Springdale 202RD

[colby]

We are looking at a used 202RD that is in very good shape, we are getting a more detailed inspection done this coming weekend.

Any gotchas or things we should be looking for? We've had other trailers, but not a Keystone. There have been a few posts here in this forum that I have read, and a couple of quick walk-through videos on YouTube, but they are not very detailed.

[sourdough]

Welcome to the forum. How "used", 6 mos., 10 years?? What year is it?

[colby]

Sorry, it's a 2020.

[chuckster57]

IMO the criteria is the same no matter what age it is. Is it at a dealer or a private sale.

Make the seller demonstrate that everything works. Inspect the roof, look at all the seals.

[JRTJH]

The Springdale line of travel trailers (not fifth wheels) are built with wood frames. While they are durable as long as they are kept dry, any leaks can lead to frame rot in a very short time. Trailers with slides increase the risk of leaks around the slides and those leaks increase the risk of water damage and rot around the slide location. Typically floors and wall framing "at the slide" are first to be damaged.

Be very careful in how you inspect the areas where the slide is installed, the trailer floor at the corners of the slide and the walls in those areas are where you'll find the "water stains" which would be an indication to "dig deeper" in those areas.

Water damage from leaks can be a real issue in any travel trailer, aluminum frame or wooden frame, but leaks in wood frame trailers can lead to structural issues much faster with wood frame trailers like the Springdale or Hideout lines.

They're great trailers if they aren't damaged, but....... A careful and thorough inspection is your best assurance against buying a "problem trailer"...

[Weldon]

In 2019 we bought our 2017 springdale used. It was our first TT after previously owning a PUP. I thoroughly checked it out beforehand and have had no issues other than normal wear and tear. While it's not a fancy keystone model, it was still an investment for our family and a risk buying used. Our dealer was legit and I have no regrets. Test and ask questions about EVERYTHING. Good luck, and don't be afraid t ask questions here.

[Millertyme76]

I purchased a new 2020 202RD in June of 2020. I traded it in last year for something with more room. The only issue I had was one of the back windows not wanting to sit flush when closed. Overall it was a good camper it just didn't work to well for us when we went to a seasonal spot. I will say that you won't be able to run the ac, electric hot water heater, and coffee pot at the same time, too much amp draw.

[dutchmensport]

Our second hard-sided travel trailer was a Keystone Springdale. It was a great trailer. We had it for 8 years and never had any issues. I replaced the tires once (went with Carlisle's) and replaced the battery once. Never had any leaks, problem, failures, or anything. The only reasons we traded was because the couch was a low back (not even a hide-a-bed) and horribly uncomfortable. The kitchen area was a booth with horribly uncomfortable seating. We ended up stretching out in our bedroom to relax, and after about 7 years, realized we were spending less and less time in the trailer. In the 8th year, we decided if we were going to continue camping, we needed a trailer that was more comfortable. So we did. We traded. The replacement had high back recliner chairs, and stand alone kitchen chairs and table. (and a bit longer). But, as far as the Springdale went, functionally...mechanically...dependability...buil d...quality...suspension...appliances...electrical ...plumbing...windows...insulation...brakes...ever ything ... NEVER had a single problem.

[colby]

Thanks so much everyone, all good points, and great to know the experience you had with the trailer. I know that any trailer can have issues, especially when water gets in. This one is for a couple with a couple of small dogs and no kids, moving up from a pop-up. (I'm helping out the kids). The reason this model was chosen was the large windows in the back and the ability to drop it down as a big dog bed. No slides keep things simple.

It is from a dealer; however, they have limited options for pre-delivery checks - As is, Basic and Platinum. The first one is self-explanatory, Basic covers off LP pressure test, a light check and cleaning the unit. Platinum includes those items as well as a water test, battery test, propane tanks, visual brake inspection, breakaway test, appliance check, tire pressure check, a starter kit and a demo. Basic is $900 and Platinum is $1400. And this is a charge post-sale, if anything is wrong, it will cost more to fix it.

We are looking at a different tack given the limitations there. I have owned trailers for years, and done a lot of the maintenance myself during that time. I have a detailed PDI checklist (about 11 pages) that the dealer has agreed that I can walk through before any agreement is reached. They are pulling the trailer inside and I am going to spend a few hours running through the checklist, getting up on the roof and under the trailer and digging through things looking for soft spots, visible signs of water damage, 12 and 120v system tests, fit and finish (doors closing and latching properly, etc.). If all of that works out, then it's technically an as-is and we will get them to do LP gas test and inspect the brakes and bearings.

Does that sound reasonable, or am I hoping for too much?

[JRTJH]

You WILL find things wrong with the trailer. Some will be cosmetic (after all, it is a used trailer) some will be minor, not affecting operation of the trailer, but should be repaired when practical, others will be significant, "DON'T BUY THE TRAILER WITH THIS PROBLEM UNLESS REPAIRED"...

Establish the ground rules for what the dealership will have to repair (at the generally agreed upon price) or you're just doing their job for them... If, for example, you find several things that need to be repaired, if they just "tack the repair price on the sales price" then you've done their inspection, still paying for the repairs that you'd have to do after the sale, and now paying interest for 10-12 years on the loan that just went up by the repair costs.

So, agree to some ground rules on who pays for what you find, be reasonable in expecting them to address scratches and stains on fabric, etc and focus on the "important things that will damage or destroy the trailer unless repaired....

Don't forget to check the date of manufacture on the tires. Chances are they are now "pushing 4 or 5 years old" and will need to be replaced, especially if they are "china bombs".....

[colby]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

You WILL find things wrong with the trailer. Some will be cosmetic (after all, it is a used trailer) some will be minor, not affecting operation of the trailer, but should be repaired when practical, others will be significant, "DON'T BUY THE TRAILER WITH THIS PROBLEM UNLESS REPAIRED"...

Establish the ground rules for what the dealership will have to repair (at the generally agreed upon price) or you're just doing their job for them... If, for example, you find several things that need to be repaired, if they just "tack the repair price on the sales price" then you've done their inspection, still paying for the repairs that you'd have to do after the sale, and now paying interest for 10-12 years on the loan that just went up by the repair costs.

So, agree to some ground rules on who pays for what you find, be reasonable in expecting them to address scratches and stains on fabric, etc and focus on the "important things that will damage or destroy the trailer unless repaired....

Don't forget to check the date of manufacture on the tires. Chances are they are now "pushing 4 or 5 years old" and will need to be replaced, especially if they are "china bombs".....

Agreed, I'm not concerned about the cosmetic stuff (as you said it is used), scratched, etc., as more will come with the two dogs running around in the trailer. It's really things like finding places that look like repairs have been done, soft spots on the roof or floor, water damage around the water pump and heater, along the joints between walls and ceiling, bulges on the outside of the trailer, etc. Making sure the appliances are functional (replacing the fridge would by pricey), the furnace works, water flows without leaks, etc. Great point about establishing the ground rules of who will fix what, and not having them roll the cost of the repairs into the price.

And yes, tires are on my list!

[sourdough]

I initially asked how old because the magnitude, and types, of things that can be wrong amplify with age.

Since you are knowledgeable about trailers, have a pdi checklist and can do it, i would be extremely reluctant to have them do anything for the prices you mentioned - IMO those are beyond acceptable - but I don't live where you do nor in your situation.

As has been discussed I would not let them be the ones to assess anything, repair it and then give me a bill. It sounds like that is the plan with a $900-1400 pad to start. Do your PDI and give them YOUR repair list with estimated charges - don't leave them any open ends. If there are specific items you can't do, or don't feel comfortable doing, outline those with them with an agreed on price. The way their offer sounds makes my hackles stand right up.

[Weldon]

There's a PDI checklist on the forum. Use it and save some cash. Or download one. Dont let them do it. Youll be better off knowing where everything is and how it works. I got lucky. My dealer gave me a checklist (over 1/2 items not applicable in my TT) and I spent a few hours with my daughter helping me check it out.

[colby]

Originally Posted by Weldon

There's a PDI checklist on the forum. Use it and save some cash. Or download one. Dont let them do it. Youll be better off knowing where everything is and how it works. I got lucky. My dealer gave me a checklist (over 1/2 items not applicable in my TT) and I spent a few hours with my daughter helping me check it out.

Weldon, absolutely, that is the plan, I have a pretty solid one that I have tweaked over the years.

Originally Posted by sourdough

I initially asked how old because the magnitude, and types, of things that can be wrong amplify with age.

Since you are knowledgeable about trailers, have a pdi checklist and can do it, i would be extremely reluctant to have them do anything for the prices you mentioned - IMO those are beyond acceptable - but I don't live where you do nor in your situation.

As has been discussed I would not let them be the ones to assess anything, repair it and then give me a bill. It sounds like that is the plan with a $900-1400 pad to start. Do your PDI and give them YOUR repair list with estimated charges - don't leave them any open ends. If there are specific items you can't do, or don't feel comfortable doing, outline those with them with an agreed on price. The way their offer sounds makes my hackles stand right up.

100% agree, the older the trailer, the more potential issues, and the more tolerant I have to be on what is fixable. There are some things that are deal killers (water damage, strange repair evidence, etc.), and we will come up with a set block of what we want done if we agree to the sale.

And yes, when I saw their price list and what was done for the pre-delivery, I was very much underwhelmed, especially since the only things I am not comfortable with is the gas test and brakes (I consider both of those life support/safety items and I won't do them).

[Domino3665]

2020 is relatively NEW. I suspect the owner realized it was expensive to drive to destinations and they weren’t using it enough to justify the monthly payments. That said…
Plan on routine maintenance. There will always be SOMETHING to fix or replace. But only three years old, the major components should be GOOD. The original owner took the hit on depreciation when he took it off the lot. Get a good price for it and join the club. ����

[colby]

So we performed the inspection this past weekend and everything looks pretty good with a few exceptions. The roof was in great shape (just dirty), the outside body was intact and no issues on inspection, windows all looked good in terms of seals and how they were sitting. No water intrusion signs anywhere and floor was solid. Underneath looked good with the underbelly cover intact (no signs of repairs) and the suspension and frame looked good.

Inside, everything looked good, with the fit and finish, cupboards and drawers worked and stayed closed firmly. The table (when set up) was surprisingly solid, and the condition of the cushions, blinds, and flooring was great. All of the appliances (with the exception of the exception of the fridge's on-off switch) worked perfectly. The fans all worked nicely and the 12v and 120v systems performed nicely (12v tested with shore power off). The converter was working correctly when tested at the battery with load on the system (and the battery run down).

The issues that we have (and to be addressed by the selling dealer):

• On-Off switch on fridge will not stay depressed (in on position) - Holding it down will turn the fridge on. This needs to be resolved
• A couple of cracks in some of the roof sealant (looks like it is just starting and has not compromised the seal yet)
• Trim on front edging is pulled out and ripped on the bottom, needs to be replaced (cosmetic more than anything)
• Tires - These are HiSpec (Chinese) tires and this really surprised me for a 2020 trailer, they are all dated either 4818 or 4918. Discussions are being held with the selling dealer about these.
• Back right screen is loose and needs to be fixed

So with the exception of the on-off switch on the fridge, the piece of trim and the screen on the back window, the rest is basically maintenance - clean and reseal where needed, clean the roof and trailer (the dealer has had it since late last summer, it was only used 1 season), and replace the tires sometime in the near future (hoping to strike a deal with the dealer, but will have to wait and see, I'm not holding my breath on that one). Once the deal is made, the dealer will do a visual on the brakes, repack the bearings and do a gas pressure test.

So far so good though!

[wiredgeorge]

Not sure how a 2020 trailer came to be shod with the ever unpopular Hi-Spec brand tires. That is weird as they are well out of service range (4 years generally). Even if they look great, they must go forthwith. The roof is the primary thing that needs attended to as water intrusion is a BAD thing in a trailer. You are to be given a lot of credit for making sure the roof is looked at. On a 2020 trailer, it should have had the roof penetrations inspected and resealed quite a few times and it appears this may not have been the case. Good luck and post some pics once you get things sorted with the dealer. And if the dealer tries to push Trailer King tires, these are definitely the worst of the lot and should never be a consideration; they are OEM on many Keystones and he may have some take-offs he will try and foist on you. Good luck!

[colby]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Not sure how a 2020 trailer came to be shod with the ever unpopular Hi-Spec brand tires. That is weird as they are well out of service range (4 years generally). Even if they look great, they must go forthwith. The roof is the primary thing that needs attended to as water intrusion is a BAD thing in a trailer. You are to be given a lot of credit for making sure the roof is looked at. On a 2020 trailer, it should have had the roof penetrations inspected and resealed quite a few times and it appears this may not have been the case. Good luck and post some pics once you get things sorted with the dealer. And if the dealer tries to push Trailer King tires, these are definitely the worst of the lot and should never be a consideration; they are OEM on many Keystones and he may have some take-offs he will try and foist on you. Good luck!

Thanks for that. I have a line on some Goodyear Endurance tires, so I'm not settling on less. The cracks in the sealant were pretty minor (see attached), I think that a combination of the original owner not doing their diligence and sitting on the dealer's lot for a few months didn't help. I did find some strange marks on the seal along the back edge of the roof. It looks like something was scratching at the sealant. I didn't find any issues with the roof and the sealant didn't look compromised all the way through (I included one of those pictures).

[JRTJH]

The tires being dated 4818 and 4918 don't surprise me if they are installed on one of the "early introductions on the 2020 model line"....

The Keystone plants shut down two times a year. This year, they shut down December 15, 2022 and will reopen February 6 in Goshen and February 20 in Oregon. Dutchman and Crossroads plants are also currently shut down. When the plants reopen, they'll start building special order trailers and begin working on the new model year builds. Then, in the summer, typically the week of July 4th, the plant also shuts down for "summer vacation". They "try to have the new model year ready to go" when they return from summer vacation.

Usually, the new models for the year are introduced either just prior to or just after the summer shutdown. Around July 2019, the 2020 models were introduced. The factory started building them about a month prior to the summer shutdown (test runs were done a couple months before that time) so it's conceivable that the trailer the OP is working with, COULD HAVE been built sometime in mid 2019. That would explain how tires were manufactured in China with a manufacture date of 4818 or 4918 (late November/early December) and were "current and being installed" on trailers during May/June/July of 2019 on trailers being built as 2020 models. That is only a 6 month "gap" from tire build to tire installation.

There is a decal on the front driver's side corner of the trailer that lists the VIN, date of manufacture, axle, weight rating information. I'd suspect that date of manufacture is likely sometime in 2019. With the pending COVID pandemic in early 2020, older tires may have been stockpiled for use where they may have been returned to the distributor in "normal years"...

So, it's quite probable that tires with late 2018 dates might have been installed on trailers in "mid 2019"...

[colby]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

The tires being dated 4818 and 4918 don't surprise me if they are installed on one of the "early introductions on the 2020 model line"....

The Keystone plants shut down two times a year. This year, they shut down December 15, 2022 and will reopen February 6 in Goshen and February 20 in Oregon. Dutchman and Crossroads plants are also currently shut down. When the plants reopen, they'll start building special order trailers and begin working on the new model year builds. Then, in the summer, typically the week of July 4th, the plant also shuts down for "summer vacation". They "try to have the new model year ready to go" when they return from summer vacation.

Usually, the new models for the year are introduced either just prior to or just after the summer shutdown. Around July 2019, the 2020 models were introduced. The factory started building them about a month prior to the summer shutdown (test runs were done a couple months before that time) so it's conceivable that the trailer the OP is working with, COULD HAVE been built sometime in mid 2019. That would explain how tires were manufactured in China with a manufacture date of 4818 or 4918 (late November/early December) and were "current and being installed" on trailers during May/June/July of 2019 on trailers being built as 2020 models. That is only a 6 month "gap" from tire build to tire installation.

There is a decal on the front driver's side corner of the trailer that lists the VIN, date of manufacture, axle, weight rating information. I'd suspect that date of manufacture is likely sometime in 2019. With the pending COVID pandemic in early 2020, older tires may have been stockpiled for use where they may have been returned to the distributor in "normal years"...

So, it's quite probable that tires with late 2018 dates might have been installed on trailers in "mid 2019"...

That makes perfect sense, thanks so much for the explanation. The date on the VIN plate is July 24, 2019, so that fits that timing perfectly.