While our Shasta Airflyte is fantastic, it did need a few modifications. I love the retro feel and the fact that they kept it as close to the original as possible, with some great updates like the Bluetooth stereo system. I mean, whoever did that is a genius! But, there were some things that needed to be enhanced.
First up, our back window. We have had a leak since the beginning and I think it has to do with the service guy fixing the back panels due to some dents from the delivery process. My hypothesis is that it wasn’t done 100% as it should have been and that is what is causing the leak issue. Two of the back panels don’t overlap completely and I think the Exit window is a tad low for the window overhang to do its job of deflecting the rain. Those are my inexperienced opinions, though. We resealed the window and put some Gorilla Tape on the panel that doesn’t match up. We have gotten a lot of rain lately and those fixes seem to be keeping the water on the outside of the camper instead of the inside. They will definitely work for the Summer. Hooray!
The second thing we’ve done is insulate the A/C compartment to do a better job of funneling the warm air out through the vent. We got some Foamular board and built a little box at the back of the A/C unit to keep the air contained and moving through the fan and out through the vent. That, coupled with a fan, has definitely improved the temperature on the inside of the camper in the Summer heat. A fan is paramount. Oh, and time. The inside temperature will not go from 85 degrees to 70 in 15 minutes. It’s going to need some time and air circulation to work. At this point, I think we have the solution that will work for us.
Update: Here are a few pics of the AC compartment showing the mod. We are not professionals.
We bought the Honeywell TurboForce Air Circulator fan to circulate the air.
The window will be fixed by the dealer after the Summer season, along with some other minor issues like the back stripe not matching up, the back window sill replacement due to water damage, etc… Overall, this is a great camper and I wouldn’t change a thing. Having experience with older houses, modifications and at-home fixes are just par for the course. It’s a little house on wheels so of course there will be things to maintain, fix, keep an eye on, etc… Expecting perfection in anything is unreasonable.
Here’s to a great Summer of exploring!
Ramblin Can 
We recently bought a 19′ airflyte and I’m growing concerned about the a/c unit. They can install an 8000 btu unit (more $ of course) but I’m also seeing that there needs to be duct work and an exhaust fan added. Would you mind sending pics of your improvements? Do you find it does the job now? Thank you!!!
Congratulations on your 19-footer!! We didn’t have any problems until it got to be 90 degrees outside, then it started feeling a little stuffy inside. 😦 I’ll take some photos tomorrow so you can see. It does the job now, yes! Having a fan to circulate the air really helps, but we’ve been able to keep it at a very comfortable temperature. It takes about 20-30 minutes to cool down the space, but after that it’s been really nice. We thought about the upgrade and then decided we’d try this modification first, and if it didn’t work we would go forward with the upgrade. So far it’s working…
Seal your roof seams with Eternabond tape. Water entering compromised seams and exiting through the rear window frame is very common on the Airflyte, especially on the 16′ where the sewer pipe/vent cuts right through and compromises the rear-most seam.
http://airflytehacks.com/index.php/forum/paint-skin-roof/eternabond-application/
Thanks for the suggestion and link! Cool forum, I’ll have to read up and see what everyone else is doing.
We sealed our seams (obvious from the link!) and have been bone dry inside ever since. Some have used self-leveling lap sealant from DICOR to seal, but we found the Enternabond tape easier to apply and neater in appearance.