Frame Failure - 22 foot International

[Foiled Again]

I sold my 2005 before I knew about the problem... I had heard rumors that 2002 - 2003 models might have problems, but that everything had been fixed in later models. Not so.

I REALLY liked the layout - especially the large comfortable wet bath in the rear corner, but I got seduced by a bigger model. I am finally reaching the end of wanting to full time, and this neat little layout is perfect for the one week rally or visit.

So... would I EVER really buy another one? Well a 2005 will be 15 years old in July of this year. New heat pump, water heater and probably furnace, converter, plus a new stovetop... and perhaps replace dinette with a couch and tray tables?

And a new custom frame and a Coosa board floor. The original subfloor was OSB (hawk, patooie, patooie) which surely added insult and injury to the frame.

And 10K in labor. Wonder how much of the.plumbing and wiring can be left intact when scooching the old frame out and new frame in? Maybe just pull furniture and lower interior skins?

And could I find a shell that hadn't been badly damaged by the frame failure?

Well, IF I PAID less than $4K for the shell, I might. But the handy are probably redoing their own, or have already scrapped them. It does make me queasy to think that these 22 footers really NEED a frame off to be truly usable.

So I guess I will just have to suffer with the Eddie Bauer I currently own.

Paula

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

...snip...

So I guess I will just have to suffer with the Eddie Bauer I currently own.

Paula - I find myself thinking as Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof might react to this, “Lord, please afflict me with an Eddie Bauer!”

[emoji3]

We had friends who had the entire frame replaced at the factory - I think a known defect, no? For those with this model, is it worth reaching out to see if there’s any coverage/support for the repair?

Probably at least worth a call....

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Paula - I find myself thinking as Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof might react to this, “Lord, please afflict me with an Eddie Bauer!”

[emoji3]

We had friends who had the entire frame replaced at the factory - I think a known defect, no? For those with this model, is it worth reaching out to see if there’s any coverage/support for the repair?

Probably at least worth a call....

After this many years, Airstream would certainly NOT help. Too many other causes to blame it on.

If you're up for reading the whole thread you'll find they did replace a few frames, but at least one person had the second one fail in the same way. At that point it was just tough luck for the buyer.

Thor was pretty new and management was probably clueless about engineering issues. Everyone was gaga over Christopher C. Dean's design "look".

The original 22 FB looked remarkable and had great storage... and a tiny counter height refrigerator. Gave it the counter space of a 30 footer.

And I actually thought of the Fiddler when I was bemoaning the Eddie Bauer... great minds, eh?

[perryg114]

Probably not as much trouble to fix or beef up the frame as opposed to getting an old trailer and doing a shell off.



Perry

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Probably not as much trouble to fix or beef up the frame as opposed to getting an old trailer and doing a shell off.



Perry

They used 3 inch steel and old fashioned OSB for the subfloor. 3 inch on a 16 or 19 foot Airstream could work, on a 22 footer, even one bad pothole and sproing, thar she blows. Not only did the frame.break, but the outriggers bent down twisting the C channel frame outward. This was from the weight of the shell and furnitire. A plywood subfloor would have carried and supported more of that load.

Patching the frame and leaving OSB subflooring might buy a year. One person reporting here had 2 frames break.

[mkcurtiss]

wow.....thats nasty.

[gamboa]

Please allow me to ask. I purchase a 16' sport and a 2019 Kia Sorento. However, I was advised by the Sorento could not handle the weight distribution hitch as it is a unibody frame. Is this correct? I purchased a weight distribution kit at the time of the airstream purchase.

[n2916s]

Probably ought to start a new thread for this question. But, short answer is that unibody has nothing to do with it -- you can tow what Kia says you can tow right now. Consult CanAm RV for expert advice...

[TankerIP]

Two weeks ago , we were traveling back from the East Coast to Texas. Louisiana roads were typically bad. We stopped at the Texas Welcome Center where I checked the status inside and noticed the fridge furniture slightly shifted and thinking furniture may have come unfastened/uncrewed from wall and floor. At Palmetto State Park that evening I found the break shown in the photo.

Two years before, at Jackson Center, the frame had been reinforced by welding in a reinforcing box to the frame. Outriggers were also reinforced. Apparently and unfortunately the reinforcement could not be welded right at a spot adjacent to the axle mounting plate. That is where the frame broke. The fridge, a heavy unit, is right above that spot. When the frame broke and sagged about 4 inches the fridge even punctured through the floor causing the tilt I noticed earlier. It looked like the curb side body also shifted with the sag. From inside it looks like the galley window is 2 inches lower than before. The window now actually sits on the kitchen counter-- it used to be a few inches above.

I guess we are lucky we made it as far as we did. The frame could continue to sag until it scrapes the ground.

[Foiled Again]

See you have a 2002.

New 4 inch frame guessing $2000
New Coosa board floor 5 sheets at $275 per sheet. $1375. Or plywood about $250.

Time and labor to remove 90% of the interior and lower interior skins, install existing axles on new frame and move shell to new platform. Reconnect and check plumbing propane and electrical systems. Call JC for an estimate. Again guessing $10,000 - $20,000. Lower exterior skin replacemwnt of heavily damaged panels?

Still might be cheaper than a new Airstream.

[TankerIP]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

See you have a 2002.

New 4 inch frame guessing $2000
New Coosa board floor 5 sheets at $275 per sheet. $1375. Or plywood about $250.

Time and labor to remove 90% of the interior and lower interior skins, install existing axles on new frame and move shell to new platform. Reconnect and check plumbing propane and electrical systems. Call JC for an estimate. Again guessing $10,000 - $20,000. Lower exterior skin replacemwnt of heavily damaged panels?

Still might be cheaper than a new Airstream.

You're probably close. I also figured 3-4K to transport to JC. I also needed new fridge(propane cooling issues). Other "irritants" are: Since furniture has been twice removed at JC it doesn't hang well on wall. Mouse fur looks bad. Lazy Susan galley pantry is irritating. So....once the numbers were up to 20K like you figured, it would take a complete renovate to be truly happy later down the road. And....how long would it be before we go down the road again?

It still brings tears to my eyes having lost it. Oh well...a new one with a 3 year warranty, hopefully means we can travel a while without worrying about screws coming loose, cabinet doors continuously ajar, and the food getting warm.

[TexStreamer]

TankerIP - I sent you a PM, but wanted to send a note to the whole community in case others have feedback. I also posted to an older thread on the same topic, but it had been inactive since 2017. I did speak with AzAirstream today which was very helpful as he owned a 2003 22' CCD for several years that had already been fixed before he purchased (fix held string during his ownership). Anyway, here goes... unfortunately, my better half and I just bought a used 2003 22' CCD (rear desk/bathroom model) and we are experiencing the same cracked frame problems that many other 22' CCD owners have experienced. For those that have been through this, I wanted to see what you did with the frame repair and what support you received from Airstream. For those that repaired, are you comfortable that your 22' CCD can be safely and reliably towed at this point? In addition to Airstream's Bulletin 131 fix (which only addresses the c-frame and not the outriggers), what fixes have been applied to the outriggers (ours is sagging to curb side like others before us) and have those repairs stood the test of time? Did the outrigger repairs eliminate the sag and make the shell level again? Did you use [free] parts sent from Airstream and what was total cost to you (owner). I am agonizing over next steps as I want to make sure we are doing the right fix and not implementing a marginal repair that cannot be undone. Did you repair locally or take to Jackson Center? Has anyone implemented a full trailer replacement and what would be the ballpark cost for that? I know one poster had a replacement trailer that also failed (likely same poor trailer design)... I'm wondering if others have replaced with an enhanced, redesigned or beefier frame and what the experience has been in those cases... I appreciate from other threads that trailer flex is part of the overall design and views may be subjective and varied for those without direct experience on this topic.

We love the open design details from a 2016 remodel of our Airstream and had a great time on our one and only trip several weeks ago to Sarasota and Grayton Beach, FL. This is our first Airstream and our hearts are broken. I would love to get feedback since so many others have unfortunately gone through this same ordeal.

Quick question - do other 22' CCD owners know the dimension / height of the c-channel on your frames? My 2003 is at the repair shop and they just measured the frame c-pillar height to be 4 inches. Based on the numerous threads in the topic, it appears that the frame size may have been increased from 3" to 4" at some point and I'm trying to understand if/when that happened and how much of a difference that might make for the longevity of the trailer.

This is now my second post... certainly not the post that I hoped for as a newbie to this Forum. Apologies that my first post is not the most positive topic. Oh well, hopefully there is a silver lining here and I'll learn that the Airstream bullletin 131 repair and the augmented outriggers work exceptionally well and this can all be fixed with time, effort and a reasonable amount of money (hopefully manufacturer will support to some extent). We need to leave for an extensive trip to the east coast and I'm trying to get feedback to make an informed decision on the repair while we are gone. We are fortunate as I bel I've we've found a very experienced repair facility and the Service Manager is very talented, responsive and has 35+ Years of experience with Airstreams. Thanks in advance for any and all help!

[05ModPod]

Hi Texstreamer.
So sorry to hear about your issues. I hope they are not as severe as some out there.

I have replied to your PM.

Mine got welded 7 years ago, and just fixing two bad floor spots, and sorted the leaks. She is all sealed up and withe knowledgeable maintenance checks now I’m sure I will get many more years of use.

I have had no tire or tracking issues even with the slight sag on the curb side. It is the OSB that has sagged not the shell at this point anyway. It just makes it a bit more difficult in the floor cover options, but I have come to a decision on that now too.

To tell you the truth I have fretted more I’ve the dang tree damage to my nuce curved panel than all that my baby has been through

[Foiled Again]

I met someone today who recently bought a 2006 22 FB. Agonized, then warned him. Later had a brain fart. Want to share an idea...
Lift kits are popular lately. Why not make a lift kit from a 2 or 3 inch box piece that goes the whole length of the frame, and spot weld it under each rail? Additionally add more outriggers in trouble spota like the door and in the rear end? Patch the OSB floor with Coosa to prevent repeated area problems.
Beats a frame off repair.

[Johnhenry]

Discovered numerous cracks in the frame on my 22’ international. Outriggers were sagging on curb side, all the usual problems with this model.
Repaired this with full length 2x4 frame under original frame. Which appears to have repaired most of the problems. This repair gives 4” additional clearance. It appears to be a relatively clean and simple fix, at a cost of 5K. Seems to tow fine with sway bars.

[drairstream]

I hope you mean 2 x 4 steel box. Not wood. No offense intended

[M2HB]

Nice idea on the frame repair. I’m glad you were able to save it.

It is too bad that Airstream went so cheap with their frames. Especially when you consider the cost of these trailers.

Just think of how little difference the cost of the proper steel would have been over what was used. The labor cost of building the better frames would have been about the same.

[Johnhenry]

Photos

[Johnhenry]

Photo

[Foiled Again]

Happy happy happy. My first one was a 22 FB. I fell for a 25 (full timing) and traded up a year later, not knowing about the problems. I know I am going to age out of the big honking diesel that needs a ladder to get into and a parachute to get out of. A 22footer would be happy with an F150 Ecoboost.
I LOVED the wet bath... easy to keep clean and made a LARGE shower with the sink making a safe handhold. I actually would consider buying another if the frame issue could be solved.
DO inspect the floor carefully. They used OSB on most of them AND failed to seal under the timeline in the back bumper.
What did you do with the sagging outriggers?
Considered a full monte with a coosaboard floor, but $20,000+ on top of the purchase price.... woof. Repairing floor under wet bath? Difficult unless there is some way to get just the desk and wetbath out. From front to back would basically require taking out most of the interior, even for a frame on floor repair/replacement.