Where are the dealers ?

[brunoffrance]

My last trip in USA was in May and this time, i've decided to visit Airstream dealers to see in reality, the new models and to see some accessories for my airstream.
As we were on Chicago, ill, it seems logical to see "Airstream of chicago"....
Great website but behind that... the desert. At first , the location is really not at chicago, ill, too many miles to do to find and hopefully, there was a big sign on the side of the highway and when we stop there, nobody, no desk, no information to find it or service.... see the picture , it all what you see... a stock of trailers but in a closed park.

As you know , Wisconsin is near Illinois, and we decided to see "Ewald airstream of wisconsin", an other "airstream dealer "that you can find on the list of dealers made by Airstream company website.
No more luck, a great stock outside among a great stock of Dodge cars and you understand that the travel trailers are not the main business. No showroom, no parts or accessories room and if you want something, you have to order....

finally, we 've gone away, very disapointed and in anger; what a waste of time, many miles and gazoline for nothing ... and we 've no visited a model !

I don't understand how they do to sale ... may be by the web ?

So as I come back each year in your fabulous country, where are the serious dealers, where they do only airstreams, talk about only Airstream and are really Airstream proffessional dealers ??????

Bruno

[2airishuman]

hi burno...

u selected two of the smaller dealerships.

many of the smaller shops may only have 1-4 streams on hand.

about 15 dealers account for the majority of sales,

if you were to visit any of them, u'd see 20-50 trailers on the lots...

according to published info...

the top 10 in 2007 were...

colonial airstream in n.jersey
southwest coaches of irvine, calif.
bates rv in dover, fla.
george m. sutton rv in eugene, ore.
california rv sales in fontana, calif.
toscano recreation in los banos, calif.
airstream of arkansas in searcy, ark.
revolution rv of san diego, calif
bill thomas camper sales in wentzville, mo.
randall noe airstream of rockwall, texas.

and airstream of spokane, washington cracked this 10 recently, as i recall.

so grab a web map and start ploting locations for a fruitful visit.

there are 4 in cali, and another in oregon.

or new jersey and florida on the right coast.

in the heartland u can go texas, arkansas, and missouri....

while not top 10 there are 2-3 dealers in ohio that have good inventory too.

don't forget the camera and take pics!

cheers
2air'

[markdoane]

Shorewood RV Center just outside of Minnepolis had at least a dozen Safaris in stock last time I was there. They seemed pretty gung-ho for Airstream, although they carry other brands also. They've only carried Airstream for 3-4 years.

Combine with a trip to the Mall of America and see beautiful Minnesota!

[brunoffrance]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

hi burno...

u selected two of the smaller dealerships.

many of the smaller shops may only have 1-4 streams on hand.

about 15 dealers account for the majority of sales,

if you were to visit any of them, u'd see 20-50 trailers on the lots...

according to published info...

the top 10 in 2007 were...

colonial airstream in n.jersey
southwest coaches of irvine, calif.
bates rv in dover, fla.
george m. sutton rv in eugene, ore.
california rv sales in fontana, calif.
toscano recreation in los banos, calif.
airstream of arkansas in searcy, ark.
revolution rv of san diego, calif
bill thomas camper sales in wentzville, mo.
randall noe airstream of rockwall, texas.

and airstream of spokane, washington cracked this 10 recently, as i recall.

so grab a web map and start ploting locations for a fruitful visit.

there are 4 in cali, and another in oregon.

or new jersey and florida on the right coast.

in the heartland u can go texas, arkansas, and missouri....

while not top 10 there are 2-3 dealers in ohio that have good inventory too.

don't forget the camera and take pics!

cheers
2air'

thank you for this dream airstream list....
we plan to go in the end of this year in the south texas (houston) and louisiana... if no too much problem with gustav.....
I've seen randall of rockwall.... Are there others interesting dealers ?

Bruno.

[Mikethefixit]

2 air
U did say OHIO. I know where there are LOTS OF AIRSTREAMS. Almost any size U want JACKSON CENTER LOL WE ARE MOTHER SHIP U KNOW
bunoffrance U just needed to come where they are made. MAYBE NEXT TIME!
Roger

[Pick]

JD Sanders in Alachua, Florida, has quite a selection of new Airstreams. Bambies all the way to 30+ footers with slide outs.

[overlander63]

Bates has a couple of dealerships, the one in Dover, and one in Venice, Florida. I know the dealership in Dover has at least a couple dozen Airstreams there, and used ones as well.

[nswhite]

Unfortunately the Airstream of Chicago showroom burned down last year. Work on starting a new building should start soon. You could check out their other showroom in Davenport, Iowa. Airstream RVs for Sale - US Adventure RV, Davenport, Iowa, for your next new or used RV The better dealers have a web site to check their inventory. We found our trailer at Woodland Travel in Grand Rapids, MI. Airstream Owners

Good luck on your search.

[moosetags]

A couple of weeks ago we were at JD Sanders Airstream in Alachua (near Gainesville), Florida. We were there having Lucy's wheels serviced. While we were waiting for Lucy's service we went through each one of at least two dozen new Airstreams on their lot. They had about every model of Airstream available except a 34. We had a really nice day checking out all the new Airstreams.

[69AmbassFl]

Yes been to JD Sanders myself, Bout an hour and a half from house. I thought they had quite a nice selection myself. Went there looking for some parts and ended up being there for a couple of hours looking through the new trailers.

[elolson]

Oasis RV, Tucson, AZ always has a decent selection.

[emdubyadee]

Originally Posted by brunoffrance

thank you for this dream airstream list....
we plan to go in the end of this year in the south texas (houston) and louisiana... if no too much problem with gustav.....
I've seen randall of rockwall.... Are there others interesting dealers ?

Bruno.

Randall Noe typically has 12-15 models on the lot. Their owner turns over the inventory pretty quickly so new stock comes in often. Ask for Doug if you visit. They do not carry much in the area of accessories or parts however.

[Silvertwinkie]

Airstream of Chicago was the dealer that had a fire the totally burned down their facility. They are and have been for over a year now, working out of a temp location next door.

Most dealers are open on Saturdays between 10 and 3pm local time.

I will say that dealers are few and far between. I would suggest if you main motivation for looking at new units is parts and accessories, a dealer, though not a bad idea, is only second seat to going to Jackson Center, Ohio where they are made, which is about 325 miles from where you were when you went to Bollingbrook, IL (Airstream of Chicago). At Jackson Center you can see many different models built, get a wide variety of parts and accessories and in most cases talk to folks that have been building them for decades...some as long as 3 decades.....

[silverback]

As elolsen says Oasis RV in Tucson AZ is a full service Airstream only dealer. Come on out and see us. I would recommend anytime between October and April.
-KL

[Aage]

Hello and welcome to Airforums, Bruno!

My last trip in USA was in May and this time, i've decided to visit Airstream dealers to see in reality, the new models and to see some accessories for my airstream.

Tell us about your rig, and especially, show us some pictures, please!

finally, we 've gone away, very disapointed and in anger; what a waste of time, many miles and gazoline for nothing ... and we 've no visited a model !

Très important de vérifier les heures d'ouverture avant La Visite! Many dealers are small, family-owned companies, and they do attempt to have a life. Always call first, to eliminate the possibility of them being absent.

[willyd]

Sad, but true - Even though Airstreams are made in Ohio - only one that has a number of units to choose from - Jim May RV in Findlay, Ohio.

[Duff23]

RV Legends in Waterbury, CT, has 15-20 units on their lot.

[Gene]

My impression is that Airstream has a weak dealership network with a several good dealerships, and then the rest. The dealer where I bought it has so far denied a number of warranty items (I got that solved), put a hole in the rear panel (they fixed that), put a 6" crease in the side (didn't see it until I got home), replaced a rain gutter and left out 8 of 13 rivets. I have heard the other dealer in the state is worse.

Now I'm thinking of going 1,000+ miles to Jackson Center for service. That's crazy. If I had known this before we bought it, we might not have.

So, Bruno, when you come back some day, go to JC or the few other dealers that are reputable.

Gene

[Silverwanabe]

When you are in the Carolinas, do not forget
Out of Doors Mart.
Near Greensboro/Winston Salem

The oldest Airstream dealer in the world.
They have about 15-20 units.
Great parts department.

Right off I-40.
25 miles from the house.

No, I do not work there