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Mrjkq · 05-09-2015, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airline

My Guess is that if Factory Delivery was an option,many would pick up at the factory,stay at the "terraport" and find all sorts of issues,which in turn would need to be fixed.
They would need to build another factory to deal with fixing all the brand new sold units.
Plus they would have 30-60 people living at their factory at all times.
I think they USE their dealers to Actually do all the "fine tuning" of the units.
Because somehow the "bean counters" have figured out that its cheaper this way.

I wish they could leave the factory in perfect working order,as do most who pay $100k for a new toy.

They still are a sweet piece of "kit"

I agree, your point is well taken & as a business they do what works.

beetlebob · 05-10-2015, 01:03 PM

I feel your pain. I was never told when it was being built. I was never asked 30 days out if I wanted to make any changes. I just know it was late and only because I read it on the forums. We sold our house and am FTing in a Classic. What a shock when we found out it was late. Then out of the blue when I was getting ready to call my dealer he calls in the AM to say my trailer was at their lot. SURPRISE... Then it took a few calls about getting it and having it PDIed and so on. Well all worked out and we are in it now. All you can do is wait. Just as long as you have a house to live in.

selma-kaya35 · 05-10-2015, 02:05 PM

Hello

Mrjkq · 05-10-2015, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beetlebob

I feel your pain. I was never told when it was being built. I was never asked 30 days out if I wanted to make any changes. I just know it was late and only because I read it on the forums. We sold our house and am FTing in a Classic. What a shock when we found out it was late. Then out of the blue when I was getting ready to call my dealer he calls in the AM to say my trailer was at their lot. SURPRISE... Then it took a few calls about getting it and having it PDIed and so on. Well all worked out and we are in it now. All you can do is wait. Just as long as you have a house to live in.

Yes we have a house so lodging is not a problem. I understand the big pow wow for Airstream dealers is this coming week & all the upgrades will be unveiled & hopefully the 2016's will start to get transported across the country to their respective dealers.

**Hans627** · 05-14-2015, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrjkq

i know it's coming, just getting anxious. 2016 Flying Cloud on order & can't get an answer except in June sometime.......help......when in June, I need to plan my summer.

Why did you ordered a FC. Did you order it because of something special or was it that you could not find any in your area? Just curious!

Mrjkq · 05-14-2015, 08:39 PM

Hans, I always buy ( when possible ) very early in a product year, not at the end of that year. There is a almost exact 25 RTB at the dealer I ordered mine from, I negotiated the same price for a 2016 + price increase for the 2016 model year. The bottle line here is I don't need it until later in June so why buy a 2015 now (which was a month ago) and let it further depreciate if I'm not using it until late June, my 2016 when it arrives will be the new model year for the same money & the clock on the warranty will start then. The downside here is until I know when it will arrive I can't make summer plans & campground reservations because of the uncertainty of this wait. When it does arrive I'll be back on the road & in the meantime I've made plane reservations to attend our grandsons HS graduation just in case it doesn't arrive in time.

**jcanavera** · 05-16-2015, 10:50 AM

I tried back in 2001 with my Safari and was told it wasn't an option.

After now experiencing two purchases from my dealer, I really believe there might be a some reasons. First dependent upon your dealer, the level of service required for delivery (at least in my view) would cost Airstream some additional overhead which for all intents duplicates services offered by most dealers.

My dealership prepped and cleaned the trailer, Walbernized it, filled the propane tanks and checked out all systems including filling the fresh water tank and pump and water heater. They also set it up on a full hookup site at the dealership and spent a couple of hours with us on operations of the trailer including the awnings. We went through everything, including filling the fresh water tank, dumping the holding tanks, and operations of every appliance. We also saw how to winterize, and dewinterize. They also invited us to spend the night, which we did, making any kind of adjustments necessary before we took the trailer home. Inside, the trailer the refrigerator was on with a bottle of chilled champagne and glasses. They also test towed the trailer with my vehicle to make sure everything was operating correctly. We also went through hitching and unhitching from my tow vehicle. Only after all of that did we sit down that following morning and do the final paperwork which included paying for the trailer. I really don't believe the plant is willing to perform the extent of those services at no cost. The dealer builds this into his pricing and I doubt that they will pay the factory for these type of services.

When it's all said and done, I'm really happy about the dealer services offered for my new trailers and am glad the factory doesn't offer customer pickup. Maybe my dealer is the exception and you haven't experience that level of service, but it is now the level of service I would expect.

Jack

Mrjkq · 05-16-2015, 11:52 AM

Thats very impressive jcananera. I'll keep this in mind when I'm getting the walk through on mine.

AWCHIEF · 05-16-2015, 02:40 PM

Jack, that is certainly impressive dealer custom service. Can you share the dealership information? Thank you.

airdreamers · 05-17-2015, 07:42 PM

Joe, I sent you a PM.

Ray Eklund · 05-19-2015, 06:41 PM

We had a 2006 23 foot Safari that needed a list of miscellaneous warranty work before the warranty expired in 2008. It took almost two days at Jackson Center to complete the list with two employees working on it.

There is an appointment schedule in advance of your coming to Jackson Center. The work bays were full every day and older Airstreams outside that were left by their owners to be fitted into a bay when there was one open to do their projects. The appointment schedule is probably why you cannot take delivery at JC and then find things to repair at that time. I do not recall how much in advance, but it had to be several months.

We took two tours of the plant. Maybe three tours. Had excellent hot chocolate in the waiting room. Bought some extra parts in the attached parts store. Met other owners who had driven to JC for warranty work and installing awnings, etc..

The service personnel knew our trailer top to bottom, end to end. MY biggest problem were the fender wells misfitted to the aluminum skin and both were drawing in small "piles" of dust, when traveling on back country roads. When we would stop the entire interior of the trailer had a fresh coating of dust and the floor above the fender wells needed a dust pan.

Out came the aluminum clippers on the first day to properly fit the aluminum skin to the plastic fender wells, caulking and some rivets/screws. Problem solved.

IF you have the time on some major warranty issues, I would not hesitate to make the appointment and drive again to Jackson Center. I would prefer NO problems, but if we needed to go I would have the opposite side awning installed while there.

If the front shop did not have a part, the receptionist would call the factory next door and in awhile the part(s) were sitting there on the counter! It was a pleasant experience and if your local dealer hasn't the time for you... I would prefer to pay an experienced Airstream expert at JC to put things back to factory specifications.

Before leaving, I tipped both service personnel that left nothing to chance, $50 each in a plain envelope. It was my way of thanking a couple of guys who put 100% attention to my needs as they went down our checklist.

**jcanavera** · 05-19-2015, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

Jack, that is certainly impressive dealer custom service. Can you share the dealership information? Thank you.

Bill Thomas Camper Sales in Wentzville Mo.

chevl66 · 05-21-2015, 11:11 PM

We were at our dealership today. They have 2015 units on order (and already sold). They won't have them until July because they said the factory is shutting down for the month of June to move into their new digs. FYI

The waiting is the worst part! Although I read tons on Airforums and planned quite a few trips while waiting last year!

chevl66 · 05-21-2015, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcanavera

I tried back in 2001 with my Safari and was told it wasn't an option.

After now experiencing two purchases from my dealer, I really believe there might be a some reasons. First dependent upon your dealer, the level of service required for delivery (at least in my view) would cost Airstream some additional overhead which for all intents duplicates services offered by most dealers.

My dealership prepped and cleaned the trailer, Walbernized it, filled the propane tanks and checked out all systems including filling the fresh water tank and pump and water heater. They also set it up on a full hookup site at the dealership and spent a couple of hours with us on operations of the trailer including the awnings. We went through everything, including filling the fresh water tank, dumping the holding tanks, and operations of every appliance. We also saw how to winterize, and dewinterize. They also invited us to spend the night, which we did, making any kind of adjustments necessary before we took the trailer home. Inside, the trailer the refrigerator was on with a bottle of chilled champagne and glasses. They also test towed the trailer with my vehicle to make sure everything was operating correctly. We also went through hitching and unhitching from my tow vehicle. Only after all of that did we sit down that following morning and do the final paperwork which included paying for the trailer. I really don't believe the plant is willing to perform the extent of those services at no cost. The dealer builds this into his pricing and I doubt that they will pay the factory for these type of services.

When it's all said and done, I'm really happy about the dealer services offered for my new trailers and am glad the factory doesn't offer customer pickup. Maybe my dealer is the exception and you haven't experience that level of service, but it is now the level of service I would expect.

Jack

Our dealer did this as well - with the exception of the bottle in the fridge. They also provided some items, toilet paper, bucket, sewer hose, and some other things I don't remember. We didn't spend the night because we live near our dealership. The walk-through took a good 2 hours or better. Airstream of Spokane. They are great!

DHart · 05-22-2015, 01:19 AM

I was told by my dealer today that my 2016 30' Serenity, ordered a month ago or so, would be coming off the line on July 10th. So, if the Airstream factory really is shutting down for the month of June to rework the factory/new digs/whatever, then it sound like our rig will be a product of the "new factory".

I heard elsewhere that the "new factory" would be used initially for small units (Bambis and such) with newer employees and that the large units would continue to be built in the existing facility with the established workers.

Who knows? Who knows?