WE FOUND A HUGE PROBLEM IN OUR AIRSTREAM...(Part 1)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ต.ค. 2023
- In this week’s video we discovered a huge problem in our Airstream following a recent camping trip. It is the kind of bad news every Airstream owner hopes they never get. This is all new to us, so follow along as we start to investigate the damage and try to identify the cause. Don’t forget to Hit the "Like" button 👍 and "Subscribe" to our channel and follow along on our adventures. Safe travels!
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Rick as a fellow airstreamer I understand your pain. So sorry for your extra unplanned work with the leak
But thank you for the most positive attitude and please post the trouble shooting and repair videos. Really enjoy your past repairs and maintenance videos. Best wishes and good luck Dave
Dave, thanks for watching and the kind words. We will be providing video updates as we work thru the repairs. Just got to find that leak first. Safe travels.
Rick,
Thanks for the link to the moisture meter - just ordered!
Thank you for sharing! I am so very sorry this happened to y’all.
You handled so well and proud of you. Please keep us updated on progress. Have a good day!
Thanks. We will be providing updates as we work to solve the leak and repair the damage. Safe travels.
So, so sorry this has happened to you guys. 😢 Water leaks and moisture are the worst. Good job finding and diagnosing the problem. It was painful to “like” this video, but it’s obvious that you will do the repairs thorough and correctly. We had a similar issue years ago with our old Aerolite. It was a difficult repair, made even more challenging because the floor was a SIP and integral to the structure of the camper. I’ll tell you the whole story someday over a cocktail or cup of coffee. Take care, and we wish you all the best.
Thanks. As we’ve had a few days to accept the situation, we remind ourselves that it’s nothing that we can’t overcome. A new obstacle in life becomes a new opportunity to learn. Looking forward to cross paths and enjoying a cup of coffee someday. See you down the road.
Oh man! Sorry to see this is happening! However you’re a champ for sharing this with your viewers!
Thanks for the encouragement Mike. We’re working thru it one day at a time 🙂. Just disappointed that it has interfered with our travel plans.
Rick & Lisa, thank you so much sharing some nitty gritty details. We learn so much when you document when things are not perfect. Looking forward to the floor repair and leak research.
Your informative and positive manner is why we watch!
Thanks so much. We will be providing some updates as we work to repair the AS. Lisa and I are glad the videos are informative and useful (but we hope you never have a leak that needs to be repaired). Safe travels
Dang, that’s a bummer but I’m glad that y’all figured it out and can get it straitened out. Best wishes towards a speedy recovery for the Airstream.
You never want unscheduled maintenance…😂 But I’m confident that we will get it fixed and back on the road soon.
Great repair video. 👊🏼😎
FYI - We will be posting weekly video 🎥 updates on our repairs as we work through them if you’re interested in following along 👀. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Oh boy! We’ve been there, done that. We have a 2010 27 fb, it had the leak at bumper. I responded the same as Lisa, and Glenn responded like you. You’re absolutely right, it’s maintenance like everything we use and enjoy.
It’s all part of RV ownership🙂 I like to think that Airstreams are built in a way that allows for repairs which many other RVs can’t. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
I feel your pain. I had a serious leak in the back of my Airstream. After much investigation I discovered water was coming in around my right tail lights. Hope you have a successful resolution to this frustrating problem.
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. I will definitely inspect our tail lights. It may take a while, but I’m sure we will locate the leak eventually. Safe travels.
I am sorry you a having this problem. I wasn’t sure if you thought you had solved the water leak origin part of the problem. You did mention the belly band being a potential source as well. I am glad you are so handy and look forward to seeing how you eliminate other possible causes.
Hi…thanks for watching and commenting. We are in the process of tracking down the leak. Because there is water damage in two areas, that makes it even more difficult to isolate…Is it one leak or two? Not sure right now, but we will provide video updates as we work thru it. Safe travels.
Oh NO! Water is always so destructive when is going where it’s not supposed to be! Hopefully you are able to identify where it is coming from and get it fixed and back on the road!
Thanks for watching and the words of encouragement. We’re confident everything will work out in time. Safe travels
As with anything of value, maintenance, maintenance and more maintenance. We've had our International since 2005
Very true. Routine maintenance is key to longevity of every Airstream.
Great video showing the reality of any RV. We had that issue in our first RV and resolved it. When we bought our AS in 2021 I was thrilled for the composite flooring. Did you decide what you are going to use for the flooring/subfloor in that area. Looking forward to next video
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. As of now, once everything is dried out and the leak is found, we will likely patch the floor with new 5/8” plywood. More to follow as we work thru the repairs. Safe travels
@@thewrightlife great job & looking forward to next video
Good for you keeping positive attitude and having the skills to handle the repairs yourself. On the positive, you demonstrated how easy it is to remove the cabinets and vinyl flooring to get to the subfloor. I wonder if it's worth the effort to remove all the cabinets and replace using the new composite subfloor? This is my version of scope creep, spend bunch more to eliminate future head ache. Please do post videos on the repairs. Enjoy the learning.
Thanks for the comment. Regarding your question about replacing the entire subfloor with composite flooring, it is my opinion that it would be extremely difficult and costly. I think it would easier to buy a newer AS with composite flooring if it is a significant concern. FYI - we will provide updates on the repairs as we work through them. Safe travels.
“Nothing happens to me, but everything happens for me.” We either have problems or we have opportunities! Thank you for being a positive influence in my life by accepting a challenge to take this opportunity to overcome! Safe travels
What a great quote! Thanks for sharing those encouraging words. Safe travels
Check the base of the rear window seals (curved and flat). Common leak points. Older window frames weren’t welded and leaked. Also check seal above rear window under the awning if you have one. They get dirty and wet…and fail.
Thanks for the tips. Will definitely checkout those areas.
Rick,
Thank you for continuing to show us the good, bad and UGLY of owning an AS. I would definitely like to see the step by step process you go through when replacing your sub floor. Also, can you post a link to the “moisture meter” you use? Hang in there ARMY!
Thanks for the support and encouragement. I plan on posting more updates as we work thru the repairs. I hope others will learn from our experience and find them useful. Also, I’ll track down the moisture meter and post the link in the description. Safe travels.
FYI - I posted the link for the moisture meter in the video description.
Sorry about your problem Rick. It's good that your handy and are taking this issue head on! We have a 2016 International 25ft front bed and discovered a soft spot in the floor two years ago. I'm not as handy as you and was working at the time (so I had more money!!). We took our camper to Colonial Airstream in New Jersey who peeled the flooring back to find flooring that looked just like yours contained in almost the identical area. Further investigation showed that the door was not sealing properly...needed to be adjusted and the gaskets replaced. I submitted a claim to the insurance company and they paid all but the $250 deductible.... $8,500!! We were lucky that Colonial had the ability to fix the problem and now you'd never know there was a problem. I wish you the best. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. I’ve heard good things about Colonial Airstream and we’re happy to hear you were able to have your Airstream repaired. I’m sure we will get everything taken care of with time. Safe travels.
Bummer but, as you say, things happen. We had a section of our floor replaced a number of years ago due to a leak around the grey water tank's roof vent. We were having the interior redone at the time so I didn't do it. I'll be interested to see how it is done. Good luck...
Hey Guys…thanks for watching and the continued support. We will be providing video updates as we diagnose the problem locate the leak(s) and make the repairs. Looks like a lot of content topics on the To Do List 😂 for the near future.
The good news is that fortunately you are capable of doing the repairs. That should be a prerequisite for buying an Airstream. What year model do you have?
Thanks for watching and the comment. Our Airstream is a 2017 27’ FB International. As for the repairs, our capability is still to be determined 🤣. Safe travels.
So sorry to see this. Thank goodness for your sticks/bricks to fall back on! How will you confirm the leak is eliminated?
Having our home base has been invaluable at this time. It would have been impossible to make these repairs if we were still full-timing. As for locating the leak, it will likely be trial and error. Hopefully it won’t take too long. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Ouch! A/C Drain tube goes to the wheel well, maybe it's split or cracked. Just a thought! Anxiously awaiting the culprit!
Kevin…great tip. Never thought about the AC drain tube. Will check it out. Safe travels.
I feel your pain. We started a 1972 Airstream Ambassador renovation in mid March. The plan was to only renovate the front and kitchen area. Had a known leak in the front area, but when we got to looking closer found a leak around the water heater. Ended up gutting the whole thing, and no we didn't do a frame off just fixed the 3 places we found bad subfloor. We did drop the bottom skin and checked the frame, all good. My daughter, her husband and 2 year old son just moved into it last week. They went on a short trip, and are now back fixing a few last items and hitting the road for good this Thursday. While we had the inner skins off we sealed every rivet and every seam. We also took of all 6 of the small windows, broke the pains apart and completely redid them. The other window they are waiting on because they can be done one at a time as time allows. We did chase a few leaks for weeks and finally found them and fixed them. We ran a ton of water over the shell while we had the inside skin off. I'm sure you're going to get this leak resolved, and like you mentioned, the sealant on the roof is an excellent place to start. Good luck, and enjoy your camping.
Thanks for sharing your Airstream renovation experience. I was asked once if I would sell my AS because of the problems. I said NO. Why would I trade my AS and all the known issues that it has for another AS and all of its unknown issues. She’s part of the family.
Awe bummer ! Good time to put in the floor you always wanted .
Absolutely.
wish you well on fixing this. What year is your coach?
Hi…our Airstream is a 2017 27’ FB International. Safe travels
Bad news.sorry this happened.
Thanks for watching…it’s all part of the Airstream journey.
Ugh! I am sorry you had this issue. My 2020 had the wood flooring. That was one of the major reasons I traded it for a 2023 because it had the new sub-floor in it. I feared having a wood floor for the very reason you discovered here.
Thanks for watching and we hope you enjoy many happy years of travel in your Airstream. Safe travels
@@thewrightlife Same to you!
I don't know if we can expect watertightness from a travel trailer wich requires 4000 holes to be drilled in its shell for its manufacturing, in addition, they do many other openings for windows, vents, etc. that are other possibilities for leaks.
LoL…you’re probably right. We plan to build an RV shelter to park the Airstream under when we’re not traveling. Should help reduce sun and weather exposure and extend longevity of the seals. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Just started watching the video and wish I could share my photos. Although I may upload everything to my TH-cam channel. Interested to see what you’re dealing with, as I am dealing with the same exact thing, but on a different trailer. We have a 23 FB international and I just replaced a big section of floor in the center of the trailer due to a soft spot and water leak.
BTW…what year is your AS?
Hey Rick! Our trailer is a 2011 (First year they made a 23FB International) I didn't notice any other soft spots, but I was glad to see you showed the dark spots on top of the vinyl floor, I'll look for that, (in addition to feeling for soft spots). My biggest thing is going to be sealing the belt line, the roof and other areas. Fall in Oregon makes it a little tough to get things dry. @@thewrightlife
Sorry to hear that your Airstream is sick. 😢 We been there our selves with our Airstream - 2 years ago when we had the accident. We had a hole in the siding of our Airstream for 9 months and even though we covered it with Aluminum tape water still got in and rotted the floor. What I always tell people when they ask “why an Airstream” - “everything on a Airstream can be fixed”. If you had “some other brand” of RV with this issue it would be totaled. It’s a bump in the road of RV ownership but you will get it fix and be back on the road in no time. Good luck!
P.S. I cringed when you cut the vinyl flooring 😮. When they repaired our floor, they just rolled vinyl out of the way and put it back over the new subfloor.
Hey Guys…thanks for watching and the comments. It always makes us feel better when we hear about other peoples experiences with their Airstream. About the flooring, Lisa had already given me orders to replace it once it was stained. I’m sure that will be a future video 😂
@@thewrightlife - totally agree Lisa - Diane
Airstreams are notorious for creating lots of condensation due to the poor insulation and temperature variance between the inside of the unit and the outside temperature, the metal and the poor insulation will cause severe sweating (condensation) and damage everything!! My daughter bought one 4 years ago, and after 8 months, she sold it for a huge loss because the wood everywhere was developing a moldy stench and when the had an air quality test, it came back very high for mold. No bueno, if you are allergic to mold and/or have asthma. We have owned class A rvs for over 25 years, the quality of older units cannot be compared with the trash being sold since 2010, unless you get into the million dollar coaches, like the Liberty Elegant Lady.
Now that Airstream is owned by Thor, quality is really trash!!
We use a dehumidifier in our AS to help reduce the condensation. It makes a big difference.
Hi guys! We experienced a water leak in my rig (Jayco travel trailer) caused by poor plastic joints between water heater and pex pipes that supply water throughout trailer.Hope you guys figure it out ! It’s part of the journey!
Thanks for watching and I am confident that we will eventually get it fixed and be back on the road. Its is ALL part of the journey. Safe travels.
I refused to buy a Airstream unless it had the new composite floor. Ended up with a 2021 globetrotter 27
I’m sure that was a wish choice. Thanks for watching and safe travels.
Invest in a dehumidifier
Hi…Thanks for the recommendation. We do have a dehumidifier and two fans that we are using to dry out the Airstream. Just need it to stop raining here 🤣
Pressure test it.
Seams are doubtful problem at least on older trailers. If there's a soft spot, it has been going on for awhile. My best guess - windows.
Thanks for watching and the tip. I’ve considered a pressure test, but haven’t really looked into it much. Not sure if anyone local provides that service. Agree the leak has been going on for a while and will be checking all the windows. Safe travels
Dang Sorry... But on a good note you showed us non engineering don't know how/what to do The steps how to disassemble and inspect.
Oh man! I’m so sorry. Were you able to find the root cause?
Still working thru it, checking the roof, seams, windows, rivets, etc.
Bummer, man I feel your pain. Have figured out how you're going to address the rotten plywood that goes under the walls? I've seen in some slightly older A/S the plywood floors slide into a type of C-Channel that's underneath the bottom plate of the walls. In the video I linked, you can see what I'm talking about around the opened up wheel wells. th-cam.com/video/C1nLeL7erfI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Dyo2iZMBM9slpa2t&t=110
So far the plan is to cut out the rotten plywood sections and replace with new subfloor plywood. As for the c channel, I plan to slide the patch into the channel with notches cut in the plywood to fit around the mounting bolts that attach the c channel to the frame. We will see how it goes, but first we need to isolate the leak. Thanks for watching. Safe travels