Airstream Service Center in Pictures

[turk123]

We just recently finished up a trip to Jackson Center and the Airstream factory for warranty work on our new Classic 30. I took a bit of video and pictures and thought I would share with everyone here.

The blond dog in the images is Maddie our Golden Doodle. My wife sneaks into a picture or two also. We stayed at the Terraport for three nights and we frequented a few restaurants and events while there. Split Decision Cafe is a great place to go for lunch or dinner with pizza being their specialty.

You'll notice the lack of a lot of people in the video. Not on purpose, there just are not many people around!! It is way in the country.

So enjoy!

LINK:

https://youtu.be/09TJ8DvxBAI

[uraljohn]

Fantastic video! Just some fine people in the Airstream community to take the time to put this together. Thank you!!

[Wayne&Sam]

That new building is huge! It makes me worry. So many companies run into problems after a big expansion. I hope airstream isn't one of them.

[Hans627]

Thanks for putting the video together. We enjoyed it!

[turk123]

Originally Posted by Hans627

Thanks for putting the video together. We enjoyed it!

It was fun making the video, but we really had a good experience with the factory service. Well worth the effort to visit them. Our appointment was made 3-4 months in advance.

Brad Herring is the service manager, but we worked with Keven and others to get our trailer finished.

It's important to keep focused on the work when your trailer is in the bay. You can walk up to the bay and talk with the service tech, but refrain from walking into the service area unless asked. Company rule. We were invited in several times when they had questions about certain things.

Stay involved as the techs are not always told about everything you've talked to the service manager about. The techs are working off a work order that is not that descriptive. Do not hang out there! Let them do their work.

It's sometimes a collaborative work environment. You will walk by the bay and it seems as if no one is working on your trailer. The tech got pulled off to look at another trailer and 3 guys are huddled together in a trailer doorway figuring something out. They have worked out a system that works best for them and you. Don't get upset. Earlier they were probable conferencing over your bent cap.

[Puddy]

Hello!

What camera did you use (iPhone?) and what editing software do you use?

Thanks!

Puddy

[turk123]

Originally Posted by Puddy

Hello!

What camera did you use (iPhone?) and what editing software do you use?

Thanks!

Puddy

Mostly iPhone 10. I also have a GoPro 6 black I used on the new factory video. I actually have a Mavic drone I wanted to use, but forgot it at home!!

I just use iMovie from Apple for editing. Easy to work with and lots of features.

[superChop]

Thank you for taking the time to provide this video! For those of us who have never visited those hallowed grounds, it raises a question: “Do the local restaurants have a deal with Airstream to keep customers coming into their town by building a percentage of their products with defects that require warranty repair visits to JC”? Seems like some of the AS technicians families might need employment and the service industry would be a great source of jobs for those families? When the new building is up and running, seems like the short term camping spaces will need to increase in number to accommodate more warranty visits? Local businesses must be ecstatic?

Since we have only purchased mature AS’s: 1964 Overlander - “Gracie” and a 1989 tripe axle, “Leilani”, we have never had the opportunity to use a warranty on our trailers. However, the new appliances have given us that opportunity with Dometic!

Perhaps our next trailer should be a new AS that does not require new subfloors and re-sealing exterior body panels, windows and doors?

[turk123]

SuperChop

Almost half of the visitors are surprisingly those who want to do the factory tour! It is rated in the top ten tours in the united states!

The three restaurants are not benefiting much at all with warranty visitors. The three restaurants are the Heidout, subway, and Split decision. Split Decision is probably the nicest. We talked to the owner who would like more business even from the factory workers themselves. They began taking orders and delivering to the factory to get employees to eat there. It is a small farm town.

During Alumapolosa, Split even finds competition from the event itself along with the town's fair that goes on during the weekend (Fair food!!). Great restaurant and wonderful pizza.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

That new building is huge! It makes me worry. So many companies run into problems after a big expansion. I hope airstream isn't one of them.

AS quality is so bad that it could only go one direction eh?

[rmkrum]

Actually having more space to work in can improve quality

[caz]

Turk123,

Thank you for producing the excellent video. We stopped in for a factory tour last August. Wonderful experience! Caz.

[xrvr]

Most workers today cannot afford to eat lunch out, at least in florida and ohio where i have lived.

[GOUSC]

We had 3 breakfasts and one dinner at the Hideout, in additional to one lunch at Split Decision. Food was great at both. The Hideout has the most local flavor. Day 1 the locals pretty much didn't notice us as they figured we were a 1 day and done repair. Day 2 they had our coffee waiting for us as we sat down. By day 3 we were one of the locals! It is a great atmosphere. Would definitely go back.

[rmkrum]

Small town folk are like that. I accidentally left an extra AMEX money order in a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota area. It passed through three sets of hands before it got back to me, staying at the “widder Jones’s place”.

The whole town knew our names the second day. Nice folks out there.

[Acheron2010]

I was just there yesterday, taking the tour with about 55 other people, many dreaming and scheming of owning their own Airstream. The factory tour is very impressive, as the 35+ service bays that are all going full steam. Terraport is a steal at $10 a night or free if you are getting service. Well worth the visit.

[Hans627]

Originally Posted by GOUSC

We had 3 breakfasts and one dinner at the Hideout, in additional to one lunch at Split Decision. Food was great at both. The Hideout has the most local flavor. Day 1 the locals pretty much didn't notice us as they figured we were a 1 day and done repair. Day 2 they had our coffee waiting for us as we sat down. By day 3 we were one of the locals! It is a great atmosphere. Would definitely go back.

That's one of the things I love about small town America, the people. I had the same experience at the Hideout but I was only there two mornings. By the second morning I was included in the discussions about politics, farming and other local non-sense. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

[kendrick.l.j]

Turk, thank you very much for the video. As mentioned, a lot, probably most, Airstream owners will not have the opportunity to go there to see what it’s all about. Great experience, wonderful customer service and incredibly educational. All the employees I met were amazing. Greg did the body work (the guy has serious skills and should have been a surgeon) and Les did all the interior stuff.
There a little pizza shop inside the gas station across the street. I wanted cater lunch as a thank you so I ordered something like 15 large pizzas and the ladies in the pizza place did an awesome job at having them ready and hot when I went to pick them up. Just really nice folks.
I wish more people could/would go to JC and watch the employees see how hard everyone works and maybe they wouldn’t be so critical. Maybe.

[Sea-lovers]

Thank you for sharing the video about your experience. Our 22’ International has to be there for 2 weeks at the end of October for exterior panel replacement. Could you suggest where we might stay nearby?

[Rfriebele]

We took a tour few weeks ago. I was impressed with the dedicated folks, family atmosphere and such but several things jumped out at me having been a plant mgr and service rep to this industry for many years. They're experiencing classic growth problems first and foremost and the rush to strike while the iron is hot as they say is evident in introducing new models, new stuff. I've heard a ton of complaints, especially here, about quality and I can see why. We stood near some Globetrotters that had been QC inspected and one had a list taped on it with 33 items that needed addressing! That would be completely unacceptable in the place I worked. I'm hoping their new facility will alleviate much of this cause it was obvious they were cramped and needed more space. To keep this short, the one thing the tour guide said that blew me away, and he said it with pride, was they do not batch build like other assembly lines. They build to order. That's nice if you limit your offerings but with all their models and floor plans, I see it as a nightmare and opportunity for multiple mistakes which it seems they suffer from. Inventory for everything must be on hand and the workers, talented as they are, must know what's required on everything from one job to the next. Its not streamlined by any means. At least in another building, they only do Atlas & Bambi's. I'd be curious to know how many issues they have there vs where they're building everything else all right next to each other simultaneously. Anyhow, it confirmed for me that whatever they build, it's the dealer who matters to give it the final inspection before delivery. Finally, the service bays were impressive and the staff, first rate. I was astonished at what they're able to do and having been in most RV plants in Ohio and Indiana, AS is still numero uno in my book.