Quote:
Originally Posted by RagingRobert
That sounds like another major issue/problem courtesy of Keystones design and quality control division or they ran out of aluminum floor joists What can you do now except remove everything inside and install 3/4" plywood, new flooring and reinstall everything, or burn it to the ground blaming it on a BBQ or bon fire and hope insurance covers it
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First, I would not recommend anyone commit arson and then file an insurance claim. That's a great way to wind up not being able to use any RV for 5-15 years without parole.....
The laminated floor concept is NOT "another major issue/problem courtesy of Keystone's design and quality control division". The problem, if you were to do a little research on forums from other manufacturers, is industry wide and is a common complaint in EVERY trailer brand when ultra-light, X-lite or feather-lite trailers reach 5 or 6 years old. We've been seeing posts more frequently as trailers reach the age where the luan upper layer tends to start breaking down. It's also happening in Jayco, Forest River, Grand Design and other manufacturers who offered "30+ foot trailers weighing less than 4500 pounds that can be towed by smaller V6 powered SUV's and half ton trucks"..
Simply put, you can't get "1 inch marine plywood strength" from 1/4" of luan and 1.5" of rigid styrofoam. It'll hold up well (during the warranty period) but with heavy use, kids jumping from the top bunk, a little moisture from a hidden leak and just "bouncing down the highway for 5 or 6 years" you are going to see breakdown of that luan upper layer.
Now, as for a "class action" to fix all the trailers that have the problem....
The last "class action lawsuit" I was INVOLUNTARILY a part of, gained me a check from the legal giants who profited immensely. My "share of the proceeds was roughly $14 as settlement for a liner problem with an above ground pool that had a retail price of $3500. So, expecting "restitution proceeds to repair a weak floor".... I wouldn't hold my breath. The only people who profit from a class action settlement are the legal team who gets to deduct all their expenses and charge for their time BEFORE the proceeds are divided among those "injured by the defect"....
But, IT AIN'T A KEYSTONE DESIGN AND QUALITY PROBLEM, It's an industry wide issue, IMO caused by consumers wanting bigger trailers to hitch behind their smaller vehicles (and getting exactly what they wanted).
Something to contemplate:
1. If the industry repaired the floors with heavier solid plywood floors (no styrofoam) the axles would likely be too light to support the new trailer weight when loaded for a camping trip.....
2. If the industry started building the same weight trailers with solid floors, the cargo capacity would be less than half what it is with the styrofoam floor or to achieve the same cargo capacity, they'd have to use thinner aluminum square tubing for the wall structures and thinner roof decking, making the roofs unwalkable on every trailer and that 10 cuft refrigerator??? Replaced with a 3.5 cuft "lightweight model", so in 5 or 6 years, the complaints would be that the walls are bending and bowing (but the floor is solid) and the roof has "sinkholes that hold water. The question would be: How do we start a class action to make them repair or replace the walls and the roof???
Simply put, you can't have your cake and eat it too..... 30'+ trailers that are built strong enough to last years with the rigors of towing weigh too much to be towed by an Edge or a Trail Blazer or even by a F150 with a 2.7L EcoBoost engine coupled to a 10 speed transmission.
Today's RV ultra-light trailer is approaching the same category as televisions, refrigerators, washers, dryers and most other "consumer products"... When it has a major problem and the warranty is expired, it's usually cheaper to toss it and buy a new one than it is to try to find someone to fix it. Sad to think of it that way, but that's where we're headed with "lighter and longer trailers.... YMMV