Full Time Living in an Airstream? | Everything is BREAKING! | Best Travel Trailer to Live in 2024
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2024
- Can you live in a travel trailer full time? We believe you can! What is the BEST RV to do so in and why did we choose Airstream?
The hard truth is we have not had the best run with our Pottery Barn Airstream. It seems like one thing after another is falling apart or breaking. We have lived longer and traveled longer in other RV's that have held up much better than this one has and they were a TENTH of the price! The quality of our Airstream is just not matching the price we are paying for it.
Have you seen a decrease in quality in other RV brands? We would love to know your thoughts!
My pottery barn is approaching a year old with several thousand miles on it and living in it full time. I’ve not had one major issue to speak of. I am however a seasoned RVer and If nothing else switching to an airstream has been a dream with its simplicity in comparison to a lot of the other high dollar brands.
I, too, am a seasoned RVer. Glad to hear your successes!
All AS require a level of maintenance and understanding by the owners. You obviously purchased the airstream from a terrible dealership. Your batteries are fried! You cannot let them ever go below 30%. Pottery Barn is a fas
My question : Have you gone back to Jackson Center, Ohio to get the issues taken care of ? We LOVE our 2018 Classic 33FB and would not have any other RV. There is no way I would ever buy any RV manufactured in 2020 or after, until all the stated issues by countless buyers were addressed. Great advice to buy an older model. Also RVs were never intended to be a full time residence, so every single time you head down the road there is a possibility of an "issue". I hope you can get all your issues addressed at the mother ship. Sweet family & we wish you the best getting everything resolved 🦩
As soon as work schedule allows, we can definitely try to get to Jackson Center! I think you're spot on with only buying pre-2020.
To me the battery issue sounds a bit complicated. If as you said your inverter is always on, it might be no wonder that your charger cannot charge your batteries fully because your inverter is running and using the current to power the rig. Your inverter should always be off when connected to shore power. At this point if they are not lithium, your batts may be toast but you can have them tested.
You have a nice PB AS. You have a Nice Tundra. I had rivets pop same area. The cause is your weight distribution. Your set up is way too tight. I’m guessing your PB is over loaded as well, that’s only way you’d break axels, which would also roll into the WD system and rivets piping. Have you put it on cat scales? Have you put the tong jack on a scale.
Your hitch weight is like 950 lbs on the PB
That tundra is rated to tow 11,000 +- and if I think back to mine force v8 trd pro. I had a cargo capacity of around 1800lbs. I’m guessing your pin weight is pushing 1,100 your a big dude so say 215??1315lbs with just you and the hitch, nothing else and no one else.
Whe. We west from the 23’ AS to a 30. I pulled that empty AS30 home with the tundra. lol. 55mph and it was a HANDFUL. Way too much trailer for that little truck. Friend you need a f250/chev2500 minimum for your set up. I know I know. You love that tundra, but she’s not the right vehicle at all. While the change will and WD loosening will solve some of your issues, it won’t solve all.
Your fridge doors need to be shimed, or the fridge needs to be. I’ve got no answer for you on the oven, never had issues. The screens and curtains, yea that’s going to be rough. The roller shades while not as nice looking, can handle rougher treatments.
Stupid question,,, since you are active duty military why aren’t you staying on base at a “FamCamp”? Almost all military bases have a designated rv camping with all types of hookup options. Also any aren’t you shopping at the commissary? Cheaper prices and no sale tax.
Ive seen this on the airstreams of late too. Also all the pottery barns have issues. Its like they were built to drive to one location and park for the rest of their Airstream lives.
'Park model" lol. Certainly made for the people who park it at their home to drive to the local campground two weekends a year.
This nightmare sounds like a Lemon Law that would allow you a full money back.
Lemon law suits are very hard to win. I contacted a lawyer in the state we bought this in, and he said the judges won't rule against the manufacturer, because of conflict of interest involving PAC funds. Hear-say, but that was the attorney's advice.
Yikes! Wait until you hit a Hail Storm! Kryptonite for Airstream and an Expensive Nightmare to fix. Go Fiberglass next time.
Airstream is Thor and Thor wants their money for their Stockholders.
Thor is bad news! So is hail...
Popping rivets? You need to look at tire pressure and hitch set up. I suggest you look at a flying cloud. It is the "base" model so to speak. You have several signs of your hitch set up bring to stiff, to much WD tension and to much tire pressure. Pay a trip to the CAT Scales and do a 3 pass weigh in. Learn how to read the axle weight and correctly set up your hitch and the proper tire pressure based on axle weights.
My new WD hitch came loose from the dealership just last weekend due to a rushed install by them. I agree there's something misconfigured with their WDH. Mine was already causing front end separation after one quick trip. Mine luckily was fixable with lowering the bar height and tightening the WDH, but the damage to the trailer is done already. I knew better than to trust the dealership installing it. I'd love to see a photo or video of their weight distribution hitch setup so that maybe we can help.
So, actually towing with a one ton truck and no WDH. Not necessary for towing with a one ton, as the trailer only weighs 7500 fully loaded. 6500lbs empty and 7500lbs full (including tanks and other AS gear). Very familiar with scales, axle weights, tire pressure, etc. Unfortunately, there’s no compensating for cheap parts/components. I’m very competent at operating a truck and RV, this is simply low quality craftsmanship.
Hey John! Definitely not a stiff hitch setup. Using a regular ole 2-5/16" ball, trailer level from the front to the back. I've towed a trailer or two.... or a few hundred... in my day ;)
Excellent advice that makes a world of difference before hitting the road. I guess I assumed every serious or long time RVer would do this in advance.
@@user-gh8sl7iu3y if you read the comments, none of what was mentioned was a problem. Serious RVers are absolutely aware of their tire pressure and weight.
Man, it's a shame to hear this. I have a 2012 and with annual preventative maintenance, I've not had any issues . Yes one or two popped rivets here and there and the Dometic fridge door latch breaking (it was plastic) and I found a 3D Printed replacement one online, that's been about it. Some parts do wear out , like the knife valve on the sewer tank outlets and Ive been able to replace those myself . I would be wary of Airstream dealerships though and some of the parts they are using . I let them replace my tires (over 6yrs old) and during the first trip noticed that the "brand new tire" had a huge slit in it which was delaminating . They do upcharge on everything so if you are up to doing some DIY, it's easy to order parts online from the best priced manufacturer and install them oneself. Those broken lights in your trailer can easily be ordered and replaced with just basic tools. In airstreams defense, travel trailers were never designed to be lived in Full time as a home and in the manual it specifically states that and the materials used, are not as hardy as those used for aTiny home for instance. I def agree that quality materials and workmanship have taken a nosedive and the older models were constructed a lot tougher and have stood the test of time. Enjoy your journeys and hope the snags can all be sorted out by the dealership .
Should be able to get through two months of full time living. Didn't make it 500 miles down the road, though. I certainly agree about sourcing your own parts instead of letting dealers provide their own.
The pottery barn is my wife’s dream. This is unacceptable! Just wow.
We were shocked as well! We still love the aesthetic of it (and the farmhouse sink is very nice to have in an rv!) but the amount of corners that were cut to save money on airstream’s part are shocking. Especially with the luxury price tag!
If you have the opportunity, I would suggest traveling to Jackson Center Ohio to the factory service center. Making an appointment would be your best bet and schedule your time so you can get everything fixed under warranty. We have had great luck in getting our rig serviced by them…..just something to consider😁. Best of luck.
We just might do that :) Thanks
How much time did that take, accounting for travel and time in service? Also, roughly how far did you have to travel to Jackson center?
We travel in our Airstream full time, so when planning to visit Jackson Center, we schedule our travels slowly working our way to JC. So, no matter where we are in the country, we eventually land at Jackson Center. During this time, we communicate with the service center directly letting them know what issues we have so they can order the parts necessary to fix our rig. Each time we visit, we plan on leaving the rig for approximately 2 weeks, depending on what needs to be repaired. Depending on what is being worked on, you may have the option of staying in your rig at the Terraport. The service guys will pick up your rig each morning and return it at the end of the day. Hope this offers a little insight as to the general repair process. Good luck.
I have the same refrigerated same problem, until my husband check the rubber around, make sure is in place .
We have a cadcade travel trailer and although we do have things breaking it is nothing like you guys are experiencing. That's crazy to have that many issues in a short amount of time. The seals I think are an issue with all , because we have that problem with our screen door. Some of the hardware inside ours is also coming apart but with kids I think they help lol ours are 10 and 3 and they are not gentle when inside the camper. We have a broken sink we need to replace in the kitchen area our outside speaker is coming off, and occasionally we have trouble with the heat kicking on but that is because the propane tank we had was having issues. We learned what we lile and dislike and what to look for in the next one we get.
I've heard great things about Cascades! happy RVing!! :)
I must compliment you on your upbeat attitude with so many issues. I can tell that would not be my general disposition!! I am so sorry for you and hope eventually these issues can be sorted out.
Thanks!!
I think we'll get it sorted out, eventually. The C-zone is another beast though lol
We made the same mistake when buying a 2021 Airstream Classic 30' during covid. We had never RV'ed before then either before full timing in it and you guys remind me of us! Everything broke for us. The hot water heater, glycol heater, COI electrical box, and more broke completely so we couldn't take showers, stay warm, or even use the lights. It broke so badly we had to rush to buy a house again. It was a mixture of us being newbies, the complicated technology in the Classic, and driving to high elevation in the winter. We traded it for a 16' Bambi and now a 27' Flying Cloud and would 100% recommend either of those models to anyone. 0 issues (and much cheaper). It helps that we know what we are doing now. I tell others to avoid the expensive and complicated Classic!
I’m so sorry that happened to you!! Driving anywhere to colder weather can certainly cause many issues! I’ve RV’d on and off for about 20 years and have never had these issues before. Unfortunately, these issues are completely on the part of the manufacturer (except for the screens lol).
Certainly would trade "down" to get out of the C-zone. We are experienced RVers, but this quality caught us off guard
170K ? Ugh
Purportedly the price of quality ;)
wow thanks great to know
@coastal cabin. I have a ‘23 GT 27FB. Most of what yours describing is small. Regarding the rivets, we’ve not had one pop…lower your tire pressure to 60PSI. Regarding the fridge, the issue is the weight in your doors. Regarding the brakes, that sucks!!! Did Airstream reimburse you for downtime? Lately, Airstreams are more delicate and Airstream themselves say not to be lived in full time
Airstream did not reimburse for downtime, hotels while waiting, or anything. Strict policy, according to the director of owner relations. I only got the brakes fixed once I figured out the email format of Airstream and CC'd the CEO, COO, CFO and National Director of Sales. Only then was owner relations willing to cooperate with repairs.
The dealers know that the refirgerator doors on this fridge have a weak bracket. Our doors have butter, small condiments and other things in there that do not have much weight. One dealer told us they see these issues constantly due to the weak bottom bracket.
Definitely will try lowering the tire pressure to 80psi. I never understood why each Airstream dealer always airs them up to 80 when we go in for service.
@@katandandy 80PSI is for liability and stability purposes. Many towing Airstreams overpack and exceed limits. The tire manufacturer has their -own recommendations on their load charts. They recommend psi @ 55-60 based on loads. Keep in mind, once warm, the PSI increases by 7-10 psi dependent on outside air temps. When we lowered PSI, nothing moved or broke inside…also make sure your WDH bar is not rated for over 1100pounds of tongue weight. Anything over could be adding flex to your chassis
@@katandandy Also, every state has their own lemon policies that is dependent on where it’s registered. Not many know about trailer lemon policies. You can find yours online. Good luck. The first year of ownership for us was tough. Constant repairs. It doesn’t help that it was a covid build when quality tanks due to supply/labor shortages and excess demand. Now, everything has been addressed. I’ve heard Airstream quality is expected to go back up. The Airstream customer service has been helpful in getting things approved that the Dealer didnt address. You should correspond with your service writer and CC Airstream corporate on important issues. Lastly, since you full time, you may want to try a different dealer. The service techs in the RV industry are not the best IMO. My local dealer tech expertise has been the Achilles heel.
So lower your tire pressure outside of manufacture rating to be safe??? Do you now see how STOOOPID this statement is???
@@CANADIANWARRIOR-il6rtdo you know how stupid you sound??? The manufacturer of a car will NEVER be responsible for the load ratings a tire manufacturer publishes!!! It’s a stated fact, well know that the manufacturer of the tire bears responsibility of the load rating. That’s why the tire manufacturer publishes the psi ratings based on the loads you will be carrying!! The trailer manufacturer does NOT MAKE the TIRES! Again, as stated in Airstreams own literature, they say, the PSI rating is based on towing stability but to reference the tire manufacturer recommended PSIs. Most airstream owners used tow vehicles at their limits. So increasing the tires to max aided tow stability. They also did this as many trailers sit for a long time prior to being sold. If you owed a Airstream, you’d know this! So again, to those thousands of airstream owners, they will tell you, lower the psi to under 65, and they stop having issues with rivets and cabinet/interior item damages. So again, if will tell you, within my 1st tow of owning an Airstream, I had bubbles on all four tires due to excessive psi. Goodyear demanded Airstream replace all four tires. Which airstream did immediately and the. Told me follow the manufacturer psi. By the way, the psi of 80 comes from the pre delivery checklist. Not the recommended spec. So again. Do your own research
Ha, ha, ha, not to laugh at your misfortune but I can attest to the other side of the coin being that we have traveled extensively over the the last 35 years in three different Airstreams without a third of the damage or repairs you’ve had with your one. That said we’ve never thought of the Airstream as being as durable as our sticks & bricks home. It is after all a home on wheels so every time you move one it’s like an earthquake inside. Simply the nature of what it is. I suppose we might treat ours more gingerly although I wouldn’t say too much so bc if we had to be overly cautious we’d never have traveled for 35+ years. Of course the up side and the reason we stayed with Airstream is that when we sold our first one a 1978 we had a bidding war in our home driveway with two buyers who each really wanted it even though it was older than 10 years at the time. We actually made slightly more on that sale than we’d originally paid for it back then. So took that cash and bought the second Airstream, traveled in it with our 3 children for 18 years before selling that one and purchased our 3rd and smallest at 25’ since our family had grown and are not traveling with us these days. So as a word of encouragement keep a positive outlook as it seems you got a lemon; it happens. I hope you either go back to sticks & bricks or purchase another RV and have a way better experience in the future. Never give up on the adventure though.
As a pottery barn owner myself, I will admit the price of it is borderline excessive for what you get. With that being said, no RV was designed for full time living, especially with two small kids in it full time. I’ve towed my PB thousands of miles and have never had an issue. From your responses to several comments, you do not seem interested in looking at your living and driving habits, and only want to bash Airstream. Just because you have towed before, does not mean there are not other underlying issues that can help you maintain your rig. You do not discuss WDH, tire pressure, pre-checks…you only focus on your perceived lack of quality and then go on CZcams to garner sympathy. Your channel is actually better than that. I really enjoy 99% of your content.
Sorry to hear this.
Expensive bummer! Haha but we’re making the best of it. Still feel blessed to have it 👍🏼
So you bought the one Airstream on earth that has everything in the world wrong with it while everyone else has no issues with theirs? Hmmmm
So the issue with your Lipo batteries is you ran them too low and you have permanently damaged them. Lipo batteries are not designed to be run all the way down if you had done a walk around with your trailer, they probably would’ve explained. It seems to me like you picked up your trailer and just bolted. in addition, you should check your brake area with a temperature gun 25 miles down the road and at least twice more in the first 100 miles and also tighten your Lugnuts. You had to gain set and melted the brake and seized the tire again something that I can almost guarantee was your fault. As far as the item I’m guessing your child broke the screen curtains, etc. it’s a guess but probably a pretty good one raised two children. I know how mischievous they can be. As far as the rivets is every Airstream as door, this is well known throughout the community. Experience is a brutal teacher because it gives the test first and the lesson later, which is what you have been going through with your Airstream.
Airstream of the 1960s was the poo ! Iv always said, "If a company's goal is to make money it will fail. If its goal is to make customers happy if will succeed 👍!".
I agree make an appointment at Jackson Center Factory service. Best way would be to call or email. Also suggest 65 psi in tires and see if you slow down on popping rivets. I agree they dont build them like they use to.
If a person is retired, taking a week or two to travel to Ohio for repairs would be doable. It's interesting to me that many Airstreamers just go to Ohio whenever they have issues.
One word. Oliver.
Agreed…….for now
We like the apparent quality of Oliver, but it's a much narrower RV and their largest wouldn't quite be big enough for four people and two dogs. However, I think that's a great choice for smaller families!
Hopefully they stick with good quality :)
Oliver is not even close to the Airstream. Oliver is a Boat with wheels and much smaller and narrower as if Airstream wasn't narrow enough. Oliver is for a single person and maybe a dog, for the price they want is a joke.
@@gdt5430 …in your opinion. I can guarantee you you do not own an Oliver. But you are right, they’re not even close. I owned an Airstream for two years. Of the two years, it spent a year and a half in the shop. I’ve owned my Oliver for seven years. It’s never been in the shop. Let me repeat that, sir. My Oliver has never been in the shop. My wife and I, as well as our small dog, have plenty of room for a long weekend or extended stay. Sometimes you do not get what you pay for. But other times you do. My Oliver has been worth every excessive dime I have spent on her. End of conversation, my friend.
light the stove pilot light with a lighter
Good idea! Thanks
@@katandandy Not sure about that brand of oven on an Airstream, but in our Lance, the oven did not have an electric igniter even though the burners did. I remember trying to light it with the clicker for quite some time before reading the manual and learning that it had to be manually lit. Kinda annoying and agree it is not a very useful appliance. Our next RV will will skip the oven and just get a convection microwave.
Sorry for the trouble your having at that price you would expect quality. 😢😢😢
Seems that older Airstreams are the good ones :)
Taylor Coach travel trailers is a higher quality trailer at less money. Sorry your going through this.
My parents had an Airstream in the 90's they loved it.
Taylor Coach looks awesome!
You guys need to hire an Attorney and start a class action law suit. I have seen several videos about Rivets coming out as well as the screws! See the people who drove to 48 states! I am looking at getting an Air Stream, but your video is making me question Air Stream. Also, Air Stream is owned by the same company who makes the cheaper RV’s-no incentive to be better! Be safe!
Airstream should be held accountable, for sure!
Newer Airstreams are junk now, like most newer RVs.
Agreed!
Don't take this the wrong way, I am not trying to be mean. However, some of the issues might be kid related. If you live in a house, kids are going to do some damage let alone an RV. The bathroom light "snapped?" It is metal by the looks of if some kind of force had to be exerted on it to make it snap. Obviously a lot of the issue you are talking about are not caused by full time living or kids, but others have commented on those.
The bathroom light is soft, malleable metal and the arm from the base to the lamp is hollow. The lamp sconce itself is solid, thick glass - far too heavy to be held up with that flimsy piece of “metal”. No force was exerted down on it. The kids can’t reach it and cannot climb up to it.
Airstreams are really overpriced and overrated junk.
Agreed. The older ones were really good, though!
Everything THOR touches turns to SH!T.
Wow! My perception of the Air Stream company has tanked. You would think with a company this well known, this highly regarded and the length of time they have been around that you would get a better quality product. What a disappointment! I hope your video reaches them and they don't like the bad endorsement you just gave and reach out to you to fix everything. The newer folk that run the company now have been relying on their good name and scaling back quality. The lipstick done did wipe off that pig. We now know, thanks to you both and the other CZcamsrs out there that let us know about stuff like this.
You are absolutely correct! They are riding the perception of quality that has persisted for decades. In the last five years the agenda has changed from producing a quality product to purely maximizing profit margins. I think the best move is to buy a 1990-2010 Airstream shell and renovate it
@@katandandy hopefully they will do right by you and fix it all. You need to casually mention that you both are content creators with lots of followers and that many of us are shocked by the lack of quality lol. That usually makes them notice a bit more. I'm a big proponent of customer service and making sure to speak up. If going to the shop doesn't fix it, writing to the company and continue to write. The answer is always no unless you ask. Especially if you are still under warranty. I mean the screens are one thing, understandable with little ones. But the other stuff? NO WAY! That is not normal wear and tear. It will be worth the time and effort to get it all fixed. Flip side is hopefully another trailer company takes notice and reaches out lol.
THOR!! When Thor took over Airstream went straight into the crapper.
If your batteries spend any time at all at low charge level they are toast. Sounds like your newbys.
Thanks for your comment! Definitely not newbys, sir. 👍🏼 We’ve lived full time in rvs and never had these countless issues. Batteries haven’t consistently charged since day one off the lot.
Thanks for watching, John! As we’ve had issues from the factory, and dealerships corroborate that the charge controller is likely malfunctioning (along with other things that were incorrectly wired), it’s fair to say that “newbys” aren’t the problem. Been RVing for two decades ❤
@@katandandydon’t forget the 6 months it sat in Montana guaranteed it was hooked to shore power once the batteries are discharged they’ll never charge to full capacity
@@mikewilkey9431 the batteries were fully discharged when I initially picked it up from the dealership in Utah. Airstream of Utah.