Airstream Front-End Separation: Real Experiences & Essential Prevention Tips

[@tgert0803]

Fantastic video - best explanation I’ve seen for front-end separation!

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thank you very much!

[@airstreamer]

This is great information! Front end separation is an issue with some models of Airstreams. Other companies are having frame separation issues. It seems to be all that people are talking about currently. - Jim & Michelle

[@ThirteenAdventures]

It seems to be a problem for a lot of manufacturers. Hopefully, they will come up with better solutions soon.

[@findfreeman]

Great video, Brad! Pointing out what to look for on the frontend helps tremendously.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jamiecherry4407]

Really helpful information especially now that we're dealing with it on our 2021 Classic 33.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing this, but glad to know you found this helpful.

[@khopkins5715]

Thank you Brad for the great discussion about this topic. Strongly agree on the tire pressure, the added junk in the trailer, the stuff in the bed and the weight distribution “lever” applied to the trailer tongue. Believe we are wrongly convinced to buy lighter trucks. Love the airbags solution to soften the truck spring “bounce”. Added a Hensley hitch but run the springs at lowest so there is almost no flex on the tongue. See you out there.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Hey! So good to hear from you and thanks for the feedback! So glad you've found the solution that works for you. Wishing you continued happy trails and hope to see you on the road soon.

[@EricMacAusland]

Outstanding content! We've been through the FES experience once already, but now I understand it more plus the need to understand the physics of weight effects to our rigs.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

SO glad you found it helpful and thanks for your feedback.

[@rickrichardson5329]

Great video Brad and very informative. I worked in a Tire center for Walmart and I had numerous people that never understood air pressure on the placard they wanted max tire pressure. Thanks

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I was a tire changer many years ago and had the same experience!

[@rodneylw10]

My thought as an Airstream owner is that we have had WD hitches many years and used them and had rough roads and you rarely heard about front end issues. All this "mass" frame separation major issue really began as they started making more and more front bedroom models. There may be other changes/reasons but trailer-wise, that is a major change- many more used to be rear bedroom. On tire pressure. I have gone round and round on Airforums about this. Nearly every Airstream owner who responded said that they tow at 80# max and think that is the right thing to do. I have always followed the tire chart based on my CAT Scale weight.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thank you very much for watching and your feedback. Still dont know for sure what the issues are but wish they would give some definitive answers or guidance to the masses. I dont know truly the numbers out there with the issue. Of the thousands of trailers sold, what's the true percentage with this issue? What year models/floor plans are most affected? What is the plan to get those fixe? Etc. These are questions they need to address.

[@richardwatson4500]

Thanks Brad, lots of great information! Much appreciated!!!

[@ThirteenAdventures]

You bet, happy to help!

[@angiemccrary311]

Thank you, Brad! Very informative!

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thanks for watching!

[@girlsavingworld]

Extremely helpful and informative video. We have the 2022 30’ FBO and are absolutely seeing the beginnings of this. Fingers crossed for a proper fix when she goes in for service in December.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Howdy! Thanks for your feedback! Where are you taking it this time?

[@girlsavingworld]

@@ThirteenAdventuresJackson Center!

[@captainethro5592]

We at Airstream of Utah can correct any of your front end separation or even like we are doing right now, we are switching the wood sub floor to a composite sub floor. The new floor has no deterioration to water like the old wood floor does. Now the subfloor is waterproof nothing to worry about rotting.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thank you!!! I do my best to send all traffic I can that way because you are one of very few people I trust to do quality work!

[@nedwebb1261]

Great zipper analogy! Good stuff!

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I try to keep things as simple as possible! Thanks for watching and your feedback!

[@KurnlReb]

Nice work on this video, Brad. 🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thanks so much for watching, really appreciate it!

[@occasionalrv]

Firstly, you’ve presented a tremendous amount of incredibly valuable information and I thank you for that. One thing I do not agree with is air bags on the truck softening the rear suspension. They actually add stiffness to the suspension in most cases. It’s the equivalent of adding additional springs that happen to be air instead of steel. In a scenario where a truck is towing something with an extremely heavy tongue weight to the point where the rear springs land on the bump stops, air bags can help. I also have to disagree that they will have the same effect that an AirSafe hitch has. An AirSafe hitch adds a level of decoupling between the tow vehicle and trailer transmitting much less shock and tension between the two.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Hi Bill! Thanks so much for watching and for sharing your insights-I really appreciate it. While I don’t have scientific evidence to back my claim, I’m speaking from personal experience and how it feels during my drives. For me, the airbags help smooth out the ride and take away a lot of the jarring. I typically run them at minimal PSI, which might explain the difference in perspective. I completely agree that at higher PSI, airbags can stiffen the suspension significantly, but that’s not how I use them in my setup. As for the AirSafe hitch, I’m with you-it’s an excellent product and does a fantastic job of decoupling the tow vehicle and trailer to reduce shock and tension. My only hesitation with AirSafe is that it can be a bit cumbersome to maneuver and quite heavy. Thanks again for your thoughtful comment! It’s always great to exchange ideas and experiences in the community.

[@robertnancy20]

Another good video, thanks Brad!

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thank you very much for watching and your feedback!

[@williamcanady7553]

Thanks Brad. Excellent video content.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thank you very much!

[@TalonID]

Well done on this topic!

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thank you for watching and your feedback!

[@TalonID]

@@ThirteenAdventures We moved up from our F-150 to a F-250. I just added airbags. I would like to just "bumper pull" as I don't like messing with the WD hitch & popping rivets in my front storage frame (27FBQ Intl). Currently, 35psi in the bags seems to be a nice ride with the trailer being level. I'd like to know what PSI you're running and which hitch insert you're using. Thanks for all the information you're kind enough to share - Jimmy

[@Bartsnightmare]

Shocker hitch with sway bars eliminated FES worries for me.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thanks for watching and your feedback! That is a great hitch!

[@travelingtom]

You can add 2022 Basecamp 20x to the list. Mine had to be repaired. Did not use sway distribution hitch. Straight to the hitch ball. It may be on many other models. We packed in the back of the truck, so we never loaded the BC anywhere near capacity. Storage in the BS was basically water, clothes and food.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Very interesting! This is the first Ive heard of this on those models. Thanks for sharing.

[@deannakuhn7517]

Great video! Thanks!

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Glad you found it helpful! Thank you for watching and your feedback!

[@cliffmolz8719]

Very informative. We have a 2005 Classic 28' and it has not had any separation of the front or back end caps. Our bedroom is in back, but I'm guessing they didn't start having separation issues until after 2018 or newer? We have battery boxes in the front of our Airstream versus a storage ben. Safe travels....

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thanks for watching and your feedback. I don't know exactly what years are affected but have never heard of an 05' having the issue.

[@neilholland6558]

I really believe it's being caused by WD Hitches not set up right, coupled with overloaded trailers and TV's as you alluded to. This was never a problem in the past and Airstream has not changed the way they build. If anything, they have changed in the area of strengthening the trailers in the area of concern.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thanks for watching and your feedback! I do believe that to be the root cause!

[@bradentokoly]

The highways (I call them concrete corrugations) and the bridges (entries and exits) in Arkansas cause front end separation… possibly entire Airstream separation.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

We've traversed the state a few times this year and agree! However, we are on I 20 right now and about to head into Louisiana and its been the worst section of interstate in the country in our opinion.

[@garybryansjr6054]

Hey Brad. Good explanation on the separation issue. I had five rivets pop on my 2023 International 25 front bed twin. Under warranty and factory said was not front end issues. Skeptical. Anyway, I lowered torque on Blue Ox hitch and no more problems after a 10K three month trip. Tow vehicle is a 2022 Ram diesel 2500. Tried towing without connecting tow chains and did not notice much difference in towing. Thinking of ditching Blue Ox and going without equalizer bars. What hitch you use? Thanks for the great videos. Gary and Dee Dee in Prescott AZ

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Hello Gary! Thanks for watching and your feedback! You can see all of my truck info in our truck series here: kzbin.info/aero/PLpygxxxr7xemG0f9Oe6CrS-8s2JnFv06K That said, I do not use any weight distro hitch. I had the B&W hitch and now have a weigh-safe hitch. I addressed hitches and how to weigh the truck/trailer in one of them.

[@jamesreynolds2746]

Nice video with great information! Do you think the front twin bedroom configuration is more susceptible to fes, and if so could the extra weight of the cabinetry at the front corners ahead of the A-frame be a contributing factor? Would beefier outriggers on the frame be a solution?

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I am no structural engineer so I am not quite sure how to tackle it. Also, we had a rear bed model before this one. It had more weight in the front than this one did from the factory so I dont think the furniture is the problem.

[@FrankC-q8p]

Wondering your thoughts on the air equalizer hitches

[@FrankC-q8p]

Think you just noted you prefer the truck suspension air bags as helpful solution

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I approve of the AirSafe, Weigh Safe, Equalizer and BlueOx. Just depends on the set up you have. Too many variables to give an answer one way or the other.

[@UtahExplorer]

@@ThirteenAdventures We have a 2020 Globetrotter 27FBT and had the FES repair in Dec 2021. Just before that repair I stopped using the Equalizer WDH and started using the GenY Boss articulating hitch without WD. Our tow vehicle is a Ram 2500 with auto-leveling rear air suspension and have not experienced any sway. Really believe the weight balancing is important as you note but also recommend the GenY Boss hitch.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Its a great hitch!!!

[@nedwebb1261]

Great zipper analogy! Good stuff! Can you measure side to side weight at a Cat Scale?

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thank you! You cannot measure side to side on the CAT scale.

[@hoytoy100]

My issue with adjusting the tire pressure with variable weight is that the tpms is set at one psi with alarms at high and low. So in addition to constant weighing of each tire, I’d need to constantly adjust my tpms, which I’m not doing each travel day. My 24 TW FBQ is near max, so I stay at 80 psi. Would really like your thoughts on AS/TV matching. I see quarter ton trucks towing 30 footers. I use a WD hitch because the Ford towing guide says to for my super duty. I’ll remove the WD if it is safe, but I see lots of opinions but few facts and analysis on the topic. I may have over bought on the truck, but payload is not something I have to worry about.

[@6GAdventure]

Huge airstream tongue weight leading to rear sag on light and medium duty tow vehicles leading to need for weight distribution with 1000 lb bars creates a lever force on the steel frame separating the body from the frame.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Absolutely!!!! Thank you for watching and your feedback!

[@jtlong8383]

@@ThirteenAdventures there was a poll done on the Addicts forum a few months ago asking people who experienced FES if they drove 1/2 ton or 3/4-1 ton trucks. The vast majority (5X) reported driving 3/4 or 1 ton trucks. I don’t think overzealous WD on half tons or SUVs is the underlying issue.

[@jtlong8383]

there was a poll done on the Addicts forum a few months ago asking people who experienced FES if they drove 1/2 ton or 3/4-1 ton trucks. The vast majority (5X) reported driving 3/4 or 1 ton trucks. I don’t think overzealous WD on half tons or SUVs is the underlying issue.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Very good info! Thanks! I didnt see this poll.

[@LoneHiker]

Thinking of getting a 25fb with a 2500hd right from the start. I’d rather get the proper safer truck to tow with the family right from the start. Thinking of an Andersen as my concern is sway more than WD. Curious what you think of combining that with hitches like the Gen Y torsion, Shocker, AirSafe etc that to deal with the vertical forces. Would that be the ideal protection against FES or overkill?

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Ive had an Equalizer weight distro hitch but thats it. I love the Gen Y and AirSafe options but I have never owned them. Im happy with my current Weigh Safe hitch which is just a plain ball with a scale in it. They do have WD variants that are pretty great. Any of these may be the right option for you but you will need to weigh the truck/trailer combo once you have all your stuff in it and see how it's affected by the cargo and options. I think starting with a heavy duty truck is a GREAT place to start!

[@hoytoy100]

My issue with adjusting the tire pressure with variable weight is that the tpms is set at one psi with alarms at high and low. So in addition to constant weighing of each tire, I’d need to constantly adjust my tpms, which I’m not doing each travel day. My 24 TW FBQ is near max, so I stay at 80 psi. Would really like your thoughts on AS/TV matching. I see quarter ton trucks towing 30 footers. I use a WD hitch because the Ford towing guide says to for my super duty. I’ll remove the WD if it is safe, but I see lots of opinions but few facts and analysis on the topic.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Hello! I fully understand your desire to not worry with those tire alarms all the time. That is a pain. Ive made a number of videos on weight and balance + weight distribution end its too much to cover in this message. If you see my new truck series that I did recently, you can better understand why I chose the truck I have and my thoughts on the other models. kzbin.info/aero/PLpygxxxr7xemG0f9Oe6CrS-8s2JnFv06K&si=YPF3HMUGTUCbW19O

[@hoytoy100]

Weight and balance is a critical aspect of aviation and every pilot is responsible for having accurate numbers to ensure safe flight. I have a weigh safe hitch and it can be set to dial in WD based on hitch weight, and truck and trailer measurements using their phone app. To me it takes the guesswork out of the set up if you have good starting numbers.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I was a helicopter crew chief in the Marine Corps and this is something very near and dear to my training! I too have a Weigh Safe hitch and love it!

[@ArthriticAngler]

Next up, Airstream HD frame option ;)

[@ThirteenAdventures]

wouldn't that be great!

[@mattclary2069]

I can't tell from the video. Is that a pop rivet that you used to replace the original rivet? What size? (I need to replace one of mine, also. 2018)

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I assume youre talking about the front storage locker rivet. I put an olympic rivet in there. You can watch that video on that topic here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqLTeKebYqmffJI I show all the parts and have Amazon links to them all in the video description.

[@jeffharwig5846]

In July 2023, JC fixed our Front End Separation (FES) issue, but by September, the problem returned. Foley RV managed to repair it in December 2023, and since then, it's held up well. However, I feel Airstream has not been transparent about this issue. Initially, a service representative from JC suggested that the problem was due to the weight distribution hitch, but this was not an official Airstream statement. There's no official documentation or service bulletin from Airstream addressing this issue, which leads me to believe they might consider it a design flaw but are choosing to address it case by case to avoid the negative publicity of a recall. This approach, if true, erodes trust with their customer base. It would be more beneficial for Airstream to acknowledge the issue, provide a proper fix, and move forward. Recalls are common in the RV and automotive industries; it's not the recall itself that's the issue, but how it's managed.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thanks for watching and your feedback! I just hope they put out something official.

[@khopkins5715]

By the way, look to the aircraft model for handling stresses at joins. Big deal. Brad, when you sold me my 2018 25 RBQ, you mentioned how the factory is starting to use jigs similar to the way aircraft are built. Time for them to really commit to this method.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I agree 100%

[@sgriffith2353]

I have to agree that the Airstream product support effort has been lacking. I spent quite a bit of time working for a Fortune 500 heavy equipment maker with a great reputation for customer service and good dealers. In a case like this, dealers would have been provided with complete information as to cause, potential ways to prevent it and repair instructions and kits.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I hope they get some info out soon as this issue keeps coming up!

[@sgriffith2353]

@@ThirteenAdventures They have not gotten to the root cause of this. It seems to me that reinforcing the shell and its attachments is just a band-aid. The root cause seems to be the flexing of the frame, which puts upward pressure on the shell. Reinforcing the shell will just chase the problem to another location. You have to stiffen the frame to withstand the flexing.

[@benschmidt5006]

It is my understanding is they made some improvements to Globetrotter 27 in the 2025 model year to reduce potential for front end separation, but my dealer could not explain the details of the improvements, do you know what the improvements are and how they could reduce front end separation?

[@ThirteenAdventures]

I am not aware of any additional features in the 2025 model that weren't covered in this video. I also had the new 2025 update list from Airstream and didnt see anything on there. You can see my 2025 update video here: kzbin.info/aero/PLpygxxxr7xemG0f9Oe6CrS-8s2JnFv06K&si=YPF3HMUGTUCbW19O That said, they could be planning something for the 2025.5 models and/or it may be something Im not aware of.

[@lil20bruski]

We where also told this.. they said they where putting in brackets in the 2025 models ... we are a 30fb bunk ...

[@kevinrobinson7336]

Does anyone even know the percent of airstreams that had the front end separation corrected? I guess it would be hard to define heavy haulers vs light, correct weight distribution and Should everybody stop with the bike racks in the back? do you still use yours? Has anyone had front end separation in models 2020 and forward?

[@ThirteenAdventures]

There is no data from what I can find anywhere. All anecdotal. We put a receiver hitch on the back of our old rig but only used it to haul bikes once. Never felt comfortable with it. Its happened on many newer than 2020.

[@goducgo]

I think front skins are to thin and area around front compartment not adequately engineered with castings around the opening.

[@ThirteenAdventures]

Thanks for watching and your feedback! That could very well be part of the issue! Im waiting to chat with some of the engineers at Airstream to see what they are doing about it