Upsell items at close of new AS purchase

[JimskyD]

My wife and I have ordered a 2018 Classic. I was out at JC a few weeks ago and witnessed to final stages of construction for our baby. We intend to full-time base here in Seattle. It was delivered yesterday and I did a quick inspection and it looks really fine. We will be doing a 5 day boondock nearby the dealer next week after we formally take delivery to shake out any issues that may need dealer attention before we get too far away.

We will sign the papers Saturday and I know that there are two items we need to decide on. 1) Extended warranty to 6 years and 2) Clearcoat. Both are around $3K each.

My question is: does anyone have counsel on whether or not to sign up for these items? We will be doing "seasonal" relocations but no heavy-mileage travelling. Also the AS will be kept outside in the Northwest or some similar temperate climate. We like to keep on top of maintenance and being proactive is more our style rather than waiting for something to happen and then scrambling after the fact.

Thanks all!

[rmkrum]

In my experience, 'upsell' items are just that, a way for the dealer to get a bit more profit.

I will readily admit to purchasing an extended warranty on my Toyota Prius vehicles because of the possible massive expense of repairs, but for an Airstream, or an ordinary Toyota truck, forget it.

If you are proactive on maintenance, then put the money in a bank account, and get much better mileage out of the cash for repairs and maintenance than handing it over to a dealer.

Those typical maintenance agreements are full of lawyer talk that basically prevents you from using them...like most so-called 'home warranties' as another example...

There are many treads on the forums about this subject--have a look and see what others think. YMMV

[wulfraat]

I wouldn't touch either of those - especially the warrantee. The majority of those funds go to the bottom line of the dealer and insurance company.

And clearcoat? The panels are already coated by the manufacturer. Put more stuff on top and you are asking for a peeling nightmare a couple years down the line. Just keep it waxed a couple / three times a year and it will last. For many decades as is.

[PKI]

The add on coating is not a clear coat, but rather a sealer. Discuss with any qualified automotive detailer. It does several things, but the primary advantage is it gives you a 7 year warranty on damage from bird droppings and other surface damage - excluding scratches. The skin is clear coated when manufactured. That does not address the edges of each sheet and rivet penetrations. The sealer does.

A simple coat of wax on a regular basis is the alternative. If you do not intend to make every effort to keep your coach waxed (twice a year minimum), the coating is a good backup. The Classic is a very nice coach - figure out how to keep it nice.

Scratches need to be immediately sealed. Get a clear coat pen and use it if you have a scratch event.

Warranty - Can be wasted money. Can also be leverage to develop a dealer relationship and get any issues resolved. Tail lights, pressure regulator, power connection LED, and other parts get fixed when they fail. However, if you would fix stuff yourself anyway, no need to develop the dealer relationship. If you are full timing, developing DIY skills is key to not living at the dealership.

Hope to see your smiles down the road. Pat

[Countryboy59]

1). No and 2). No. And no "rustproofing". I use FluidFilm on any underbody parts that may rust. Same thing on my truck, I even take off the inside door panels. That stuff goes everywhere!

[m.hony]

No and no...

[dames7]

You can get extended warrantee from Dometic on you Air Conditioner and Frig when you register them.

[graysailor]

I went with the ClearCoat and skipped the warrantee. I also asked for and received a discount on the ClearCoat.

[kdickinson]

It's like the restaurant business - the money is in the wine and top shelf cocktails. It's also like the auto dealership business - the money is in pin striping, financing, extended warranties, and undercoating. These help the bottom line of the dealership but usually not so much long term for the purchaser. Ultimately it is your call and there is no one that will be ready to say you made a good or bad decision. I would tend to lean toward an extended warranty given the interdependencies of all the technology systems in the new trailers and if I were literally living in it there would not be much room for error if something breaks or goes fzzzzt in the middle of the night. That said and I have not purchased an AS extended warranty so I'm not educated on that one specifically - each time I've tried to make a claim on an extended warranty it has turned out to be a silly and mindless exercise of finger pointing which nearly always ends up with all fingers pointed back at me and my checkbook. To me, and probably only me - clear coat should be included in the original purchase price but that's just me as I look at the clearcoat on my 69 continue to slough off top toward bottom even though it was re-applied about 10 years ago ...

[Mollysdad]

The only extended warranty I'd consider is one through the manufacturer. Aftermarket warrantees are full of loopholes.
"Mr. Smith, you got your window fixed in Cody, WY, but that's not an approved service facility, our service facility is in Phoenix, AZ..Payment Denied."
or:
"We consider axles to be wear items, claim denied. It's all spelled out in the fine print."

As far as clear coat, I read where Airstream already uses a aluminum bonded to a clear polymer, so I'm not sure what clear coating does. The dealer pays some kid $10/hr to wipe on a clear sealer, but charges you $3000?

[Moflash]

The warranty that you will receive will state that if the product fails they will reapply it for free.They will not fix any damage.......LOL. Worthless as the paper its written on

[Toasterlife]

I would agree with the general consensus to bank the 6K and use it as needed. That is quite a lot of potential repair money. The different parts of the airstream, such as the domestic fridge, have their own warranties. When you pick up your new Airstream you will be given a "briefcase" of manuals and information. Take the time to fill out and return all the different warranty cards and you will be covered for quite a lot of potential issues. With the banked 6K should something fail you can always choose to replace it with something better. We have had some annoying issues with our Airstream over the years, but it is a very complicated machine, with electricity, water and mechanical, but nothing too catastrophic.

[PKI]

Originally Posted by Moflash

The warranty that you will receive will state that if the product fails they will reapply it for free.They will not fix any damage.......LOL. Worthless as the paper its written on

Mo - this is what the Trident Product warranty says.

"Trident will pay to remedy the damaged portion of the exterior or interior surfaces " "Trident will,at it's sole discretion, clean, detail, dye, polish, restore, or repaint the damaged portion of the exterior or interior treated surfaces"

It is a limited warranty, so don't expect a complete strip and replacement of the clear coat. It will only apply to the damaged area. It also only warrants vinyl striping against fading.

Read the warranty and decide for yourself. Note, that wax boils off in as little a 30 days. However, it is satisfying to rub all over the outside of the coach to get it clean and Shiny is beautiful. Pat

[m.hony]

If there ever is any damage they will lie, lie, and deny...

[dmbecke]

Skip both

[Jekerrville]

I have emailed the dealer you are receiving the clear coat from asking about re coating the curb side panel that was damaged by a defective wheel departing our 2017 Classic. This departure ripped a gash in the side of the trailer after 2000 plus miles of travel from the dealership.

JC replaced the entire panel, ( the longest one on that side of the trailer). I have not received squat from the dealership.

The factory does not know anything about this additional clear coat. They did not discount the material but did not support it being repainted with it. They knew nothing about it.

Alcoa makes the aluminum plate used in our Airstreams and they apply a very effective coating.

That $100.00 a foot coating you are being sold may be a waste of money. Likewise the seven year warranty. It pays for parts, not labor, transportation to and from you or any other fees. You would be better off taking the thousands for the coverage and put it in a CD and draw on it when you need it. IMHO

travel safe.