Tomorrow Begins My Journey

[Tobbun]

The one sound i couldn’t figure out until I think Wachuko brought it up was the Nav system when it didn’t have some data for the road I just turned onto...

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Tobbun

The one sound i couldn’t figure out until I think Wachuko brought it up was the Nav system when it didn’t have some data for the road I just turned onto...

+1 - I believe WACHUKO was one of the first that discovered this. If you end up on a road that does not have RV related data (i.e. private or remote road) or as I discovered just recently, a 5-ton limit road, it will beep. It's hard to catch at times, unless your screen is in full NAV display and you looked immediately when it beeps.

[Boom23]

Originally Posted by eyechip

Update from Missouri and into Colorado today.

Well, now I know why a few thought I was crazy to embark on such an ambitious four week journey right out of the gate as a noob.

So, the day I was leaving I noticed the fridge was out. I called the dealer and they had me first pull out to make sure the lines were connected. They were (at least I learned the screw points and how to pull out a fridge on a 90 degree day.

With that I decided myself to check the fuses. Sure enough the fuse was red. I tapped it and perfect...it worked (A friend and I even pulled out each fuse and checked them and all showed fine on the meter). Well, for a day. The next day (yesterday) it stopped again. I went to check and do the tap and it came back on. Last night I finished driving around 9PM and it was off again. This time a tap did nothing. This is clearly much more and I am now traveling without any food, lost what I did have, and it's Sunday. I emailed the dealer to see what kind of support I can get. We will see.



Honestly, other than those things (and the non-functioning speakers) everything else is fine. It's a lot to handle being alone with these hiccups/teething pains but I am determined to stay positive.

Remove and replace the refrigerator fuse. One of the fuse legs was on the outside of the female fuse holder. After I inserted the fuse correctly, it has not tripped since.

[coasttocoast]

I use WAZE for navigation, and my GPS as an additional map. WAZE works in real time. If you use WAZE, you won't go back to using your GPS.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Boom23

Remove and replace the refrigerator fuse. One of the fuse legs was on the outside of the female fuse holder. After I inserted the fuse correctly, it has not tripped since.

Hi

Fuse = gizmo with wire in it, blows out and you throw it away

Breaker = gizmo that goes "click" ( = it trips) and you reset it

Both keep your circuit in the "off" condition when something unexpected happens.

Bob

[womenfly]

about the Vegas dealership...I pulled in there to have some warranty work covered, they charged $2500.00 to get it back out and said I had to take the warranty claim to my dealership in Albuquerque. Albuquerque Mercedes passed the buck as well. I am still out the $2500.00. Make sure it is in writing BEFORE the work is done, don't take their word for it. Enjoy your rig!

[steverino]

Originally Posted by k quisenberr

about the Vegas dealership...I pulled in there to have some warranty work covered, they charged $2500.00 to get it back out and said I had to take the warranty claim to my dealership in Albuquerque. Albuquerque Mercedes passed the buck as well. I am still out the $2500.00. Make sure it is in writing BEFORE the work is done, don't take their word for it. Enjoy your rig!

If you haven’t already, report them to Airstream Corporate. They are an Airstream dealer - charging you for warranty service and expecting you to deal with the claim is not acceptable. This is made worse by not informing you beforehand about expected costs.

Being the closest dealer to my home, I had considered them for warranty service needs. But not if this is how they treat customers.

[AirstreamInc]

Originally Posted by eyechip

Update from Missouri and into Colorado today.

Well, now I know why a few thought I was crazy to embark on such an ambitious four week journey right out of the gate as a noob.

So, the day I was leaving I noticed the fridge was out. I called the dealer and they had me first pull out to make sure the lines were connected. They were (at least I learned the screw points and how to pull out a fridge on a 90 degree day.

With that I decided myself to check the fuses. Sure enough the fuse was red. I tapped it and perfect...it worked (A friend and I even pulled out each fuse and checked them and all showed fine on the meter). Well, for a day. The next day (yesterday) it stopped again. I went to check and do the tap and it came back on. Last night I finished driving around 9PM and it was off again. This time a tap did nothing. This is clearly much more and I am now traveling without any food, lost what I did have, and it's Sunday. I emailed the dealer to see what kind of support I can get. We will see.



Honestly, other than those things (and the non-functioning speakers) everything else is fine. It's a lot to handle being alone with these hiccups/teething pains but I am determined to stay positive.

Hi eyechip,

Congratulations on your new Airstream! We're very sorry to learn about the issues you are having. We know that you are taking it into the dealership, but if you need any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to send us a direct message with your contact information and the last 6 digits of your VIN so we can share it with our Customer Service and Technical Support team. We look forward to helping you get this resolved.

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

Thank you.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by steverino

If you haven’t already, report them to Airstream Corporate. They are an Airstream dealer - charging you for warranty service and expecting you to deal with the claim is not acceptable. This is made worse by not informing you beforehand about expected costs.

Being the closest dealer to my home, I had considered them for warranty service needs. But not if this is how they treat customers.

Hi

They are far from the only AS dealer with "issues". There are indeed some very good dealers out there. There also are some real stinkers .....

Bob

[TouringDan]

eyechip

I just hopped on this train. Sounds like you are on a great adventure. Good for you. I will bet you are learning lots, seeing this great country and having fun. Hope your fridge is working to keep the beer cold.

Dan

[Mansderm161]

Originally Posted by coasttocoast

The speakers that were in the front of my 2016 were the cheapest crap I’ve ever seen. Used pawn shop speakers are probably superior to what Mercedes put in my 2016. Head to an audio dealer and replace them. An amp will fit under the passenger seat.

After 2 plus years with an Interstate, I will tell you to get rid of stuff in the van that just gets in the way such as:


the sliding plastic doors for the overhead above the driver’s seat.
the silver soap dispenser in the bath. It's easily removed by 4 screws.
the tables, the table mounts on the floor and the rubber stoppers.
the rear seat belts.
the little counter extender in the back.
the rear TV. Replace the front TV with a smaller one that doesn't stick out.
The rear doors and hardware underneath the bed.


other considerations:
mount a magnet on the sliding screen door so it doesn't slide back and forth on a slope.
get a Dyson V8 as you will vacuum daily. You can also suck bugs out of the van. The little $70 dollar starter vacuum is money wasted.
you will quickly learn to not have lights on in the van when parking, and you will enter and exit quickly so bugs don’t get in.
buy a stream light so you can point the light out of the van when looking for the numbers on your parking space.
put a light out at the back and center of your parking space when backing in at night. move the picnic table out of the way first.
bring a level so you can use the VB AIR to level out when parking.
parking at night without being plugged in is called battery suicide. I only have 2 batteries.
drive slow when pulling out and look look look look.
before leaving in the morning, walk around the van multiple times and do a visual inspection for anything that you need to check.
take a fan with you as the van heats up. my van is black too, but i doubt this is really that much of a consideration. when it’s hot, it’s hot.
I cut some reflectix to fit my front and side windows and use this in addition to the provided Airstream shades. I put the reflectix on the front window first and then follow with the Airstream shade. I do the reverse with the side windows. This helps cut heat in the day and light penetration at night. It’s also a lot easier to just pop up the reflectix when parking during the day for lunch, etc. Oh yea, don’t bother taking the bag for the shades.
You want to put 3M Crystalline on the van immediately. Repeating. Do this asap.
I run my generator and rear AC when it’s hot. Yes. it’s sucks propane, but it’s better to stay cool. At least run it about a half an hour before parking to cool the van down.
turn off the propane switch when not in use as this drains the batteries.
take a lot of quarters for the spray wash.
If you think you are taking too much stuff, then you definitely are. Boy Scouting is great, but you don’t want to take what you won’t use. It will just get in the way.

Happy trails

Top notch suggestions....all of them! You will love driving this van. But it does top out at 82 mph. So learn to slow down, let others pass you, pull into the camper side of rest areas to take a break, pull over spontaneously to check out tourist attractions, wineries, etc. And I like the Shell gas stations for diesel. Get a loyalty card. They are cheaper than truck stops and my brother does quality control for the gas industry and says shell is top notch. If you run the generator, keep in mind first oil change is at 20 hours. I got there on one hot trip running air conditioner. Some costco stores have propane. If you are near one, they are probably cheapest. Some rest areas have free dump sites on the way out. Have fun. And expect problems, but don't let them get you down! It's part of the journey.

[PSchw]

Just as a caution many of the Shell stations have a warning on the pump “ not a Shell product “. This mostly B20 Bio diesel blend.

[Mansderm161]

Originally Posted by PSchw

Just as a caution many of the Shell stations have a warning on the pump “ not a Shell product “. This mostly B20 Bio diesel blend.

Thanks for info. I have not seen that at any of the Shell stations I stop at. They all had a sticker saying ultra low sulfer

[n2916s]

Diesel fuel greater the B10 must be labeled as such almost everywhere. Only ever seen it at large truck stops like Flying J.

[wachuko]

Have not been forced to use any... not planning on it either... I just drive to the next fuel stations that carries recommended diesel for our rig. From reading a few threads, there might be places that this is a challenge, but I have not had the need...

Funny story on the trip before last... I did not know what Diesel #2 was... had never seen it or pay attention to it. Did not even bother to google it while on the trip, I just kept driving to a know fuel station . Well, after the trip I looked it up and learned something new, lol.

Anyway, I hope eyechip chimes in with another update... it has been awhile since we herd from him.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by PSchw

Just as a caution many of the Shell stations have a warning on the pump “ not a Shell product “. This mostly B20 Bio diesel blend.

PSCHW - this scared me coz my closest & also cheapest anywhere in town diesel station is a Shell.

Originally Posted by Mansderm161

Thanks for info. I have not seen that at any of the Shell stations I stop at. They all had a sticker saying ultra low sulfer

MANSDERM161 - so I checked and relieved that the Shell I use a lot is not B20

Originally Posted by wachuko

Funny story on the trip before last... I did not know what Diesel #2 was... had never seen it or pay attention to it. Did not even bother to google it while on the trip, I just kept driving to a know fuel station . Well, after the trip I looked it up and learned something new, lol.

WACHUKO - well my buddy who owns a Sprinter 2500 explained it to me years before I got AI. Then after all the explanation, said just get #2 with green label. So those color code labels you posted reminded me of that funny moment with him. He lives in Naples now. Would not be surprised if he services your Cummins disaster gen in your building.

[Boxster1971]

A lot of diesel pumps have no label regarding bio-diesel. That doesn’t mean it’s not bio-diesel you are pumping. The distribution of bio-diesel is varying so I think most stations have given up on the labels. That said it’s not something you need to worry about. Just buy ULSD diesel and enjoy the drive. Change oil regularly and you won’t have a problem with bio-diesel. Almost all modern diesel vehicles are rated for 20% bio-diesel. Mercedes has been a lone hold out with no clear justification.

[PSchw]

Originally Posted by Mansderm161

Thanks for info. I have not seen that at any of the Shell stations I stop at. They all had a sticker saying ultra low sulfer

Yes the hide them and make them real small. It is also not only Shell I see this on BP also.
According to the warranty information Mercedes only allows up to 5% where you mostly find up to 20% or B20.
In some States B20 is all you can get.

[braudtjerry7]

Good Luck and happy rivets.

[eyechip]

I have been amiss these days in updates and expressing my thanks to everyone. Much because my barely on the grid status has resulted in some quirky bug that would not allow me to post here without errors coming up. It appears I can again now...gonna update a bit more now I hope.

It's been a hell of a few weeks! Here is a summary....

1. Made it to Colorado in my brand new rig with no music or bluetooth given the faulty Fusion/ speakers/wiring...whatever it is...system on delivery. I was ok, I was introspective. I hummed a lot.

2. Ran some rivers around Glenwood Springs which was wonderful and the weather was amazing. I had problems at that point (since corrected) where I had no fridge (bad connection to the fuse) and I remember most my friend in a 2008 Outback asking me if I wanted a COLD beer at the takeout. Coolers are handy. Low tech is not so bad. Damn him.

3. Made it to Vegas and started the chaos of what I thought would be simple. Fix the brand new unit to have a system that I could listen to music and use bluetooth for my phone. Seems simple right? If not familiar to this I was told at delivery that the Fusion system would work but there was no sound or speakers or bluetooth ability. Ok?

4. Dropped off at Mercedes of Henderson, NV. They called a day and a half later and said it was not a problem with speakers but an issue with the Fusion system. Ok, I took andUber back from the Strip and dropped it at Airstream Vegas (thanks to prodding and pushing to Colonial to be an advocate).

5. Airstream Vegas took a look and decided the Fusion system was faulty. They had a new one overnighted from the LA store and installed it. It still did not work. They replaced the speakers on the dash. It still did not work. After a few days I gave up. But they did talk me into changing the batteries to the 6V in the interim while they waited for the new Fusion which I got suckered into and probably paid too much (do NOT ask me what I paid).

6. After five days I was desperate to get out of Vegas. I picked up the rig and was told by the dude at Airstream there that they replaced the entire Fusion, replaced the dash speakers (which I had to pay for with a promise from Colonial that they would reimburse) but that, in the end, it was the door speakers that were the problem. Huh? They said that now it was a Mercedes issue and how could they not have seen this when I had it to them originally? Wait, what? So I left Vegas with a new fusion system, two new speakers on the dash and still nothing was fixed. I had no choice but to move on. And thinking that this whole thing is getting fishy.

7. After kayaking in the Sierras for a week I arrived in LA. I scheduled with help from Colonial for an appointment with Mercedes Sprinter service at Keyes in the Valley. They took one look and were like, "Stuart (that's my name) this is an Airstream issue...how could four speakers be blown and faulty at once (makes sense) and clearly this is a wiring issue on the part of Airstream.

8. I left it as I need to fly out pf LA tomorrow morning until Tuesday for meetings but the guy there was pretty clear..we will look but if it's the wiring, which we think it is, you are going to pay for the opening up of the dash and doors. And we will, most likely tell you to bring it to Airstream. FML. At this point I have no choice. I am in the rabbit hole.

9. I won't even mention the bound black wire that was hanging down and appeared out of nowhere on the passenger side near the exhaust. Frayed and dragging when I pulled into the Mercedes service. Just another top ten hit to deal with. But I got this. I dunno what it even is.

10. I have reached the end with the fusion and this debacle. My synopsis is this...Colonial had three weeks to run a test of the rig before I took delivery. They had a deposit and confirmation of my own financing long before. They chose instead to run their tests the afternoon before I arrived for delivery. They left me handcuffed as plans were made, my delivery trip was set and I (wrongly?) expected a new vehicle with a $185K MSRP would come ready to go and checked out for issues and that I would not be told 14 hours before I pick up it up that "Oh, we just found a problem wit the Fusion and sorry you made plans and have a schedule when we could have checked this weeks before so can you cancel everything for some days while we troubleshoot?"

So here I am. Three weeks, three service centers, blame going back and forth, no solutions, Uber charges up the wazzoo, and what is billed as the "best in class" being a nightmare to get one simple thing: a solution.

Funny, the dangling frayed wire seems so less of a concern (when it should be a major concern) because I am so obsessed and frustrated to just be able to have a sound system that works. And F$king bluetooth.

Other than that things are well. I love it, I hate to admit it amidst my losing patience but I will. She has been a champ and a beauty sitting next to the river for days as my pod of comfort. And yes, the outdoor shower works great. Well, when I don't run all the fresh water out by accidentally turning on the faucet in the bathroom as I exit.

I am keeping positive. What other choice do I have?