Airstream RV Blog #64 – Doing It Yourself from Sean Michael on TheLongLongHoneymoon.com.
The old saying goes, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Nothing illustrates this principle better than the sad saga of our Airstream ceiling fan.
When the fan malfunctioned, we first entrusted our Airstream to a local RV service center. It wasn’t an official Airstream dealership because the nearest such business is located far away from our hometown. This was a local place that specializes in RV storage and repairs. But still, we’re talking about a simple ceiling fan here. What could go wrong? Right?
After they kept our baby for three weeks, we got our beloved travel trailer back. Not only was the fan STILL in a state of disrepair, but the RV service guys had damaged our roof! Apparently an employee walked on the aluminum portion of our Airstream’s roof end cap, which is a MAJOR no-no. Aluminum stretches, and once bent it does not return to its exact previous shape. This felt like taking your car to a place for an oil change, and having them destroy your engine.
The service guys first denied any involvement. Then they admitted guilt, and offered to repair the damage. But quite frankly we didn’t trust them anymore. Sure, they might be able to fix the roof. But what else would they wreck in the process?
Thankfully, Kristy’s father Harry has the knowledge and skill to repair just about everything ever created by human hands. As you’ll see in the video, Harry has restored our Airstream to “almost” its original condition. The roof looks about as good as possible. The only way to repair this sort of damage 100% is to literally remove the aluminum panels (risking future leaks, etc.) and replace them with new panels — an expensive and time-consuming process. It’s a job best done by the factory in Jackson Center, Ohio. I think we can live with it for now, as the indentation is scarcely noticeable.
As for the ceiling fan? As you’ll see in the video, Harry isolated the problem to a faulty switch. Note that the professional service guys never reached any such conclusion. In fact, they appeared to just replace one part, slap the pieces back together, and then surrender. We finally got the thing fixed in Las Vegas at a REAL Airstream dealership, but Harry’s spot on diagnosis was helpful.
Special thanks to Harry for all of his help with our RV…and everything else he’s managed to fix.
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