Frustrated with Airstream “Quality”.

[SMKovalchik]

Is anyone else having problems with their ‘18 AS falling apart? We’re returning to the dealer for the horrible finish on the cupboards to be fixed and our door handle fell apart, locking us in the trailer. Now we’re having problems with cupboard door hinges. It appears the holes are too large and the screws too small. They don’t grip therefore don’t hold. So far cupboard doors over the bed won’t close tightly so the lights stay on; cupboard door over the sink isn’t latching/connecting now. My husband is unable to tighten them because you have to remove the entire mechanism to get to the top screw. My all time favorite is a closet door falling off. Are we the only ones having difficulty? Our dealer sold us on the quality of Airstream construction. Now we feel like we were sold reputation that AS doesn’t live up to.

[Daquenzer]

Well it appears whoever worked on your AS was a newbie. One of the things you can do is buy some wood filler to put in those holes and let them dry. It worked for me. Then put the screws in. I have had to put 2 latches on my bathroom cabinet because one latch wasn’t strong enough. It would always come open.

[Mansderm161]

Originally Posted by SMKovalchik

Is anyone else having problems with their ‘18 AS falling apart? We’re returning to the dealer for the horrible finish on the cupboards to be fixed and our door handle fell apart, locking us in the trailer. Now we’re having problems with cupboard door hinges. It appears the holes are too large and the screws too small. They don’t grip therefore don’t hold. So far cupboard doors over the bed won’t close tightly so the lights stay on; cupboard door over the sink isn’t latching/connecting now. My husband is unable to tighten them because you have to remove the entire mechanism to get to the top screw. My all time favorite is a closet door falling off. Are we the only ones having difficulty? Our dealer sold us on the quality of Airstream construction. Now we feel like we were sold reputation that AS doesn’t live up to.

So sorry, I think we all have a few issues. If you can, go to Jackson center in Ohio at the plant for repairs. They will fix it, let you see what they are doing and you can tour the plant while waiting to see how they are made. I'll be there in a few weeks for the 2nd time on my 2018 Interstate

[Countryboy59]

In almost 2 years since we watched them finish our 2018 Serenity the only problem was loose screws on the dining table and one cabinet door. Any loose screws were resecured with JBQuik epoxy. With the roads around here I’m amazed at how solid and well built the unit is.

[OTRA15]

Sorry for your troubles! Unfortunately, Airstream's quality control is fairly inconsistent, it would appear.

The following search results will provide plenty of reading about folks in similar situations:

https://www.google.com/search?q=QC+q...=airforums.com

Classic 30': http://www.airforums.com/forums/f540...ce-182277.html
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f142...ty-185604.html
Senior Management Failures: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f542...as-182914.html
Customer Advisory Board: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f48/...ed-193040.html
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f444...er-180562.html

Have you discussed this with your dealer, and can you take the trailer back while it is [hopefully] still under warranty?

Good luck,

Peter

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

I think the best part about airstream is they will make everything right! Your warranty will cover just about everything bumper to bumper. It’s unfortunate that some of those items exist, but they will absolutely correct them.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by SMKovalchik

Is anyone else having problems with their ‘18 AS falling apart? We’re returning to the dealer for the horrible finish on the cupboards to be fixed and our door handle fell apart, locking us in the trailer. Now we’re having problems with cupboard door hinges. It appears the holes are too large and the screws too small. They don’t grip therefore don’t hold. So far cupboard doors over the bed won’t close tightly so the lights stay on; cupboard door over the sink isn’t latching/connecting now. My husband is unable to tighten them because you have to remove the entire mechanism to get to the top screw. My all time favorite is a closet door falling off. Are we the only ones having difficulty? Our dealer sold us on the quality of Airstream construction. Now we feel like we were sold reputation that AS doesn’t live up to.

Airstream quality is all over the place, meaning they have no real quality control program. My 2016 Classic had all sorts of issues I fixed myself. I used larger screws with wood glue for all of the cabinets. Ya, that was a fun four hours replacing ~100 screws...

It all depends on if a turd worked on your trailer that day or a non-turd.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Zybane

Airstream quality is all over the place, meaning they have no real quality control program. My 2016 Classic had all sorts of issues I fixed myself. I used larger screws with wood glue for all of the cabinets. Ya, that was a fun four hours replacing ~100 screws...



It all depends on if a turd worked on your trailer that day or a non-turd.

Those workers on the line are working with the tools, material and training provided by management. The lack of a meaningful, replicable, predictable approach to quality is a decision made by management. The idea of a “Customer Advisory Board” which is taking forever to create and shouldn’t take the place of management going camping in these things themselves or showing up at rallies and talking with their customers, or....- well that’s from management too.

I’m sorry you had to waste 4 hours to needlessly correct for management’s decision to scrimp on materials. Just think you might reconsider where to point the finger - no one, even management that misses the mark - is a “turd” in my view. There’s very few truly bad people but there is tons of very bad process.....

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by BigSxyWhtGuy

I think the best part about airstream is they will make everything right! Your warranty will cover just about everything bumper to bumper. It’s unfortunate that some of those items exist, but they will absolutely correct them.

That is very true...but be prepared, "Airstream right" may not equate to correctly right. 🥴

Bob
🇺🇸

[lsbrodsky]

Holy Cow, I have been on this forum since 2013. Anyone thoroughly reading the posts would never believe that Airstream is quality. There are many, many posts about problems coming out of the factory, post warranty failures, lack of access/maintainability, and just cheap execution. A common thought is still, yeah but they are better than other brands. I stopped reading the forum for a while because I just got too paranoid about what might break next.
Certainly some dealers do a much better PDI than others, but if you come from the boating world, as many of us have, RV's are a big disappointment when it comes to quality.
Larry

[jwpaquette]

On the one hand I would like to presume that AS (as well as all other RV mfgs) would design the campers with rough and bumpy road experience in mind, similar to car makers. I think to an extent, they do. Without making excuses, to think things get tricky when you combine the desire for a residential feel with the wear and tear of running up and down roads for thousands of miles. Things do come loose. That doesn’t excuse things like wrong size pilot holes which in turn lets the screws undue themselves and other similar sloppy mfg results. I will say that I have become accustomed to doing regular checks on anything that has the potential to loosen with time. I too noticed after a couple thousand mile trip we just got back from that the sink cabinet hinge was shot and needs replaced. I have a ‘18 FC and recently had to call JC to have them send me a HWH control board as mine would not operate - initiate the spark to fire up the propane burner. Appears there is a known issue as they overnighted me a replacement one and the replacement is heavier / meatier. I appreciated their willingness to send me the part and let me take of it myself. Win win given that I got a quick turnaround and AS skipped the labor cost of a dealer doing the part swap. All in all, these boards forewarned me (us) that campers require full time care and feeding, regardless of the price point, they are all susceptible to this neediness. I keep a toolbag on board and a multi use screw driver in a kitchen cabinet as I think I grab for it once or twice every week.

[ghaynes755]

If you have had the dealer make fixes before why don't you make the drive to the factory and let them do the repairs?

[spclkaz]

...sigh... how many times have we seen this? I am on my 3rd Airstream, 1994 30ft. Front Kitchen Excella. If ever I had to replace it, which I never plan to do as long as I continue to RV, it would NEVER be with a newer model. They are OVER HYPED, OVER PRICED and POORLY CONSTRUCTED. Airstream has gone through several owners over the years and quality has suffered as a result... with the current boom in RVing, the current owners are all about pushing as many as they can out the door at the expense of quality. IMHO, Airstream wanna bees should do their homework and learn about what makes a quality rig and how to inspect them (or find and pay someone you trust who can.) You will save a ton of money and heartache in the long run. But, as they say, a sucker is born every day and you often see them going down the road towing a shiny new headache... just my two cents...

[dechampion]

One of the many defects we noticed during our first trip in our 2019 30' Classic was the lights staying on because the cabinet doors didn't close tightly. I fixed that problem by adding felt pads to fill the gap between the doors and the pins that are supposed to be depressed to turn off the lights when the doors are closed. After the first trip I sent the dealer a long list of items that need to be fixed/replaced. Because the factory refused to fix anything under warranty unless I sent the dealer pictures, I had to wait until the second trip to take pictures. During our second trip (from which I just returned) a big piece of the countertop broke off. Fortunately (or not), I already had requested that the countertop be replaced due to numerous scratches and defects in the finish.

[AgBullet]

We were the third owner of a 2004 Safari 25, and had a wonderful experience with that trailer...worked flawlessly with minimal upkeep. We sold it because we wanted more bed and bath space, and now have a 2019 FC27. Although we haven't had the 27 long, so far it has also worked flawlessly, and the "fit and finish" have been what you would expect in a hand-built trailer. Not taking anything away from the OP's frustrations, but would like to add another perspective on Airstream quality issues. They aren't all lemons.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by spclkaz

...sigh... how many times have we seen this? I am on my 3rd Airstream, 1994 30ft. Front Kitchen Excella. If ever I had to replace it, which I never plan to do as long as I continue to RV, it would NEVER be with a newer model. They are OVER HYPED, OVER PRICED and POORLY CONSTRUCTED. Airstream has gone through several owners over the years and quality has suffered as a result...

...snip...

Current AS owner Thor bought the company 14 years before your 1994 Excella was built.

My 2012 had a handful of minor issues but for the most part has been great. Since I bought mine in 2012, they’ve been growing by leaps and bounds. Quality may be inconsistent perhaps due to a lack of a cultural/systemic commitment to the principles. Rapid expansion on top of that can’t help much....

Still - for the vast number they’re selling these days, it’s not surprising to hear complaints like this from some percentage of new buyers. It’s disappointing, but not surprising....

[Kevinshortnh]

Airstream Factory Service makes everything right. Just call and talk with them. They have been wonderful for us. We'll be back for our third visit in a couple of weeks. We bring it every six months during our warranty period.

[AirstreamInc]

Originally Posted by SMKovalchik

Is anyone else having problems with their ‘18 AS falling apart? We’re returning to the dealer for the horrible finish on the cupboards to be fixed and our door handle fell apart, locking us in the trailer. Now we’re having problems with cupboard door hinges. It appears the holes are too large and the screws too small. They don’t grip therefore don’t hold. So far cupboard doors over the bed won’t close tightly so the lights stay on; cupboard door over the sink isn’t latching/connecting now. My husband is unable to tighten them because you have to remove the entire mechanism to get to the top screw. My all time favorite is a closet door falling off. Are we the only ones having difficulty? Our dealer sold us on the quality of Airstream construction. Now we feel like we were sold reputation that AS doesn’t live up to.

Hi SMKovalchik,*

We're very sorry to learn about the issues you are having. Please send us a direct message with your contact information and the last 6 digits of your VIN so we can escalate it to our Customer Service and Technical Support team. We look forward to helping you get this resolved.

Thank you.*

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by SMKovalchik

Is anyone else having problems with their ‘18 AS falling apart? We’re returning to the dealer for the horrible finish on the cupboards to be fixed and our door handle fell apart, locking us in the trailer. Now we’re having problems with cupboard door hinges. It appears the holes are too large and the screws too small. They don’t grip therefore don’t hold. So far cupboard doors over the bed won’t close tightly so the lights stay on; cupboard door over the sink isn’t latching/connecting now. My husband is unable to tighten them because you have to remove the entire mechanism to get to the top screw. My all time favorite is a closet door falling off. Are we the only ones having difficulty? Our dealer sold us on the quality of Airstream construction. Now we feel like we were sold reputation that AS doesn’t live up to.

One thing to remember when considering RV quality is that overall, the quality is generally very poor. Poor design, poor materials, poor workmanship. Airstream is definitely higher qulaity than most, but they still have problems. But they stand behind their product, and my 2018 is now pretty much problem free. The round interior vent covers still fall out, but I've given up on that front . . .

[Endmarks]

And further more...after our fourth water leak in our 18" FC27 we called Airstream to start dialogue on our options including the lemon Law. BTW, these were not small leaks, the last one, after they put in a new window soaked the mattress and had water leaking out of it. The first was leaking into the electrical circuits. So, I warned my wife that the airstream rep at customer service might be a bit abrasive. Of course she didn't think so. As we get into discussion with Airstream rep he starts getting agro and starts blaming us and the dealer and says we should take it to a non factory service center for inspection. Ha couldn't believe it. He sold out the dealer. Long story short we went back to dealer who offered another model and tried to give us a fair trade in but it was a sale for them flat out.

I feel we were just plain stuck. We had a 2018 Airstream that was leaking and couldn't be repaired correctly, or we couldn't use in case of rain, Airstream telling us to bring it to them or take it somewhere else, (road trip to Ohio from Texas, right) and the dealer who was just trying to avoid any issues by selling us a new one. What a fiasco. And the Lemon law would have taken forever. So yes because of our history and experience I can't be part of the people who say good things about them and I suspect their quality is sub-par because they don't care. I am just praying the new one has marginal repairs as we would like to use it instead of it sitting in the shop.