When your airstream service shop lets you down...

[jaybauman]

Originally Posted by banderabob

This won’t help you with warranty work....

Actually, it might--and it may be as simple as only having to ask nicely.

My local Airstream dealer in Houston is infamous for their historically bad service department. It's so bad, Airstream lets me use a local non-Airstream repair shop for all my warranty needs. I now get excellent service with much shorter wait times to get an appointment.

[Dmvp]

thats amazing! How did you get airstream to let you do that?

[guskmg]

This is called an un-written warrantee item. Usually, Airstream can have their shop or a dealer take care of a warrantee issue, but that may not fit the customers situation, so they let the customer choose the shop for performing the repair and they pay. I know of a customer who got a new Airstream because Airstream and the company supplying the frames could not solve an alignment problem. Like 10 Michelin tires in one year on a two axle trailer. You really can't blame Airstream for poor customer service when they do things like that. It a big operation and still made by human hands. Undesirable thing are bound to happen.
guskmg

[ORFC25FBT]

Airstream Adventures NW Portland Oregon is a certified dealer, repair and one of two outside the Mothership to get their work included under factory warranty.

[freeski1057]

This issue doesn't seem like one you'd have to travel to Ohio to get fixed. It looks like you should still be under warranty so I would call or contact Airstream, let them know how unhappy you are and where they suggest you take it for proper repair. If where you've been taking it is an Airstream dealer corporate should know they're doing crappy work. I'm guessing there are other Airstream dealers within a day or two drive from you and hopefully you'll have more success somewhere else.

[KLK]

Idk if the Lemon Law applies to your Airstream, but I had to use the Lemon Law for a 2007 Honda Odyssey we bought brand new off the lot after 9,000 miles. The law is nothing like it seems. It took 3 years of my life fighting it, damaged my marriage, and caused me more stress than one can imagine. I only finally won because the Regional Honda guy who represented Honda on my case had just been replaced by an honest man of integrity and when I told my story to the ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE (can only make a recommendation, not a judgement), the Honda Regional guy practically dropped his jaw. He kept in touch with me (against the rules) and I learned he’d fired some of the people at the dealership, had their ratings lowered, and got that vehicle titled as a Lemon and had it sent to a mechanic’s school so they could learn about all of the computerized stuff that went wrong.
Don’t try the Lemon Law.

[KLK]

Do what you can, but also report that dealership to the BBB and to Airstream and to whatever government agency that licenses RV repair shops.

[SPOT5531]

I bought a new 2015 Airstream in a Mercedes sprinter van and have had a lot of trouble with it. Poor quality overall and lousy maintenance. The Sprinter has been in the shop three times and nothing repaired properly. The closest shop for warranty work is an hour and a half away.

[Florida 55]

Originally Posted by jondrew55

I'm sure the answer from most is to get it properly repaired at the Jackson Center factory. I know that is not a convenient answer, but that will get it fixed right.

The factory doesn't always get it right. We had front end separation repaired at Jackson Center. A year later we were back at the factory because the repair failed. The second time the service advisor stated they had changed the repair method. This time instead of it being repaired in the regular service bay, the trailer was taken across the street to a building where it spent two days and customers were not permitted to enter.

In our ten years of Airstream ownership we have taken our Airstream to the factory service center at least once per year for service. Usually we've had good service, other times we've had to return to have work done again. A few times I have "fixed" poor factory repairs instead of pulling the trailer 450 miles for the factory to redo. The quality of work really depends on the tech assigned to the job.

One thing we have noticed is that in the early days of our service experience at the factory there was a shop foreman in the service center walking around talking to the techs as they were working and I assume checking the work. The last few visits we have seen no evidence of such shop supervision. In addition we have seen no evidence the service advisor signed to each customer inspects the job before the trailer is returned to the customer.

As for dealer service, it also varies. Some dealers emphasize service, some do not. Ultimately, the quality of the job depends on the knowledge and commitment to quality of the tech and shop owner.

[Lucky1987]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, well you are half right.

Vinnie does extremely great work; I don't know of anyone better. He works on Airstreams that are year 2000 and newer only. And as a, basically, one man shop he can't take in new customers.

Both Long Long Honeymoon and Living in Beauty have their older Airstreams repaired at Vinnies so this must be a new condition.
It appears quality or lack of it is getting worse in these.

[JanaB]

They are the worst! We too have had to take our rig back multiple times to “fix” the same issues (which still have not been fixed…). Avoid them at all costs…

[Road Hog]

I too have had a lot of issues with Northbay Airstream. I had taken my unit there twice for the same repair. Tammy has been a huge letdown. Things never got fixed like the automated blinds and each time I take it there the main breaker pops and they dint know why. I could go on for days but the worst experience ever. It makes owning a Airstream very questionable I had though I was buying a reputation along with a great brand but the service has just been pitiful. I did use Almaden RV on a previous issue with my Generator Noise and they did get it corrected the first time. I have a after market warranty so I will use them in the future instead of airstream

[solson]

I have used Vinnie's North Bay Airstream for some six years. He is busy...months out but does excellent work. Honest, detailed and a good person. vinnie@vinniesairstream.com
Good luck!

[La3rdworld]

As one dealer told me: “Airstream is a pain in the ass”. They rarely respond, they're always backed up and you’re lucky to get parts on a timely basis.
Sounds like your repair dealer is jack-legged, doing lousy work. Find another facility to perform the work.
That kind of work is unacceptable.

[Rltports]

Originally Posted by kathfred

I really wish folks would stop recommending Vinnie's North Bay, as he will not accept "new customers" and doesn't return calls. I cannot fathom how one runs a business this way. So frustrating.

Agree! Even though I live in the Midwest, I’m currently in the SW and was considering a trip to see him about some work. I tried calling an finally sent an email. Never heard a word.

[Just RVing]

Try Toscano RV Center in Los Banos, CA 93635.
646 W. PACHECO Blvd

209 826-8459
209 826-2488


I bought my 1st AS from them and have had them do several repairs.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Lucky1987

Both Long Long Honeymoon and Living in Beauty have their older Airstreams repaired at Vinnies so this must be a new condition.
It appears quality or lack of it is getting worse in these.

Hi, Vinnie has worked on my 2005 Safari and the Long Long Honeymoon's trailer is a 2003 model. Living in Beauty's Airstream is a 2001 model.

[Picinich]

May I suggest Ultimate Airstream in Portland. They are the best and Ian will take care of you. We have had several modifications done to our 26U and thier work is exemplary.

[Road Hog]

I was considering taking my unit up to Portland for Lithium upgrade instead of Northbay since they did such shotty work in the past in my unit. I had been emailing the Portland Dealer and they have been extremely responsive which is already an improvement over My Last experience.
The last time I used Northbay I was told if
I would permit them transferring
My unit from Morgan Hill to Fairfield that the repair would be Done quicker and would also enable them to train a new tech at the same time. Fairfield is 2 hours away but I agreed, it took three weeks to change out a awning motor. Then when they got the unit back they wanted their technician to check the work before picking up the unit? This makes zero sense. Then Covid hit and everyone was out Sick as Covid swept their service department out. No thank you. So now Portland is looking pretty good even though it’s another state away.

[mikeinca]

It sounds like things at Northbay Airstream Adventures have deteriorated. We've had them do good work on a previous Airstream Classic that we purchased there so it's disheartening to hear the issues some people are now having. Keeping my fingers crossed that our current Globetrotter remains problem free.

As for Vinnie's North Bay Airstream, I've contacted his shop and reached a recording that says, as mentioned in previous posts, that he is no longer accepting new customers although he is still offering to do ceramic coating on Airstreams. Maybe that's a way, albeit an expensive one, to get in the door and on his client list.