Airstream 2002 LAND YACHT, User Manual

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AIRSTREAM LAND YACHT OWNERS MANUAL 2002
E-1
EXTERIOR
The sidewalls and roof of your Airstream Land Yacht motorhome are laminated fiberglass with a
gel coat exterior finish. No paint means the small mars and scratches can be polished out or
repaired using gel coat. We recommend this be done professionally since excessive polishing can
remove the gel coat.
There is no magic to caring for your motorhome. The finish is the same as non-painted fiberglass
boats. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend the motorhome be washed about every four
weeks and waxed in the spring and fall. To make sure your new unit is always protected, you
should wax it immediately or have your dealer wax it just prior to delivery. In industrial areas
cleaning and waxing should be done on a more frequent schedule.
ALWAYS CLEAN YOUR MOTORHOME IN THE SHADE OR ON A CLOUDY DAY WHEN
THE SKIN IS COOL. Oil, grease, dust and dirt may be removed by washing with any mild non-
abrasive soap or detergent. Cleaning should be followed by a thorough clean water rinse. Spots
and streaks may be prevented by drying the unit with a chamois or a soft cloth.
After cleaning and drying, a good grade of nonabrasive automotive paste or liquid wax will
increase the life of the finish, especially in coastal areas where the finish is exposed to salt air, or
in polluted industrial areas. It will also protect the shell from minor scratches and make
subsequent cleaning easier.
It is important to remove sap, gum, resin, asphalt, etc., as soon as possible after they appear by
washing and re-waxing. Sunlight and time will bake-harden these materials, making them almost
impossible to remove without heavy buffing. If asphalt remains on the motorhome after washing,
use a small amount of kerosene on a rag and wipe the spots individually, being careful not to
scratch the finish.
It is recommended that the caulking and sealant used in external seams and joints such as window
frames, light bezels, beltline and rub-rail molding, etc., be checked regularly. If this material has
dried out and becomes cracked or checked, or if a portion has fallen out, it should be replaced
with fresh material to prevent possible rain leaks. Caulking and sealing material is available from
your motorhome dealer.
Main Door Lock
The door lock on your motorhome operates in the same manner as the locks used on most
automobiles. Locking the latch actually disengages the linkage between the handles and the latch.
This prevents forced entry by using large pliers on the lock handle.
We urge you to keep an extra set of keys for both the door lock and the ignition hidden
somewhere on the exterior of the coach. We probably receive a dozen calls a year from people
who have lost keys or locked them in the coach. Your keys will overcome the keyless lock system
used on the dead bolt.
Occasionally you might find the latch catch, shown on the next page, out of time. This simply
means it has been bumped and has flipped to the closed position when the door is still open. To
re-time, hold the door handle in the open position, then pull out and down on the latch catch. It
should flip to the open position as shown in the illustration.