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Old 12-03-2018, 03:41 PM   #1
Smitty75
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New camper, first issue (hopefully fixed

So we have had our 22bds for about 2 months, and this week after a heavy rain storm noticed a small puddle of water sitting on the front corner night stand on the left side of the mattress. This is the 2nd time we noticed it, with the first time being brushed off as a spilled cup of water or condensation from the cup (stretch I know, but not other signs of leaking or other damp areas above or below the night stand.

So after seeing the wet spot again today, I climbed up on the roof and found a small spot where the LED lights pass into the front cap that had no caulking (see pic). Funny thing was that before I got on the roof, I called the dealer where we purchased it and he basically said they don’t cover leaks from caulking issues, to which I argued that being a new camper it should be considered a defect, not a maintenance issue. So I’m still pushing on them to inspect and make sure that was the source of the leak as I don’t want to be responsible for what, if anything, is wet behind the wall.

Otherwise we are really impressed with the build quality over our last few camper. So hoping it’s an isolated incident and we will get a lot of good use out of the camper. Click image for larger version

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Old 12-03-2018, 04:02 PM   #2
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You need to twist on the dealer. Yes, roof leaks are considered lack of maintenance after 90 days (do a search on the forum for conversations on that) but 2 months old and you have a leak through the roof from a penetration that isn't sealed?? That's on the dealer to me - HE should have inspected that trailer better than that before letting you take it away. I would push until they fixed it....don't deal with a "service advisor". If they have already told you that it's not covered by warranty, go to the service manager or above.
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Old 12-03-2018, 04:11 PM   #3
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I agree, it seems like the dealer should fix it. Hopefully the water damage is minor.
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Old 12-03-2018, 05:35 PM   #4
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In the current, mostly worthless, manual, I find no mention of the warranty for the first 90 days where it applies to caulking. https://www.keystonerv.com/media/914...anual-2019.pdf

This is copied from the current manual:


Roof Seams and/or Joints
Roof sealants will deteriorate which can lead to leaks. Deterioration can be accelerated in heavy sun, changes in climates (expansion/contraction with aggressive temperature change), and cold climates. Once the RV leaves our manufacturing facilities, we can no longer maintain the sealants, this becomes your responsibility. Take this seriously because it can help prevent a very frustrating situation that can be expensive to remedy (damage from water leaks).
Inspect the roof at least every 90 days, paying close attention to all seams and/or joints and attachments where sealant is used. Look for cracks, shrinkage and/or gaps/voids in the sealants. These must be carefully cleaned and resealed. It is necessary to use the same sealant as originally installed if touching up cracks, shrinkage and gaps/voids. There is no way to know if 2 different brands of sealant will seal to each other. DO NOT use any type of silicone product on the rubber roof material.

Keystone RV Company Owners Manual 4/1/2018 Page 87
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Old 12-03-2018, 06:42 PM   #5
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The manual you posted, page 10 has the following exclusion to the basic warranty:

Any water leaks or related consequential damages that are a result of your failure to properly maintain the exterior seals as required in the Owner’s Manual.

The Owner's Manual, as you posted above details that the owner is responsible to inspect the roof every 90 days.

That would indicate (at least to me) that the factory is responsible for roof leaks during the first 90 days, and at that time, it becomes my responsibility to inspect the roof and reseal any questionable seams/joints "at least every 90 days".

Sort of like Ford saying, "The owner is responsible to change the oil every 90 days." If an oil related problem occurred at 100 days, if it was because the oil had not been changed........ YMMV
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Old 12-05-2018, 08:31 AM   #6
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As an update, still haven’t heard a response from the dealer. Pretty disappointed as that was the only reason we bought local this time. We swap out camper every 2 years to stay in a warranty, so surprised they aren’t doing more to keep the business. However, I did talk directly to keystone and they said no problem, it’s covered for 90 days from date of sale. They had me repair it myself and just take pictures for their files. It was literally a trip to Lowe’s and 2-minute repair, but more than anything didn’t want to be responsible for what if anything is affected behind the wall. Hopefully nothing at this point but I have learned the hard way it’s better to be over documented than under.
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Old 12-05-2018, 08:51 AM   #7
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As an update, still haven’t heard a response from the dealer. Pretty disappointed as that was the only reason we bought local this time. We swap out camper every 2 years to stay in a warranty, so surprised they aren’t doing more to keep the business. However, I did talk directly to keystone and they said no problem, it’s covered for 90 days from date of sale. They had me repair it myself and just take pictures for their files. It was literally a trip to Lowe’s and 2-minute repair, but more than anything didn’t want to be responsible for what if anything is affected behind the wall. Hopefully nothing at this point but I have learned the hard way it’s better to be over documented than under.

Your comment is spot on. Hopefully others will read and log it. There is no such thing as "too much" documentation when it comes to an RV warranty.

I hate that your dealer seems to disregard your situation. You said "you still haven't heard back"; you might want to be the one to initiate that contact instead of waiting on them - dealerships seem to forget. When dealing with the dealership initially on this trailer I was told at one point, when discussing the lack of followup, that they were "busy". I told the service manager that I understood that but I was busy also and did not, and would not, allot all day, every day to wait for them to contact me. A 2nd occurrence took place and I went to the dealership (60 miles), got him and took him to the GMs office. We then spent 1 1/2 hours discussing my issues, their problems and how we were going to resolve them with the understanding I had plenty of time to come in there daily and take up a couple of hours of time from both of them. Poof! My emails and phone calls were responded to in a very timely manner and my repairs all of a sudden had more priority....and it has remained that way. I have to say this is at a CW and there is a hierarchy above the dealership that all those folks answer to (and they actually do) so their words/actions aren't the end of the discussion.
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Old 12-05-2018, 09:29 AM   #8
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Yeah, I’ve got 3 messages into them already, so the calling isn’t getting anywhere. I would normally just hook up and drop in their lot, but got in a car accident last week and somewhat couch bound for a few more days. As long as it’s not leaking and the manufacturer is covering any damage, I’ll square up on the dealer side as soon as things settle a bit on everything else going on.
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Old 12-05-2018, 10:25 AM   #9
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Yeah, I’ve got 3 messages into them already, so the calling isn’t getting anywhere. I would normally just hook up and drop in their lot, but got in a car accident last week and somewhat couch bound for a few more days. As long as it’s not leaking and the manufacturer is covering any damage, I’ll square up on the dealer side as soon as things settle a bit on everything else going on.
Sorry to hear about your car accident! Obviously, from your comment, you must have gotten banged up a bit.

Everyone else OK?
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Old 12-05-2018, 12:25 PM   #10
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Smitty I'm sorry to hear about the accident. Hope all is well with you and yours and wish you a speedy recovery.
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Old 12-09-2018, 10:01 AM   #11
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Have you called Keystone. Your trailer has a one year warranty from the factory. Call an attorney if necessary. Get it fixed.
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Old 12-09-2018, 01:06 PM   #12
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Have you called Keystone. Your trailer has a one year warranty from the factory. Call an attorney if necessary. Get it fixed.
Yep! An attorney will get you right in for repairs.........in about a year or 2 following all the litigation while your rv sits in the back of the dealers lot.
Sorry! That's probably not the best advice! I would recommend it ONLY as a last resort!
Going toe to toe with the service manger & GM of the dealership behind closed doors is probably a better solution, next to the top of Keystone & if no luck to the top at Thor.
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Old 12-09-2018, 02:14 PM   #13
Jerry S
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Problem is it needs to be dried out inside the walls and most reputable dealers have the equipment to do that. I would not feel comfortable sealing a leak where water had got inside of a wall without properly drying it out. I have been down this road with a new 2017 Springdale that leaked a river on the inside the first heavy rain. fortunately the dealer took care of the problem.

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Originally Posted by Smitty75 View Post
As an update, still haven’t heard a response from the dealer. Pretty disappointed as that was the only reason we bought local this time. We swap out camper every 2 years to stay in a warranty, so surprised they aren’t doing more to keep the business. However, I did talk directly to keystone and they said no problem, it’s covered for 90 days from date of sale. They had me repair it myself and just take pictures for their files. It was literally a trip to Lowe’s and 2-minute repair, but more than anything didn’t want to be responsible for what if anything is affected behind the wall. Hopefully nothing at this point but I have learned the hard way it’s better to be over documented than under.
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Old 12-10-2018, 05:04 AM   #14
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What type of sealant did you pick up at Lowe's? The roof material on new campers take a special sealant, not just regular old silicone. Go to any camper dealer or online camper equipment supplier and check out their roof sealers. I personally go to Dyersonline.com. Fast, friendly and helpful service. I had a question about a toilet i wanted to put in my old camper. They were not sure of the answer so they called the manufacturer for me to get the correct answer. Then called me back. The roof sealant is made by Dicor.
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Old 12-10-2018, 05:04 AM   #15
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Have you called Keystone. Your trailer has a one year warranty from the factory. Call an attorney if necessary. Get it fixed.
Once a lawyer is involved, Keystone and any manufacturer for that matter will cut off conversation and working on a solution. Thor Industries has a whole legal department to deal with issues. Going this route should be a last resort, not a first step.
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Old 12-10-2018, 05:34 AM   #16
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Hi Smitty, sorry to hear of the accident and hope you and family are OK now. My question is about the sealant and please, anyone with good knowledge reply. So I also have a new unit. It is currently parked under a pole barn When I looked the roof over there was substantial cracking in the sealant. I figured on Just applying Dycor self leveling sealant this spring. Am I on the right track? Can I just apply over what is there or do I need to do substantial cleaning and if so how? Just scrub out or is there a cleaner that needs to be applied first.
Thanks in advance.
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Old 12-10-2018, 05:39 AM   #17
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Here's a comprehensive "Roof Care Guide" from DICOR. While not every issue is covered (They don't give you Keystone's phone number) they do an extremely good job of covering both EPDM and TPO roof care. You can download "Rudy's Handbook" at the DICOR site here: https://dicorproducts.com/rudys-down...care-handbook/
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Old 12-10-2018, 05:54 AM   #18
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What type of sealant did you pick up at Lowe's? The roof material on new campers take a special sealant, not just regular old silicone. Go to any camper dealer or online camper equipment supplier and check out their roof sealers. I personally go to Dyersonline.com. Fast, friendly and helpful service. I had a question about a toilet i wanted to put in my old camper. They were not sure of the answer so they called the manufacturer for me to get the correct answer. Then called me back. The roof sealant is made by Dicor.


The good thing is it’s not actually on the roof, it’s a small hole drilled in the Fiberglass cap for the led lights to pass through. All other penetrations in the fiberglass were sealed with silicone so I used the same. I expect that the leak is fixed, but again not sure on any internal damage. It wasn’t a lot of water (maybe a half cup), but I also know that it’s been doing it since leaving the factory. I’m pretty sure keystone is going to have it covered based on our conversations, but still planning to get it to the dealer when I’m able. Now with the storm over the weekend most things are closed down and the roads are pretty sloppy. So probably be Wednesday before I can get it over there. But I’ll keep on them. Not my first rodeo with this stuff.

Thanks for all the advice. And I’m probably not at the point of needing a lawyer, but will keep that in mind down the road if need be.
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Old 12-14-2018, 03:04 PM   #19
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Great Roof Care Guide, thanks for sharing. Agree with other posts suggesting taking the dealer to task to fix the problem. I had to do it with our previous Rockwood A-frame. Ended up having a meeting with the owner of the dealer ship which did get some better results.
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