Hard to resolve warranty issues

[snowbank]

Is anyone else having issues with the warranty department. We bought a 2018 Montana 385BR and one side of our trailer is delaminating and the welding is coming apart between the front cap and the front bedroom slide. 5 months dealing with keystone and we’re no farther ahead and it seems they’re avoiding the issues with our trailer?

[bsmith0404]

Your experience is very unusual, not only the problems you’re having with the coach, but also the response from Keystone. It could be the way the warranty department at your dealership is submitting the claim. I’d call Keystone warranty department myself and discuss the issue.

[ctbruce]

X2, what he said.

[sourdough]

Is anyone else having issues with the warranty department. We bought a 2018 Montana 385BR and one side of our trailer is delaminating and the welding is coming apart between the front cap and the front bedroom slide. 5 months dealing with keystone and we’re no farther ahead and it seems they’re avoiding the issues with our trailer?


You might add some details to your struggles so we can better understand. There is no mention of a dealer running interference for you. Hopefully there is. Dealing personally, one on one, with Keystone for a "warranty" issue is useless. They will insist a "3rd party", ie; Keystone dealer, assess the problems and provide that information to them...not you.

If you ARE working with a dealer and it has been 5 months with no resolution my first thought would be the dealer. What's going on?

[bsmith0404]

You might add some details to your struggles so we can better understand. There is no mention of a dealer running interference for you. Hopefully there is. Dealing personally, one on one, with Keystone for a "warranty" issue is useless. They will insist a "3rd party", ie; Keystone dealer, assess the problems and provide that information to them...not you.

If you ARE working with a dealer and it has been 5 months with no resolution my first thought would be the dealer. What's going on?

Warranty claims have to be submitted through the dealer, that’s why I mentioned that the dealer may not be submitting a clear reasoning for the warranty claim. Contacting Keystone directly as a follow up to the already submitted claim may help with getting a clear picture of what is going on.

[sourdough]

Warranty claims have to be submitted through the dealer, that’s why I mentioned that the dealer may not be submitting a clear reasoning for the warranty claim. Contacting Keystone directly as a follow up to the already submitted claim may help with getting a clear picture of what is going on.

Having gone through the experience of a dealership submitting incorrect information and the ensuing confusion, that's the reason I was asking the OP for clarification.

[snowbank]

We have been dealing with both the dealer and keystone...they are both blaming each other we can’t get any answers and don’t know who’s telling the truth at this point. We just want something done with our trailer we are tired of getting the run around.

[John&Genny]

We have been dealing with both the dealer and keystone...they are both blaming each other we can’t get any answers and don’t know who’s telling the truth at this point. We just want something done with our trailer we are tired of getting the run around.

Assuming your Montana is still under warranty, it doesn’t sound like your dealer is stepping up to the bat for you. They should be the one taking pictures, noting the damage, and submitting the paperwork to Keystone to authorize repairs. I would just go directly to the service manager and see what’s going on.

And why would Keystone be blaming your dealership for anything? Did they do some work on the trailer that may have caused some of the problems you are experiencing?

[fatcatzzz]

Call Keystone Customer Service and insist on the name of an APPROVED DEALER that they suggest. Your dealer is NOT stepping up.

[sourdough]

We have been dealing with both the dealer and keystone...they are both blaming each other we can’t get any answers and don’t know who’s telling the truth at this point. We just want something done with our trailer we are tired of getting the run around.

As was mentioned, you need to be sitting front and center with the service manager/GM and/or owner. Firmly and professionally express your frustration and your expectation of a timely resolution (it has been 5 months). I'm not sure how there is finger pointing; you have a problem; a broke "something"; the job of the dealership is to assess that "broke something", provide documentation (pics, written explanations) and submit those findings to Keystone. Keystone then reviews that documentation and approves the work or not. In all of that there will be documentation that has been sent to and from Keystone. Advise the service manager and GM/owner that you want to review all correspondence between them and Keystone. I've had a situation where the "advisor" submitted paperwork that bore absolutely no resemblance to my problem and it was denied. Involved the SM and GM, got proper documentation and it was approved. There should be no "finger pointing" from Keystone unless the dealership is failing to provide adequate explanations, which I suspect.

One issue that might come into play in approval of a warranty claim is the "welding coming apart". I don't know exact details of that but it very possibly could be that Keystone can (is) saying that the problem is owner caused. Again, it will then go back to you and the dealership giving detailed proof of why it's not; and yet again, that will 100% lie with the dealership and their ability to write up the claim in a convincing way.

[kckettridge]

It is very common for the manufacturers to blame the owner for not maintaining the rig according to their specifications, whatever that may be and subject to change to suite their favor. The manufacturer will never admit they manufactured a "bad" product or the engineering was "poor" or whatever. The quality of the components; workmanship/craftsmanship, etc. with these manufacturers are horrible and it's pretty much across the board. Manufacturers warranty departments are a joke and the dealers have frustrations with the manufacturers in dealing with them as well.

[Fishsizzle]

There has to be a missing part of this.

What hitch do you run?

[CaptnJohn]

There has to be a missing part of this.

What hitch do you run?

My thought exactly. I've only seen 1 5er hitch brake during an accident. As the accident was not real bad it was a shock. Even during a flip the 5er has usually stayed attached.

[Dme2golf]

I would highly recommend that you research the lemon laws in your state and be prepared to discuss those laws with your dealer. I was in a situation where my dealer had my brand new 5er for 2 months dealing with a water leak issue and I was able to bring in a 3rd party company to perform an inspection and get an additional 5 year warranty because of citing the lemon laws and letting the dealer know I was willing to walk away citing the lemon laws. Good luck.

[snowbank]

Finally Keystone contacted us today. They wanted to do a cash settlement but we refused, they are going to pull our trailer back to the plant in Oregon to assess and repair. Still don’t know if our dealer was working for or against us, lesson learned on our part. We will definitely do more ground work before making a big purchase like this again.

[ChuckS]

I’d suggest you look at this TSB and print it out... it’s the only way you will ever get your fifth wheel repaired properly. Cash settlement was just terrible offer...

Push the dealership and push Keystone to implement their own approved repair for an issue that’s been going on with fifth wheels for over two decades

[ChuckS]

There is also at least one NHTSA complaint out there that references this TSB as repair option by Keystone..

NHTSA # 10140422

[snowbank]

I’d suggest you look at this TSB and print it out... it’s the only way you will ever get your fifth wheel repaired properly. Cash settlement was just terrible offer...

Push the dealership and push Keystone to implement their own approved repair for an issue that’s been going on with fifth wheels for over two decades

Thanks for the info, if they know its a problem why wasn’t it ever re-engineered?

[ChuckS]

Frame is built by Lippert for Keystone... whether it’s a Montana, Alpine, etc. The same frame from Lippert is used on many Forest River, Jayco, GD, etc fifth wheels

It’s built per customer spec...customer being the fifth wheel builder.

Some have frame flex and sidewall cracks usually around bedroom slide out lower left corner. Some don’t

Many variables.. The structure is built onto the frame from Lippert by the fifth wheel builder. That’s where I believe the issue is at... the RV builder

They’ve added a relief cutout in that area and it’s worked for some while others experience the cracking

I also think some of it has to do with roads driven, towing speeds, amount of weight in basement and forward compartment

Better gusset placement and stronger welds by the RV builder might stop this

YMMV

And if you google the issue you will see cases dating back to before 2000 with this issue..
It hasn’t been resolved

[chuckster57]

Frame is built by Lippert for Keystone... whether it’s a Montana, Alpine, etc. The same frame from Lippert is used on many Forest River, Jayco, GD, etc fifth wheels



It’s built per customer spec...customer being the fifth wheel builder.



Some have frame flex and sidewall cracks usually around bedroom slide out lower left corner. Some don’t



Many variables.. The structure is built onto the frame from Lippert by the fifth wheel builder. That’s where I believe the issue is at... the RV builder



They’ve added a relief cutout in that area and it’s worked for some while others experience the cracking



I also think some of it has to do with roads driven, towing speeds, amount of weight in basement and forward compartment



Better gusset placement and stronger welds by the RV builder might stop this



YMMV



And if you google the issue you will see cases dating back to before 2000 with this issue..

It hasn’t been resolved


I agree. It has been an ongoing thing for lots of years, and it probably will be for a few more.

[77cruiser]

Some of the welds I've seen on mine make me wonder going down the road if it's not going to end up in a heap after a big bump.
I could weld better when I was 12 years old. :facepalm:

[66joej]

Some of the welds I've seen on mine make me wonder going down the road if it's not going to end up in a heap after a big bump.
I could weld better when I was 12 years old. :facepalm:

No expert but looking at some of the welds on my rig I think they do have 12 year olds doing the welding. On piece work at that.:lol::lol::lol:

[77cruiser]

No expert but looking at some of the welds on my rig I think they do have 12 year olds doing the welding. On piece work at that.:lol::lol::lol:
Possible.:facepalm: