Airstream reliability

[UKDUDE]

Had my Interstate for just over a year now, and for the entire year it’s been a long standing joke with friends that I keep a running list of issues that I report to the dealer on a regular basis. There are usually half a dozen items on the list - nothing so drastic, just annoying - that I feel need to be resolved before the warranty runs out. But I’m tired of the 250 mile round trip to the dealer each time, usually leaving it with them for a few days, so the round trip becomes 500 miles.

So last weekend I collected it from the dealer - and the list was finally down to zero and I was feeling pretty elated! But on the way back home I suddenly noticed the Pyle monitor was blinking off and on. The list was back!

Then today I was flushing out the tanks, and noticed the light on one of the valve switches wouldn’t come on, although I could hear the valve was opening and it was flushing fine. So the list is back to two already!

I have friends with Roadtreks and one with a Leisure Vans Unity, and they tell me they never have any problems whatsoever. What’s wrong with Airstream that they charge more than most for their products and yet their quality control is so bad, and they appear to use cheap components.
If I had the skills to fix some of these problems myself, I probably wouldn’t mind so much, but as it stands, I feel I’ve wasted a large chunk of my retirement money and could have bought a better product for less from another company.

Does anyone else feel the same way? Would be interested in others’ opinions.

(Phew! Glad I’ve now got that off my chest!)

[Protagonist]

Their Roadtreks and Leisure Vans (or Winnebago ERAs or Great West Legends or Pleasureways, etc.) don't necessarily use better components than Airstream. A lot of the equipment is exactly the same, in fact. An Atwood water heater is an Atwood no matter what kind of van it's installed in, for example.

That said, I suspect that newer models have somewhat less quality control than older models did. As the vans became more popular, and Airstream tries to shove as many out the door in a year as possible, the number of spot-checks performed probably doesn't increase to keep pace with production. The same number of checks spread out over a larger number of units produced means more problems are potentially missed.

That's why warranties exist.

[Tomzstream]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Their Roadtreks and Leisure Vans (or Winnebago ERAs or Great West Legends or Pleasureways, etc.) don't necessarily use better components than Airstream. A lot of the equipment is exactly the same, in fact. An Atwood water heater is an Atwood no matter what kind of van it's installed in, for example.

That said, I suspect that newer models have somewhat less quality control than older models did. As the vans became more popular, and Airstream tries to shove as many out the door in a year as possible, the number of spot-checks performed probably doesn't increase to keep pace with production. The same number of checks spread out over a larger number of units produced means more problems are potentially missed.

That's why warranties exist.

And then again, maybe the others are built and tested better. The president of RT stands behind his units personally and provides assistance to owners through their FB page. Obviously he is more in tune with maintenance and repairs and most likely this translates into better Quality Control and product selection. I not only appreciate this I also appreciate spending tens of thousands less I paid for my Sprinter based RT van. So far our 2014 is living up to our expectations. I do believe RT is more transparent and receptive to owner issues. Oh and BTW, I have an Alde hydronic hot water / cabin heating system and LOVE it.

The more I read about the issues with the trailers, the less I want to remain an AS owner. The cache is meaningless if the product is substandard. The most recent issues with corrosion and rotting floors leaves me really regretting what will ultimately be a maintenance nightmare. Folks are running from Thor products for good reasons it seems.

[Tomzstream]

And did I mention that RT's have a five year warranty. They really do stand behind their product, maybe because it IS built better.

[scamp]

I have owned a 1976 boler trailer , 1998 scamp trailer, 1997Coleman ,( bought it used )and a 2012 airstream ,out of all of them ,the best for quality was the boler then the Coleman and then the scamp and in last place the airstream it was the shortest time I owned a trailer ( airstream) I got rid of it after two years it had way too many problems , it's a shame they don't make a better product it was also the most expensive trailer I owned.

[c21]

My experiance has been just the opposite. I have owned a series of rv's including 3 trailers, two class "A" motorhomes, a class "B+" motorhome and now the AI. Every previous motorhome came new from the factory with a punchlist of a half dozen or so things that needed fixing and many items required two trips to the dealer for correction and I item required a trip to the manufacturer. On the other hand, I have not had any issues with the AI. Granted I only have 2500 miles after a year of ownership and hopefully my good fortune continues. I did make several improvements to the coach but no repairs other than the Propane Regulator recall. I will be using it for two trips totaling 1400 miles next month and 7,500 miles in Sept and Oct.

[Denis4x4]

I purchased a Leisure Van Unity TB last fall and after half a dozen trips and 8,000 miles, I have had zero defects! This is the first brand new RV that hasn't been back to the dealer with a punch list. Can't say the same for my Safari. The Unity is made in Canada by Mennonites and the workmanship as well as the fit and finish is far superior to the AI. As a side note, I also have a 1985 Avion and it too is better built than the Safari.

[Airslide]

Don't get too excited about the Roadtrek product. We have partnered with them at our Mercedes-Benz dealership. They have problems just like everyone else. From latches to knobs and more cheap hardware throughout... Many of the appliances are the same as Airstream but I find the fit and finish is better with Airstream.

[David M]

UKDUDE, did you see my post on how I fixed my intermittent Pyle Monitor problem from a few weeks ago? I tied the connector into a knot. The connector is located in the overhead map light cluster.

[ckerrick]

My wife an I purchased a new 25' International Series travel trailer a year ago. We've been back to the dealership for warranty work after each trip we've taken. The refrigerator hasn't worked properly from day 1; we've just gotten the trailer back after an 8 day evaluation and repair and we're hoping like heck the refrigerator will stay cold now. It hasn't been able to stay cold for more than a day or two when running on propane so we lost food and have had a lot of frustration. It's a shame to spend that kind of money and not have a basic component work. Also have had problems with the shower door falling off the frame, although that's been fixed by the supplier and seems to be holding up now. We've had continual problems but keep hoping that we'll get past all this and experience some trouble free trips.

Have others had significant problems with 2013 models?

2013 International Signature Series
2008 Silverado HD2500 Diesel 4x4

[Boxster1971]

From the talk I've seen around various RV forums and discussion groups the entire RV industry suffers from quality problems. My 2013 Interstate has had a few minor problems, all covered by warranty. Luckily I'm able to do most repairs myself, saving trips back to dealers. With all the quality issues in RVs they become a DIY project like owning a boat.

[polarlyse]

Seems to justify the rationale to buy several years used. Let the previous owner deal with all the issues and have them repaired by the time I get it. Bought our 11 years old, like new and no problems to deal with. Life with our Airstream is good. Er, so far.

[Dungrace]

I feel you UKdude. I bought mine brand new in late April and now it is in the shop for almost 3 weeks. My one month payment is almost wasted and the dealership still hasn't received any parts from Airstream. I thought Airstream quality was better than the competitors, but I'm wrong. I wish I could just go back to the dealership and return it.

[mayco]

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f483...ry-121405.html

But didnt ya'll watch this video and see the thread?.

[featherbedder]

I have had AS since 1963 still do as for problems they are numerous. I call them trash cans for 2 reasons, they look like 1 & other is obvious. Die hard owners do not like it because I call them that but after 6 AS I have a opinion of them plus failure to notify me of a life threat recall for furnace that several people died from. Original pur. 1976 AS that I still own, in my opinion this failure borders on criminal.

[Bikerbill]

I too am lucky that I have a full garage and the ability to do much of the work on my AI that I do. Keep one thing in mind when you think about AIRSTREAM. It ain't the old Airstream Company that Wally started. Its now part of Thor Industries. Got some data from Wikipedia: started in 1980 when 2 guys bought out Airstream. Wend public in 1986. largest RV manufacturer with 9RV lines, 2 Motorized RV lines and several bus manufacturers. Presently 8300 employees, 2ales in 2008 $2.3BIL. And this is the scary part, employees receive incentives based on productivity." Yup, push them out and get paid more.

We could not close the bathroom door. My dealer is 2.5 hr away. Phone calls with them and the factory and I discovered the factory installed the door latch backwards. Why take it to the dealer? Fixed it myself. Found from new that the kitchen spigot leaked at the gooseneck due to a twisted rubber gasket. Yes I could have gone to Lowes and got a gasket but I asked them to get me one. Can't happen that way. Its too easy. Instead the factory sent a whole new spigot to the dealer. He wanted me to drive down to have them "replace" the spigot. I said all I need is the gasket. Send me the gasket. Nope, they sent the whole spigot. Didn't want it back to the factory. Told me to keep it. Yup. Bought a new gasket at Lowes and kept the whole spigot. That's the way to make money for Thor.

Stepped on the driver door running board and it twisted probably because I'm a big guy. Looked it over. Removed the brackets and improved them structurally in my garage, for both sides. If I would have taken it to the dealer, they would have kept it until the factory sent them new brackets and the first time I would have stepped on them they would have broken. We redesigned and took pictures and sent them to the factory. They still have not made any change in the way they are built.

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by David M

UKDUDE, did you see my post on how I fixed my intermittent Pyle Monitor problem from a few weeks ago? I tied the connector into a knot. The connector is located in the overhead map light cluster.

Thank you DavidM, I did see the post. As I mentioned above, I'm not that handy but I see this as something I ought to be able to do myself - and will.

[Isuzusweet]

I had no illusions of quality when I bought my 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel a year and a half ago. It was sold to me as the Caddilac of RV's.

If I remember correctly, Caddilac in the early 80's designed by bean counters and built by unions had just released the Cimmaron, which was a tarted up Chevy Celebrity or Cavalier. The Caddy V8 sported the hideous V8-6-4 cylinder deactivation hardware. The Seville looked like a hatchback with a wart and Caddilac quality and service were questionable at best, horrific at worst. I don't think anything has changed with GM and Caddilac today, let alone Airstream.

All I can say is that in my efforts to pull apart and fix the problems as they have cropped up, I have become much more aware of my motorhome and its secrets. This has me feeling far more comfortable about taking it on far flung journeys as I do know what how all the systems in my motorhome work and what's the culprit if something breaks.

It is what it is. Don't fall for the Airstream quality myth.

Cheers
Tony

PS The only saving grace is the Japanese built diesel, the bulletproof 475 transmission and the Dana 70HD rear end. Everything else is so-so.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

I had no illusions of quality when I bought my 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel a year and a half ago. It was sold to me as the Caddilac of RV's.

It is what it is. Don't fall for the Airstream quality myth.

Depends on how you define quality. If you mean 100% trouble-free for as long as you own it, you're on the wrong planet, 'cause on this planet there ain't no such thing.

But consider… is there any OTHER brand of motorhome where you could reasonably expect to buy a 1983 model that's even in repairable— let alone usable— condition? Say what you want about Airstreams— you own one, so you're entitled to say what you want about it. But what they lack in quality they make up for in staying power.

Rather than being the Cadillac of motorhomes, maybe it's the Willys Jeep of motorhomes?

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Depends on how you define quality. If you mean 100% trouble-free for as long as you own it, you're on the wrong planet, 'cause on this planet there ain't no such thing.

But consider… is there any OTHER brand of motorhome where you could reasonably expect to buy a 1983 model that's even in repairable— let alone usable— condition? Say what you want about Airstreams— you own one, so you're entitled to say what you want about it. But what they lack in quality they make up for in staying power.

Rather than being the Cadillac of motorhomes, maybe it's the Willys Jeep of motorhomes?

Please don't take my post the wrong way but the OP was questioning quality and reliability, not durabilty.

You're right about why I bought an Airstream Classic motorhome as it just may outlast me but I'm pretty sure the modern Airstream motorhomes will not last as long as mine. That being said, quality wasn't exactly a watch word in early 80's American manufacturing.

Funny you should mention Willys as I also own Toyota Landcruisers…..again built like the proverbial sh!t brick houses, but also like a sh!t brick house, you don't tend to pay attention to detail or use the finest materials when building them.

Cheers
Tony

PS…One D, two L's…have to remember that, oneD, two L's….sorry Cadillac.