Potential Early Nest build problem...

[buzzkill58]

I was Jackson Center for warranty work asked the tech to look into what seemed like a lot of construction debris and dust coming out from underneath the wet bath.

Turns out it was construction debris and dust. The wrong size fastener had been used to secure the wet bath wall to the fiberglass floor. They had pulled loose.

The tech cleaned up the mess and secured the wall with the correct (bigger) fasteners.

My Nest is serial number 20.

[Maattie]

The above is my serial number.
We took our new Nest out for a week in the Black Hills. Over all, I am very happy with it.
I think the biggest problem I had with it, is that it is a little difficult to crawl over one another to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Otherwise, I found it very cozy and used both the air conditioner and the heater. It rained or stormed every night while we were there and the Nest did great. If the windows were left cracked, water leaked in. I may put on gutters as mentioned in the modifications thread. I added a natural rubber foam pad to the bed. If I wanted to use the table, it was easy to roll up the bed pad and leave it rolled up at the head of the U-shaped bench. We both had plenty of room to eat at the table. If it was nice out, we ate outside and left the bed down.
The problems I found were: 1) the shower drain does not work, 2)the screen door handles fell down on both sides of the screen door, 3)the fire extinguisher was found on the floor with sawdust and stripped screws, 4)the MaxxFan intermittently won't start when we push the button. Taking off the screen and manually pushing the blades will make it start, 5)the table leaf latch fell off. The screw was also stripped and we couldn't fix it while we were out. The leaf wouldn't stay up. 6)the plastic on a window screen corner is broken, 7)the skylight does not have all of the screws in it. It looks like they were never put in. 8)the floor squeaks. This may just be par for the course.
I think all of these things will be fixed under warranty and we will notify our dealer tomorrow.
The Nest was very easy to pull. It did buck a little on bumps, but was great on the freeway. Over all I am happy.

[OTRA15]

Welcome to the forum!

Originally Posted by Maattie

. . .
The problems I found were:
1) the shower drain does not work,
2)the screen door handles fell down on both sides of the screen door,
3)the fire extinguisher was found on the floor with sawdust and stripped screws,
4)the MaxxFan intermittently won't start when we push the button. Taking off the screen and manually pushing the blades will make it start,
5)the table leaf latch fell off. The screw was also stripped and we couldn't fix it while we were out. The leaf wouldn't stay up.
6)the plastic on a window screen corner is broken,
7)the skylight does not have all of the screws in it. It looks like they were never put in.
8)the floor squeaks.
. . .
This may just be par for the course.
I think all of these things will be fixed under warranty and we will notify our dealer tomorrow.
. . .
Over all I am happy.

[re-formatted for clarity]



Not sure how you can be happy with so many defects in a brand-new trailer, in addition to your first post. Shameful quality control IMO.

Good luck,

Peter

[Chipsky]

Agreed, that number of issues give you pause if you're potentially a first time buyer (like I am.)

[BeSerious]

We will be picking up our 2019 Nest 16U next week. We looked it over with a detailed “punch list” and turned up a few quality glitches which we expect will be fixed before delivery (e.g. a few of the proverbial loose screws).

It doesn’t take too much reading on this forum to realize that, regardless of the model, there is a manufacturing quality issue with the installation of the screws in the laminate panels, cabinets, etc.. So I was planning to take some time checking the tightness of all of the screws in the cabinets, drawers, fire extinguishers holder, screen rails, etc.. While I’m at it I might remove each screw and replace it after adding a dab of wood glue to the threads to act like “Loctite”.

Has anyone added a vary small dab of wood glue to the threads of the various screws? Did it help?

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by BeSerious

. . .
Has anyone added a vary small dab of wood glue to the threads of the various screws? Did it help?

This should not be necessary if the correct length/thread wood screw is used IMO. Sometimes these screws need to be removed, often in cabinetry which is difficult to access, so "locking" them in place will only result in more destruction of a cabinet door/drawer/carcase in the event of [attempted] removal.

Sometimes the situation calls for a slightly longer screw, or a better/deeper pilot hole, etc.. In certain places, a through-bolt with washers and aircraft nuts may be called for.

Good luck with the new NEST. Don't be afraid to "Reject" delivery per your governing legislation like the Uniform Commercial Code.

Peter

[BeSerious]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

This should not be necessary if the correct length/thread wood screw is used IMO. Sometimes these screws need to be removed, often in cabinetry which is difficult to access, so "locking" them in place will only result in more destruction of a cabinet door/drawer/carcase in the event of [attempted] removal.....

Agreed.

FWIW I am trying to mimic how Blue Loctite works, where you can use regular tools to disassemble without damage. The idea is to use just enough wood glue to inhibit the screw from backing out due to vibration, etc., but not so much that the glue literally “locks” the screw in.

Some woodworking forum members have reported successfully using wood glue for this purpose, But others say the moisture in the wood glue has caused the fasteners to rust.

If I decide to go ahead with the wood glue idea, I’ll report back on the results.

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by BeSerious

Agreed.

FWIW I am trying to mimic how Blue Loctite works, where you can use regular tools to disassemble without damage. The idea is to use just enough wood glue to inhibit the screw from backing out due to vibration, etc., but not so much that the glue literally “locks” the screw in.

Some woodworking forum members have reported successfully using wood glue for this purpose, But others say the moisture in the wood glue has caused the fasteners to rust.

If I decide to go ahead with the wood glue idea, I’ll report back on the results.

Blue Loctite nuts and bolts can be easily removed with only medium effort. If you're looking at other ways, I'd replace nuts with Nyloc nuts or use thread tape to add resistance. I for one as a cabinetmaker wouldn't use woodglue, even Titebond III, which is waterproof.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[BeSerious]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

... I'd replace nuts with Nyloc nuts or use thread tape to add resistance. ..

Thanks for the idea of using thread tape. That sounds much better. I’ll give it a try if I discover any “loose” screws after we get our NEST back home from the dealer (180mi on mostly 2 lane roads).

[TheHoff]

Originally Posted by BeSerious

We will be picking up our 2019 Nest 16U next week. We looked it over with a detailed “punch list” and turned up a few quality glitches which we expect will be fixed before delivery (e.g. a few of the proverbial loose screws).

It doesn’t take too much reading on this forum to realize that, regardless of the model, there is a manufacturing quality issue with the installation of the screws in the laminate panels, cabinets, etc.. So I was planning to take some time checking the tightness of all of the screws in the cabinets, drawers, fire extinguishers holder, screen rails, etc.. While I’m at it I might remove each screw and replace it after adding a dab of wood glue to the threads to act like “Loctite”.

Has anyone added a vary small dab of wood glue to the threads of the various screws? Did it help?

Shortly after getting our Nest, I put blue Loctite on all of the screws that I could. Some were already loose. The screws that went into cabinets and not metal or fiberglass I carefully tightened. If loose or stripped I used a dab of Tightbond 3 or replaced them with a larger screw.
Folks sometimes say that the screws come loose because of the movement of the unit when traveling. If so, every Toyota or Honda would be full of loose screws-lol.
We know the screws are loose because they have been stripped out by power tools in assembly, or the wrong screw was used.
Anyway, one screw at a time and eventually they will be secure.

[Maattie]

Originally Posted by TheHoff

Shortly after getting our Nest, I put blue Loctite on all of the screws that I could. Some were already loose. The screws that went into cabinets and not metal or fiberglass I carefully tightened. If loose or stripped I used a dab of Tightbond 3 or replaced them with a larger screw.
Folks sometimes say that the screws come loose because of the movement of the unit when traveling. If so, every Toyota or Honda would be full of loose screws-lol.
We know the screws are loose because they have been stripped out by power tools in assembly, or the wrong screw was used.
Anyway, one screw at a time and eventually they will be secure.

Hubby also felt that the screws were due to over zealous use of an electric screwdriver. On the plastic window frames, every screw kind of indents the plastic because they are so tight. They seemed to be over tightened and stripped.
I will repost after the dealer fixes all of our issues.

[Advguy]

I'm looking at the 2020 Nest and wondering if everyone is still having the issues posted throughout the forum.
1. Loose screws
2. Gel coat
3. Fiberglass
4. Leaks
5. Leaky windows
6. Interior lining detaching
7. etc

It's an aesthetically beautiful camper but seems to have some QC issues. Should I stay away from the 2019 and just go to the 2020? Has Airstream made any design changes to fix some of the problems? Thanks

[BeSerious]

Originally Posted by Advguy

I'm looking at the 2020 Nest and wondering if everyone is still having the issues posted throughout the forum....

We were concerned about the quality issues we had read about on the AirForum, prior to buying our 2019 Nest last July. But the issues were both small and easily fixed. The ones I can recall were a crooked panty drawer, a broken skylight window shade stopper, and loose screen door handle. Although I was fully prepared for loose cabinet screws, etc. They didn’t happen

But we didn’t take any chances. We drove 180 mi. to the dealer and went through a detailed “punch list” (attached) prior to signing anything. Fiberglass and gelcoat issues would have been show stoppers. But our dealer happily brought out a ladder for my inspection of the roof.

The NEST batteries were low and it wasn’t hooked to electricity. So we backed our X5 up and plugged in the NEST with the X5 idling. This not only let us test all of the 12v stuff (e.g. the fridge, lights, etc.) in the NEST, it also told us that the X5 was up to the challenge of charging the batteries, running the fridge etc. while towing.

We called out two issues while going over our punch list. The top screen door railing was loose at one end, which we asked to dealer to fix. And one of the pantry drawers was installed crooked, which I preferred to fix myself later.

So we left for home with the dealer doing one quality repair and his normal prep: wash, wax, thoroughly checking all systems, etc..

A week later we arrived with yet another detailed Delivery List (attached). The NEST was now hooked up to 120v with the fresh water tank topped up. Our dealer did a very through walk through, which allowed me to check off our Delivery list as he went.

On the 180mi trip home one of the plastic stoppers on the skylight shade broke. It probably had been over tightened. I fixed it with a repair kit via Amazon.

All in all I’d say AS built us a very nice trailer with minimal quality issues

[Advguy]

Originally Posted by BeSerious

All in all I’d say AS built us a very nice trailer with minimal quality issues

Thanks @BeSerious! I'm glad to hear your experience has been a positive one. All the QC issues that I read about are unsettling. Have you had your Nest out in the rain with the windows open? If so, have you experienced leaks?

I've narrowed my options down to the Oliver Legacy Elite and the Nest.

[BeSerious]

Originally Posted by Advguy

Thanks @BeSerious! I'm glad to hear your experience has been a positive one. All the QC issues that I read about are unsettling. Have you had your Nest out in the rain with the windows open? If so, have you experienced leaks?

I've narrowed my options down to the Oliver Legacy Elite and the Nest.

Unfortunately weather and medical issues have kept our NEST here on the property sheltered by our tractor shed’s carport.

We've spent a lot of time in the NEST, but we haven’t camped in the rain with the windows open. I have thought about this issue. And decided that if we had shore power, we’d keep the windows closed and run the A/C or heater to keep the humidity down. And if we decided to do more boon docking, I’d apply the weather strip over the windows, like several NEST owners have documented in this forum.

FWIW the windows are an example of what I’m guessing was AS’s design parameters for the NEST:
- towable by an SUV, which can keep the batteries charged and run the fridge while on the road
- primarily used in camp sites with a 30 amp hookup (for A/C & microwave)
- limited 1-2 days boon docking (2 modest amp hour 12v batteries and small black tank)

Boon docking in a NEST for more than 1-2 days really requires some form of “upgrade” like the weather stripping over the windows. But more importantly an upgrade to the 12v power system:
- adding a generator or
- adding solar and/or upgrading the batteries, etc..

[TheHoff]

If you look through the Nest forum, you will see many posts by me about observations, little issues and their resolutions. We have had no big issues or concerns With our unit.We have had 2 Airstreams trailers and an Airstream Interstate . The Nest is by far the best of them all..We have spent up to 6 weeks traveling with it and I give it a 4/5. There is no such thing as a perfect RV. These things are not Toyotas. Again, check out my posts on this forum. Good luck and have fun.

[familyfive]

Originally Posted by BeSerious

We were concerned about the quality issues we had read about on the AirForum, prior to buying our 2019 Nest last July. But the issues were both small and easily fixed. The ones I can recall were a crooked panty drawer, a broken skylight window shade stopper, and loose screen door handle. Although I was fully prepared for loose cabinet screws, etc. They didn’t happen

But we didn’t take any chances. We drove 180 mi. to the dealer and went through a detailed “punch list” (attached) prior to signing anything. Fiberglass and gelcoat issues would have been show stoppers. But our dealer happily brought out a ladder for my inspection of the roof.

The NEST batteries were low and it wasn’t hooked to electricity. So we backed our X5 up and plugged in the NEST with the X5 idling. This not only let us test all of the 12v stuff (e.g. the fridge, lights, etc.) in the NEST, it also told us that the X5 was up to the challenge of charging the batteries, running the fridge etc. while towing.

We called out two issues while going over our punch list. The top screen door railing was loose at one end, which we asked to dealer to fix. And one of the pantry drawers was installed crooked, which I preferred to fix myself later.

So we left for home with the dealer doing one quality repair and his normal prep: wash, wax, thoroughly checking all systems, etc..

A week later we arrived with yet another detailed Delivery List (attached). The NEST was now hooked up to 120v with the fresh water tank topped up. Our dealer did a very through walk through, which allowed me to check off our Delivery list as he went.

On the 180mi trip home one of the plastic stoppers on the skylight shade broke. It probably had been over tightened. I fixed it with a repair kit via Amazon.

All in all I’d say AS built us a very nice trailer with minimal quality issues

Excellent information, thank you for sharing! I have downloaded your punch lists and appreciate them! Can you tell me where you purchased? I am in the Houston area but will be traveling up to Fort Worth to take a look at a used unit there on Tuesday. Thanks!

[BeSerious]

We bought our NEST from Bayer RV in Dublin Tx, about 70 mile SW of Fort Worth. Bayer is a small-rural-town type of business -- in a good way We only saw 3 employees: the main salesman/manger, a mechanic and a parts guy.

The whole purchase experience was refreshingly straight forward, honest and trusting. For example, we weren't required to put down a deposit for them to prep the trailer for delivery. And they took a personal check for the full purchase price.

BeSerious

[love nest]

Originally Posted by buzzkill58

I was Jackson Center for warranty work asked the tech to look into what seemed like a lot of construction debris and dust coming out from underneath the wet bath.

Turns out it was construction debris and dust. The wrong size fastener had been used to secure the wet bath wall to the fiberglass floor. They had pulled loose.

The tech cleaned up the mess and secured the wall with the correct (bigger) fasteners.

My Nest is serial number 20.

Morning
We picked up our New 2019 Nest on 5/29. Have had numerous problems most that have already been covered during the life of this post. I have a new possible issue. The wall on the Bath side at the rear of the unit where the magnetic strip for the screen is attached is not attached to anything for the entire edge, top to bottom. You can just push it in and there is nothing behind it. You can see bare wood from the end looking back from the rear door. Does anybody else have this issue.

Thanks

[TheHoff]

Originally Posted by love nest

Morning

We picked up our New 2019 Nest on 5/29. Have had numerous problems most that have already been covered during the life of this post. I have a new possible issue. The wall on the Bath side at the rear of the unit where the magnetic strip for the screen is attached is not attached to anything for the entire edge, top to bottom. You can just push it in and there is nothing behind it. You can see bare wood from the end looking back from the rear door. Does anybody else have this issue.



Thanks

I did not have that issue, so far