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Old 04-11-2021, 09:02 PM   #1
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Lenexa , Kansas
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2017 Basecamp - Soft Floor

In October of 2020, my wife and I purchased a used 2017 basecamp from a local individual. The basecamp was well taken care of, priced fair, and had many upgrades and add-ons.

After 6 nights in the basecamp, spanning the last few months, I noticed the floor at the front right, were the shoe storage tray lives, is very soft.

I have inspected the camper after every rain, (including a couple trips to the car wash, and never seen any signs of leaks. I’m guessing (after some reading tonight) this is due to the fridge and probable drain issues.

I feel gut punched and plan to call the closest dealer tomorrow (which is about 3 hours away).

I’m sure this will be on my dime as I bought the unit used and not from airstream.

I convinced my wife to spent the extra for a model, I thought, we bring of years of joy. Overall, this camper has been great, but the fear of needing to replace the floor has me worried. Between the cost and time without the trailer, I am feeling pretty down.

With that said. Has anyone have a similar experience? Any (rough) idea how much this might cost and possibly how long this type of service would take?

Thanks in advance.
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Old 04-11-2021, 09:15 PM   #2
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So sorry to hear about the floor. Keep your chin up. I would call Jackson Center Head Quarters and ask to speak with the service department regarding level of effort to repair. Take it from there...
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Old 04-11-2021, 09:16 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wulfraat View Post
So sorry to hear about the floor. Keep your chin up. I would call Jackson Center Head Quarters and ask to speak with the service department regarding level of effort to repair. Take it from there...
Will do. Thank you.
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Old 04-12-2021, 05:37 AM   #4
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Welcome to the forum.

FYI these "Basecamp floor bad site:airforums.com" search results may help with possible causes and solutions:

https://www.google.com/search?q=base...=airforums.com

Similar issues appear in this recent thread unfortunately:

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f40...mp-199017.html

Good recent advice to call AS HQ IMO.

Good luck.
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Old 04-12-2021, 09:37 AM   #5
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First and foremost, I apologize for my incoherent thoughts that were posted last night. It was late, and I was typing on a mobile device. My lack of attention + autocorrect = difficult reading material.

Today's UPDATE:
I called Airstream Corporate Service this morning. It was clear the call team was trying to clear the phone lines. When I got through (I think there were a half-dozen in the queue before me), I explained the symptoms I noticed. The man who answered the phone said, "The floor is soft due to water. I should try a dehumidifier. If that doesn't work, a partial or total floor replacement would be needed."

I asked what type of work would be involved, and he said a minimum of cabinet removal, but it isn't "light" work.

I shared that my Basecamp has the original fridge and asked if there were any thoughts to the fridge not draining as being part of the issue. His response, "Sure could be. I'd run a dehumidifier, see if the floor hardens back up, then pull out the fridge to see if water is behind the unit."

I further explained I have not seen any signs of water leaking. Again, he referenced a dehumidifier.

At that point, I knew I wasn't going to be able to get much more info (which to some degree, I can understand as someone would need to inspect the unit). So, we ended the call.

I guess I am going to try and run a dehumidifier, but I am not expecting it to do much. Additionally, even if the floor does respond well, I know I have an issue that will require further work.

More info to come...
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Old 04-12-2021, 11:09 AM   #6
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Angry

Definitely punky advice from AS . . . need to inspect that floor . . . and get any rot out ASAP . . . even if you have a hole in the sub-floor which requires a temporary patch.

Recent floor rot/patch thread: https://www.airforums.com/forums/f36...or-221144.html

Good luck.
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Old 04-12-2021, 01:22 PM   #7
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After a talk with the closest Airstream dealer (just shy of 3 hours from home), I am going to take the Basecamp to them for inspection and analysis.

The gentleman I spoke with at the dealership was more like-minded to myself in the review of the situation versus the individual at Airstream Corporate.

While he said a dehumidifier could help, it isn't going to help for the long-term considerations. Putting a set of eyes on the camper will help bring clarity to a lot of unknowns.

As of this message, the plan is to drop the Basecamp in the next day or two and expect some time before the wife and I can hit the road. It sucks, but it is what it is.

The unintentional benefit is to have a couple recall issues reviewed while on site.
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Old 04-12-2021, 01:33 PM   #8
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Otra posted some other threads with same problems. I recall that Basecamps have other problems too. Check them out.

This may be a product liability issue because of faulty design or negligent selection of materials (fridge, flooring, etc.). Check that out soon because you may run into statute of limitation issues depending on what state you are in.

History—the first Basecamps were made about a dozen or more years ago. Few were sold and many sat outside the factory for a long time. They were the brainchild of the company president, but his blunders did not make him lose his job. He married into the Thor executives family. The newer ones are bigger but not better.
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Old 04-12-2021, 01:36 PM   #9
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Thumbs up

Quote:
Originally Posted by di11ard View Post
. . .
. . . the plan is to drop the Basecamp in the next day or two and expect some time before the wife and I can hit the road. It sucks, but it is what it is.

The unintentional benefit is to have a couple recall issues reviewed while on site.
Thanks for this great update . . . please keep us informed.
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Old 04-12-2021, 03:45 PM   #10
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We had a similar story. Bought our 2006 in 2014. After a couple of trips down to Florida and spending a few months in it I noticed a soft spot near the front and the wife noticed a stinky odor.

When we got back I took some screws out of the floor (support for the L-Couch) and found them to be wet and rusty. I removed all of the furniture from the front 1/3 of the AS and pulled back the vinyl. I immediately saw several dark areas and a wet wood spot about as big as a dinner plate in the middle of the floor.

We made an appointment at Jackson Center, leaving the furniture out and the the vinyl rolled up. The service guy said that because the floor in that area has insulation it won't dry out because air can't get under it. (At least mine)

They removed the wet insulation, replaced it and repaired the floor. We also had the pressure and leak tests performed. The service guy said he found no leaks and suggested that a PO repaired the leaks and floor but didn't dry out the floor before repairing.

They did the work in less than a day. By removing the furniture and rolling back the flooring myself I saved several hours of service cost. That was in 2015 and we've not had any problems in that area since. However we have found a dry soft spot in the bathroom. It's always something.

The service guy used bleach to get rid of the flooring discoloration in the front. It worked out well, wife was pleased. The bathroom fan gasket leaked over winter 2019, onto the floor and discoloring that, so I'll try the bleach trick there. (Fan gasket fixed)

I asked about replacing the entire floor and the service guy said the only way they would do that was to remove the shell. They didn't do partial replacement. A dealership might.

Cost, at that time, was $125 an hour, I think. We had other work done while we were there so hard to say what the cost was. Our total bill was $2,000 but we had the roof stripped and resealed, all outside seams inspected/sealed and the pressure and water tests done as well.

If you read enough here in the forum you will find a lot of leak stories. Don't be disheartened, the AS are still a lot of fun. But like anything else on wheels, it requires maintenance and repairs.
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Old 04-12-2021, 04:01 PM   #11
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Well said Rich . . . thanks.
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Old 04-13-2021, 07:16 AM   #12
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I too have a 2006 23ft safari. Richw46 says in his post he "rolled back" the vinyl...etc. I have a soft spot about 2-3 feet in from the front of the window. I just noticed it during a recent trip. I have been hesitant to remove the front couch (mine is not L-shaped) just a futon type couch. Can you tell me if the vinyl just "rolls back" rather than being glued to the floor? If the vinyl can be rolled up and then rolled back it seems like it can be repaired without having to totally re-do the vinyl. Thanks for any response re: the vinyl.
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Old 04-13-2021, 07:35 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimz View Post
I too have a 2006 23ft safari. Richw46 says in his post he "rolled back" the vinyl...etc. I have a soft spot about 2-3 feet in from the front of the window. I just noticed it during a recent trip. I have been hesitant to remove the front couch (mine is not L-shaped) just a futon type couch. Can you tell me if the vinyl just "rolls back" rather than being glued to the floor? If the vinyl can be rolled up and then rolled back it seems like it can be repaired without having to totally re-do the vinyl. Thanks for any response re: the vinyl.
The vinyl flooring is not glued, it's considered "floating". There are staples along the edges to hold it in place. There are quarter round strips by the door that you need to pry up to get to the staples. Once you remove the furniture you just remove the staples with a flat tip screwdriver and it can be peeled back.

The service guy at JC said the center area of the floor has insulation under it and it gets wet from leaks. If you don't remove/replace it the wood will just rot again.

After the repair was done and we put the furniture back into place it looks very nice.
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Old 04-13-2021, 10:18 AM   #14
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Today's Update:
The Basecamp was dropped at dealership for further inspection. They will have to start removing components before anything further can be determined. So, let the waiting game begin.
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Old 04-13-2021, 11:36 AM   #15
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I have found a small moisture meter is valuable to identifying moisture issues in an RV. General Instruments makes one that can be purchased for around $35 on Amazon. You can use this instrument to identify moisture problem and also determine how extensive they are.
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Old 04-13-2021, 11:17 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by di11ard;
Today's Update:

The Basecamp was dropped at dealership for further inspection. They will have to start removing components before anything further can be determined. So, let the waiting game begin.

Keep us posted. Hoping for the best here. Love that basecamp!

I had a wet / rotted floor in my 2008 25’. I grimaced when I got the bill to fix it. But it was done right and we never looked back. Many family nights spent in that trailer - amazing memories and experiences! Stay the course
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Old 04-14-2021, 09:15 AM   #17
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Update:
Springfield Airstream called to confirm there is water damage (no ****). They will not be able to fix it. It would have to go back to the factory in Ohio. They will not help facilitate the movement of the camper. That is my responsibility.

Next step is to call the factory and explain what has been shared to me and see what to do next.

Oh, due to the water damage, Springfield Airstream wouldn’t entertain taking it on a trade…
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Old 04-14-2021, 10:17 AM   #18
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Thanks for the update . . . sorry your predicament. Maybe post some photos of the exposed subfloor and hole if any. The damage may be fixable per suggestions in the thread linked in Post #6 IMO.

PS -- If there is not yet a hole in the subfloor, and if the plywood is in obvious bad shape, you might as well create a hole IMO -- not sure about your skills with carpentry work/tools.
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Old 04-14-2021, 10:35 AM   #19
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Below is a picture from the Basecamp. I have highlighted the soft area. Visibly, as you can see, there is no indicators that are obvious. If I was to put a level across the "soft spot," you would see a slight indentation (i.e., it isn't flat any more). However, in this picture, due to the angle, you can't see it.

I am pretty sure if I put my full weight on the spot, it would poke a hole...

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Old 04-14-2021, 10:40 AM   #20
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Thanks . . . well . . . would you like to discuss some options here? [no PM's please]

PS -- Are there any obvious leaks in the windows etc. higher up?
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