What you don't like about your Class B

[wachuko]

Some of these are not specific to the Airstream Interstate from looking at several Class B RVs when we were doing our homework before the purchase:

1. Battery capacity. Should have come with more batteries for more solar energy storage capacity. I added two additional batteries but have not done the math on how many hours this will run the fridge, ARB cooler, and a small fan during the night.
2. Solar controller. With so many folks complaining about this, why not just install something better from the factory? I installed a Victron unit and I am very happy with the results
3. Battery Isolator Manager (BIM). With so many folks complaining about this, why not just install a Blue Sea Automatic Charging Relay (ACR) from the factory instead of the BIM that comes with it?
4. Have not had to perform the process for winterization… but looks like it could be improve from comments I have read in the forum.
5. Long-term concerns with the newer emissions equipment… I hope is not a maintenance nightmare.
6. We have only been out once… so I know that we have to work on storage strategy… we came back with most of the food we took…
7. Having to open the side door all the way every time since it did not have a midway point. We solved this with an aftermarket ramp. Great little invention.
8. Wished the generator was diesel… and stove was induction, to have just one fuel source… for generating power. Plus I just do not feel safe with propane and dying from it, lol. Along these lines, wished it came with the high-idle option for supporting all of the above.
9. Quieter A/C. Very minimal use since days have been cold. But when we did the walk-through, we could tell it was louder than we expected. Will have to see what this feels/sounds like in the middle of a camp at night. Also wished it could be used with batteries (but then we get into inverter, battery bank, AGM vs lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, etc.)
10. Under chassis protection… I am new to this… was surprised to see all the exposed pipes, wires, etc. under the chassis where any road debris can take out something… I have on my to-do list making some aluminum plates that I can use to cover key areas in an effort to protect some of that stuff from a road accident.
11. Having to go with Tommy Bahamas edition to get the finish in the cabinet and color of the seats. We really did not care for the different awning color, the chairs, the cooler, bar, etched glass/windows, design on the walls, etc… cooler and chairs take so much space that those are sitting in a corner at home and will not find their way back into the AI. We just wanted that matt finish in the cabinets and that bit of darker beige that the TB edition had… we even liked the floor on the standard units over the TB Edition… I know that this would be a nightmare for Airstream and prone to errors on customer’s orders… but ability to select this a la carte would be nice…
12. No gray water bypass as Protagonist mentioned… first time out I had to go and empty gray tank because my kids filled the tank quickly when they showered. A cool feature would be to be able to hook up, and do all this from the inside of the AI… so even if you have to switch from Black to Gray and turn on macerator pump, you do it all from the inside. At least, have both options in place. It was cold, it was midnight and I was not happy, lol.
13. Propane fill location. Why not have it higher. I could not see any reason why this was not installed higher with a nice color matching hinged door. Slick install and worry free when backing (well, then you would have to reroute the exhaust for the generator….)
14. Inverter… should be 2K minimum… and then, to my previous point, an induction stove… Planning, long term, to do this… that will leave the propane just for the water heater, furnace, and generator…
15. Fridge takes a long time to come up to temperature the first time you turn it on. Not a dislike, I was just surprised by it the next day when I went to check on it… Got spoiled by the ARB cooler that within just a couple of hours was at freezing temperature…
16. Can’t move the sun visors to the side. I understand this is due to the airbags, but still sucks. Window tint is a must.
17. Lack of a patio light on the driver side to illuminate hook up area. Really, this one I do not get…
18. Lack of a patio light in the back since when the trunk is full the side lights available are useless since they are blocked by the stuff in front of them.
19. Lack of power source in the trunk. Should have at least a 12 volt port and a 110 inverter receptacle.
20. This might be just me since I was traveling with my kids. No real rear view mirror… I kept looking at the rear view mirror to see my kids when I talked to them or just to quickly glanced what Daniel was doing, and kept seeing the screen. Not a big deal. I will get one of those small mirrors and install under the review screen (I do love that review screen for the purpose intended).
21. Do not like hitting my head every time with the TV in front… lol… just need to get used to it.
22. These are now available for new 2018-1/2 owners… ability to have 4WD AND Air Ride… ability to have leveling system from the factory
23. Wished they had kept roof rails (I know, it is because of the awning)… but would have been nice to have, at least in the rear 4 feet of the AI, rails to install roof rack. I know, at the expense of covering the solar panel/s in that area, but would give you the added choice of carrying stuff there until you reach your destination… remove rack and solar is fully functional…
24. No counter top extension in TB Edition… there is no counter space, this was the only little piece of it and it got left out on the TB Edition… resolved by buy it afterwards and doing the install myself.
25. Switch for the propane valve outside!! Just wire the darn thing to a switch inside! This is uncivilized, lol. I will be adding a switch to control from the inside as many other forum members have done.
26. I know space is at a premium, but all those electronics under the rear side seat? With a big mesh covered cutout… Afraid of any spills getting to that area… had to remind the kids and wife about this. All drinking and eating to be done outside on, if while traveling, in any seat but those two side seats in the back…
27. Passenger seat on second row not turning all the way. I will modify this as I need it to turn all the way to the side so that I can accommodate the second foldable bed.
28. There is no way to keep the toilet paper dry… at least with a family of four onboard… lol

I think that is it for now… pretty sure will find more stuff as we continue to use it… and again, we love our AI… even with all of the above mentioned. Some of the things I called out will get addressed over the years of ownership. Or, who knows, maybe with a trade-in for a newer model in 5 years from now if all of those are incorporated directly by Airstream...

[amirm]

Wachuko, for a short-term owner, you sure have nailed all the issues with your AI. Kudos.

BTW, how about we create a sticky thread and put all of this info there? As a lazy interim step, we could make this and its counterpart sticky. That might get the attention of new buyers, get stronger feedback to Airstream and have these things fixed!

[Protagonist]

Another thing I don't like about my Airstream Interstate Class B— The Airstream Owner's Manual! The one I got was bad enough back in December 2011, given that it apparently hadn't been updated since 2009, but from all reports, the problem has never been resolved. The manuals coming with newer Interstates are nowhere near up-to-date even today.

Rich Luhr of Airstream Life Magazine wrote an outstanding aftermarket manual (https://www.amazon.com/Airstream-Lif...eam+interstate) for the Interstate Grand Tour in 2014 when Grand Tours were brand new. It's only available on Kindle, and it's worth buying a tablet computer with a Kindle Reader app just for that manual. But certain things in Mr. Luhr's book are unique to the Grand Tour models, and others are unique to the 2014½/2015 model year, so owners with older or newer Interstates, and those who don't own Grand Tours, will find the book less useful— but still infinitely superior to Airstream's own manual.

Airstream should take a lesson from Mr. Luhr, and have their manual written by someone who actually uses an Interstate, and update the manual as often as they update the motorhome itself.

As an aside, can anyone guess how often I've actually referred to my own Interstate Owner's Manual? Twice. Once when I downloaded a copy before buying my Interstate, so I'd have a better idea what I was getting into, and once a couple of years later when I made a point of counting how many errors there were in the manual. Nowadays I forget the exact number of errors (though definitely double digits), but there's a thread on the subject somewhere here on the Forums.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by amirm

...BTW, how about we create a sticky thread and put all of this info there? As a lazy interim step, we could make this and its counterpart sticky. That might get the attention of new buyers, get stronger feedback to Airstream and have these things fixed!

I second the motion

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

...

(1) Tanks are heated for winter camping, but the macerator pump is not heated. So you could end up with ice-free waste tanks with no way to dump them due to a frozen pump. I solve the problem by leaving the tanks full until I get somewhere that's warm enough for long enough for the macerator pump to thaw— meaning that full waste tanks are the signal to break camp and head south. Someday I may get around to adding heat tape wrapped around the macerator pump, and wired into the existing tank heater circuit, but since it's a winter-only problem and we don't have a whole lot of below-freezing days on the Gulf Coast anyway, I've just lived with the occasional annoyance. Like a roof leak that you can't fix in the rain and don't need to fix when it's not raining.

Would be great to build something that we can use to avoid winterization issues with that pump...

Originally Posted by Protagonist

...
(4) That stupid pop-out panel in the wet bath.

Which pop-out panel is that???

Originally Posted by Protagonist

...
(5) Came with a freshwater tank drain plug instead of a drain valve. Sure would be nice to be able to attach a hose to the drain to direct the water away before emptying the tank, rather than taking an icy bath in discarded freshwater when draining the tank to winterize. I added my own valve, but it extends below the bottom of the van and I worry I'll knock it off going over a bump or hitting a pothole.

Was not even aware... something else to add to my task list. Thank you!

Originally Posted by Protagonist

...
(6) Propane fill port behind the right rear mudflap, where you can snag it on a curb when backing into a parking space. Could have been mounted higher, even if it meant cutting an opening in the quarter panel.

I will play with this... Moving it higher... May go as far as cutting the door out of the side sill and using epoxy to install a ss hinge, using some of the left over magnets from the side curtains to keep it in the close position... This will also mean rerouting generator exhaust...

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Which pop-out panel is that?

They may have quit using them sometime in between the 2012 model year and the 2018 model year. If yours had one, you wouldn't need to ask.

[Sebtown]

What I don't like about my B I learned this weekend in Quartzite AZ. I had the miss fortune of parking next to one of my wife's oldest friends and his new Fuse. Strangely our B is now too small.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

They may have quit using them sometime in between the 2012 model year and the 2018 model year. If yours had one, you wouldn't need to ask.

That is why I asked. I thought we had the same bathrooms... could not tell any difference from the photos I looked at. I was just curious...

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by wachuko

That is why I asked. I thought we had the same bathrooms... could not tell any difference from the photos I looked at. I was just curious...

Protag was referring to the swinging section of the bathroom wall that provides a few inches more space behind the toilet. It rattles and really doesn't provide enough space to be worth the bother.

I modified mine so that I could swing it completely open to clean around the toilet. I actually modified it so I could plumb my new ceramic toilet more easily, but the cleaning aspect is just a nice side effect.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by amirm

Wachuko, for a short-term owner, you sure have nailed all the issues with your AI. Kudos.

BTW, how about we create a sticky thread and put all of this info there? As a lazy interim step, we could make this and its counterpart sticky. That might get the attention of new buyers, get stronger feedback to Airstream and have these things fixed!

At the same time, inquire with Airstream as to what their continuous improvement process looks like, specifically (call their bluff).

Sticky thread or no, from the POV of actually getting some of these very obvious issues fixed or improved in future model years, unless Airstream has a systematic process for parsing both internal and external ideas, then discussions like this one are mostly just water under our collective bridge.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

Protag was referring to the swinging section of the bathroom wall that provides a few inches more space behind the toilet. It rattles and really doesn't provide enough space to be worth the bother.

I modified mine so that I could swing it completely open to clean around the toilet. I actually modified it so I could plumb my new ceramic toilet more easily, but the cleaning aspect is just a nice side effect.

I just got home... no clue what you and Protagonist are talking about. Going in to take a look and photos...

[wachuko]

This is what mine looks like...

[wachuko]

Something that was mentioned by a fellow forum member and when I checked mine, it was the same...

The panels on the sliding door are touching the side of the AI and getting dirty...

I also noticed that with the intermediate stop, if you use it and stop the door half way, there seems to be no contact. But open it all the way and it just gets the inside panels dirty.

I will take a photo during the day tomorrow as this one is kind of dark...

[Titus]

Our sliding door fits too tight against the rear lower cubby (beneath captain seat behind the passenger seat). The frame of the cubby has indented the mouse hair panel. But the panel does not rub against the van body when it is open. Does the door fit flush with the surrounding van panels when it is closed? If so it would seem to be adjusted correctly. I wonder what is causing the difference from ours - perhaps a thicker (more plush) mouse hair panel?

[Pahaska]

wachuko ...

Stand facing the toilet. In mine, the panel on your left can be unlatched and it swings out about 5 degrees to make more shoulder room at the toilet. The latch is at the very top of that panel to the front. The latch is usually covered by the shower curtain and can be easily missed. The panel can be seen to the left of the toilet in the photo.

I guess it is possible that they did away with the swinging panel on the 2018, but I have never seen any documentation to that effect.

What I did on mine was remove the stops so that the panel can be fully opened. The feature adds minimal room to the bathroom and tends to rattle on rough roads.

[wachuko]

Now I understand. Thank you John. Ours seems to be fixed in place... but now that I know what I am looking for I will check again when I get home.

[Amg]

Originally Posted by wachuko

This is what mine looks like...

They did away with expanding panel in bathroom in 2016 model. I had it in a previous 2015 model and it was a waste.

[AI927]

I have a 2018 GT, specific dislikes:

1) Need hardwired switch for the bathroom light. If you want to use it at night you have to figure out how to turn on the electronic panel light so you can push the right button to turn on the bathroom light. Work around, use a flashlight.

2) Cannot easily open a shade while in the bed, again must get up, figure out how to turn the panel light on, then push the button to raise the shade. It would be nice to just manually raise the shade by the bed.

3) Appears battery is to small to handle overnight with GT model.

4) Kitchen faucet that turns it self on when closing the lid. Terrible design, you never design something that sets the operator up for failure like this.

5) No propane shut off switch inside the coach. Now must go outside, get down on your knees, turn a thumb screw 10 to 15 rounds, flip switch, turn thumb screw another 10 to 15 rounds.

6) I don't like instant water heater since you cannot do a good job of conserving water when showering. However it make the outside of the van look much better. No big door that doesn't fit right to the curved body.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by AI927

1) Need hardwired switch for the bathroom light.

I'm stunned to learn that you don't have one. All of the lights on my 2012 Interstate are controlled by simple rocker switches. Maybe a quick-and-dirty work-around would be a battery-operated puck light that you tap to turn on, tap again to turn off, stuck to the bathroom wall or ceiling with Command Adhesive strips. Having to take a flashlight to the bathroom should have gone away with the invention of indoor plumbing.

4) Kitchen faucet that turns it self on when closing the lid.

Faucet handle has to be in the "Cold" position to close the lid. It gets to be habit to always move the lever to that position when shutting off the water. Some have shortened the lever to account for lapses; I went a different way, and mounted an aerator with it's own switch to shut off the flow. It's described in another thread on Interstate Modifications.

5) No propane shut off switch inside the coach. Now must go outside, get down on your knees, turn a thumb screw 10 to 15 rounds, flip switch, turn thumb screw another 10 to 15 rounds.

Several owners have wired a second switch inside, while leaving the outside switch in place and functional in order to be legal when getting the tank filled. I haven't gone to a second switch, but when I set up camp, I open the cover and leave it open until I'm ready to break camp. It's for safety, in case there's a leak and I need to shut off the propane in a hurry from outside (I wouldn't hang around inside looking for an inside switch if the LPG alarm went off; I'd get outside first, then deal with it. Long before it can ignite, LPG is hazardous to breathe).

All of which goes to say that for every problem someone lists for an Interstate, someone else has developed a fix or a work-around. Rather than adding even more techno-goodies to each new model year, it sure would be nice if new model year "improvements" really were improvements to what's already there and not just new additions that make new problems for owners to fix in aftermarket. While it's true that all progress is change, not all change is progress!

[AI927]

Protagonist,

Just a few comments back to you:

1) Yes, almost all lights are on the electronic panels. Also controlled by the panels are the water pump, water heater, awning, generator, furnace, air conditioner, and power shades.

I remember reading about the modifications to the faucet and adding the propane shut off switch to the inside of the RV. I am not big on doing mods to my RV but I may have to break down and add the switch for the propane.

Thanks for the comments.