Airstream trailers are famous among the American population because of their luxurious design and shiny outside appearance. These have some problems with their accessories that can decrease their reputation.
Common problems with Airstream Trailer include poor window design, holes in kitchen cabinets, absence of antenna and USB ports, and poor fitting of the outside door. Furthermore, you can also see corrosion, loose rivets, low amperage battery, sharp metal edges, and dents or scratches.
Many people select these trailers because of their luxurious accessories and attractive outer shine, but it is necessary to know about their problems before buying these.
| Airstream Trailer Problems | Solutions |
| Need regular maintenance | Protect parts from damages |
| Poor window design | Apply silicone lubricant |
| Holes in kitchen cabinets | Seal holes with tape |
| Absence of antenna and USB ports | Use boosters and DVD players |
| Poor-fitting of outside trailer doors | Resize the door and install again |
| Corrosion on metal body | Apply wax |
| Loose rivets | Tighten the loose rivets |
| Low amperage battery | Add new battery |
| Sharp edges on walls | Use blankets and cushions |
| More dents and scratches | Protect from road debris and small rocks |
Need regular maintenance
These trailers need high maintenance because of their shiny material. The shine of the exterior aluminum material fades after some months, and these look old.
You have to maintain its shine to keep them looking new. Moreover, the maintenance cost of these RVs is more than the conventional type.
You need recognized service centers for their maintenance and service. In addition, it contains all luxurious parts that are hard to repair.
You cannot find their genuine parts if they break or become faulty. Moreover, you cannot find their luxurious parts in the local market, making repairs difficult.
It is better to use this trailer carefully and prevent its parts from breaking. You can contact the customer care service centers and manufacturers if any of its hardware becomes faulty or non-functional.
Poor window design
These trailers do not contain the sliding windows present in most RVs. Instead, these include the two extending arms that are connected to the inside part.
These open like a flap and are beneficial to use in the rainy season. You can enjoy the rain while opening them because it keeps the water away and cannot enter inside.
Connecting arms are present on the window’s seals, which produces pressure on them. The leverage transfers the force and weight from the windows towards this seal and causes their breakage.
You can fix this issue by not opening them for a longer time. Instead, use silicone lubricant for easy opening and closing.
Open it carefully so it cannot damage the leverage and its joining point.
Holes in kitchen cabinets
Cabinets are present in the kitchen to store small accessories and utensils. In addition, one cabinet in the kitchen contains the plumbing and gas system.
These are sealed with plywood material and have a small hole for air crossing to access this system.
Sometimes the small things from these holes fall inside, making it difficult to take them out. It is the small hole that you cannot pass your hand through them to take out the fallen things.
These small things can also interrupt the functioning of electric gas and plumbing system. However, you can fix the problem by wrapping this hole.
You can open them went to want to access these systems. Use the tape to fill the tiny gap in the cabinets so nothing can move through them.
You can also use a small plywood patch to seal the hole.
Absence of antenna and USB ports
The TV antennas in these Airstream trailers are installed inside the cabin, reducing the signal strength. In addition, antennas cannot catch the signals perfectly due to their metal body.
Moreover, you cannot add the antenna wire outside because the aluminum material is challenging to repair and handle.
In addition, the TV does not contain any USB ports so that you can watch something of your choice. Instead, it has Bluetooth and internet connectivity to connect your mobile phones.
The absence of USB ports is sometimes boring because you cannot always use mobile phones.
You can fix the issue by boosting the antenna signals for better broadcasting. Use boosters or extenders to catch more signals from the satellites.
Use the DVD player to watch your favorite TV series instead of using USB ports.
Poor fitting of outside trailer doors
The exit doors in these trailers are of an improper size and cause issues in opening and closing. You need more effort to open them once it is closed.
It gets stuck when you close them and need more force to open. Sometimes people break their handles while putting pressure on them for their opening.
The handle breakage needs extra repair costs and creates a challenging situation. You can fix it by installing new doors that have the proper size and fit into the frame.
Moreover, you can also trim or resize the existing one to save costs. Finally, avoid putting pressure on handles while opening them because it can damage them.
Corrosion on metal body
The exterior body is made of metal or aluminum material that rusts easily and becomes less durable.
Rusting on metals decreases their strength, and these can easily break. In addition, these are not good for cold weather due to their thin metal sheet.
In addition, metal is also a poor conductor of heat and cannot retain heat. The metal material is not coated with anticorrosive coatings, which can worsen the situation.
Magnesium is present on the roads during the snowy season to melt the ice and make roads better for driving.
Magnesium is the major risk factor for metal corrosion. You can fix the issue by washing the lower end to remove magnesium and other road salts.
Wax or grease the outer end to inhibit oxidation reaction there. You can also use anticorrosive paints to coat the exterior structure of the Airstream trailer.
Loose rivets
The rivets are fasteners with cylindrical shapes and round heads on their top side to secure walls, doors, and hardware in the trailers.
The rivets are present in them to tighten various structures. Manufacturers add the clips because these are more suitable for handling aluminum material.
Sometimes these become loose due to their old age and excessive vibrations on the road. In addition, it is difficult to deal with rivets because of their shape.
You cannot tighten them when they become loose with their specialized equipment. Moreover, you have to remove them completely when you want to install a new one.
Low amperage battery
These trailers’ battery is low amperage, and you cannot use multiple electric appliances simultaneously.
The batteries present in most of the RVs are of higher amperage, so you can run the heaters, fridges, ovens, kettles, and electric fireplaces with them.
The ampere of these batteries is about 78 to 80 amperes, and you cannot switch on heavy equipment simultaneously because it can cause their sudden shutdown.
You can fix it by adding the new batteries as an aftermarket addition to turn on heavy appliances occasionally and charge multiple mobile phones.
In addition, it is also better to install the gauge over the batteries to get the indicator when they run low and become weak.
Sharp edges on walls
The aluminum walls have sharp metal edges on the interior side. You cannot sit near the walls to relax your back because sharp metal edges irritate.
It can make the interior walls uncomfortable because of their groovy ends. Also, you can feel tired or pain in the back because of the extended edges.
In addition, these are not insulated, and you feel cold when you sit near them because of their metal material.
You can keep the walls comfortable for sitting by adding an insulating layer of foam on them. Then, use the cushions when you want to relax your back.
You can also use blankets and comforters because these are soft and comfortable.
More dents and scratches
The aluminum body of these trailers is more prone to scratches and dents, which decreases their resale value and also makes them look old.
The shiny aluminum surface can scratch easily when something harsh comes in contact with its surface.
Aluminum is lighter than other steel materials, and dents easily come on their exterior side. The dents come when you keep driving during snowfall.
Large snow particles having high pressure collide with their thin surface and produce dents. In addition, the denting issue also comes when you are hit with trees and road debris.
Small stones from the roads collide with the exterior body and lead to denting of a small area. Aluminum is a softer material, and it is challenging to fix dents on them.
You can fix it by reforming its shape and protecting them from road debris and stones using mud flaps.
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