Airstream Trailer

I’ve owned my Flying Cloud 27FB (front bedroom) for a while now, thought it might be of interest to someone to share my experience to date.

This page first discusses the process I went through to get set up with an Airstream trailer, and an appropriately sized tow vehicle to safely pull it. Then I discuss some of the issues I've addressed on both the trailer and tow vehicle, and issues still to be addressed.

The dream. Decision to buy an Airstream

Airstream Model Decision, Tow Vehicle (TV), Price Negotiation and Pick Up

We went by the local Airstream dealer several times over several months, checking out the size and inside layouts. We decided the 27' Flying Cloud FB would work well for us. It had a wardrobe for storage, bed is oriented so you can get to each side, and there was a space in front of the TV where dog kennels could go. And we wanted two air conditioners - it gets really hot in the summer in the southern US. This was a good decision - when the AS is in the sun, it can get really warm.

Picking a Tow Vehicle (TV).

At the time I decided to buy an AS, I owned a Honda Odyssey. It was rated for around 3000 lbs of tow weight and maybe 500 lbs toung weight. I really wanted to

vs. Ford F150 vs F250 vs. Toyota Tundra

Sway bar, skid plate, trouble finding tire rating

x

Bigger tow mirrors on the Tundra. They extend out when towing, don't vibrate.

TPMS Repeater

Sway bar (red), connects the rear axle to the truck body. This greatly reduced the truck rocking from side to side, especially when going around a corner.

TPMS Repeater

Skid plate, from a TRD, 1/4 inch aluminum. I was agast when I looked under the truck and saw $10k worth of engine and transmission exposed to whatever gets kicked up from the road. So spent $400 to protect it. Wish Toyota would have done that from the factory.

TPMS Repeater

The local dealer would not come down off of the MSRP. So we started calling dealers in adjacent states. That worked out well, a dealer in Mississippi had the exact unit we wanted for $10,000 less than the local dealer. So we gave a deposit and scheduled a pickup date.

Trailer Pick-up
3 hour appointment vs. 6 hours actual.
No trailer brakes
Emergency brake shutoff woven through the chains
Weigh TV & AS

Upgrades and Problems - Complete and Pending

There is a lot going on with an Airstream (or any other) trailer. It is a house, with specialized appliances, being bounced down the road. Airstreams are hand built, so quality control is dependant on who helped build your trailer. Any QC issues during construction will manifest itself once you start using it. So below is a list of Complete and Pending issues with our trailer. Some I've taken care of, and there is a pretty long list of things still left to deal with.

Comments on warranty work: The local Airstream-authorized repair facility has a two month wait to get in for warranty service. Plus there is a shop fee of $390 per hour! That means when you finally get your trailer in for warrenty work, if Airstream decides it's not covered under warranty, you get to pay the charge!!! I took the trailer in to have four issues addressed - bent stabilizer screw, reflector falling off, AC not draining properly to the wheel well, and batteries would not hold a charge. Here is how they turned out:
- They lubricated the shaft on the stabilizer, but it's still bent and is difficult to rotate. The jack assembly needs to be replaced.
- They glued the reflector back on - okay.
- They blew construction debris out of the AC drain line, but still does not drain properly, water runs down the side of my trailer, and AS declined the warranty claim. The dealer wanted $400 for not fixing anything.
- And the batteries were bad, but AS does not deal with warranty issues on batteries. Had to pull them myself and take them to the local Interstate dealer. The warranty expired that month, I got them in just in time!

Complete - Upgrades and Problems
-	Tire Pressure Monitoring System and repeater. Again in the Airstream forums, I read a number of tire failure stories, sometimes the driver did not know they had a flat or slow leak. So decided to put a TPMS system in place. Also, the TPMS readout in the truck cab would not pickup all the sensors, so I had to install a repeater. Still have some work to do here, the repeater is taped to the top of the LPG tank top.	Repeater for the TPMS system, taped to the top of the LPG housing.
-	Metal tire stems, for TPMS. I use a TPMS system with sensors that screw on the end of the valve stem. As the wheel spins, it will flex ma rubber stem, potentially weakening it. Metal stems won't flex. So when I got the new 16 inch rims, had them put metal stems on. Note I had to watch the tire technicinas - they wanted to jack the trailer up by putting a jack under the axles, which could have bent the axles! Made the use the jacking points on the frame. And they had problems finding the correct stem, had to get them from another shop. Ended up spending several hours there hanging out and watching they did not damage the trailer.	TPMS screwed on to the end of a metal stem.
-	Lock for hitch. A friend of mine had his ATV on a trailer stolen - twice! So I purchased a hitch cover that makes it more difficult for someone to hitch up to my airstream. Note that if someone really wants it, they can just use the safety chains and drag it off. But it is a deterrent, hopefully encourages a thief to find easier pickings.
-	Replaced tires and wheels. The stories on the Airstream forum got me really worried about tires, lots of stories about issues with the 15 inch Goodyear tires. I decided to replace them with 16 inch Micheline Defender LT tires. This is somewhat contraversial as LT tires are not intended for trailer service. They fit in the wheel wells just fine. Also picked up maybe an inch of additional ground clearance, which is nice. I have not noticed any change in handling. This was an expensive upgrade, around $1800 for five rims and tires. But I do feel better when towing.
-	Bought a power surge protector when I bought the trailer. Seems to work okay, but some of the lights no longer come on like they used to. Guess I'll have to read up on it now!
-	Install mirror on bathroom door. There is not a full length mirror in the AS, so decided to put one in. Requirements included light weight and unbreakable. See installing a mirror in an Airstream.
-	Fuse failed on the jack. This is pretty straight forward - you need to put spare fuses for the Jack in your toolbox with spare parts. The trick is it's a special fuse, one that can take short high amp pulses with failing.
-	Breaker on Inverter fail.
-	Thermostat won't turn on.
-	Batteries don’t hold charge.
-	Rear reflector stuck on, falling off. This was one of the things I sucessfully got the dealer to cover under warrenty.
-	Replace the provided weight distribution hitch wrench with a 18 inch breaker bar. There is a terrible story in the AS forum about a guy that got his fingers caught between the chains and propane bottle while trying to undo the chains. A longer handled wrench would have kept his fingers away from the hazard. Link to article Need : - 18 inch long, 1/2 inch breaker bar, - 6 inch extension, - Either a 1 inch or a 26 mm socket. Update: I decided to stay with the original wrench. The swivel head on the breaker bar allowed it to spin in undesired directions when unlocking the bars. I'm just very mindful where I put my fingers when working on the weight distribution bars.
-	Weber grill. Bought a conversion kit that allows the grill to be tied directly to the Airstream LPG port. Since there is a pressure regulator on the Airstream tanks, you don't want another one on the grill. The kit removes the pressure regulator from the grill, now have a hose that attaches directly to a provided propane port on the Airstream. Works pretty well.	Pressure regulator has been removed, relaced with a hose. This is where the hose connects to the Airstream-provided LPG port.
-	Installed a table plug. Had to drill a 3 inch hole in the counter top. It plugs into the outlet below the table. No longer have to crawl under the table to plug things in! This was a really helpful upgrade.
-	This was a great addition! 50 amp marine to 110 volt. So now I can use a regular extension cord to keep the batteries charged when in storage. Got it off Amazon: Link to Amazon
-	Shorten the power cord, install a SmartPlug. There are several issues with the provided power cable: - heavy, - stiff, - longer than normally used, 90% of the time only need 10-15 foot cable, - not happy with the marine-style rotating connector. Also, the cord has pulled out of the connector. Plan is to install SmartPlug connectors. Then either cut up the existing cable into 10' and 20' lengths and use one for an an extension cord, or get lighter, more flexible cable.	This thing weights a ton!
-	Install Window Poppers. These look like a really good idea, the windows are always stuck, have to go outside and pry them open. These should let me get the windows open from the inside. Link Fluid to help keep windows getting stuck: Link to Aerospace 303.	Window Popper
-	Install "Switch Aware" switches. It replaces the toggle switches with one that lights up when on. Use on the water heaters, outside lights. Link	Switch Aware
-	AC vents fall out.	Ceiling, hole where the vent outlet goes: And the vent outlet, now laying on the floor:

Pending
-	Accidently locked door! This is a known issue. Link to article
-	Galled screw that holds the front rock deflector shield on.
-	Broken table support leg lock.
-	Front AC drain line plugged.
-	Overall quality – AC outlet fell off, all chopped up, crooked electrical boxes, crooked panels in galley.
-	One bent/sticky stabilizer. I tried to get it replaced under warrenty, all the dealer did was spray it down with WD-40.
-	Stripped screws. This is an ongoing issue. My partner will find a screw on the ground and I'll figure out where it came from. The issue is the screws were stripped when installed, so you can't just screw them back in (a QC issue at the factory).
-	Replace the Clarion M505. The biggest headache is the Bluetooth connection is constantly dropping - have to "Forget" the radio every time, then reconnect. Also, can't figure out what all the little buttons do. I have a Car Play radio ready to go in.
-	Install a variable speed control on the bathroom vent. Will allow it to be left on overnight at a low, quiet speed to help vent moisture and reduce condensation. Link to Airstream Forum article Controllers: Onyehn DC Motor PWM Speed Controller RioRand™ Upgraded 6V-90V 15A DC Motor Pump Speed Controller uniquegoods 1803BKW 1.8v 3v 5v 6v 7.2v 12v 2A 30W DC Motor Speed Controller (PWM) Adjustable Driver Switch
-	Install a battery monitor.
-	Dedicated upright alcohol storage.
-	Pedestal table. Current table leg is beating a hole in the floor, and is a little wobbly.
-	Positive physical cabinet door and drawer locks that are fully across the fronts to prevent opening on the road. Currently using bungee cords to secure cabinets when traveling.
-	Install piano hinges on doors.Door hinges should swing far enough to be out of the way especially wardrobe doors. Switch to piano hinges (like on my bathroom door) on all doors and cupboards and get rid of those big, in-the-way European hinges that get hung up on everything.
-	Off-road lift kit
-	Quick water hose connects.
-	Permanent EMS/surge guard. Link
-	Insect guards over various ports.
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Airstream Trailer

Airstream Model Decision, Tow Vehicle (TV), Price Negotiation and Pick Up

Upgrades and Problems - Complete and Pending

Complete - Upgrades and Problems

Pending