Pick up new Classic 30 Tomorrow

[Wgsouth]

Hey!
Brand new to Airstream. Picking up our AS Classic 30 tomorrow. Any thoughts on what to ask - check- verify before we drive out of the dealer?

wgsouth

[brick1]

Don’t be in a rush. Have the dealer show you how everything works, even if you think you know how. Operate every system. If something does not seem correct, have it noted.
And make sure the hitch is correct.
brick

[RxGuy]

Welcome and Congrats on the new purchase.

When you take delivery, my understanding is that the dealer will do a walk through with you and show you how everything works. I did not by a new unit, but this is what I have heard/read. I imagine some dealers are better at it than others...

If you want to do some "pre-delivery" reading so you can ask questions, you can get the owners manual here.

https://www.airstream.com/service/ma...ar_select=1162

And...as Brick1 stated, don't be in a hurry.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Wgsouth

Hey!
Brand new to Airstream. Picking up our AS Classic 30 tomorrow. Any thoughts on what to ask - check- verify before we drive out of the dealer?

It will be overwhelming, so you'll have more questions after you spend a day or two in yours.

Here's what I wish I'd have asked the dealer.
1. Is the water heater ready to go? Not in bypass?
2. What tire pressure should I use?
3. Here's my DVD, show me how to get it on the TV.
4. Will my thermostat on HP switch to heat below 30 degrees?
5. How much water did you put in the tank?
6. Show me how to turn on the water heater. (the light does not come on).
7. Verify that the air conditioners both work.

[GeeSag]

I would suggest to spend some time giving it a thorough look over for such defects as:
Discoloration of any areas on the floor
any scratches to cabinet faces

[GeeSag]

Sorry PC hit submit before I was done typing
Interior wall surfaces
Cushion fabrics
Exterior surfaces.


It will frustrating to live with blemishes after you drive off the lot.....and the dealer will be likely to want you through the walk through as fast as possible...they will make it seem thorough, but when it comes to blemishes, no one is going out of their way to point those out, and really hard to process as warranty after you drive off.

[dmbecke]

I would camp out back of the dealer a couple of nights

[Rgentum]

1. Arrive at the dealership on Thursday or early Friday having made an appointment to do the "New AS Walkthrough & Inspection" on Friday morning or early afternoon.
2. Stay in the AS over the weekend in the dealership's lot with power & water hooked up.
3. By Monday, unless you're one in a million, you'll have a list of issues and questions that you'll want the dealership to address before you take the AS home.

[Seagars]

Second that

[accordionman]

We, too, purchased a used '15 Classic in '17, so we inherited someone elses' issues. I think those things to check when you buy are practically the same new or used. The difference is what might be acceptable, for let's say a blemish, on a used unit, might not be acceptable on a new one. All that being said, we've didn't have the opportunity to purchase a new unit. We wish you the best of luck with your new unit; welcome to the forum and be safe out there !

[Seagars]

Congrats... What city/state

[rmkrum]

Search the forums for new AS checklists. There are some really comprehensive ones out there..

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by Wgsouth

Hey!
Brand new to Airstream. Picking up our AS Classic 30 tomorrow. Any thoughts on what to ask - check- verify before we drive out of the dealer?

wgsouth

I would advise you to have them show you how to manually override and operate the electric Awning and Stabilizer jacks. And do practice runs with it while you are there.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by Wgsouth

Hey!
Brand new to Airstream. Picking up our AS Classic 30 tomorrow. Any thoughts on what to ask - check- verify before we drive out of the dealer?

wgsouth

Congrats! We bought a 2018 27' Flying Cloud last year, and one of the dealer's maintenance people spent several hours with us going over every aspect of the trailer. He also spent a lot of time making sure the trailer was properly hitched to our tow vehicle- our self-leveling Yukon was so high they had to get a drop-down bar for the hitch from another vendor in town. The trailer was perfectly level after that. If you have a video camera, it might be worth having one person designated the cameraman. My wife took copious notes, but having a video to refer back to would have been a help.

Also, make a "punch list" of defects. The trailer is not going to be perfect. They aren't going to fix everything before you take the trailer, but you want to have it documented. You'll find more things after you've taken delivery, but hopefully minor in nature. The dealer will fix it all over time- just schedule maintenance appointments at convenient times. We have found that dropping ours at the dealer when we come back into town from trips works well.

[constance093]

Congratulations! We totally blew it with our walk-thru by not insisting on having someone who could speak English well enough for us to understand. So if you have trouble with communication, speak up and get someone else.

[dmslawson]

Hi, we’re very happy owners of a 2016 Classic we picked up 23 months ago from Toscano RV in Los Banos, CA. Have yet to have any warranty work done! We’ve been on numerous rallies, a month-long caravan, and a two-month coast to coast trip.
That said, we have fixed several problems ourselves: glued and edge-clipped the large bathroom mirror after discovering it sagging away from the wall (factory double-stick tape fail!), and replaced two pantry door handles with push button Airstream Interstate knobs after the fridge door was dented upon contact with a handle! (We surmise that the door swung open and closed during one of our trips).
Both of these issues have been mentioned by other Classic owners in Airforum.
Other than that, the Classic has been a dream. Enjoy!

[ajwbarnard]

I am assuming you are buying a brand new AS. If that is the case, I would make sure you turn on the hot water and let it run. I didn’t do that and it took 6 weeks before we figured out the problem with the hot water. Ours only gave us hot water for less than a minute. The valve #1 under the dinette bench was closed not open. I would also make sure your hot water is hot enough. It would be nice if you could leave the dealer with the mixing valve calibrated.

[Bobfrapples]

This is a $130,000 +++ Investment.
Find a Professional RV/Motor Home Inspector to do a thorough Inspection.
Do not take it off the lot unless you are happy and all issues are addressed.
In most cases, The Dealer is not your Friend. He likes you because you are spending money. The Dealer would rather spend money on Marketing than Service.
Fortunately, Airstreams have relatively few Production Issues in comparison with the rest of the Nightmare Industry.
It's your Money! Control the Transaction.
You wouldn't buy a $130,000 House without an Inspection.

[Hans627]

Originally Posted by Mike G

If you have a video camera, it might be worth having one person designated the cameraman.

I would highly recommend that you follow this excellent suggestion.

And congrats on your new AS and wishing you many happy and safe miles!

[NWRVR]

We purchased two used AS from Airstream Adventures Northwest and both were delivered with a thorough walk through with all equipment demonstrated and explained. I agree with others that suggest video for the receiver/TV interface and heating/cooling controls because you will not remember later no matter how good your notes are. With our first AS we called from a campground on our first outing to sort out how the thermostat selected the furnace rather than the heat pump. They walked up through it and all was well. Congratulations and enjoy!