Very Dissappointed

livefree · 10-24-2023, 03:07 PM

This is the first keystone I have purchased. I have had a total of 3 RV's the other two were Jaycos. Since purchasing the keystone it has done nothing but falling apart. First time we took it out a hooked the water it flooded. The shower door fell apart and the exhaust fan fell apart. I can say I will probably never purchase a Keystone again.

govols380 · 10-24-2023, 03:17 PM

That's a shame. I do hope it works out eventually, but dang...I understand your disappointment.

Still, welcome to the forums.

livefree · 10-24-2023, 03:19 PM

Thank you very much, but Dang The keystones have wonderful floor plans,

RollaMo · 10-24-2023, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livefree

This is the first keystone I have purchased. I have had a total of 3 RV's the other two were Jaycos. Since purchasing the keystone it has done nothing but falling apart. First time we took it out a hooked the water it flooded. The shower door fell apart and the exhaust fan fell apart. I can say I will probably never purchase a Keystone again.

My previous trailer was a Jayco.
Guess what? I've read pretty much the exact same things you mention on Jayco forums as well.

Pretty much all of the brands in this price point are built the same way and with the same parts.
So, jumping from one brand to another does not get you a better trailer.

But I guess it makes one feel better to join a forum so you can voice your displeasure.

wiredgeorge · 10-24-2023, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livefree

This is the first keystone I have purchased. I have had a total of 3 RV's the other two were Jaycos. Since purchasing the keystone it has done nothing but falling apart. First time we took it out a hooked the water it flooded. The shower door fell apart and the exhaust fan fell apart. I can say I will probably never purchase a Keystone again.

If you are an experienced RVer, how long did you spend going through pre-purchase? Some folks will have the seller hook things up and test them prior to signing. Just curious...

livefree · 10-24-2023, 03:53 PM

I purchased it new so the dealership did the check. I caught a couple things during the walk thru but the other stuff was fine till I used it. The shower door lasted 2 showers

NH_Bulldog · 10-24-2023, 04:10 PM

I had a Jayco previously and it had so many issues and customer service was terrible, I swore never again. My Keystone has been great through 5 full camping seasons.

What I have found over the years is that all brands have issues, they use the same materials from the same suppliers and the assembly workers migrate from plant to plant over time. Then you also have to consider that Jayco and Keystone are corporate siblings along with a dozen other brands (including Airstream).

Think of it this way, if you were to put wheels on your house and haul it down the road for even a few hundred miles, will it remain intact with no issues? Unlikely. Considering how far these things travel down rough roads, and stay relatively in one piece, a few cosmetic issues or minor repairs seem manageable.

**sourdough** · 10-24-2023, 04:27 PM

I have to chime in as well; my Jayco was a problem. I was thinking it would be a good trailer but not so. The problems go with every brand of trailer at a given price point. Know a guy (pretty well) that went from the dealership that sold Keystone's (and many others) to the dealer that sells Jayco a couple of years ago. He says the problems are just as bad. The good thing about Keystone is their FLOORPLANS and the way the RV is laid out....like you can use it. I've walked through a lot of Jaycos and it always looks like they have no concept of using an RV...or that everyone isn't 8' tall. Hopefully you get your issues sorted out. A good dealer (I hope you have one) goes a long, long way.

cougar23 · 10-24-2023, 04:57 PM

We have had 2 motorhomes, 2 5th wheels and several bumper pull trailers. Our current Keystone Cougar has been the most trouble free of them all.

spicercars · 10-30-2023, 03:29 AM

Welcome from northern MN. Hope you can resolve your issues.

jxnbbl · 10-30-2023, 05:28 AM

I certainly have complained about the construction of my Keystone. I've had 2 the first was bought in 9/20 traded in and got another 9/21. I have to say that the first was better than the second (the one I have now). I think it has more to do with the availability of parts/labor in 2020-2021 vs the demand. In talking with others it seemed to permeate the entire industry.

On service, my only complaint is the lead-time to get anything fixed. I've evaluated all problems and have tackled almost all of them myself since it was a 'days work' vs a months of living with it. Now that I've spent that time, I really don't have any complaints with my existing trailer. This year I've dealt with two "day one" issues that were impossible to find at the walkthrough..that I will use for examples (something I fixed and something that 'got fixed')...

1. The large windows in the slider leaked during heavy rain. It was undetectable until you happened to be camping in those conditions. The remedy was to remove/reinstall the windows with new seals...but that repair showed the main problem. The "compression seals" on the window corners were not done properly and the window opening was cut maybe 1/2"->1" too large...basically disproving the Keystone videos that show NC machines cutting the window openings.

2. The slide cable broke prepping for our second trip (just out of winter storage). The short of it was for over a year I tried to get someone to look at it, couldn't carried swagging tools/extra cable/cable repair kits with me everywhere. Anyways took a lot of pictures. To my surprise a wrote a letter with all the pictures from the spring of 2022 and the problems I discovered (the brackets were mounted incorrectly on one side of the slide) saying this was a structural issue. They approved the repair even though it was purchased 22-23 months ago....now that the slide is repaired/adjusted I can mount the rollers I bought as that to me is a design flaw with the load of these extra large slides.

Anyways I just tell people that an RV purchase is not like purchasing a car and you have to understand how to fix thing.

Hblick48 · 10-30-2023, 06:50 AM

Like I've always said " if you own an RV, not only do you need to know how to change a light bulb, you also have to know how to change the whole fixture".

Martian · 10-30-2023, 07:29 AM

Another chime in on past experience. A 2004 Starcraft Aruba 25RS was built like the wonderful brick outhouse. It had one issue that was fixed the day after I found it. Another trailer was a 2015 Rockwood MiniLite by Forest River. Every trip had another cabinet or its door falling apart. In to the dealer three times because the Murphy bed would not stay up (2 small latches held it and as the unit went down the road they would wiggle loose) and smashed the couch and ripped the board it was attached to into pieces. When it was fixed the third time I decided to fix the issue on my own. About five dollars and a couple of hours to make it so it never moved unless we wanted it to.
Next is the unit in sig. Sturdy unit with a few issues but no big ones. The feel of the unit is sturdy and there have been no surprises while camping that we didn't create. DW put six one gallon bottles of water in the bottom cabinet under the rear wardrobe. At the first pit stop we found the shelf collapsed and in the process kinked the gas line to the water heater. Asked around and borrowed a flare tool and cut the copper back and reflared it. Shelf got turned into a real shelf when we got home.
Stuff happens to anybody's unit and is why we need to be handy but it also does not excuse shoddy workmanship or design.

TXiceman · 10-30-2023, 08:35 AM

We have had RVs since 1984 and all I can say is the quality has gone downhill, especially in the last 5 years.

We had owned Starcraft, Prowler, Winnebago, Pace Arrow, Avion, Silver Streak, Carriage Cameo and NuWa HitchHiker. Nothing can compare to the last HitchHiker Champagne.

We knew the Cougar would have problems and cheaper construction, but we are still surprised at how innovative Keystone is at finding ways to go cheaper and poor design.

Ken

wiredgeorge · 10-30-2023, 10:28 AM

Review of the business model at a Keystone board meeting... Junior engineer, "is there anything lighter and less expensive than cardboard???" Chief engineer, "Wow! We will have to put you in for an innovation award".

CBears · 10-30-2023, 10:52 AM

I have a 2021 Jayco with no slides and am going to a Cougar 25MLE this Friday. I'm hoping I don't have issues like these with it but I'm planning on having some issues regardless.

I consider my Jayco to have been a good trailer but I did have several issues with it. I fixed all of them on my own because I live so far from a dealer that can work on them. I think it is the nature of the beast to have some issues. I'm just hoping they aren't HUGE. I have a Keystone dealer here in town so this one will be easier to take to get fixed if necessary.

dutchmensport · 10-30-2023, 11:24 AM

After 4 years of fighting with my shower doors (2 panel sliding doors), the wife told me to take them down and put a curtain. I did. Haven't had those doors falling of the tracks since! They are permanently "off."

Sometimes, when things are just wrong, you just remove it completely. No matter what, or how, it's just an ongoing problem. Best solution, remove it and use something else.

I left the sliding door frame and use a shower curtain tension bar above the frame. We can swap out shower curtains any time and give the bathroom new looks and appearances now. It's much more functional now, and a lot less of a headache!

I figure, if I ever sell the camper (which will be never), I'll reinstall the sliding glass doors. They are in the loft of my garage at home along with all it's hardware.

CmbtMdc · 10-30-2023, 12:52 PM

Bought this new and please if you are considering this model or any Keystone Products - Run Away Far Away. The dealer Hitch RV in Delaware is a band of thieves. I have had nothing but problems since day one. Disconnect switch failed and had to be replaced - wiring was a nightmare, switch would not toggle on and off. Grey and Black water tanks sensors are unreliable at best. Pieces of trim and molding regularly fall off. The television was from the 90's and just hangs off the wall. The prewiring for the Winegard Antenna was and still is non existent.

This unit is a total POS. Of course built during COVID so the quality is non existent. Faceplates and door strikes are not even level, looks like they just screwed them in without looking to see if flush or level. The smallest screws I have ever seen and they just fall out whenever.

I am a first time camper and Keystone has ruined any further desires I have for camping and/or being an RV Owner. Never ever again and I am stuck paying for this lemon for the next several Years. I am an honest person and I could not even sell this to someone I dont like.

Keystone RV and Hitch RV you should be ashamed of yourselves. But kudos to you Mr. Riggins because you made the sale.

wiredgeorge · 10-30-2023, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CmbtMdc

Bought this new and please if you are considering this model or any Keystone Products - Run Away Far Away. The dealer Hitch RV in Delaware is a band of thieves. I have had nothing but problems since day one. Disconnect switch failed and had to be replaced - wiring was a nightmare, switch would not toggle on and off. Grey and Black water tanks sensors are unreliable at best. Pieces of trim and molding regularly fall off. The television was from the 90's and just hangs off the wall. The prewiring for the Winegard Antenna was and still is non existent.

This unit is a total POS. Of course built during COVID so the quality is non existent. Faceplates and door strikes are not even level, looks like they just screwed them in without looking to see if flush or level. The smallest screws I have ever seen and they just fall out whenever.

I am a first time camper and Keystone has ruined any further desires I have for camping and/or being an RV Owner. Never ever again and I am stuck paying for this lemon for the next several Years. I am an honest person and I could not even sell this to someone I dont like.

Keystone RV and Hitch RV you should be ashamed of yourselves. But kudos to you Mr. Riggins because you made the sale.

Sorry you are unhappy and hope the venting has you cooled off some. If you had come to this forum and done some research, you would have been advised to use an available checklist and to go through the trailer (takes a couple hours) and veryify everything is as it should be. When you find issues, have the dealer fix them PRIOR to signing on the dotted line. They are seldom as excited about fixing things once they have your signature (and money). Your experience is fairly typical for any camper of any manufacturer cranked out during the covid fiasco.

If you explain your issues one at a time in the appropriate forum section, most can be easily rectified by you. Should you have to fix what should not be fixed? No. But buying a camper is not buying a new automobile. You will find if the dealer takes in your camper for a repair(s), it will be there for a LONG time. Good luck!

cougar23 · 10-30-2023, 04:15 PM

It is NOT just Keystone! In the past couple of years we have had 3 new trailers and 1 new motorhome. None of the factories pay attention to quality control. It is left up to the dealers to fix those issues upon approval by the manufactures.
That is why it is important to have and do a complete inspection before taking ownership. Have the water tank filled, test hot water heater, have furnace tested, test microwave, refrigerator and stove.
I did not do these things and had to return to dealer numerous times
for repairs. Our current Keystone camper has been the best issue one so far.
If you think the visible items are bad wait until you ever get into the belly or behind the cabinets that are not visible. They do not even clean up the saw dust where holes are cut for pipes and wires.

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