2004 International CCD 22' FRAME REPAIRS

[Ndcctrucks]

I have replaced the redwood and faux ostrich-skin closet door with 3/4" oak-veneer plywood, mildly sanded (to retain grain pattern) and painted with slightly-thinned very dark gray satin-finish paint. Note that I was unable to find any of the special-order pattern in Formica.







I also found that the only thing holding the entire right wall and door of the closet was two screws and a tiny, little L-bracket:



So, I added three brackets to the rear, made of 16 gauge stainless steel; riveted and screwed.

[JECTJC]

Sept. 22,,2022
I too bought a 2003 International CCD 22, and paid too much for it considering the seller lied about pretty much everything. I am going to see if the cleanup and fixes I do will be enough to resell it. So far, the condition is not bad but the interior had also been torn apart and reinstalled. For some,reason they did not remove,the flooring. I did, and located a small spot of rot in the rear. Resin epoxy into the area after weeks of dehumidifier and ozone machine killing bacteria, I am installing new flooring. The layout is very good, all electrical works, and has the great wet bath and desk. I hope to recoup at least 70% of what I have into it. Great model for Federal parks.

[Ndcctrucks]

Frame bent?

[Ndcctrucks]

En route to Alaska, in Spokane:

Near-new Dexter Axles; 3500-pound; total brake failure.

What saved our butts was the TPMS system: it warned of high temperature. I expected it to be a sensor failure, but was stopping in a couple blocks, so when I got there, touched each tire with the back of my hand. Second degree burn on third tire I touched. Very lucky the tire didn't catch fire and burn our trailer down!!

Not sure exactly what the failure was, but looks like it fell apart and then parts were dragging continuously.

Parked in a lot, sprayed water on tire and rim until I could touch them with gloved hands. Disassembled, wife and daughter stayed with the trailer while I and other daughter unhitched and drove to trailer parts supplier in Spokane. Spent a couple hundred bucks for new backing plate loaded with brakes and drum/hub/bearing assembly, plus spares, drove back, and reassembled. Cost two hours. Sucked.

[Johnhenry]

Originally Posted by Ndcctrucks

SO.....

Here we are using our Airstream for the first time since all the major repairs. We stayed two nights in Idyllwild, southern California in September 2021.

It set up and took down quickly, everything worked, and the layout was fine. A bit cramped for four adults, but that was expected.

Attachment 406374

Attachment 406375

Attachment 406376
Illustrating the two adults in the dinette and bunk bed.

All the girls told me later that they had a great time and were looking forward to doing it again.

I performed a thorough underside inspection later, and did not find any repair failures.

I'm planning a three-night trip to Death Valley this December just before Christmas; some light(?) off-roading will be happen, and so an additional inspection will be made.

In retrospect, while I was forced to spend so much time and effort on this utility vehicle, I feel the value will prove itself over the years. We may consider gifting this Airstream to our children, and I expect they will be able to use it successfully for years after. The repairs effected should also help with its value retention.

As well as it handles on the road and highway, and with all of its accessories, I am anticipating using it several times a year. I especially want to spend time at the Pacific coast.

You may be discouraged by what I've reported; keep in mind that RV-owning is a condition requiring maintenance not only of a home, but of a vehicle as well. No matter what brand/make of trailer you buy, a used one will require work, and a new one will as well, after some time. The point of this thread was informational in nature to help anyone else who buys the same age and model Airstream that I did, in determining IF they are acquiring one with the same issues, how I addressed those issues, and if that person wants to commit to spending the resources to do the same.

I am happy to reply to any inquiries, but don't bother castigating my opinions about my expectations of quality for this brand via PM. I've been in heavy industry since my 'teens, I have thousands of hours of experience in maintenance, and with all of that, there is no chance of changing my opinions given here. The original frame on my trailer is weak, under-sized, and of low quality. That being said, I salvaged it and am using it.

Thanks for reading!

Last March I also replaced my old 2850# dexter axels with new 3500# dexters,
On the rebuilt frame. At the same time I also replaced the old 14” wheels with 15” and new E rated Carlyle tires. After about 3500 highway miles I noticed that the front tire on the driver’s side was wearing on the outside edge while the rear tire was wearing on the inside edge. I took it into Professional Trailer Repair in Tucson for inspection. They had built the new frame and installed the axels. They discovered that the new rear axel had apparently been bent. The torsion arm on the rear axel, seems to be bent, additionally there were stress fractures on the mounting brackets. I never hit anything other than the usual highway potholes and heaves.
I have ordered a new axel. I will have them check on all the brake assemblies when this is done. Did you ever find the cause of your problem? Otherwise the modifications still seem to be OK.
I also share your low opinion on not only the poorly engineered frame on the 22 CCD but also on the overall build quality. Hopefully these issues have improved over last couple decades.

[Ndcctrucks]

Hey JohnHenry

Sorry to hear of your axle problem.

No, I didn’t look into why the brakes on one corner seemed to have fallen apart; just threw everything into the recycle bin. It’s lazy of me, I know, but the parts were pretty worn and mangled so I couldn’t determine cause. Calls to Dexter made me expect that no support was going to be given.

From complaints posted on this site, Airstream still takes engineering and manufacturing shortcuts resulting in expensive failures (search “front end separation”).

Anyways, if you have any nice pics of your campsites, let me know where you post them!

I’ll try to remember to post some pics of our Alaska trip, here.

Best Regards,

-Ken

[Ndcctrucks]

So....

Here are a few of the 1200+ images from our 28-day trip to Juneau from southern California:



Ready to go!



Avenue of the Giants in Sequoia National Park in Nor Cal



Clam Beach, Nor Cal



Clam Beach, Nor Cal

[Ndcctrucks]

Dunes City, OR campground



THE HIGHWAY!!



Lightning at night



ALASKA!!

[Ndcctrucks]

In the vehicle hold aboard an Alaska Ferry



Juneau, AK campground



Lined up at Juneau dock at 1:30 a.m.



Departing Juneau at approx. 3:30 a.m.

[Ndcctrucks]

Boarding LeConte Alaska Ferry in Skagway, AK (pic out of order)



Inland Passage, possibly Petersburg, AK



Inland Passage

[Ndcctrucks]

Oregon coast



Oregon Coast



Moonstone Beach (central California)



Last day before home