around

[MarkE]

Hi, Welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll learn all kinds of Airetream 'stuff' here.
The best advice I can give re: PDI is to ask questions; ask any questions; ask all questions; and then ask more questions.
I find that as I ask questions about things I'm unsure of...I find other areas of trailer use and care that I also need to ask about.
Congrat's on your new Airstream and enjoy it

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by Titu & Gail Ahmed

Hopefully on 4-2-04 we will be becoming a first time owner of a 25 ft Safari SS 2004. We can't wait to join the club of AS owners. We have been reading all of your wonderful posts. We would appreciate any last minute advice of things to look for, while we are getting the 2c tour of the unit by the dealer .

Congrats to both of you~!!
Outstanding news~ and , welcome to the Region 1, WBCCI. Hopefully, we'll see you at some of the future camping activities~
I second the recommendation about making a video tape of your PDI.
Make sure to ask that, they show you where things are located like the water pump, fuse box, how to turn on and off all of the appliances~ raise and lower the TV ant. etc. Ask them to show you how to open the dinette table, couch, and awning. All of these things that, you'll be doing later on your own. Also, I'm thinking you'll need to get a sewer hose as well before you leave the lot. (With the special fitting that only seems to work on A/S)
Make sure you have all of those things and, that they show you which valve to open first. Heck, while you're at it, ask them to show you how to winterize the unit, so that when fall comes you'll have some understanding of the procedures. The main thing is to ask, ask questions.
Will they help you with the setup your tow vehicle??
All in all, you might expect to spend at least several hours..

ciao
53FC

[RivetED]

Congrats!! There is going to be a lot to take in, especially if this is your 1st RV . This is our 3rd RV & we have found the local WBCCI unit & this forum to be an excellent source for info on our new Safari & RVing in general. There have been some infancy problems & A/S has been right there, the 2 yr. warranty is a definite plus. I would just be sure to check for any scratchs, blems, etc. (in & out) before taking it off the lot, IMHO it'll be difficult to make a case afterwards. I even checked the roof!

See you down the road...

[Silvertwinkie]

Having just upgraded from our '03 Bambi to our new '04 Safari, I will say that there were fewer issues in the '04. We still, even after having the Safari SS now for about 90 days, are still in awe at how well this one was constructed.

A few tips I would look for is the interior window trim. I'd also look to make sure all the valances don't have any tears in them. Make sure that the credenza secures properly. Open all the drawer, cabinets, windows, vents, etc. Test the stove and oven. In doing these, we found 1 or 2 very small things that were easily fixed by the dealer. Truth be know, I am a bit particular, so when I say some of the things were small, most folks might not even notice.

Remember to post some pics so we can see yours....you can see ours and a tour of the factory at www.silvertwinkie.org

Eric

[Big Dee]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Having just upgraded from our '03 Bambi to our new '04 Safari, I will say that there were fewer issues in the '04. We still, even after having the Safari SS now for about 90 days, are still in awe at how well this one was constructed.

I absolutely would say the same thing about my '04. I have been staying in it since since I picked it up six weeks ago. Still have not found ONE quality problem. Twink said it perfectly, I am in awe!

My advice would be to take your new trailer out for a shakedown trip right away that's more than a weekend. I only feel like I've really tested everything if it's been a week or so. Then you can return to the dealer to get it all fixed so everything is perfect for the first big trip. And that's IF you need to get anything fixed!

[luckydc]

Just picked up my 2004 Bambi LS this week so I know how you feel! Happy camping!!

[Hugh & Nita]

We picked our 2004 Safari AB up in Louisiana last week and went through a quick tour before bringing it back to Pensacola (350miles). I cannot get the water heater to light and don't remember going over the info anyway. I've done what the book says but no luck. If you don't mind, let me know the exact steps you were told to take in lighting it. Hugh

[thenewkid64]

Originally Posted by Hugh & Nita

I cannot get the water heater to light and don't remember going over the info anyway.

If you have a standard pilot light based water heater there is a trick if the gas has been off. Be sure the gas is on first.

You will need a butane stick lighter to do this.

Open the door to the water heater.

Be sure thermostat is at the mid point of the range (lever in back of the thermostat.

Turn the blue knob to pilot and hold it there. Light the lighter and insert it under the thermocouple and pilot tube. The Pilot tube is the itty bitt tube that ends in the lower opening of the heater, the thermocouple is directly above the pilot tube. Keep the butane lighter lit with the flame under the thermocouple, and hold the knob for 15-20 seconds.

Once the allotted time has passed, while still maintaining the lit lighter, turn the knob to the on position. You will hear the gas line open and the heater should light.

DO NOT DO THIS WITH A REGULAR LIGHTER OR YOU COULD INJURE YOURSELF

The reason for needing to do this is that the LP gas being shut off and a valve somewhere on the coach being opened ( most likely the stove) allowed air in the line. The pilot output is so small and it is at the end of the line that you could be there all day.

Once you have lit it this way, then you can shut it off, and relight just the pilot. You will still need to hold the knob for 20 seconds with the pilot lit and then you can go back to the on position. I would do this just to check the operation of the pilot function.

Close the door to the water heater. Your done.

BTW Welcome to the forum!

[AirHog]

Thanks to everyone for the delivery tips. Everything went well, when we picked up "Daisy" from Marty's USRV on April 2. I can't stress more what wonderful sales personal Marty's has. The walk thru was very helpful, Eric demonstrated everything in full detail, and we are now in awe of our new purchase. The neighbors keep stopping over to check out our girl.

Anybody interested in the New England area to purchase a new or used AS, here is Marty's address and #. We highly recommend them. The dealer mentioned that 3 more Safari 25 ft. were coming in and one was purchased from RI, would love to hear from you.

Marty's USRV
71 County St. Cors.
Rt 140 & 79
Berkley, MA 02779