Disappointing 22' CCD Problems

[kshogan]

With our new 2003 22' CCD, we were excited to have a new travel trailer. Seems that it was built on Monday after a party weekend, and our excitement quickly diminished.

We found serious problems:

1) Door doesn't close without major slam. Clicks open to catch on travel.
2) Wiring not where it was said. After purchasing a solar unit we found the whomever did the wiring harness failed to pull it to the roof like schematic says. We had to remove the panels under sink to get to the wires laying in a bundle.
3) Duct tape to hold wires in place. Give me a break. In a travel trailer? Geez...
4) zip ties not flush cut in hidden areas. Major slices to hands reaching in for maintenance.
5) Faucet location in galley a joke. If you are 6ft your nose is in the cabinet to reach the handle. It sits too far back to reach.
6) Pitiful shower, unavailable parts. Try to find a valve. You have to order from Fontana, and it has broke twice in the last two years.
7) Status panel needs "reset" regularily. Requiring complete power removal.

Overall we'd give Airstream a 3 out of 10 on quality. If they want to be a "high end" coach company, then they should focus on quality. Seems the shiney exterior is about all that is quality. Wally would be ashamed.

Anyone with solutions to these, answers would be greatly appreciated.

As for another Airstream, not likely. I'd buy an old one and restore. That way some level of quality could be insured.

[2airishuman]

hi kshogan.....

welcome to the forums.......

many of us have had issues with final detail or other problems on new/newer coaches......

you don't tell us if you purchased new; had a warranty; used the warranty for any of these issues.....

you don't tell us who your dealer was/is and if they helped with the warranty or beyond....

the door can be an issue since each is a 'one off' as is the whole it closes into....

do you have stabilizing jacks? does the door always close poorly...or just in certain camping situations.....

if the door truely doesn't fit correctly....it takes an experienced airstream tech....to fix it without making it worse......

that sink and shower are not for big boys......

and i'm surprised no mention of water leaks from the shower....


when the dealer says "solar ready" it means something completely different that the factory.....according to the factory....solar ready means the wire are 'in there, somewhere' but no guarantee it hasn't moved from the ideal spot.....

there is almost as much duct tape used during construction as rivets......

the tank monitor is an issue for lots of newer units......and many have been replaced mulitiple times before getting right......but this again, should have been warranty item....also the monitor makers will help with this issue if you contact them directly....

cheers
2air'

[rseagle]

I've had numerous quality issues with my 2004 22' CCD. Airstream Quality Control is very poor. Fortunately, the nearby dealer was able to correct these deficiencies during my warranty period.

If you bought new, you had a 2 year warranty period such as I to correct your problems. If you bought used, you may have inherited somebody else's problems (maybe that's why they sold it). But hopefully you saved money as the used unit would be a few thousand less, which will offset your repair costs.

Good luck.

[Silvertwinkie]

Having had a 2003 and tracked the overall quality since that date (do a search for the QC threads here on the forum), I found 2003s to be the more problematic than following years. Additionally, some items are only installed by Airstream, not built by them....like faucets, electronics, and appliances.

That said, looking at your list:

The location of the cabinets, that should have been noticed when you looked at it and did a walk through before purchase. I can only say that a lot of models have a similar configuration and might not be a QC issue, but more of a design issue. Keep in mind though that with 22' and other small coaches, compromises tend to happen.

The zip ties not being cut flush are kind of nit picky. Though clearly annoying and I have chewed my hands on them, I'm not sure I'd add that to a poor QC list, particularly if they are in hidden areas.

The duct tape held wires, though I agree seems rather cheap, if it was like my 2003 and 2004 (Bambi and Safari) I can say that this was only a supplemental hold. There should be wire hold down loops in addition. I'm not too uncomfortable with the duct tape I found, as long as the proper cable holds are somewhere in line.

The rest of the issues I see you listed seem very legit. The door for example on our 2003 Bambi was hard to close too. Though it never popped to catch, we did use the deadbolt while in transit.

If you are talking about the status panel as the tank monitor, depending on what panel you unit has (depending on when in 2003 it was built) you may or may not have the probeless unit. If that’s the case, it may just be a recalibrate issue. If you have the probe unit, then it might be the panel itself and need replacement, which if you bought this used, it most likely will be out of warranty.

As for the shower, I am thinking that you are talking about the faucet specifically. If you were talking about the shower in general, that too might be something you'd have noticed before buying the unit, again understanding that compromises are made to make things work and mobile within the space to work with. I would agree that after two replacements the faucet clearly has issues. Our 2003 did shower valve had issues, but our 2004 didn't.

The good news is that you've dealt with the solar wire location, and for the most part, your coach is in pretty good shape. The shell is solid, axles, other major appliances, etc. Had we spent the time ironing out the punch list on our 2003 19' Bambi, I am sure the coach would have been fine, we just opted to upgrade. I'm sure you'll find that the coach will be great once you work through your remaining issues.

[wheel interested]

kshogan I am confused. Under your avatar it says 2006 22' CCD and you are talking about a 2003 22' CCD. Do you have two CCDs?

[dsmith]

i have a 2005 ccd and again the devil is in the details, its sad to see airstream relying on a mythical reputation, it will be destroyed by profit- nothing wrong with profit but you should be able to get value for your money, if you check on-- rv ratings --brought out by the consumer group you will understand.

[Mike Lewis]

kshogan--We had similar experience with a 2004 16' CCD and like you at first were discusted to say the least. The biggest issue we had was with sloppy assembly with many of the same issues you mention. Here are my 2 cents worth. If you look at the big picture it will drive you crazy!! The more you dwell on it the bigger it gets, kind of like chewing on a piece of tough meat. I found after really looking at it none of the issues in and of themselves were all that bad. I set out, focusing on one at a time, untill I was satisfied that everything was as it should have been and worked to my satisfaction. It took over a year to work out all the problems. In the mean time we used and enjoyed our Bambi, making note of things as they came up and not allowing them to ruin our trips. Some of the design issues you mention you may have to live with, some you may be able to change or have changed. We have since traded twice for larger trailers, a 25' Classic ,and then a 30' Classic. Both of these have been great with little to no quality issues. Silvertwinki might add to this but it seems to me that most complaints come from smaller trailers,CCD'S in particular. Perhaps it's more difficult to fit all that stuff into those smaller units. This is not an excuse for poor workmanship, just an observation. ----Pieman

[silverback]

We have owned a 2003 22' CCD and now a 2004 25' CCD. Both arrived with flaws from the factory. With the 22' CCD we didn't experience any of the exact problems you list. The worst things I remember were the extremely noisy refrigerator fan running at 3:00 AM and having to "season" (burn in) the furnace so it wouldn't set off the smoke alarm. We had our dealer install solar and it worked great. You definitely need it with the single battery in the 22' if you do any off the grid camping. I actually like the wet shower in the 22' slightly better then the arrangement in the 25' SS. Any problems we had have been repaired under warranty by our Airstream dealer. With the 25' we have had ceiling leaks and rivets fall off the interior skin (the trailer is at the dealer right now getting the next round of those addressed). The worst reoccurring problems have been the window gasket glue drying up in the AZ sun. Our dealer says AS just won't listen to him on that quality issue. We repair that ourselves now on a seasonal basis. My point is that a lot of CCD quality issues are due to design (which we still love) and could be addressed under warranty. If you buy an out of warranty trailer welcome to the vintage Airstream club.


Enjoy,
Ken

[genearnold]

Kshogan,

I'm a fellow Boisean (up on Warm Springs Mesa).

I have an Airstream for a lot of reasons, quality being one. However, I knew way back at the beginning of my Airstream years, what subsequent experience has proven, that there is no such thing as perfect—no matter what the item (cars, trucks, electronics, clothing, or RVs).

This expectation of perfection reminds me of an experience I had in 1971. I had the car of my dreams, a 1969 Mercedes 220D. Even then I knew that nothing is perfect, but I admit to being ticked off when, at less than 60K (and out of warranty), the little jewel began to consume huge amounts of oil—like a quart every 25 miles! The MB factory rep finally diagnosed a “soft block” problem. Apparently a certain number of engine blocks had a manufacturing defect that caused premature cylinder wear. The company authorized a half priced total engine replacement and I booked an appointment for July 5th to have the work done. In late June I was the volunteer kitchen manager and buyer at our church’s youth camp in Lexington, Nebraska. One day I stopped at a bakery to pick up some baked goods and the following took place—

Baker to me: “Mister, would you mind if I showed my friend that diesel engine?” I gave permission, opened the hood, and stood aside.

Baker to friend: “George, this is one of the finest cars in the world. You see that engine? Why, it is sealed at the factory, and this fellow will never have to have it worked on because these things are so well built that they’ll last almost forever!”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the engine he was looking at was junk and slated to be replaced the following week.

The above being said, some of your issues should be complained about. You have reason to expect a better quality of manufacture. Others we just live with and correct them ourselves. I think everyone has a different level of patience on what is to be tolerated.

About the door, I don’t know if what you describe is evidence of a defect or not. I know that if my latch is not regularly lubed the door is very hard to close. With both my Airstreams I’ve tried to not slam the door, choosing rather to close it with the handle released. For towing I always use the deadbolt (You ask, “Why?” Well, on my first tow with my first Airstream I didn’t lock the door and I had the great misfortune to break the door when it came open while under way. Thanks to a very skilled welder I was able to repair it but it was a hard lesson).

Hope you get your issues solved. In any event, happy trailering!

Gene

[kshogan]

Surprised how active the forum is!

We love the design of the Airstream. In fact thats why we bought it. It is a Corporate Trailer for our company, which provides WiFi to RV Parks & Campgrounds. We wanted that "technical" look.

We are still resolving some of the issues. I guess our expectations were slightly different, but we do love some aspects. Towing, Design, Clean, etc.

As for the problems, we bought barely used, (4500 Miles) so some should be expected. We've already corrected most, some are nit picks, (like the zips not flush cut, but I have a manufacturing company as well, and flush cutters cost the same as dikes, just a choice) We are still trying to fix the whole shower/water pressure issue, but we found some ideas here for that.

Thanks for all the ideas. I'll post any "ah Ha's!" here that we find to fix some of these known issues.

Best
ksh

[sandyb]

Hello,
I am debating between a used 2003 or 2004 22' CCD. The 2003 does not have the underbelly liner. Is that a big deal??? We will be camping mostly in Northern Calif, so is it worth it to have the underbelly or not that big of a deal??
Any one who could give a word of advice would be appreciated!!!
Thanks,
sandyb

[rseagle]

Sandy,

I have a 2004 22' CCD with the enclosed insulated and heated tanks. If you plan on camping in colder temperatures in late Autumn or Winter, I'd go with the heated tanks. Otherwise, the 2003 would be OK. Also consider, that heated tanks are more desirable during resale. It might make the difference.

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by kshogan

7) Status panel needs "reset" regularily. Requiring complete power removal.

Keep in mind that the systems monitor panel (the probe less one) has a 5 year manufacturers warranty.

Jack

[CanoeStream]

I think it was last October we had a California-based member visiting the Rockies in Colorado. He found a way to get online and ask for emergency advice on what he should do -- a strong storm had passed through and temps were heading for the teens that night. Remember, altitude will surprise you. I've tent camped in 30 degree weather in the Medicine Bows west of Laramie, WY. Sure, it was at 8000 feet -- but it was also mid-July!

No, you don't have to winterize for 30 degrees. Except my 25' FB SE has an outside shower that I'm finding is impossible to isolate! It does look like I can insert valves that would shut off both the inside and outside showers. Guess I could deal with that but this is a weak point the outside shower designs currently have.

[richg]

The reason I bought an Airstream and paid a highly inflated price was to have a quality trailer and not to be driving back to the dealer everyother month to have problems fixed!! I did not buy it for the warranty but for what I thought was a quality trailer!! Another unhappy Airstream owner.
Richg

[Roscinante]

Sure wished Toyota made an RV!