G24 Question

[csw5925]

I purchased a new 2007 Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser G24 last May (yes, had been on the lot a good while). Got a letter from Gulf Stream October 1st about securing pods to the vehicle body. If anyone out there has had this done, did Gulf Stream pay for it?

[israndy]

I purchased a 2006 G-24 this week that had been sitting on the lot until 2008, so I know what you mean. I saw your post and was curious so I tried to call Gulf Stream and can't get past their voicemail system. I wonder if they are still in business. Every mailbox that I get shunted to says "Sorry this mailbox is full". Can't get a live person to save my skin. Hope it's not a problem...

-Randy

[csw5925]

I don't think they do Sprinter conversions anymore. I did get a letter from them about the pods, took it to my dealer and they had a printout on how to repair. Didn't do it though, they declared my pods "on there" and let me go on my way. I do have cracks around the edges, I am concerned about it. I have the printout and I figure I'll get a body shop to do the work.

Current problem is resonator failure. I haven't checked to see whether its covered under warranty (less than 15,000 miles on the motor) or not. I figure it's 60+ miles to repair shop probably.

[windsolar]

I found a 2006 Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser G24 for sale and was wondering if anyone had issues with the Gulfstream conversions? It has 38,000 miles and he want about $44,000. Clams in good shape.

[OrioN]

Ola...

This model was one of the first RV's I had gone to see in 2007 after a RV park neighbor convinced me to consider getting out from inside my pickup truck shell. He mentioned something about this new type of van he's seen, and I had never heard of 'Sprinter'. So off to RV dealers in Yuma we went the next day. I saw a Roadtrek, Pleasureway and Gulf Stream that day.

The Gulf Stream was by far the 'Simplest', bare-bones and rather flimsy-like in build. The price reflected this too, as it was like 20% less than the comp. I could have had a DEMO 2006 model in 2007 (like 2k or so miles, and mostly from being driven to Oregon and back for seasonal sales) for well under $70k by the end of the winter. Think: 'Starter Home'.


Ps... It was that evening, and having done some internetin's, that I decided to build my own...

[glas1700]

I found a 2006 Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser G24 for sale and was wondering if anyone had issues with the Gulfstream conversions? It has 38,000 miles and he want about $44,000. Clams in good shape.

If you ever have a problem, expect ZERO support from Gulf Stream. They build them, sell them and then wash their hands of any obligation for customer support. It's a very strange business model.

Byron
07 Navion

[windsolar]

Thanks, I have never seen one, and wondered about the push out to make the king bed fit and it doesn't fold up into a couch. Chris
:cheers:


If you ever have a problem, expect ZERO support from Gulf Stream. They build them, sell them and then wash their hands of any obligation for customer support. It's a very strange business model.

Byron
07 Navion

[topless]

The "fix" they sent out is where to purchase a body type fastener and how and where to drill to install them. Basically like this http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=0162660&ucst=t
Drill holes in each corner of the pod, then put some sealant (silicon) and insert a retainer.
I have the instructions somewhere, when I find them I'll scan them and post them.
What I've seen is apparently the sun is the reason their sealing compound deteriorates and can let the pod come off.

[kenpavol]

The pods were coming loose at the lower forward corners on the 2005 G-24 I purchased with 50K miles. I removed all the caulk in the seams on the outside using a product called Marine Formula by DeBond Corp. This stuff is incredible and will debond anything inculding caulk and even 3M Marine 5200 Sealant. If you ever worked with 3M 5200 you know it is a serious adhesive. I removed the plastic wall panels on the inside to access the pods. You have to remove the rear bed to get at those areas. I pushed the pods outward to make room for epoxy adhesive. The pods won't stay put on there own so I set up a system to apply pressure against the pods from outside the van to firmly hold the pods in place while the epoxy set up. It's a little difficult to describe, but the side of the house on one side and a tree on the other provided the base to wedge a 2X6 with a piece of 2X10 attached against the pods on both sides. I used an old towel to prevent the wood from scratching the finish. After 24 hours I removed the wedges and the pods were on tight. I recaulked the outside seams and had a real good looking and secure set of pods. No problems since. It may sound a little complicated but it was actually a pretty easy fix. But if your pods are secure, no sign of lifting from the van body, I wouldn't do anything.
Even though my pods had opened at the front edge, I couldn't find any signs of water damage, or even intrusion into the van.
The wife and I put 5800 miles on the van this past August on a western trip. The van averaged 22.5 mph and no problems. May take it to Alaska next year. I have done some upgrades. Silenced the noisy water system and added the accumulator. I also went through the van silencing every squeak and rattle of which there were many. I did that mostly with foam here and there and some new screws as well. It became amazingly quieter.
As for the stock turbo resonator, install the after market polished aluminum replacement. The factory plastic resonator is always going to fail at some point. I notice a slight increase in the turbo sound with the metal replacement, but no big deal. The peace of mind is great.
One other thing. The resistor for the heater fan seems to be a weak link. If your fan only runs on the high speed the resistor is most likely the culprit. The new one I put in only lasted a few thousand miles but was warrantied. The newest replacement is working fine for now. It's a real easy do it yourself fix. Takes a minute once you find the resistor on the firewall under the hood.

[israndy]

Did you take pictures? Would love to see what it looks like with the bed out and the pod off.

I just did a 4500 mile trip and it is a noisy MF. What sort of foam additions did you do to get the more quiet? Seems like the window in the sliding door is my biggest offender.

-Randy

[kenpavol]

Randy: I didn't take the pods all the way off, they were still firmly attached about 75%. I just used epoxy along the edges that had lifted.
The rattling and creaking in mine was pretty bad. I started checking everything could be moved. The wall board along the passenger side aft of the sliding door seemed loose and not well attached. I used pieces of foam pipe insulation behind the cabinets wedging them in there. I also installed a metal L shaped bracket between the cabinet and the wall board right next to the fold down TV. It's visible but has a nice copper finish and you don't really notice it. It really ties that noisy wall board to the cabinet and quiets it. I glued a thin strip of foam along the inside edge of every door. That way when the doors are closed there is a thin cushion that stops the noise I was getting from the stock set-up. I took the shower curtain rod off and reinstalled it with foam behind the brackets. I put pipe foam around the metal shower tube where it rubs against the bathroom wall. I even removed those towel hooks by the bathroom door and put a piece of foam in there. In short, if it could rattle or vibrate I screwed it down or installed foam behind it. It's clean, you don't notice anything. Most of the problem on mine seemed to be the noisy wallboard on the passenger side, the vibrating cabinet doors, and various hardware that could make noise. Early on I took the wall panel off under the sink and found the copper line to the stove in direct contact with the water line. Made plenty of noise but I installed foam pipe wrap there and that quieted down. It helps to have someone drive the van on a bumpy road while you identify the noisy areas.