The Not So Relaxing Zip Dee Power Awning

[Coast N]

Originally Posted by BayouBiker

I guess you don't know me and the hundreds of thousands who don't have issues. Seriously, I have never owned a vehicle that has not had some non-wear and tear stuff fail. Awnings are no exception. Clearly the dealer lacks the skills to properly diagnose the problem with the Relax awning and on that we agree, but that does not erase those who don't have issues, and it does not make the awning a bad product.

Point me to this world where nothing should ever break, I want to live there.

Your absolutely correct. I think the majority of the issue is with the dealers lack of technical knowledge. However, I do think Airstream should do a better job of auditing their dealers technical abilities. They are selling a premium product.

[jackieb]

I've had the same type of pain with my Zip Dee. I'm to the point where it's not worth the agony of whether or not it will close once I get it open at a camp site.
We're having an issue with an internal wire. It opens on the first motion, but does not push the awning into the up/extended position. Truly a serious design flaw in these things. I wish I could just make it manual and deal with it that way. Any thoughts? jack

[RChrisClark]

How fortuitous that this thread appeared today. We debated power vs manual and I regret going power. About a year ago our awning stopped working. AS dealer said that it seemed like the circuit board/electrical issue. Zip Dee said to replace the rear arm, it didn't work. Then Zip Dee said to replace the front arm. It took almost 6 months just to get the arm. It was replaced last week. It didn't work. They also replaced the circuit board and then proceeded to blow the fuse 10 times before determining that a 12 hour rewiring of the camper is now required. There goes the road trip. I am losing all faith in Airstream, as our 2018 has had nothing but problem after problem after problem...

Fortunately this is covered under warranty, but none of my time, fuel or extra wear and tear is covered for all of the return trips to the dealer.

[Luigi123]

I feel Zipp Dee has not kept up with the times and Airstream should put out a bid process for a better product. The quality and mechanical workmanship is years behind the industry.

[turk123]

Originally Posted by Coast N

Ugh! I should have know better than to go to Airstream Orange County for service. I live in Orange County, when looking to purchase the Airstream in 2015 I was put off by the sales team at Airstream Orange County and ended up driving to Bay Area Airstream near San Francisco (great dealer) to purchase our 2016 Airstream. However, for service it seemed crazy to drive 437 miles one way - but I wish I had. I’ve gone to Airstream Orange County 3 times for service and each time they have kept the Airstream for at least a month and the quality of work isn’t what it should be for a premium price. Next time I have an issue I’ll drive the 437 mile to San Francisco for quality service. It’s so frustrating to have our very expensive trailer that we love at a dealer who does not seem to have a knowledgeable service crew.

Just don't go to South Bay Airstream. They do not have a service area and use an 8 x 12' shed for their tools and the parking lot for their work area. I made an appointment when I was in California and they replaced a front corner window and could not repair my subwoofer or Door and screen. They told me I needed a new door and screen, that they could not fix the wiring in the walls and to take it back to the factory. I did!

[Ultraclassic]

I have heard that Vinnie's does an excellent job, but he in in Northern Cal.

Originally Posted by mpbiagi

Hi there folks,


As natives to SoCal it would have been logical for us to purchase our trailer at the aforementioned dealer and to go there for service. They're just a few miles down the 405 freeway. However, the times we visited prior to purchasing and what we heard from others kept us away. This was validated when we DID end up taking our '15 25RB FC in to have the microwave replaced under warranty. Our refrigerator had a long scratch down the middle when we went to pick it up. The rig was brand new. We didn't even get a 'sorry' from anyone on the lot.



Since that time we've had friends go there (without asking us first) and their experiences have been similarly horrible...it's the batteries, no it's the inverter, etc., etc.


I don't know who else might be reliable in Southern California but I'll do a lot of my own research and take on the job myself if at all possible before taking my trailer to that dealership for repair again. I'm also not averse to driving hundreds of miles to get the job done right by someone who actually cares and knows what they're doing.



I'm sorry for all your troubles.


Mike and Marla

[WestieHouse]

Originally Posted by Coast N

Ugh! I should have know better than to go to Airstream Orange County for service. I live in Orange County, when looking to purchase the Airstream in 2015 I was put off by the sales team at Airstream Orange County and ended up driving to Bay Area Airstream near San Francisco (great dealer) to purchase our 2016 Airstream. However, for service it seemed crazy to drive 437 miles one way - but I wish I had. I’ve gone to Airstream Orange County 3 times for service and each time they have kept the Airstream for at least a month and the quality of work isn’t what it should be for a premium price. Next time I have an issue I’ll drive the 437 mile to San Francisco for quality service. It’s so frustrating to have our very expensive trailer that we love at a dealer who does not seem to have a knowledgeable service crew.

Though we live in the Puget Sound region we have used and stored our previous 23’ Airstream in Orange County several years. I had wheel bearing lubrication performed at Airstream OC and it cost over $400. The same service at Les Schwab in Riverside and metro Seattle is about $200.

This spring I decided to upgrade to Lithium batteries on our new 25 RBT and compared OC Airstream with AM Solar and there was a price difference of almost $2000. Plus, the sales rep at OC gave a a price quote written on the back of his business card (he could answer few of my questions concerning Lithium batteries and solar). In contrast, the AM Solar bid was detailed itemized 2-page description including a customary materials and labor breakout.

It definitely pays to shop around.

[captainkirk]

It's disheartening to hear of all these issues with the new Airstreams and how hard it is to get them fixed.
I have a 1976 Argosy and it didn't have an awning when I got it, after checking around I found that Dometic sells an awning assembly with everything for under $1,000 (Or did four years ago) I also checked with Zipp Dee and they wanted over four times the price plus delivery (Ouch)
When I looked at the new Airstreams Zipp Dee awnings they just looked really flimsy compared to the Dometic so I went with the Dometic being both "fiscally challenged" and able to install it myself.....I'm glad I did.
There isn't a time that I'm at a Airstream rally and someone doesn't come up and say "They wish they had my awning on their trailer".
This doesn't help you out with this repair but just to let people know there are some other options out there they might check into.
I know this is a bit out of keeping it "all Airstream" but it might help someone out.
Airstream builds decent outer shells everything they buy is made from camel poop and glitter like all other trailers built today...there's just limited choices.
I think they would make better choices if they existed at the price point for these products. Face it at the $50 to 100 grand range in todays dollars this doesn't allow for cost is no object decisions. JMHO

[r-jaync]

I'm a little late to the thread - apologies. Before spending lots of money - we had similar issues with our 2015 Serenity with the awning. We called it the zip-dee not-so-relax. After spending money fixing it - it went bad again. Turned out we had a bad battery. 150 dollars at Autozone for 2 new batteries cured it. They're very sensitive to low amps - it might see you have full voltage on the batteries but if there's a chance the batteries are not good then it won't work. Can you get the dealer to borrow some new batteries off another trailer to see if that fixes it? I spent a lot of money before I figured this out. Also explained why I would have it work for a while then generally start playing up again - as the batteries aged the reliability of the awning dropped.

[3DRad]

We have a 2015 27FB International Serenity with the ZipDee automatic awning.
Here is our story:
In March 2018, the awning malfunctioned and would not retract completely. Manual retraction was done with the usual difficulty. ZipDee customer support was called, and after describing the problem, they determined that a replacement board ($362 upgraded), and a replacement roller motor ($346 upgraded) was needed. I was not charged for shipping, and after I installed the parts, and returned the faulty original parts, I was refunded the total amount. At that stage, labor was not included by ZipDee for the repair. Technically, I think I was outside the warranty period even for the parts. Both the original and replacement motors for the roller are made in Italy. The replacement upgraded roller motor was longer in length than the original, and required two holes to be drilled in the roller tube, with placement of two rivets (supplied by ZipDee), so when the motor was properly placed, the motor could engage the roller tube. Presumably the longer motor is stronger to wind the roller tube.

Everything went fine until August 2019 when the rear arm (which had not been a problem before) failed to retract or extend. The arm made a clicking sound which made me think that a gear had been stripped. ZipDee customer service was again called. It was quickly determined that replacement of the rear arm was needed. The part was RGA28980, and a price for a new arm was quoted at $1182 plus $67 shipping. After a small gasp, I was told a rebuilt arm was $790 plus $67 shipping. By returning the arm, I was refunded $500. All total including return shipping, it cost $424 for the part. Upon close inspection, the part appeared brand new.

I found ZipDee customer service to be very helpful and give their customer service department much praise. Their automatic ZipDee’s, however are problematic. What I described are two unrelated failures over 4 years.

Concerning having work done at dealerships, I believe in doing anything I possibly can that is within my comfort zone. I have more faith in my work, than I do in a stranger's work. It also makes me more knowledgeable. Resources like this forum, YouTube, and Rich Luhr's book can make a lot possible, and extends my comfort zone. Sure, there are some things I will not attempt. I try to know my limitations.

[jcwall]

We were having problems with our awning and went to an authorized Zip Dee dealer to get it looked at. They had never seen one! Fortunately it started working. I have have a lot of interaction with a couple of techs at Zip Dee, Randy and Jimmy. Both extremely helpful in helping me diagnose my various problems. Don’t think AS has installed hundreds of thousands but certainly tens of thousands. I too had water get onto the circuit board. Fortunately no harm. Nevertheless a weird place to mount it. It’s nice to be able to put it up when you go out for the day or if you get a sudden wind in the middle of the night. Wonderful when it works.

[Coast N]

Originally Posted by Ultraclassic

I have heard that Vinnie's does an excellent job, but he in in Northern Cal.

I’ve heard that as well, I think it’s worth the drive next time I need work done.

[Coast N]

Originally Posted by r-jaync

I'm a little late to the thread - apologies. Before spending lots of money - we had similar issues with our 2015 Serenity with the awning. We called it the zip-dee not-so-relax. After spending money fixing it - it went bad again. Turned out we had a bad battery. 150 dollars at Autozone for 2 new batteries cured it. They're very sensitive to low amps - it might see you have full voltage on the batteries but if there's a chance the batteries are not good then it won't work. Can you get the dealer to borrow some new batteries off another trailer to see if that fixes it? I spent a lot of money before I figured this out. Also explained why I would have it work for a while then generally start playing up again - as the batteries aged the reliability of the awning dropped.

Thanks for the tip. I’ve heard the power awnings require a good power source. We just replaced out lifeline batteries last month and have solar installed so there is plenty of power flowing to the batteries.

$3K latter the awning is working and we are leaving for an 11 day trip tomorrow. Can’t wait!

[Airhead2018]

Our experience with this awning is it has never worked properly since we bought our trailer in 2017. Our local Airstream dealer (where we purchased it) couldn't fix it and I doubt could fix anything. We took it to JC and they could not duplicate the problem while we were there. So I took a closer look and found the main power cable on the front arm chafed with exposed wires. So went to local dealer (stupid idea) to show them what I found and get them to fix it. They wrapped the cable with black electrical tape and assured me it was all good now (Bahahahaha). Back JC we went and they replaced the cable, but still could not duplicate the problem. Of course the problem did not go away so I called ZipDee customer service and asked if they could send me a new main board, which they did for a cost that would be refunded when I return the old board. Intalled new board and all is good so far with ZipDee refunding our cost of the board.
I would like to add that our converter took a dump during this time which didn't help getting a proper diagnosis of the awning issue. I've also read about converter issues and maybe the converter was faulty from the get go. ZipDee customer service is top notch in my experience, thank you Linda!

[Bettye]

My daughter replaced the awning on her SOB with a motorized awning and hasn't had a minutes trouble. With what we pay for our rigs, awnings shouldn't be such a problem.

[Ultraclassic]

Originally Posted by Bettye

My daughter replaced the awning on her SOB with a motorized awning and hasn't had a minutes trouble. With what we pay for our rigs, awnings shouldn't be such a problem.

I have not seen a Non zipdee awning on a AS, maybe it's because of the curve and also the delicate mounting to the aluminum doesn't support the "Other awning makers" like Dometic or Care Free

[GiaPK]

Originally Posted by Coast N

Fixing my Zip Dee Relax Power awning on my 2016 Airstream International 25FB is turning out to be a nightmare. The awning has never been reliable. In February of 2017 my dealer, Airstream Orange County, replaced the awnings circuit board under warranty. The swap-out seemed to fix some problems with the awning, but it never reliably opened and closed. During our 2019 trips, the awning reliability decreased. Finally, on a trip in May of this year, the awning stopped functioning altogether. It would roll out 2 feet and stop. I searched the forum for ideas on how to resolve the problem but was unable to find any solutions that would fix the problem.

I gave up on fixing the problem on my own and took the Airstream to the dealer. The dealer concluded that the rear awning arm motor failed and they said that the whole rear awning arm would need to be replaced. The arm alone is priced at $1900 and labor to install was estimated at $700. With the only other option being having an Airstream with a non-functioning awning, I approved the repair. However, it seemed like a poor design choice by Zip Dee and Airstream to install a motor that could not be replaced.

I reached out to Airstream customer support to confirm if what my dealer was telling me aligned with their service guidelines and they haven't been able to provide an answer. They said they would call the dealer, but they have not followed up.

The dealer called today to say that they installed the arm and the awning is still not functioning. They found a part on the front awning arm that was stripped and a wire that was shorted out. They fixed both the additional issues and said the awning would still not function correctly. Now they are telling me the circuit board needs to be replaced again! The circuit board is $800 - I'm going to spend more to fix this power awning than it cost as an option when I purchased the Airstream. I really wish I had the standard awning. This "relax" awning has only provided stress and financial burden, not relaxation.

Does anyone have advice on how to handle this situation? Do I just pay the $3500 + repair bill? Is the awning just going to fail again?

Thanks,
Chris

Chris,
Do you have any updates? I have just experienced a similar failure on our new Classic 30. The ZipDee rep I spoke to on the phone was grumbling about the new electronic controls that AS is using.