[VAC] Paper Backed Tambour Doors

["James Greene" <drgreene@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A few days ago there was a thread about tambour doors in the early 70s
trailers that come apart and require repairs or replacement. I was looking
through some of my old Airstream files that I had when I owned a ' 72
Tradewind. I came across this  letter from the National Service Director for
Airstream in 1975 which discusses the problem and Airstream's response to
the problem. I thought it might be of interest so I scanned it into a word
file and copied it below. I also found where I had ordered new replacement
tambour material that I installed in the ' 72 Tradewind.

Jim Greene
' 68 Tradewind

NORTH DIXIE HIGHWAY. SIDNEY. OHIO 45365 - TELEPHONE (AREA CODE 513) 492-9175

 November 10, 1975

Dear Airstream Owner;

I am writing to you concerning the rolling tambour door material used in
your Airstream travel trailer. I'd like to write each of you personally;-but
since I am contacting every owner of 1970 to 1974 Airstreams, please accept
this form letter.

When we select a new material or component for use in an Airstream, we rely
on the advice of the manufacturer and our own pre-testing program to prove
its applicability. Then we provide a two year unlimited warranty on that
material or component assuming that, if anything is to go wrong with the
product, it will show up in that period of time.

Unfortunately, those measures have not provided sufficient protection for
all of you in the case of our earlier tambour doors, for some of them have
failed in the third year of use. In those instances, we have furnished our
newer cloth- backed tambour material (which is performing very well) at no
charge, allowing the customer to either make his own installation or pay his
dealer to make the installation.

Yet we still hear of Airstream owners who are having tambour door problems.
either because the material failed after three years of use or because you
weren't aware of the extension we had made to our basic warranty. Some of
you have made satisfactory repairs by gluing a cloth-type material to the
back of the broken tambour material; others have done the same thing using a
fiber impregnated or similar tape. We realize this has presented an
inconvenience to our customers, and would, therefore, like to take one more
step to help you if you are experiencing a tambour door problem today.

If you have owned your Airstream more than three years, we will supply
needed tambour material with the new cloth backing to you at one-half of our
current price, which at this time would be one-half of $1.95, or .98@ per
square foot sheet price. Shipping charges, as well as installation, would
still be a customer responsibility.

You may order through your participating Airstream dealer or, if you wish,
directly from the Airstream factory.  If you order directly from the
factory, please include all necessary information; i.e.- serial number of
trailer, which doors, approximate size of each, and your name and address.
We will ship to you C.O.D. unless you prefer sending prepayment. If you
order in the West, address Phil Van Breemen, Service Manager, Airstream,
15939 Piuma Avenue, Cerritos, California, 90701.  If you are in the East,
address Bill Van Horn, Service Manager, Airstream, West Pike Street, Jackson
Center, Ohio, 45334

What is a fair time limit on this offer? We think you should be able to take
advantage of this offer within the next twelve months or within forty-eight
months from original date of purchase, whichever is longer.

Remember, some of you with later models are still I covered by your original
two year warranty ... and some of you are still eligible for the no-charge
material which Airstream will supply during your third year of ownership.

We trust that this extra expression of our interest in your satisfaction
will resolve any remaining non-functioning tambour door problems.

Don E. Voss
National Director of Service