Why purchase a Keystone rig over another company?

[NWCatOwner]

Yep, title basically says it all. Obviously those on this list will be biased towards a Keystone over another company, but I really am curious.

We've just started looking around at RVs and I've looked at motor homes from Forest River, Jayco and Jamboree, as well as 5th wheels from Jayco, Gateway (Heartland), Cruiser (Cross Roads) and Rockwood.

Why choose a Keystone over something from another company?

Thanks much!

[Scttw]

Hi there .....

This past fall - I had the unfortunate experience of attending a funeral for the person who sold us our Alpine. Sad part is he was only 28. Truck t-boned him.

After the funeral everyone was asked to go to the local pub and have a drink for the deceased. For a couple hours I chatted with the owner of the dealership and I specifically asked him your question ...... As he now only sells Keystone, whereas he use to sell all brands.

He said hands down Keystone is MUCH better to work with for warranty claims while the others deny and deny .... At the end of the day he has to keep his customers happy and he said he can do that a lot easier with Keystone.

That went a long way with me and should help at least from one persons perspective why Keystone.

[Jay Pat]

I've only owned one rv and it was purchased new.
When shopping for one, I looked at floor plans that would fit our lifestyle.
The winner just happened to be a Keystone.
Now, they have quit making that model/floor plan.
If and when I decide to purchase another, I'll shop floor plans again.
Pat

I have been very pleased with the Keystone!

[GaryWT]

I could be wrong but I don't think buying a trailer is like buying a ford or Chevy, where people stick with one company. For me it is what do the local dealers sell and what is the floor plan that I like. This time it was a Keystone and my Keystone is build better than the Heartland that I traded in, mostly better axles and suspension.

[{tpc}]

Scttw makes an interesting point about warranty claims. I wonder if that is why our closest dealer seemingly has more keystones on the lot than other brands...

[JRTJH]

Keystone "claims itself" as "one of the largest RV manufacturers in the world". So naturally, they would have a larger percentage of units sitting on dealership lots. (make more/sell more). Many people "in the business" have reported that Keystone is "easier to work with" or "has faster response" or "has better warranty claims service", etc.... Because of this, they may (or may not) have a better "dealer relationship"....

However, for me (others may differ) here are the most important considerations when looking for a new RV:

1. FIND A QUALITY DEALER with a good and reputable service department.
2. Find a floorplan that works for you.
3. Haggle on price but realize that you get what you pay for and cheaper is not always the "best buy".

In preparation to begin your search, read through the "Prospective Owner's Questions" to glean information about different topics and different concerns that new owner's have. Then go to this link, download the PDI checklist. Read through it, become familiar with the "inspection points" and use them as a basis to "judge quality" when you look at RV's on dealer lots. If you find a number of items that are on the PDI that are "substandard" when compared to another trailer you just looked at, that should tell you something about what the future may hold.

The checklist is linked in the first post at this webpage: http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5129

Many of the components in travel trailers are marketed by only a few manufacturers. Many of their items are identical, but realize that there are several "feature improvements" on different models of the same "brand name" (think Ford/Lincoln or Chevrolet/Cadillac) so make sure you're comparing "apples to apples" when you compare trailer brands and the appliances/components that are in them.

Good Luck, don't settle, find what fits your needs and desires and realize that somewhere, someone makes a quality unit at a fair price that will work well for your type of RVing.

[wahoonc]

~snip~
However, for me (others may differ) here are the most important considerations when looking for a new RV:

1. FIND A QUALITY DEALER with a good and reputable service department.
2. Find a floorplan that works for you.
3. Haggle on price but realize that you get what you pay for and cheaper is not always the "best buy".~snip~



This about sums it up :thumbsup: To me the dealer is much more important than just about anything else. Sad part is we lost our last independent local dealer a few years back to Camping World. Now I have to drive over an hour to get to one.:(

I have owned quite a few different brands of RV's over the years. They all pretty much use the same components, there are differing levels of quality between manufacturers as well as the brands by that manufacturer. Keystone is owned by Thor (http://www2.thorindustries.com/recreational-vehicles)... who also owns many other brands. Dutchmen is one of them. Dutchmen used to make reasonable quality units, recently they were shut down by Thor management, apparently due to abysmal quality control. My Dutchmen "built" Coleman was built by Keystone. From what I gather Dutchmen was put under Keystone management.

Pick a floor plan you like, search for comparable models, decide what features you want and are willing to pay for. Settle on a dealer, price and product. Then do the PDI from hell to make sure it was built to your satisfaction. If it wasn't don't be afraid to walk away. Every manufacturer has a bad unit every now and again, some of them just seem to produce more of them. I would especially watch out for all new models where there have been major changes, too much OJT going on IMHO.

Aaron:cool:

[JoePK]

Hello, we've found that Keystone gives you a lot more trailer for your buck. There's a lot of brands in our area, and the prices for similar size trailers are thousands more. Our Simi Valley RV dealer has an excellent service manager too.

[NotyetMHCowner]

Floor plan. We looked at EVERY rig available (and within our price range) and it happened to be a Montana High Country 305RL that is made by Keystone. We ended up going with a wholesaler up north because of over $7K in savings. Would liked to have dealt with local dealer, but didn't make sense. They have theirs priced pretty well, but would not come down one dollar. I would have paid more obviously, just not that much. Time will tell whether it was a wise choice or not. If not, then next trailer will probably be local (if they are still in business).

Our last TT was a Rockwood. It was definitely built with less quality, but we didn't have any problems and it was a good unit, but Rockwood didn't offer what we were looking for. Wildcat came close but Montana won out.

[chuckster57]

Because I work on them, I get an "inside" view of many different brands. I can say without bias that Keystone does a better job than most. I am not "brand loyal" as I have owned fifth wheels from Fleetwood, Jayco and now Keystone. It's all about the floor plan and the obvious attention to construction. Cabinet doors that line up and are straight. Trim that's not short at the ends, stuff like that.

[NWCatOwner]

Floor plan. We looked at EVERY rig available (and within our price range) and it happened to be a Montana High Country 305RL that is made by Keystone. We ended up going with a wholesaler up north because of over $7K in savings. Would liked to have dealt with local dealer, but didn't make sense. They have theirs priced pretty well, but would not come down one dollar. I would have paid more obviously, just not that much. Time will tell whether it was a wise choice or not. If not, then next trailer will probably be local (if they are still in business).

Do you think you'll have problems getting it serviced? Will you have to go to the local dealer you didn't purchase from or elsewhere? I've heard that dealers don't have to legally service your rig if you bought it elsewhere. And had this confirmed by a service tech at a dealer in Spokane last weekend, when he was telling me their general manager wants them to treat RVs from everyone the same, regardless of where it was bought. It sounded like he wasn't happy with that decision.

[NWCatOwner]

Keystone "claims itself" as "one of the largest RV manufacturers in the world". (snip)

However, for me (others may differ) here are the most important considerations when looking for a new RV:

1. FIND A QUALITY DEALER with a good and reputable service department.
(snip)

Then go to this link, download the PDI checklist. (snip)

Good Luck, don't settle, find what fits your needs and desires and realize that somewhere, someone makes a quality unit at a fair price that will work well for your type of RVing.

Thanks! I've already downloaded the PDI and will read it later. I kind of eyeball all those "claims" with a "yeah, okay" sort of view as everyone can turn facts around to fit their claims. :rolleyes:

I do have a follow up question to your #1 above. How can you find that out about a dealer? Ask on this forum if anyone has dealt with them?

And yeah, I'm not getting a floor plan I'm not very happy with. That's my #1 priority (besides budget).

[Festus2]

Dealers are under no obligation to service your RV if you didn't buy it from them. Some will but I believe the majority of them do not - even if they are an "authorized" Keystone dealer. They might do warranty work for you but your work order will end up at the bottom of the pile and you'll probably have to wait for quite some time before they get around to servicing it.

If you can purchase an RV from a reputable and competent dealer who will do work for you even if you didn't buy it from him and who is reasonably close to you - I'd go for it.

[sourdough]

As has been stated the dealer is of paramount importance. The way they interface with you and Keystone can make all the difference in the world.

As far as why Keystone? Before we bought our last trailer last February I looked at Keystone, Heartland, Jayco, Rockwood, Palomino and I can't remember the rest. Keystone was hands down better built. Push the walls; push the cabinet bottoms; close the cabinet doors and listen to them; look a the trim; how many staples/screws are halfway in/out; look around the edges of the slide when out (you could see daylight thru the Rockwood and Palomino); bounce on the floor; pull up the bed and look at the construction; the pass thru; on and on. I think you'll find the Keystone will be the better unit.

From the perspective of reputation/service; I was visiting with my original salesman the other day while my trailer was in for some warranty repairs...all approved by Keystone without hassle, and he said I was lucky I didn't get a Heartland because they were terrible to try to get warranty work approved and he was constantly being approached by unhappy owners about it. Good enough for me.

In a nutshell that's why I have Keystone. I'm not "brand loyal", it is my first (I've owned Jayco, Fleetwood and Rockwood)....but it won't be my last after the experiences I've had in the past year.

[JRTJH]

Thanks! I've already downloaded the PDI and will read it later. I kind of eyeball all those "claims" with a "yeah, okay" sort of view as everyone can turn facts around to fit their claims. :rolleyes:

I do have a follow up question to your #1 above. How can you find that out about a dealer? Ask on this forum if anyone has dealt with them?

And yeah, I'm not getting a floor plan I'm not very happy with. That's my #1 priority (besides budget).

As for how to find a "reputable dealer". Talk to previous customers, BBB reports, Chamber of Commerce organization in that area. Generally speaking, you can get a pretty good idea of what the service department is like by "hanging around" while they check in and check out a couple of customers. Talk to customers in the service department and see if they even know if their salesman is still there.... If they were "forgotten" or "flushed" by sales as soon as they drove off the lot, that might tell you something, especially if they are having issues with the service department also. It's probably more a "gut feeling" but if you're not happy with what you see, chances are you won't be happy after the sale.

As for the part in red.... No matter the floorplan, if you pay too much for what you get, or if you go "cheap" so you can get the floorplan in an "inferior" trailer, in the long run, you probably won't be happy. Try to balance the floorplan with price, but don't let price be your deciding factor especially between similar floorplans. Revert to the "best investment" and "dealer reputation". Remember, no matter how "sweet" the floorplan and price are, if you can't get anyone to fix what broke, just how "sweet" is it? Having a good dealer who will support you after the sale is much more satisfying than saving a little on the purchase price.

[NotyetMHCowner]

I wont be taking my camper to the local dealer. They probably would not want me to, and I think it would be wrong. I am buying an extended warranty from the selling dealer that has a nationwide network of independent shops all over the place. There are 5 just in my area alone. Is it a gamble? Yes. But, no matter where I am at, I will be able to find someone to help me out. Most of the things that quit working on a camper are some other brand anyway, not Keystone. Any independent shop can handle those issues. There have been thousands of RV units some from wholesalers with overwhelming positive results. Like I said before, only time will tell if it was a wise decision.

[chuckster57]

We service units not purchased here. Limited to 5 items.

[JRTJH]

I wont be taking my camper to the local dealer. They probably would not want me to, and I think it would be wrong. I am buying an extended warranty from the selling dealer that has a nationwide network of independent shops all over the place. There are 5 just in my area alone. Is it a gamble? Yes. But, no matter where I am at, I will be able to find someone to help me out. Most of the things that quit working on a camper are some other brand anyway, not Keystone. Any independent shop can handle those issues. There have been thousands of RV units some from wholesalers with overwhelming positive results. Like I said before, only time will tell if it was a wise decision.

Sounds like you've got all the answers you need. Now just hold your nose and jump in the water. Good Luck !!!

[jrp]

"Why purchase a Keystone rig over another company? "

Buy whichever rig is available at the right price in the layout you prefer. Which mfg name is on the unit is a minor consideration. I have 3 RV's from 3 diff mfg's. Keystone isn't better or worse than a dozen others. They all have quality & assembly issues. They all use the cheapest components they can get away with. they all try to deny every warranty claim.
unless you're willing to fix all the small stuff yourself, you waste a lot of time & frustration at the dealer.

[buzzcop63]

Curtis trailer is rated as one of the top 50 dealers in the US; they have been in business since 1948. I spent 6 years going to all the local dealers and reading my subscription of Trailer Life, checking out books from the Library on all aspects of trailering. Also attended a couple RV shows each year. You ask questions, you really take your time and look through and around trailers. I found dealerships that I would not even go back to just because the sales people were nothing more then hustlers. At good dealerships the salesmen took time and explained their products, after years of listening and reading everything I could find you began to pick the truth from the bull. Anyway, to make a long story shorter the wife finally said lets get one and as I was finally retired, we did, from Curtis and after three years we are very happy with our purchase.

My only regret is that we did not pay more money! I would have preferred to pay more for high quality tires and suspension or at least had the option!

[bsmith0404]

Not much more to add on which brand to buy, as most have stated, I'm not brand loyal, I'm floor plan/finish loyal. This time it happened to be a Keystone. As for finding a good dealer, spend some time with them, visit the service and parts department, you'll start to get a feel for what future visits will be like. When we bought ours we were dealing with 3 different dealers and looking at 3 different brands. The Keystone dealers salesmen were all VERY knowledgeable about there products, knew them inside and out. I found out the dealer hires their salesmen from their service department. The other dealer's salesmen couldn't tell me the differences between brands they sold, couldn't demonstrate how particular equipment worked. It was almost like it was the first time they had seen the RV and were exploring it with me. One dealer even asked if they could keep the unit a bit longer because it was the only one they had in that floor plan and the sales manager wanted to take it to a few upcoming shows....It was pretty obvious to us which dealer was concerned about customer service and which ones were just selling campers. So far our gut was right, they have been great with all follow up concerns.

[Barbell]

We spent two years looking before we finally settled on a Montana. We liked the Cardinal (Forest River) a lot but they were all just too heavy for our tow vehicle. When we finally settled on a brand and model, we looked at every dealer within 500 miles and did not find one we could deal with. Finally did find a good dealer but he is in Indiana, so there is no going back for warranty work. We haven't had but very little warranty work done and it all was taken care of by CW dealers in South Carolina, Tucson and Flagstaff. Hear a lot of complaints about CW but our experience has been fine. We just could not deal with them on the purchase. Obviously, Indiana is a lot closer to where they are built, so that may be part of it but we could not see well over $5000 difference only for freight. Since we have kids in the Chicago area, it was no big deal to buy the trailer there.

[bsmith0404]

For larger 5th wheels you can expect the dealer to be charged $1.50-1.60 per mile for shipping cost to the dealership. You will get lower prices in Indiana, but then the expense is on you. Of course you can travel for less than $1.50 per mile, but a transporter can't make a living if he/she does.

[vmyoung61]

We started with a Montana 3900FB and loved it. We bragged to everybody about what an awesome fiver it was. Decided after 10 months to "upgrade" to the new line Big Sky. Boy! Are we sorry. No problems with the Montana, but the "top of the line" Big Sky has had issues from the beginning. We have been fighting with Keystone the whole 6 months we have owned it. Two dealers tried to fix our problem and both said it was a "wiring issue" and they couldn't get it fixed. (Despite being in touch with Keystone and Lippert and doing everything they said to do.) We have tried for 4 months to get it into the service center in Goshen. They insisted we give one more dealer a chance as it was an "easy fix." They chose the dealer and made the appointment. Estimated it would only take a couple of days to fix it. So far, it's been a week and there has been no progress. We full-time, have been "homeless" for the week and are imposing on a neighbor. I've heard that Keystone Customer Service has really gone downhill in the last couple of years and I believe it. Can't get anyone to return our calls, either from Keystone, nor the Camping World in Bartow, FL, that they insisted we take it to.:bang head: We are at our wits end with Keystone. 6 months ago, you couldn't have talked me out of the Montana line. Wanna guess how hard it would be, now?:(

Update: The Big Sky ended up being at Bartow Camping World for 15 days. We got it back with more problems than when we took it in. On an up-note: Keystone picked up our camper this morning. It's on the way to the Service Center in Goshen! We are doing a happy dance - knowing we will finally be getting it fixed.

[cabinfever]

Just a thought about cost. As stated with just about everything, you get what you pay for. However, sometimes you don't get what you thought you paid for. Just because something cost more does not make it better or have less problems.

[mark1228]

We service units not purchased here. Limited to 5 items.

Interesting. Why the 5 item limit?

[mark1228]

Curtis trailer is rated as one of the top 50 dealers in the US; they have been in business since 1948. I spent 6 years going to all the local dealers and reading my subscription of Trailer Life, checking out books from the Library on all aspects of trailering. Also attended a couple RV shows each year. You ask questions, you really take your time and look through and around trailers. I found dealerships that I would not even go back to just because the sales people were nothing more then hustlers. At good dealerships the salesmen took time and explained their products, after years of listening and reading everything I could find you began to pick the truth from the bull. Anyway, to make a long story shorter the wife finally said lets get one and as I was finally retired, we did, from Curtis and after three years we are very happy with our purchase.

My only regret is that we did not pay more money! I would have preferred to pay more for high quality tires and suspension or at least had the option!

My response here is not directed toward Curtis as I have heard they are a good dealer. However I would encourage anyone looking at buying from one of the "top 50" dealers to ask your self a couple of questions. 1.) Who says they are a top 50 dealer? Do you know that answer? The "top 50" dealers are picked by manufacturers and vendors, not consumers or even other dealers. 2.) What do you suppose is the basis by which they are picked? What makes a dealer a top 50 dealer to you as a consumer is very different than what makes a dealer a top 50 to people trying to sell the dealer product. If the "top 50" where picked by the owners that have done business with the dealers, it would have some value to other potential buyers but in my opinion, the way it is run it has 0 value to a potential buyer. JMHO

[cospilot]

the premiere is the very first RV of any kind i have owned.
i picked the keystone brand because a stop at my local camping world i asked the sales guy to educate me on what kinds of things to look for in a quality unit. i literally knew nothing about RV's except for the fact they are used to go camping in!
i still don't know a lot about them but i know they are among the lightest in the industry, they have a lot of upgrades other companies charge extra for.
and i got a 41,000 retail unit 32BHPR brand new last years model for 23,000+ tax!
frankly, my biggest concern was the depreciation hit any unit will take after you buy it.
since we are new to camping i did not want to be in a negative equity position should we decide camping is not for us.
unfortunately with all the snow in colorado we have only camped 1 night at a wal mart on our way home from WI so i cannot speak for the function much and i do not have anything to compare it to. but it seems well built, and it seems to be regarded as one of the higher end campers which is what i was looking for.
now hopefully in the next few months as things around here melt i can give a more honest review.
i do think that this camper may be a little bigger than we need and depending on how many trips our 14 year old wants to attend it may be a temporary solution until we find ourselves with something a little smaller.
who knows we may keep it, time will tell.

[koko]

We've owned 7 different campers in our time, each by different manufacturers. They were all really good trailers that never gave us a problem. Just happen to own a Keystone right now, and we're very, very pleased. Floor plan is everything, and a good service relationship is important.