Atlas 2022 body cracks

[Tim Clinton]

Hello,
Is anyone experiencing cracking on the Atlas 2022. It has been back into the factory twice to repair cracks in the body. The cracks are located where the roof meets the rear quarter panels. Just received it back, drove less than 200 miles and the cracks returned. I think they just add Bondo and paint without out addressing the structural reason for the cracks. Every time it goes to Ohio I loose 6 weeks of prime time camping.

[Streamside]

Originally Posted by Tim Clinton

Hello,
Is anyone experiencing cracking on the Atlas 2022. It has been back into the factory twice to repair cracks in the body. The cracks are located where the roof meets the rear quarter panels. Just received it back, drove less than 200 miles and the cracks returned. I think they just add Bondo and paint without out addressing the structural reason for the cracks. Every time it goes to Ohio I loose 6 weeks of prime time camping.

Plenty of folks on the airstream Facebook site.

[Cathanne1]

Hi Tim,

2022-Airstream Atlas, Murphy Suite

Yes, I have just noticed CRACKS on rear, right and left upper sides just below
roof, where factory drilled brackets run parallel. The brackets are for placement of the awnings.
The cracks were not there in 6/24. I wash the unit myself using an eight foot
ladder so that have I a good view of all components on the roof. No cracks appeared in June.
My last trip to the factory was January, 2024. The factory made proper
repairs to issues that two dealerships were incapable of completing.
The trip took five days due to the blizzard but the Sprinter performed very
well.
Thank you for sharing your information.
Catherine

[Tim Clinton]

Hi Catherine,
Airstream just picked up the Atlas in Maine for the third trip to Ohio. The cracks have returned. I have had a lot of issues with the Atlas, Airstream has addressed most of them. I just wish they had done a better job at the factory with quality control. It has spent too much time in the shop.

Thank you for your reply.
Tim

[Tim Clinton]

You are not going to believe this, but the Atlas was returned after the third paint job to address the body cracks. The cracks came back after driving a couple hundred miles. I sent Airstream the photos and they would like me to send it back to Ohio to be painted for the 4th time for the exact same problem. I sent them prior emails suggesting it's a structural issue that needs to be addressed. But they insist just needs another paint job. Every time they have it for 2-months, this will be 8 months shop time just for the body repairs. There are other times in the shop for mechanical issues not included in the 8-months. Oh Boy!

There was positive result for the last time it was in the shop for 2-months, they figured out why the batteries were draining. If you camped overnight without shore power in the morning all systems were dead. I had to either start the vehicle or the generator to recharge the system. I spent (wasted) 2K on new batteries only to realize that the electrical system was wired incorrectly drawing down the batteries overnight.

[InterBlog]

I don’t have an Atlas but wanted to offer my condolences at how frustrating this is for you.

FWIW, I have an 18-year-old Interstate which is prone to minor cracking where the original van sheet metal has undergone certain roof connections and penetrations. Maintaining those trouble spots has become the ultimate game of whack-a-mole for me. Several times a year, I have to strip off sealant and re-do it because the smallest crack propagating through the Sikaflex will allow water penetration. My only practical recourse is to use a sealant that’s both strong and flexible so that when the van body flexes, maybe the sealant can stretch instead of breaking.

I expect age-related hassles in a van as old as mine is, but it sucks to see it on a new build. In your case, it does sound like it could be a structural issue, like perhaps some frame joinery was not bolted tightly enough to prevent shifting.

[KAGRIFFIN]

We have a 2022 Atlas that has been in the shop more than it’s been on the road. We have notice many body/roof cracks. One of our roof cracks allowed for rain to seep inside and ruined the cedar closet linings which we had to argue with AS to get fixed. They finally fixed it at a dealership but did a crappy job. Same dealership did fix body cracks and repainted which was good but now we have discovered more.

It’s very unfortunate for all Atlas owners who dished out at lot of $$$$ to have to deal with such incompetence in their manufacturing, support and customer service.

[Lily&Me]

How. Frustrating.

Airstream should be ashamed.

Maggie

[Mary Van]

Originally Posted by Tim Clinton

You are not going to believe this, but the Atlas was returned after the third paint job to address the body cracks. The cracks came back after driving a couple hundred miles. I sent Airstream the photos and they would like me to send it back to Ohio to be painted for the 4th time for the exact same problem. I sent them prior emails suggesting it's a structural issue that needs to be addressed. But they insist just needs another paint job. Every time they have it for 2-months, this will be 8 months shop time just for the body repairs. There are other times in the shop for mechanical issues not included in the 8-months. Oh Boy!

There was positive result for the last time it was in the shop for 2-months, they figured out why the batteries were draining. If you camped overnight without shore power in the morning all systems were dead. I had to either start the vehicle or the generator to recharge the system. I spent (wasted) 2K on new batteries only to realize that the electrical system was wired incorrectly drawing down the batteries overnight.

Hello Tim. I had the same issues with my 2019 atlas Airstream. It was in the shop two different times and after each repair, it cracked again.

Over a year ago, I took it to a boat/sports car fiberglass shop. They repaired it and I haven’t had an issue since.

If you want to send me an email, I forward you their information. They are located just outside Dallas, Texas, but they may be able to share how they fixed it with your local repair shop. Mary@demaurcosmetics.com