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Protagonist · 12-14-2015, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbanologist

AS has no real competition, so you, the buyer, just can't really do much except not buy new units.

The OP is a proud new owner, and it seems counterproductive to tell them that their brand-new purchase isn't any good because they didn't buy used. Lots of people buy new trailers and have few problems with them. Please try to be more supportive.

HankO · 12-14-2015, 11:16 PM

Owning a Airstream is an on going learning experience. I've owned my trailer for going 8 years now and I am still finding out tons of things about it, heck this past Fall I learned I was not putting the Zee Dip awning up correctly. I didn't know there was a way of setting up the awning that allowed for the wind to safely roll it back in! I've found that the Airstream manual that comes with the trailer to be of great help, but It can be confusing on some issues, so I put some index pages in the book where different conditions exist, such as plumbing, winterizing, electrical, towing, ect. and when I find something interesting on this forum I print it out and stick in the manual. There have been Posts on "important check lists" that I have printed out and put to the front of the manual and that comes in quite handy, along with a needed supplies list. This Forum has been a life saver for answering all the questions we have and for getting the needed support on some tough issues from fellow Streamers.

I wish you well with your new purchase, your gonna love Airstreaming!

Hank

Caffeinated · 12-14-2015, 11:38 PM

After camping for 20 yrs in SOB trailers we purchased our new airstream last Summer. What could be so different about a silver trailer? After all, we weren't newbies to camping. Well, there was a lot to be learned. Our dealer in Portland di a good job going through the systems in the trailer, but there were enough differences that it became overwhelming and we "forgot" a lot of what we learned that day. That led to some interesting times trying to figure out the heater/AC/ heat pump thermostats controller. And don't get me started on the toggle switch for the stereo. But with patience and a sense of humor and the dealers number on speed dial I have only fallen more in love with our FC. Can't wait for spring.

Mike

Len n Jeanne · 12-14-2015, 11:50 PM

One other obvious point: a brand new AS will be under manufacturer's warranty for the first year. So if something is defective it's not a huge problem if (a) you can bring it back to your dealer for servicing, or (b) there is another AS dealer or another AS approved service center where the problem occurs. If you have to get something fixed by another service centre, save your receipts for reimbursement by AS.

We learned (b) kind of the hard way, in the Mojave Preserve in southeastern CA, when the lock jammed on our back storage compartment, that just happened to have most of our hitch equipment in it. Thanks to a good Samaritan in the CG and a helpful service center (and locksmith) in Pahrump, NV we got the immediate problem taken care of, and then AS (of Spokane, our dealer) subsequently replaced the lock for no charge because it was under warranty.

We bought our first AS used from Can-Am, and got their dealership one-year warranty, which we also had occasion to use several times without charge.

Wayne&Sam · 12-15-2015, 06:19 AM

Even better, it's a two year warranty

Lhunter59 · 12-15-2015, 06:21 AM

When we picked up our first AS at Can-Am they told us to plan to be there the whole day. We arrived at 9 am and left at 4:30 pm. We spent a half hour or so reading and they let us go for lunch in a company car, but the rest of the time was spent with them. When we picked up our second it was only half a day as it was the same model just longer. Towards the end of the day I realized they had forgotten the pet screen and as the service guys had already gone home Andy (the owner) was out there installing him. Spent some time picking his brain on towing issues etc. We wanted some organizational items from their store and they let us take things out to fit them. We spent the night in their lot with water and hydro rather than driving the 3 hours back home at night. Both times the day was very well spent.

paiceman · 12-15-2015, 06:51 AM

SusanFleck - every AS dealer has a punch list they are expected to go thru with a new owner and then have the owner sign off on. If this did not happen you should be able to secure a copy from the dealer. The punch list is very extensive and covers virtually every item anyone would need to know about AS except the hitch set up.

Enjoy your new AS, it's a great way to travel.

Bud

IanPoulin · 12-15-2015, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Protagonist

6 - You may be buying a unit that is already winterized. In which case, make sure the dealer promises to either let you come back for more training on the freshwater and wastewater systems when the weather warms up, and/or that he'll be available by phone if you have any questions on systems that couldn't be covered in the walk-through because they're winterized.

I would go one step further and, if the unit is winterized, have the dealer walk through (and you perform) a full de-winterization, use of all systems and then re-winterization procedure. This will especially help and give you the confidence to use your trailer in December, January and February to its fullest capabilities.

**Rocinante** · 12-15-2015, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

Even better, it's a two year warranty

Absolutely true, thank goodness!

However, please bear in mind that the warranty for sealants is only 6 months. So, during the first 6 months of ownership be sure to go over your trailer with a fine-toothed comb, as it were, looking that stuff over. Sealants around windows, and between the aluminum panels - if you see any cracks, gaps or anything odd, be sure to get that taken care of before the end of 6 months.

We didn't do this.

While we did not have any trouble with leaks, we spent nearly 2k with our dealer this fall to get that done. They did a great job - nice clean beads of Acryl-R, and everything looks tight as a drum. We just wish we had explicitly asked for this examination / service within the 6 month window, based on something we had realized we should be looking for. It's clearly a kind of "don't ask don't tell" situation. So for your sealants, ASK and TELL within 6 months of your purchase!

mefly2 · 12-15-2015, 11:15 AM

...we invite you to take along your smart phone / tablet /laptop on your first voyage ... and come back right here for some really definitive suggestions on any problems that might arise.

SusanFleck · 12-16-2015, 10:41 AM

Wow the responses and suggestions have been immensely helpful and we are overwhelmed by the assistance you all have given us.

We are taking all the suggestions and compiling them into a list and will definitely not leave until we've checked everything and taken a video of the entire visit. Also, we won't take possession of the AS until everything is corrected.

Thank you. The only way we have of paying you back is to pass on experiences and knowledge to others as we go along.

Susan

kb0zke · 12-18-2015, 07:16 PM

Whether one is buying a new Airstream, a custom-built MH, or the cheapest pop-up trailer, there WILL be problems when it is delivered to the dealer. Most dealers will give it a quick once-over and take care of the most obvious problems. When the customer arrives there will be a quick walk-through and any issues the customer points out will be taken care of.

A good dealer will give the RV a thorough examination when it arrives and fix everything found. The customer will get a better walk-through and anything found will be fixed. There will be an offer of a free night at/near the dealership so that any questions that arise can be dealt with in the morning.

A great dealer will go over the coach with a fine-tooth comb, actively looking for problems, and then correcting them before the customer even knows the coach has arrived. When the customer arrives for delivery, there will be a thorough explanation of absolutely everything, and the customer will be encouraged to operate each device, do every step of hitching/unhitching, leveling, etc. Free camping will be provided for as many nights as necessary to make sure the buyer really is ready to safely take off with the new coach.

Obviously, the great dealers (and there are some) have more time (time = money) invested in the sale, so a coach from them will cost a bit more than from the basic dealer. If you've bought a new Airstream every other year for the past 20 years you probably don't need the services of the great dealer but you may well appreciate them anyway.

switz · 12-19-2015, 10:00 AM

Forgot to mention to check the vista view window shades operate properly. We had one with the stings broken at the same dealership mentioned earlier. The replacement came with 1" pleats versus the original ½" pleats, so we had to replace both of them to look the same. The 1" pleats are probably cheaper to make. Theses were ordered by A&P Vintage Trailer Works, an auththorsized Airstream Warranty facility while doing the modifications to the 23D.

As you can tell from my two posts, there was a toss the bedspread on bed PDI and a poor wash job. Everything I found wrong should have been corrected by this dealership sometime in the 8+ months the unit sat on their lot. Absolutely no excuse is acceptable. They are so "large" that our $61,500 purchase did not even garner their attention.