Throw out that Airstream mat... NOW!

[GetawA-S]

We are one of many who are experiencing discolored linoleum in our 2020 23FB FC. We have never had any significant water hit the floor.

We contacted Jackson Center, were told to contact the dealer, sent photos to the dealer who sent them on to Jackson Center. The end result is that Airstream is denying warranty coverage because we used a floor covering. This is a household fabric runner that has NEVER been soaked, and was not even set on top of the worst of the discoloration. Airstream calls this "customer abuse".

My best guess is that this damage is such a common occurrence that the factor is using a blanket excuse to avoid the warranty obligation. So, until some ambitious lawyer comes up with class action lawsuit, we are left holding the bag.

If you find yourself in the same boat as us, develop amnesia about any floor coverings.

I expected better.

[Jeff7176]

What color is your floor? We have a 2018 Serenity with the dark “looks like wood floor” linoleum and have used small rugs (at the entrance, in the bath) and haven’t had any similar issues.

[Fungus]

Is the runner even slightly abrasive? We’ve had a runner that damaged a floor at home. Didn’t seem to be abrasive but a third-party floor person demonstrated otherwise.

[Airtandem]

We have had runners in our






We have had runners in ours eversinsce we bought it with NO problems.
Might be a problem with the rug, NOT the flooring.

[Hittenstiehl]

Many of the lesser expensive floor coverings have a synthetic backing that degrades with time and leaves a marking or imprint on the floor.

A grey rubber backing on our rugs left a purple discoloration on our floor that I could not get off. I now pick up all the throw rugs/mats and roll them up and put them in the tub when the trailer is not in use.

[NMathews]

Ditto on that statement regarding rubber-backed rugs. In our Globetrotter manual it specifically states to only use natural-fiber backed rugs to prevent yellowing on our woven vinyl flooring.

One could assume the same properties apply to the non-woven vinyl in the rest of AS trailers.

We have only used natural fiber rugs as entryway mats and shower mats and haven’t used the mat Airstream at all for fear of yellowing.

[GetawA-S]

And I doubt that Airstream does either, which is why I’m so upset.
I’ll try to add a photo.
I did root cause analysis in industry for years, and this really looks like water pooled under the linoleum and degraded it from below.
I am not confident in getting any serious consideration without paying to have the dealer pull out all the fittings and lift the linoleum. Perhaps I should contact an inspector?
Thanks for the support and suggestions.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I have had the Airstream floor mat and several throw rugs in our trailer since September of 2004; I have had no discoloration anywhere.

I call them throw rugs because, when they get worn or dirty, I throw them away.

[Fungus]

I wonder if a moisture meter would detect the moisture in the flooring. I have one for drywall. You use it for relative moisture. Check over there where you know it’s dry-ish. Then check here where you think it’s wet-ish. Compare.

[kscherzi]

Look online. Lots of info about what causes lineolium to discolor, and how to fix the problem. Apparently many door mats with rubber backing react with the linseed oil used in lineolium manufacturing to cause the yellow or other colors. They list different ways to fix the issue.

[NickWP]

Our research led us to Ruggable, which has a breathable mat underneath, and we've had good luck with them.

https://ruggable.com/

[switz]

Both factory provided flooring materials failed within months of taking delivery from poor quality and poor installation. Both the 2015 23D and the 2014 31' Classic now have Marmoleum flooring on my nickel which will last the life of the trailer.

The factory had best start to think about their warranty problems and support their customers. Too much negative reading here.

The best solution going forward is to get Quality Control operational with zero defects but that also means hiring dedicated and well trained employees.

[MMCMRET]

Thanks for the tips and sorry about your floor. Hope you are able to get the issue resolved.

[slofoks]

You might want to contact a local water damage restoration company. They should have a hand held device that shows where moisture is inside of walls just by scanning the surface. Might be worth the cost if you are considering going after AS. Good luck.

[Silvr_Bullet]

Securing a statement from a professional dealer / installer may shed some light onto the source of the damage, you could then provide an nearly indisputable cause of the problem to Airstream. These people in many cases have years of experience.

[369goose]

Originally Posted by Airtandem

We have had runners in our






We have had runners in ours eversinsce we bought it with NO problems.
Might be a problem with the rug, NOT the flooring.

Most likely. We had a runner in our last AS for several years. Washed it whenever it needed then always put it back. Eventually one day as I picked it up to wash it again I noticed little fibers had adhered to the flooring and when we cleaned that off there was a slight discoloration. When we did not replace the runner right away, whether by sunlight or use, it seems to be all blending in again. In our case it was, in fact, the rug that caused the discoloration but now it’s only noticeable when I point it out.

There is something in the care & maintenance literature that discourages the use of rugs or any coverings on the floors. I’d have to reread thru that paperwork to tell you verbatim what the flooring mfgr advised.

[369goose]

Originally Posted by GetawA-S

And I doubt that Airstream does either, which is why I’m so upset.
I’ll try to add a photo.
I did root cause analysis in industry for years, and this really looks like water pooled under the linoleum and degraded it from below.
I am not confident in getting any serious consideration without paying to have the dealer pull out all the fittings and lift the linoleum. Perhaps I should contact an inspector?
Thanks for the support and suggestions.

How did Airstream learn that you’d ever used a rug/mat in that area?
According to the pic you provided that doesn’t look like damage from a simple rug. Good luck with your claim.

[kallbabs]

We do have non-skid backed washable rugs in our 2015 FC. About six months ago we developed a dark spot on our light color floor just like the one pictured. Interesting, the rug was NOT placed in this spot. We have tried everything we can think of to remove the discoloration but nothing works. I thought it was just us…would love to get rid of the spot. Looking for ideas too.

[ibosket]

We have a 23 FB that had water leaking under the shower that came out and got under our Airstream mat the dealer had given us. The floor got very discolored. They had to replace the whole floor because it was so damaged under the shower. It is a 2017 so it was covered by warranty since the shower leak was occurring when brand new. We use different mats now that sometimes get damp because of weather, but haven’t had the same problem.

[AlbertF]

We don’t have discolouration, but I’ve noticed that the vinyl flooring our trailer has noticeable areas where the adhesive has let go. This did not develop until the warranty was over.

Something to check if your warranty is close to expiring.