True! We had the same discoloring after our 1st year...5 years later a soft spot...short story, leak from outside shower. We never saw water but had to replace the entire floor...6K - Insurance said normal wear & tear and paid zero. Get it fixed under warranty - disconnect the outside shower!
Airstreams are lovely but I recently watched a walk through by a rep who really knows the product and there were so many things that were a risk to the end user or could be broken by the end user or were just bad design when they mentioned the awning at the end that was one. They need to raise their game because they’re selling a supposedly high end product but the quality is not there.
Was thinking the same. Any water that's left outside the edge of the sink may wick down between the sink and the countertop and drip into the drawer below. Sealing the sink would be one option, but in the interim you'll want to keep the area around the sink dry.
Wow. So many things gone wrong! Especially the leaking stove or refrigerator that put you two in the hospital. But your attitudes are so positive. 👍🏼 Are you returning the airstream for a refund? Or are you getting the things fixed? And if returning it, what are you going to continue your journey in?
One of the directors of Airstream was recently talking about the popularity of these units (mostly due to all the social media buzz about RVing) and said: "We are building them as fast as we can" in an effort to meet demand. That is NEVER a good thing!
There are 3 ways to build something; good, fast and cheap. You can only have 3. If you build it fast and good, it won't be cheap. If you build it cheap and good, it won't be cheap. If you build it fast and cheap, it won't be good.
Hahahaha. Not at you at all. I bought a brand new palomino back pack. Lol. Plumbing wasn't hooked up from factory. So when I pulled plug for dishes. Yep woosh. Flooded floor. Pissed. Awning on back fell apart. Lol. Roof came apart under membrane. Other things. So I know your pain. Junk.
@@sarahann530 I guess it's no one's fault but my own. To be honest it was my first buy and I really didn't know what to be looking for when I bought it. Cause I just figured everything would be good that's all. I've got the thing lined out for the time being. I guess when you buy something that's brand new you'd think things would be somewhat rite. Its nobodies fault but mine. I'll just take more time at looking at my next purchase.
Thanks for the honest sharing of your experience. It tells a lot about Airstream's quality control these days. Airstream seems to live off of their faded fame from the past and is no longer so much an innovator in RV world. With the same money, look for other alternatives with better build quality. Take care of yourselves and the baby!
Overpriced junk. Nothing is built like it used to be. I'm 58 and when I was younger if you bought something and took care of it it lasted for years. I still have a 3/8 Craftsman drill I bought when I was 18. Nothing they they make today compares to the quality of yesterday.
Airstream is / was at the top of the line. I was researching the class B models in their line. But stopped after seeing this. I don't gamble. Sorry you guys had to go thru all that.
I have owned many different trailers over the years including an Airstream which I still use regularly and its like new at 12 years old. Like anything else there is normal wear and tear with usage. I am pretty handy at most things but stuff like rivets and leaks take it back to the dealer and they can handle it and will honor the warranty.
Actually most airstreamers we know to purchase a rivet gun (cheap) as it's extremely common to lose some here and there and super easy to replace. We would never make a trip to the dealer just for a popped rivet. Newbies, listen up! A popped rivet has no bearing on the quality or structural integrity of the airstream. There are over 4000 of them!
Wow. Isn’t Airstreams high price tag supposed to be justified by the best quality? This seems like a piece of junk. And considering this has posed a serious health risk, I would never consider getting one. Thanks for the honest video! This definitely steered me away...
Because of the high demand, I believe airstream is rushing production so there will be some problems like this. Still airstreams are the best rvs by comparison.
In 2013 Thor bought Airstream and doubled their production from 30 units a month to 60. I don't know where these units are, I only see a couple on the highway. And never see them in campgrounds. Our 1988 Airstream is supper well built and as spacious as a new 90k unit. Yes we have "Remodeled" the inside but it is way better than these new units. Folks that see it can't believe it's 33 years old. We've put about 4k into it after the purchase so all in we're at 16k. Similar units are selling for double that. Keep it stored out of the sun, this will really help the clear stay on longer. Popping rivets is an ongoing thing, by a hand rivet gun and keep some rivets on hand. Just a nature of the beast. So if Airstream is a high level of quality imagine how crappy non-Airstream campers are.
I pray all is well with your health and the pregnancy!! Congratulations 🎉🎊! I just looked at Airstream yesterday! Please update on repairs. Also, where’s the dog, is he ok? I trust Airstream will do right by you for the repairs. Honestly, maybe even swap out the coach for another since that one had major health risks. Glad you two are better. Keep us posted. Stay safe! God Bless you! 🙏✌️
All those things should be fixed, if you don't fix them, in a year the whole trailer could fall apart, good job you guys.most owner just let's things go!
Thanks for sharing. I do not full time but have owned an Airstream for 8 years. Basically any RV has issues if you use them and some if you don't! They are a labor of love. Your list has four third party issues that is equipment on any RV- failures of fan, stove, blind, batteries, etc. The other items are more "Airstream" issues- rivets, sink, drawer, floor. The most concerning to me is the floor issue. Hopefully it is not anything too bad.
Did the floor put them in the hospital? That's the issue what would be most concerning to me. Legionnaires disease? Carbon monoxide poisoning? Who knows.
Fast forward to 2:22 if you want to see their list. Fan: Its working. 2 rivets loose. Not a big deal Stove gaskets. Not seeing this a a world ender Sink is moving. A drawer moisture issue. Looks like something spilled inside. Owner issue Stain on the floor. Possibly from the AC unit use or overuse? Need a rug. Bathroom exhaust doesn't work. Check the fuse? bathroom pull down blind doesn't work. Maybe because the shower has something to do with it? Batteries life span issue. Don't know if they are living in this 25/8 while boondocking? Shore power to recharge? Sick? Frig or propane tank fumes? Sounds like a leak. Awning hook missing. Not seeing an issue with your Caravel. Easily fixable. I have a 2016 is great shape if you want to trade.
Regarding you not feeling well. From your description it looks like a typical “air conditioning disease”, I experienced it many time in various parts of the world. When you run air conditioner a lot in humid climate, some sort of bacteria start to develop in the air conditioner and they make you feel sick exactly as you described. The only way to get rid of it is to treat the air conditioning cooling unit with special disinfecting chemicals. In theory that should be done with any air conditioning unit at least once a year, but most people and manufacturers don’t do it
Like half that list is bogus. The fan definitely needs checking out (fuse?), the stove, and the ac, if that's the cause of the floor staining. Nothing, no product is perfectly functioning forever. Sometimes, issues arise earlier rather than later. I would think that lifestyle requires some problem solving, maintenance, and ingenuity. - not for those who expect a perfect world. I am a problem solving and I would have fully investigated and solved most of them, but admittedly, I now do that for a living. Just offering a different perspective.
If I recall, those batteries are not Lithium, the fact you are draining them below 50% (AGM batteries) you will kill the lifespan of the battery. Hence why it doesn’t last long for you.
Oh no you can't have any games in the trailer! Not good for Diana or you. That water stain will soon become mold and mildew,not good. Thanks for the heads up.✌duces
Thanks for a good, honest video. RV quality in general is poor; sorry to hear that Airstream is just as bad as the rest. Traveling, living in an RV is a constant maintenance and repair task. Components seem to be chosen from lowest cost bidders, not for durability and, quality. They look great on the showroom, and start rattling apart the first mile down the road The engineering is very poor considering that these are mobile units that do take a bearing down the road; it starts with the frame and suspension systems; light weight is chosen over ruggedness. No, they don’t have to be built with the strength of a tank or armored personnel carrier, but neither should they be built a child’s dollhouse. Diligently perform your daily/weekly maintenance; even in the best of RVs this is necessary if you want to save yourselves headaches. RV manufacturers need to do their part, but so do owners.%
ER scene wearing NRB O2 masks.....UGG! Propane poisoning!!!! Rented Scamp RV for a week long trip. On the last day of the trip, I woke up sick as a dog! Finally discovered a leaking propane tank in the morning. There must be some type of propane detector alarm made for RV's on the market. You'd think an airstream would come with one. Or any brand new RV equipped with propane appliances.
Your batteries shouldn't ever go below 50%. If you went to 15% once then you ruined them. Sounds like you did that regularly. Not surprising they would be bad now. You just can't ever use them below 50%.
Is this something AirStream states in their warranty/product documentation? Please provide a link to supporting materials, as this seems to me to be an unreasonable restriction. In essence, you're saying that AirStream's battery capacity is 50% below the stated size (in kWh).
@@michaelelliott8350 Oh I'm not going to provide you links. This is how all lead acid batteries work. Feel free to do your own research on how to properly maintain your batteries.
@@freejack5555 And I did - because I don't trust random unsubstantiated RU-vid comments; IMHO no one should, they're worse than useless. It's why there are some many Qanon believers out there. As is typical, your comment left a lot out of the equation - as the driving factors are depth of discharge, # of charging cycles, and whether batteries are charged correctly (vs. under/over-charged). I am happy to provide links that people can review: www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/lead-acid-batteries/characteristics-of-lead-acid-batteries. But my comment still stands that Airstream should provide information on expected battery behavior, required maintenance, and usage guidelines in their product documentation.
@@michaelelliott8350 oh my comment was supposed to fully educate you? 50% was the depth of discharge but I guess a guy like you need everything spelled out for them. Way to turn your ignorance on batteries into a qnon speech. Pathetic
@@michaelelliott8350 found this for you in the airstream manual "For maximum battery life in AGM applications, do not discharge the battery below 50%." Feel free to just read your manual. Feel free to write me 8 more paragraphs on how Im wrong.
We love our airstreamflyingcloud we are truly enjoying it. Your problems are very minor you could have probably fixed all of them yourself but if under warranty take advantage the only problem is you have to leave your rig. We replaced our batteries with lithium everything else has been great. Sorry for your troubles
The problem is - the problems should never happen to begin with!! Yeah, repair skills are a us, but, if someone is plunking down big bucks for a mediocre product - I'll pass. I'm glad I am reminded to not buy this brand, however the RVs look. As someone else mentioned, Airstream is riding on its past reputation, and is no longer worth the hype.
Literally thinking about picking up a 16ft unit this weekend. I guess we’ll see! Thanks for the video guys! So glad you guys are ok! (Low key I’d be suing airstream at that point for the ER situation especially since your planning on conceiving)
freejack5555 ...They are very overpriced. And this one has proven to be a shit build. I have a 27 foot Wildwood that costs almost a third of this hunk of junk and I have yet to have these types of issues. Airstream is expensive shit.
Very important video, thank you! Please give us an update on what airstream says about the floor stain (and how they fixed it), and the refrigerator/stove leak and what it was. God bless you guys! Good luck.
I suggest you sell it while its relatively new and get yourselves a small house. Do it for your child. That trailer is way too small to raise a family.
Videos like this and other videos have convinced me to NOT buy an airstream....or any rv for that matter. All the fanpeople on the facebook airstream forums somehow think its ok to pay what one pays for an airstream and get problems like this. Airstream really has a huge quality control issue. That whole cooling system is new and has major issues. Get ready for airstream to deflect on that mold or whatever issue.... Best of luck to you guys...keep us posted.
Most of your complaints are legitimate and should be fixed, but I really don’t think that the Airstream gave you “Pneumonia” - unless you have mold in there.
Sorry to see so many things are going south on the Airstream. Back in the day (I'm old) Airstreams were top quality. These days it's probably safe to say, one can get a lot more value with other RV brands when compared to the pricey Airstreams.
Well, we have been streaming for 33yrs, the first thing you realize...you better be willing & able to fix things. It sounds like this is an adventure and not a lifestyle for you...but still, learn to fix. We were at the "Mothership" August 24, hope they got everything taken care of for you, Sweet Streams
completely agree - this goes for any type of RV. one year my electric tongue jack stopped working while at a campsite - another year i had a blowout on the highway, another time had the refrigerator stop working which was a fuse issue, fixing rivets is common and can be done by the owner - none of these were specific to the airstream itself (except the rivets) but the point is be prepared for anything, read the airstream and dometic manual several times, carry spare parts/fuses/extinguisher, make sure you know how to use the jack to access the spare tire or manually turn the tongue, etc.
The floor (biggest issue IMO) and propane (if you are uncomfortable with checking connections) are really the only issues you have for the dealer. The rest, including rivets, kinda sounds like 2-3 hours in the driveway. Glad you are having fun.
Congratulations on your pregnancy! It's sad to hear about the trauma with the Airstream, but so great that you've documented the specific areas. Good luck!
We’ve been enjoying your videos for a little while now. Keep after it. Please make a video about the dealership’s response and diagnosis to those problems.
Here is some thoughts about RVs in general.After avarage 35k investment then gas maintenance park fees you are better off renting a motel hotel etc on your travels and have no fear someone breaking into your Mobil home while u r out exploring.Average cost of motel 100 dollars now think how much easier it is not to have RV.
Airstream lost the quality a long time ago. You are very lucky, that your airstream lasted for 5 months. It is always bad if a company chooses quantity over quality.
Thanks for pointing out the problems on airstream so people can see. I went looking to buy an airstream a year ago but saw the quality was so poor. If your paying big bucks you should get better quality. I had a pleasure way RV and the cabinets are so much nicer in the pleasure way. In the airstream they were crap.
it's concerning to me that one can spend $80k on a small trailer like this, expecting 100% quality end to end and have so many problems. seriously...is there any RV out there that takes quality seriously w/ every unit sold?
Thanks for the information. I'll dream about the Airstream, but the price is very high, more than 60k, So I will not take any risk and I said good bye to the idea for purchasing this product,
I am glad I saw this report. I was thinking about buying an airstream 20X but I will hold off and explore other options. Thanks for the heads up on those issues.
WHAT A SHAME...You should be mad about it. That camper is a disaster!. We have a 22 Caravel and have the same problem with the Stove Gaskets. We are missing a few and the grid has come off during travel and scratched the counter top. Your problems are not minor and definitely should give you a new replacement camper. That thing needs to be remanufactured it is so bad. Sorry for your problems.
Don't pay an arm and a leg for a brand new RV or fancy name brand. We purchased a 28' 7 years ago that didn't have anywhere near this amount of problems for probably 1/4-1/3 of the cost of this RV. It's still working well today. Our batteries were purchased back then and we haven't replaced them yet. Never had a gas leak, air conditioning works. Nothing overly fancy in ours. I suggest buying newer used because the bugs will be worked out. We did have a leak in our outdoor kitchen last year but that was a problem with winterizing and a fairly easy fix.
The kitchen sink is a cheap chinese version. I bought one in NZ for a renovation and the clips are rubbish and dont hold tight. Bouncing around in a trailer would be a problem. Am surprised Airstream used these sinks.
Got news for you pal! You got a hell of a lot more than (2) rivets that have fallen out. It ‘s (2) you can SEE. More, many more, are also loose! Stains on the floor - you got a “ major” leak problem going on. Good luck my friends. Too bad Airstream fucked you/ sorry.
Airstream owner here... Sorry but almost everything you talked about are not that big a deal, excepting your possible propane leak. All components of the Airstream interiors are products of other companies, not airstream manufactured. Rivets- can you really expect no rivets to fall out when traveling down the road with the equivalency of a 6.0 earthquake? I guess you could opt for another brand of RV that uses staples? Please be realistic. In addition, interior rivets are completely different than those on the outside. Stove top: those bumpers protectors come out when you take off the grate to clean. It probably fell off without you noticing. They aren't supposed to be affixed. We keep a few on hand for the same reason. Ask the dealer for some. But certainly not airstreams fault. Vent in bathroom-likely a loose connecting wire (again traveling down the road with that level of shake will loosen any rvs wires etc. ) Or just a blown fuse. No big deal. Floor- does not look like water stain from what I could tell in your video. Looks like the vinyl is changing color in exactly where the high traffic areas are (ours has done it as well but it actually looks good on ours) and again this is an issue with the company who makes the flooring. I would imagine airstream might change who they use to supply the flooring if they are having widespread problems. Sink... Again a loose bracket? It got so loose that it fell off? Again... Driving down the road to an equivalent 6.0 earthquake. Seems reasonable to have a tool or two on hand to tighten things up regularly.. Rving is not maintenance free and regular inspecting of items is standard, especially after a drive day. We had a pipe come loose from the shaking on the road and had to connect again before a water leak happened. If we weren't paying attention we would have had water everywhere... But that's not airstreams fault. We have to do our diligence as rv owners... Inspect and pay attention as we use it. Someone said the sink is not sealed... Ours is. Not sure what they are talking about. Awning... Again, we have a checklist upon departure where tightening the awning is on the list...every.single.time. Whether we use it or not. If it came loose, it either wasnt tightened properly before departure or again, things come loose from the shake when traveling on the road. You might consider lowering your expectations on what a home on wheels can handle... Youre 5 mos in too! These aren't initial use issues where you just got it off the sales floor. You've traveled 1000s of miles in it. Also I feel like whatever you were saying about pneumonia doesn't add up to a propane leak or the air conditioner and then removing food from your fridge because it went bad? So more info is needed there to understand what you're talking about. That segment didn't make any sense. Sorry. Batteries: if you're using lead acid factory batteries, and only using15%, then of course they will no longer hold charge. If you recharge constantly when you've only depleted them by 15%, over time the battery will believe it's depleted when it reaches that level every time...because you've trained it to. Lithium batteries thrive under these type of partial discharge conditions, but not lead acid. Do some research on batteries and you might discover that the battery issues certainly aren't airstream's fault. Again part of the learning curve when dry camping in an RV and how types of batteries function. Either way, most of these issues are hardly big in the RV world and sorry, but you might have unrealistic expectations. It's unfortunate you made it so much about airstream as a brand. Being proactive, inspecting, learning and researching are part of being an RV owners. We bought ours brand new 3 years ago. We love it and have had virtually no issues. Certainly not complaining about popped rivets. Hopefully your dealer didn't laugh too hard at you about most of them. No offense. Good luck out there!
A lot of the things that you pointed out will be fixed easily. The stain on the floor is a major fix. Please post what it was and how they fixed it. I always carry a spare rivets and a rivet gun.
Do not stay one more night in that camper! 💀. If leaking Freon R-12 comes into contact with the an open flame 🔥 the R-12 will turn into phosgene nerve agent ⛽️ that is lethal. So you may have an R-12 leak that is making it’s way to a pilot light 🔥 creating a phosgene nerve agent problem! Do you run your refrigerator on propane? Does it have a pilot light? 🔥. And you only have a problem when the A/C is on and it is leaking something? ??? Symptoms Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting 🤮 over time (hours) you can develop fluid in your lungs pulmonary edema and death 💀
Negative videos like these are bad for any business. But helpful to potential customers. Better get their act together. Or maybe they just don’t care cos they’re riding on the name. Good luck with that. Eventually the well will dry up
A lot of people are RV living or living out of a van. Rewind many years ago, you would never seen young people buy an airstream, but thanks to social media and influencers as a new occupation to supports such purchases thus the rise in prices and quality decline. Companies can afford defect and recalls bc the sales are thru the roof.
I could not afford any of the RVs out there. Nobody should be milked of their money just to have one problem after another. I lived in a RV for awhile. Leak happened and ruined part of the floor and seating area. It was not really refurbished before my daughter bought it for me. I think they let many of these RVs slip by. Yeah I would be really niffed even if the RV was not new or top of the line in name. Like a used car or even a new one you never know for sure what you are buying.
Seems like this is the worst time to buy any RV, demand is to high. You know it’s bad when airstream quality is suffering at high demand & schedules. In the long run all RV manufactures are going to get a bad reputation that could take years or even decades to turn around.
Other than the gas leak which should have set off the LP leak alarm, all this stuff is totally minor issues, cosmetic stuff, etc. If you wanna see some junk on wheels, try most of the brands made in Indiana!
Your symptoms point to propane poisoning. I hope you have installed propane detectors by now. All of the problems you've pointed out might have taken a long time to appear for the owner who only uses their trailer a couple of months or less per year. And then it would likely be out of warranty. Your constant use for five months has revealed some flaws that occasional users will need to keep an eye out for. Thank you for this!
That was all very interesting ...., that was a lot of small things that "together" is a big deal. We might replace our floor with some actual wood flooring
If you have EVER used, or tried to use a RV warranty of any make you will know why I'm laughing!. Not worth the paper they are printed on! they never have the parts in stock, and each component, Stove, Frig, Heater all have their own warranty. Lots of finger pointing goes on and nothing gets fixed fast. Your trailer will sit on the back lot until you come in screaming ass mad!! It's just horrible the way dealerships treat you after the sale!!. Every single manufacturer WILL treat you like shit after the sale....I Guaranty it!!!
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience! If you get another travel trailer and use the stock flooded / wet or AGM batteries again - I'd suggest never letting them drop below 50% unless there's an emergency. Otherwise you compromise their lifespan and reduce the overall charge capacity. If you were to replace them with lithium they don't have that issue, but colder temperatures can cause charging problems.
Nice job on the review... My wife and I are looking at similar but most likely something with the split bathroom size. I would say that your findings are all valid no-doubt and those that downplay any of that, well just do not understand what quality is supposed to mean... especially when you are getting into an Airstream. (The comments about spare rivets.... general need to know how to fix things in general. Sorry I claim the BS card there. Would someone say the same when they pay 50K for a car. no). The stain on the floor, and the fumes from the ref area would be an immediate need to return and/or replace though... Rivets on coming undone is poor quality control on AS part. You would hope AS takes a look at things like this and attempts to fix. Good luck, you did it right!
