New Airstream Owner - not impressed and would not recommend

[AirstreamCSH]

To be clear, my point was not that you shouldn’t buy an Airstream but that that RV ownership in general requires that you are willing to acquire and learn to use tools for self-help. Unlike a home where you have many options when something breaks, when it happens in a trailer you are at its mercy based on where you happen to be, temperature, finances and so forth. While buying an Airstream puts you in a higher category of quality when compared to your other options, it in no way either implies or comes with quality built in. Because it is iconic, easy to pull and looks great 40 yrs later, they don’t design in quality for the consumer because they don’t have to. So accept this as fact, prepare to pay more to upgrade the really crappy components up front, carry tools and learn to do your own repairs. Your experience will be much better if you lower your quality expectations to reality and build the self confidence to just handle what comes.

For example, the hot water heater failed to ignite after 2 years. I removed the electrical connections off the exposed board, applied DeOxit liberally, reinserted the connectors and we had hot water. At home, I’ll go through a proper routine with electrical contact cleaner, DeOx and Penetrox. A quick 20min process learned on these boards as opposed to hauling it for a time consuming and expensive dealer visit. YMMV

[lsbrodsky]

Sure, that makes a lot of sense. But there are a lot of frustrating things that Airstream could or should have done right the first time, some beyond general handyman skills or willingness. My list is long but let me just start with roof caulking. My caulk needed to be redone after 2 years of ownership. The biggest part of the problem is that they use very cheap caulk, marine-grade caulk is not that much more costly, has been available for many years, and lasts decades. My dealer would only use the same caulk that Airstream uses! Things like this make me nuts.
Larry

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

. . .
. . . there are a lot of frustrating things that Airstream could or should have done right the first time . . .
. . .
Things like this make me nuts.
. . .

Amen!

[xrvr]

Caulking us a yearly maintenance item, as are a lot of the problems mentioned here. Poor qc is evident as is poor owner maintenance. Put the 2 together!? Well, you know!

[Gene]

Why don't cars and trucks leak?

[TG Twinkie]

Originally Posted by Gene

Why don't cars and trucks leak?

Very good fit and finish.
Better quality. Some due to quality of competition forcing others to follow the quality curve.
Back when cars had wood wheels and frames. I am sure they leaked.
If A$ would have followed the design and improvement curve developed in the auto industry over the years. They probably would not leak either.
They already have a price tag of what should be a relatively trouble free product.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by xrvr

Caulking us a yearly maintenance item, as are a lot of the problems mentioned here. Poor qc is evident as is poor owner maintenance. Put the 2 together!? Well, you know!

Not on my roof...I used 3m 5200, and 3m extreme sealing tape 6 years ago.

Cleaned & checked for the first time last year....nothing needed.👍

Good stuff lasts...AS does not use 'good stuff' nor even take the time to properly apply the stuff they do use.

Bob

🇺🇸

[AirstreamCSH]

The fact that modern cars are now glued together instead of being welded probably plays a major role.

[skyguyscott]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

I used 3m 5200, and 3m extreme sealing tape 6 years ago.

Thank you, Bob for that very helpful, and smart tip! Now why can't the folks in JC do that? Could it be they're that cheap? Ignorant? Lazy? Apathetic? I don't get it.

[SteveSueMac]

Bob - I can’t see where you applied the tape in those pics...can you point it out? I’m dense [emoji3]

[lsbrodsky]

Just a tip if anyone is still following this. I would not use 3M 5200 anywhere on an Airstream. That is a very permanent adhesive, more than a caulk. It is great for things like through-hull fixtures on boats, but it is a bear to remove if needed. There is a chemical that aids in its removal but it takes a lot of effort. There are many other marine products, some in the 3M line, most not, that are long-lasting caulks that can be removed if you need to repair damage or recaulk.
Larry

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by AirstreamCSH

The fact that modern cars are now glued together instead of being welded probably plays a major role.

Car bodies are still welded. Some body panels use glue or fasteners. Some areas are made to pass water, such as rockers and some doors.

Vehicles are produced in much higher volumes, to much tighter tolerances than anything in the RV industry. Samples are tested for water leaks, air leaks etc and almost 100% go through at least one water spray. If they do leak, the leak is repaired on the line and the cause corrected on the related parts.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Bob - I can’t see where you applied the tape in those pics...can you point it out? I’m dense [emoji3]

Sure...

Bob

As far as using 5200...it is permanent, that's the point.
If you are worried use 4200.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

Just a tip if anyone is still following this. I would not use 3M 5200 anywhere on an Airstream. That is a very permanent adhesive, more than a caulk. It is great for things like through-hull fixtures on boats, but it is a bear to remove if needed. There is a chemical that aids in its removal but it takes a lot of effort. There are many other marine products, some in the 3M line, most not, that are long-lasting caulks that can be removed if you need to repair damage or recaulk.
Larry

Having spent hours removing an old skeg from the bottom of our dinghy, I can attest to the toughness of 5200! Had to use a very sharp kitchen knife and sharp hand chisels . . . not the tools you want against thin aluminum.



Thanks Bob for the 4200 reference.

Peter

[dznf0g]

I do wish we all could get our terminology straight when talking about AS "quality". Coming out of the auto world:

Quality = fit, finish, material selection, care in assembly, etc

Reliability = ability for components to function correctly repeatably.

Durability = Ability to be reliable and functional over a long period of time.

ASes are low quality, questionable reliability and, yes, pretty durable, once sorted out.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Sure...



Bob

Obrigado! [emoji3]

[Gallego]

Really happy owner of a 19 FT for four years. We just got a 23 and couldn't be more happy

[smithcreek]

Originally Posted by Gallego

Really happy owner of a 19 FT for four years. We just got a 23 and couldn't be more happy

Blasphemy!!!! You just haven't realized you should be disappointed yet. Hang around here for a while and you will be informed how every single item from the frame, subfloor and flooring to the vents is junk and was chosen for only one of two reasons.

First reason, the person who specified the part has never stepped foot in a trailer and has never camped before, or second reason, greedy AS execs demanded the cheapest part is used in order to maximize year end bonuses

Seriously though, I don't think I can think of a single part on an AS that the Debbie Downers haven't all piled on and declared garbage, and yet another example of how crappy AS trailers are.

[lsbrodsky]

That is because I have yet to find one that has not proven to be the cheapest alternative available or sometimes improperly installed or sometimes inappropriately designed for the application. In most cases, this does not interfere with the pleasure of camping in a beautiful spot. But, when it stops working or fails in a manner that requires repair to properly use the trailer then I will rant again.
Larry

[Gene]

Smithcreek, the use of exaggeration and sarcasm will not change the facts. I guess you have one of Airstreams with better results. I and others have stressed that not all Airstreams are badly put together. If you don't have one of those, perhaps you have low standards or believe an RV has to be manufactured badly. Of course, cheap parts don't last as long as good ones, so maybe you don't travel much and things haven't broken yet, but they will.

There was a comment that auto and truck manufacturers put their products through a shower to test for leaks. Airstream does that too and they claim they fix any leaks they find during the test. Other RV manufacturers just use a garden hose. Some dealers, after they fix a roof leak, also use a hose. So water tests are common, but none seem to simulate a thunderstorm with high winds, traveling 50 mph or more through a day of heavy rain, drenching rains and heavy snow and all the other assaults that are common in the real world. Nevertheless, cars and truck don't leak and haven't for decades regardless of how they take a shower at the factory. Two things come from this—water tests are universally inadequate and you can prevent leaks. Virtually every window in out Airstream leaked in the first two years, roof penetrations also leaked, some soon, some after 7 or 8 years. I also had leaks from the vertical seam just behind the door—the awning was attached there and the brackets caused more problems, leading to water entering on the subfloor below the cheap vinyl flooring. Two years in our possession and 18 months on the lot and never a leak on our Nash. Some of the caulk on the Nash seams is excessive and gets dirty and ugly, but I'd rather have too much than too little.