Leaks! How concerned should we be?

[SierraSummit]

We recently purchased a 2004 Airstream international. After riding out some recent wet weather we've noticed two small leaks. One coming from a bolt within the air conditioner. The second from behind the stove, between panels. The latter is more worrisome because we're assuming water is between the exterior and interior skin. Next steps are probably to get it checked out. Any other thoughts or advice?

[murreywalker]

The first thing I would check is the exhaust vent on the outside.

They've been known to be a source of leaks. I know.

[SteveH]

There are two types of Airstreams....those that leak, and those that are gonna leak.

It's a constant battle and you need to keep fixing them because the water will eventually rot the wood in the floors.

[PharmGeek]

I have a new one...had it now for a week..I was happy it was raining hard at the dealer for day of purchase and staying over at dealer...rained all night...got to look closely at all interior surfaces...did not get to leak test yet with my leak detector as I did not have the battery on hand (woops, also I am not still quite sure how I can access the sub-floor to probe with this thing). It seems that in reading about leaks on this forum, if pro-active, you can catch these and fix them...which is a pain in the butt, but better than waiting then finding floor rot....

[JackDog]

Question:

I have a 2013 16' Sport I bought new last year. Are water leaks something that is caused by the design of AS's or is it due to poor contruction?

I had a Casita travel trailer for six years and I never had one issue with water leaks. In fact other than a few minor issues the quality of contruction and execution of design was stellar.

I moved up to the AS as it was always a dream of mine to own one. So far no issues with the five trips I've made. High temps in Arizona to Snow in the Eastern Sierra of California. The AS sits in my driveway and we don't get alot of rain here in So Cal.

Jack Dog
in So Cal

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by JackDog

Question:

I have a 2013 16' Sport I bought new last year. Are water leaks something that is caused by the design of AS's or is it due to poor contruction?

I had a Casita travel trailer for six years and I never had one issue with water leaks. In fact other than a few minor issues the quality of contruction and execution of design was stellar.

I moved up to the AS as it was always a dream of mine to own one. So far no issues with the five trips I've made. High temps in Arizona to Snow in the Eastern Sierra of California. The AS sits in my driveway and we don't get alot of rain here in So Cal.

Jack Dog
in So Cal

The answer is pretty much "Yes."

A perfectly-built Airstream would come from the factory without leaks, but because of the way it's built, it will eventually require some maintenance to keep the seams watertight after being subjected to years of rough roads and wide hot/cold cycles. The Casita has an advantage because of the lack of seams on the roof and upper walls, so there are fewer opportunities for water intrusion. I guess it's pretty much limited to plumbing vents and the AC and vents on the roof.

There are some units that escape the factory with leaks. Airstream is good about fixing these under warranty if the leaks are caught. It seems that some dealers have mixed results in this area, though.

[Ganaraska]

Going through a hurricane and an earthquake every time you move it doesn't help.

The heavier your tow vehicle, and the heavier the spring bars on your hitch the worse beating the trailer takes. In extreme cases you can bend the front of the trailer, pop rivets loose and practically wreck your trailer without hitting anything. Most RV dealers recommend tow vehicles and hitches that will destroy an Airstream.

[kry226]

Airstream also keeps records of leaks found during testing at the factory. Might be a good place to start if you're having trouble finding that pesky leak.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Airstream Forums mobile app

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by JackDog

Question:

I have a 2013 16' Sport I bought new last year. Are water leaks something that is caused by the design of AS's or is it due to poor contruction?

I had a Casita travel trailer for six years and I never had one issue with water leaks. In fact other than a few minor issues the quality of contruction and execution of design was stellar.

I moved up to the AS as it was always a dream of mine to own one. So far no issues with the five trips I've made. High temps in Arizona to Snow in the Eastern Sierra of California. The AS sits in my driveway and we don't get alot of rain here in So Cal.

Jack Dog
in So Cal

We had a Scamp, another fiberglass shell that didn't leak. The quality was in the simplicity of design but not much else.

Airstreams are assembled by punching a few thousand holes in bunches of aluminum panels, riveting it all together, then hoping various sealants will keep the water out. They do a great job, but because of the complexity leaks will happen.

Set up a quarterly inspection and maintenance plan for your Airstream and you can find and correct problems before major damage occurs. A leaking shell or fitting will end up wetting the plywood subfloor. Eventually it will rot. An excellent (and perhaps only) way to find subfloor moisture is probing through the vinyl floor covering and into the plywood with a moisture test meter.

We use a Sonin Moisture Test Meter model 50211 from Amazon.com for about $35. It's battery operated and has probes on the end of a cord so it's easier to reach into narrow spaces. Just go around the inside perimeter of the trailer, edge of the floor, and stick it right through the vinyl. If the needle moves there's moisture, if it moves a lot there's lots of moisture.

So far I guess I've found 6 minor leaks. Below two awning support brackets, loose entrance door hinge, below rear window corner from too loose of a latch, behind sink from an incomplete Pex crimp, and behind toilet shutoff valve from loose water line fitting.

Without the moisture test meter, I would not known about any of them. Could claim a leak-free trailer. And this is not unique to Airstream, they all leak (except those little fiberglass buggers and other exceptional examples), they just don't know it. Perhaps they trade them before their foot goes through the floor.

Regular inspection and maintenance are part of trouble free ownership. Include systems checks (turn everything on and see if it works), battery maintenance, hitch maintenance, trailer shell/interior cleaning, lubricating, and polishing as needed, running gear inspection and maintenance, and corrosion inspection, preventive treatment, and repair.