Jun-19
By Dan Snider
National Service Manager

Service Awareness Newsletter
Inside This Issue:
Note from Dan Snider
Main door adjustments
Connected kit install
New HDMI wall plate
Demco coupler
Coupler Lock
Training opportunity

Main Door Adjustments
Greetings!
Now that the busy season is here and camping is in full
swing, I want to review some prior information and
some new features you will be seeing. The 2020 model
year will bring an end to the Sport and Tommy Bahama
trailers. In their place Airstream will be building two
new trailer lines, the Caravel and the Bambi. Both new
lines will include four floor plans (16RB, 19CB, 20FB,
and 22FB). We have also expanded our Globetrotter
line by adding a new 23' floor plan with queen or twin
beds.
In this newsletter I will discuss door adjustments, the
new connected kit, the Cat6 to HDMI wall plate, the
new Demco coupler lock and training opportunities.

As always, if I can be of any assistance please feel
free to contact me at 937-596-6111 ext. 7408 or by
email at [email protected]

Dan Snider

I have received a lot of calls on main door and screen door
adjustments. I would like to share with you a few adjustments
from a paper I wrote on the easiest and quickest ways to adjust
the main door and screen door. There are several different
adjustments that can be performed and this newsletter will walk
you through each of those adjustments. It is important, before any
adjustment is made, to make sure the trailer is level. For the best
results, have the trailer on a flat level surface. Place a level on the
floor above the axels and level the trailer from side to side then
use the hitch jack to level the trailer front to back. Do not use the
stabilizer jacks as they may put unwanted pressure on the door.
The trailer should also be disconnected from the tow vehicle.

1. Adjusting the main door bolt:

The main door bolt has a backing plate on the back side of the door jamb. Note: do not take out the
bolt and the rivet at the same time. Doing so will allow the bracket to slide down the inside of the door
jamb. The bolt (striker) part number is 381547-04. The backing plate part number is 381550. The pop
rivet part number is 330127-08.

In the picture on the left, the bottom jaw is touching first which means the bolt needs to be moved up. In
the picture to the right, the top jaw is touching first which means the bolt needs to be moved down. The
jaw part number is 381547-03.

To adjust the bolt use a 3/4“ wrench, or socket, to loosen the bolt. Do not over loosen or it will not hold
its position once it is adjusted. A ¼ of a turn should work. The rivet, just below the bolt, will need to be
drilled out using a #30 drill bit.

After removing the rivet use a chisel and hammer to tap the bolt up or down, depending on the
adjustment needed. Retighten the bolt and check the jaws to see if it is centered. If the alignment is
good drill a rivet hole and replace the rivet.

The picture to the left shows how the
jaws should be touching at the same
time.

2. Adjusting the bolt when the jaws are hitting the head of the bolt:
If the door is not catching or releasing properly it may be due to the jaws catching on the head of the
bolt.

Wrap some tape around the bolt and open and shut the door a few times. In the picture on the right you
can see that the jaws are hitting the head of the bolt.

To adjust, drill out and replace the rivet under the bolt to make sure the backing plate does not fall down
the inside of the jamb. If adjustments have been made previously the rivet may be sheared off and will
not hold the backing plate when the bolt is removed.

Next, remove the bolt and add a thin washer behind the washer on the bolt. Tighten the bolt and check
the alignment with the jaws. Refer to adjustment 1 if needed. Note: This may cause the screen door to
hit the bolt, if so, please refer to adjustment 3.

3. Adjusting the screen door hitting the bolt:

If the screen door is hitting the bolt you can open the screen door about 12” and gently push it towards
the hinges. This should move the screen door away from the bolt.

4. Adjusting the screen door hinge:
If the screen door hinge is hitting the door jamb it will cause the screen door to spring open when the
latch is released. To adjust the screen door hinge you will need a piece of scrap steel and a hammer.

Wrap the piece of steel with tape, to protect the door jamb, then tape the piece of steel to the door
jamb. Close the screen door, using a hammer, tap the hinge where the rivets attach the hinge to the
screen door. This will allow the door to shut sooner and not bind.

If the hinge is not following the shape of the door you can also tap the hinge against the piece of steel.
Holding the screen door about 2 feet open, swing it gently to close. The screen door should engage with
the catch and not spring back.

5. Adjusting the contour of the screen door:

If the bottom of the screen door is hitting and tearing the gasket you can open the door about 2 feet and
with one hand hold the door at the hinge and with the other hand pull out on the bottom of the door.

The same adjustment can be done at the top of the door if the screen door is hitting at the top corner
and tearing the gasket. Hold the screen door at the hinge and with the other hand pull out on the top of
the door.

6. Adjusting the contour of the main door:

To check the contour of the main door hold the door so there is a slight gap between the door and the
door frame. The gap should be even from top to bottom, shown in the picture on the left. In the picture
on the right it is closer at the bottom than at the top.

In the picture to the left, the door is hitting at the bottom more than the top. To adjust, place a 6” piece
of 2x4 at the bottom of the door and push in at the lock area.
In the picture to the right, the door is hitting at the top more than the bottom. To adjust, place a 6” piece
of 2x4 at the top of the door and push in at the lock area.

Before adjusting for the door hitting in the middle, the rivets in the upper door skin will need to be
removed. If these rivets are not removed you will risk buckling the inside skin. To remove the rivets,
take off the inside window trim and drill out the rivets on the sides and bottom of the window. Remove
the inside door handle plate as well.

In the picture to the left the door was hitting in the center before the top and bottom. This adjustment will
take two people, pushing at the same time at the top and bottom. After the contour is adjusted you can
put the rivets, trim ring, and handle plate back on. Note: It is OK for the door to hit a little sooner at the
top and bottom before the middle. This will give a tighter seal since the door does not have a latching
system at the top or bottom.
If you need more information additional adjustment options can be found in the door adjustment paper available on the AirHub
website.

Airstream Connected Kit
The Airstream Connected™ aftermarket antenna and router kit can be installed on any Airstream recreational
vehicle. The kit consists of a Poynting cellular/Wi-Fi antenna and a Pepwave LTE-A router. Installing the connected
kit will very from unit to unit, depending on where the antenna will be mounted and where the customer would like
the router. This kit must be installed by an authorized Airstream dealer.
Kit part number: 513675

The antenna will come with a mounting bracket installed which can be mounted on the roof using
stainless steel screws and sealed with Adseal. The roof surface, where the antenna is to be mounted,
should be cleaned with denatured alcohol prior to installation. The antenna should be mounted on the
highest point of the unit and at least 20 inches away from other antennas.

Stainless steel self-taping 3/4" screws: part number 320111

The antennas cable will attach directly to the router. The cable is 15' long and will need to be routed
through the unit to the routers location. There are many ways the cable can be routed depending on the
model. Make sure when routing the cable not to bend it beyond a radius of 30mm or the cable could be
damaged. The picture below is a wire cap that can be used to cover the hole made to route the cable.
The cap is optional and can be installed using the same stainless steel screws used to mount the
antenna. The surface of the roof where the wire cap is mounted should also be cleaned with denatured
alcohol prior to installation.
Cap part number: 511635
Gasket part number: 382467

After the antenna and wire cap (if used) have been installed, the screws and wire entry points will need
to be sealed. Airstream recommends using white Adseal to do so.

Adseal part number: 365330-01

To connect the cables to the router you will use; the GPS, both cellular, and one of the Wi-Fi cables.
The Wi-Fi cables are identical and only one is needed. The router connectors and the cables are all
labeled to aid in proper installation.

GPS

The router can be wired directly to a 12-volt power source using the power terminal block indicated
below. A switch can also be added to the hot wire going to the router. Adding a switch will provide a way
to turn off the router when power conservation is desired.

The final step required for install is to test the system. This will require the owner to download the
Airstream Connected App and follow the directions to sign up for one of the two AT&T data plans.
The router has a set of antennas that will not be needed since we will be using the roof mounted
antenna. These antennas are for cellular (2) and Wi-Fi (1) which can be used when troubleshooting,
you can hook these antennas up to see if you are having a cable or roof antenna issue. These antennas
will not be used for installing the unit.

Cellular Antenna

Cellular Antenna

Wi-Fi antenna

Listed bellow is the LED light status indicator information for the router.

New HDMI wall plate
This new plate uses a Cat6 cable to run through the unit and has a HDMI plug in the front. This plate
will start to make its way into the trailer lines and will be a running line change. The coax cable is a passthrough only. Note: We do not use the power function on this plate.

New Demco coupler
Airstream has switched to a new 2-5/16" coupler on all trailers. This coupler will connect to the ball
without needing to raise the latch and does not require a pin to be inserted for travel. The new coupler is
manufactured by Demco, part number 455653.

Trimax has a lock that can be purchased for this coupler that will restrict the ball from being inserted or
removed from the coupler. The lock is also adjustable and can be used as a lock on the Atwood
coupler. The Airstream part number for the lock is 779064-01

Tech training

Airstream provides training a few times each year. We will have metal training the week of August 19th and tech training October 7th through the 10th. If you are interested in attending one of our classes
please feel free to contact me at 937-596-7957 or Jim Parrett at 937-596-6111 ext. 7409

Suggestions
If you have any suggestions or articles you would like to see in our newsletters please don’t hesitate to
let me know and I will try to add it to future editions. Please add your comments below and email or call
me anytime at: 937-596-6111 ext. 7408 or 937-596-7957
[email protected]