Scared Away.... - Page 2

richfaa · 10-25-2009, 04:40 PM

I must be dealing with a different Keystone RV company. 06 3400 Montana.Had some problems and never a problem with keystone with repairs in or out of warranty. Just spent two days at the service center in Goshen where some issues were taken care of without a problem or cost. Our every contact with Keystone has been positive......

ric_mackie · 11-28-2009, 02:40 PM

2006 Cougar (bought in 2005)
Good:
No problems with the 2 slides (bedroom and sofa area)
Heater/furnace works wonderfully
Air conditioner works fine and can keep up up to about 110.
Swivel chairs and dining table and chairs seem light-weight, but they are holding up just fine. And I am a pretty big guy.
Cabinets are holding up very nicely. Ours have the solid wood doors and frames, and they are just fine.
Shower.....well, I'll put this in the "good" area. It does its job. Again, I'm a pretty big guy, but I can easily take a nice shower and there are no leaks.

Bad:
Water leak somewhere inside the wall near the refrigerator if we turn on water hose full - too much pressure somewhere. Haven't fixed it. We just do not turn the water hose up completely.
Just this trip finally fixed oven. It would go out and not re-light. This was fixed by increasing the gas flow to the pilot. (DIY fix)
Both batteries have failed. This is disappointing. They both went very low on water 2 years apart. This caused them to almost boil. I've not had any problems with the Costco battery I used as a replacement 2 years ago for the first one. It is still full of water. I just replaced the 2nd factory battery with one from Wal*Mart yesterday. We'll see how that one goes - both of my replacements are OEM'ed by Johnson. Not sure who OEM'ed the "Megatron" batteries which were stock.
Fold-out sofa is a real POS - pretty much worthless.
Mattress in bedroom is also a real POS. More than one or two nights and you'll end up with bruises from whatever is on the inside of that thing.
A couple minor issues with molding/trim coming loose. I think this can be expected - but it'd be great if we did not have to deal with this.
Stowage doors would not latch properly. The tabs on the lock just weren't long enough to grab the frame. I fixed these by riveting in a small bit of aluminium - works just fine now. (DIY fix).
---------
In summary, I am very well pleased. Yeah, sure, a few things in my "bad" list that I'd be happier if they were not problems. But all in all, a couple DIY repairs, and at replacement time, I can replace the mattress and sofa with nicer units and have a very classy and more comfortable rig. I'd give it a solid "7" - and for the money, a great deal.

Festus2 · 11-28-2009, 04:45 PM

I would agree with your concluding statement ....... " a great deal for the money". Keystone is not alone in stocking their units with low-end mattresses and hide-a-beds. Local foam and mattress outlets do a booming business with RV owners who very soon look to upgrade their stock bedroom mattress. The pull-out sofa bed should only be used in case of emergency or for "guests" that you don't want to stay long.

Batteries are another issue. Are failing batteries the fault of the owner who might neglect to ensure they are checked and topped up with water? Are they the fault of the manufacturer - Interstate -? Or are they the fault of Keystone or the dealer for putting in inferior batteries?

The fit and finish of many RV's is always a concern and you have pointed out examples of what many of us experience -- loose trim and moldings, etc. If you the least bit handy, most of these imperfections can be taken care of by the owner. Frustrating, yes. Perfect? No.

However, I enjoyed reading your assessment over a 5 yr period and hope that our unit would come out with the same degree of satisfaction after 5 yeas.

richfaa · 12-03-2009, 03:03 PM

I always said the OEM mattress were filled with straw. The Fold out beds are good for kids that weigh @ 30lbs. I also always thought that the manufacturer did not provide batteries but were provded by the dealer???

antiqfreq · 12-05-2009, 06:38 PM

We just decided this vacation -got back today- that we gotta do something about this mattress.
We've put up with it for almost 2 years now and can't take it anymore.

Any suggestions out there?

Jody

Frank NCenFL · 12-06-2009, 08:04 AM

I had mine special made at the matress factory in Starke, FL. You can get the size, shape, style and firmness to fit. They make for several brands but mine has no labels. The price was reasonable especially since I couldn't buy what I wanted in a store.

**hankpage** · 12-06-2009, 08:25 AM

We have been very happy with a 3" foam-topper from Costco on the original mattress. At under $150 we thought it was worth a try and wound up getting one for home too. ALSO.... Frank .... My condolences on last nights game.

antiqfreq · 12-07-2009, 11:54 AM

We already have a 3 inch topper on it - but
isn't working anymore.

We just hear the springs making noise each time
we turn over -
gotta get something better.

Thanks,

Jody

Frank NCenFL · 12-08-2009, 10:01 AM

My 04 285 RLS has no bedroom slide and came with a "short queen" matress about 4" thick. This did not suit my six foot height and two hundred and plenty pounds. I wanted a full queen. I replaced all of the supporting plywood to queen size (less an inch or so) and beveled the "foot" corners so the closet would open and we could edge by on both sides. I had recently replaced our matress in the house with a new innerspring (high dollar and high disapointment) and I decided to try dense foam in the camper. There is a full range of firmness and recovery times. I tried them until I found the one I liked and I had it made with all four corners beveled (which can be done with innerspring or coil also) so I could turn it 180 degrees. I wish I had gotten one with a faster recovery time but it is still a lot more comfortable than the innerspring in the house.

Thanks for the condolences but being a true Gator fan "Wait until next year!"

Flyguy · 12-08-2009, 07:45 PM

That's what Alabama said last year!

Eckerhill · 12-15-2009, 10:26 AM

I've been RV'ing since 1972 when I purchased a new Winnebago and have owned lots of class A's,travel trailers and 5th wheels over the last 37 yrs so no virgin. Quality has all ways been a major concern in all brands and I have talked and/or written to company management to express my concerns and offer suggestions based upon 50 yrs (now) of manufacturing experience. My latest acquisition is a Big Sky and so a new manufacturer to deal with and experience. Unlike most posts here, my experience has been excellent so far. First, I found the build sheet for the unit showed appliances that were not as advertised i.e. lesser capacity HWH, furnace, etc. I worked with dealer (CW) and he in turn asked me to talk to Keystone direct to improve the communication on what my concerns were, which I did. The sales executive I talked to said the unit should be as advertised and if not they would pay CW to bring it up to proper level and pay for it. We (CW/myself) did a through review of unit checking manufacturer/model/SN of each appliance and found it was to specification in all respects; it was a paperwork error. The second issue was repairs needed for items found by dealer after delivery. Initially, I was told they were awaiting parts from Keystone; then after two weeks was told they were awaiting Keystone approval to repair. I contacted Keystone CS and they immediately called the GM at CW and found out what was problem and dealer is in position now to do the job. There were minimal delays in the back and forth process and at this point it seems they are doing what is necessary.

Tow/Haul · 02-12-2010, 11:13 AM

Single post and bashing,...hmmmm...couldn't be someone trying to reduce Keystone sales now could it?

Probably someone from the Heartland forum.
LOL

Quote:

Originally Posted by mytwocents

I've been looking at upgrading my Jayco TT and have had my eye on the Keystones for about a year now. I've delayed making a purchase for a ton of reasons, but mostly because I struggled with deciding on staying with the TT or moving to a 5th. And, my Jayco TT has given me zero problems making it even more difficult to make a move.

Anyway, while having the Jayco inspected I mentioned to the guys that I was looking at a Keystone. They shook their heads and said I was in for a maintenance nightmare and that if I purchased a Keystone they wouldn't work on it because they refused to deal with Keystone support.

Between what they said, and what I'm seeing on this site, I've sworn off buying a Keystone. I'm just glad I found you guys and that everyone has been so forthcoming with their complaints. I believe it has saved me from making a very large and expensive mistake.

Sooooooo, I'm leaning towards a Fleetwood Prowler TT now and Keystone is totally out of the running. Thanks to all that contributed.

placergoldman · 02-12-2010, 11:27 AM

Maybe this guy should stay with his Jayco..I have a2008 Passport 245rb and have had zero problems with it..I use it about 5-6 times a year in winter and summer and NO problems at all...

cpaulsen · 02-13-2010, 04:36 AM

I have an 07 Cougar and have not one problem with it...sounds like somebody should stay with their Jayco.

soundman · 02-13-2010, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishvisions

This whole incident has just come to pass in the last 5 days. My husband is a member of the Heartland Owners Forum and is constantly on it. Since I was checking out other manufacturers for the purpose of finding a new coach, I started here. When I found that someone was considering a Heartland, I just wanted to make it perfectly clear that Heartland has stated they do not have any further responsibility to our coach even though the defect is clearly a manufacturers defect. I can't begin to tell you how disappointed we are with this company since we were thoroughly convinced Heartland was the very best, in every aspect, in the industry.

The very best is a relative term. Look at the New Horizon site. Very Best Is an expesive product as allways.

chiconwheels · 02-28-2010, 07:39 PM

We have a 2009 Keystone Raptor 361LEV. We have had it for a year. Here is our list:
At 3 days old our 16 foot slide fell out and bounced back in. Our dealer "fixed it". Not really. So, we left it and they tried and tried again. We hold our breath everytime we use it. I spoke with Keystone and asked for a new slide, and they said no. They would repair the bracket underneath. WE asked about the subfloor that was ripped, the way the rv shakes when it comes in, and that it doesn't close flush. They said it was fixed.

I battled over that one for a month at least and lost.
What else... the fuel station motor seized, the rear jack motor seized, the steps had to welded, the fireplace doesn't work properly, all of the running lights corroded because they are not marine grade but dry (copper on steel ball connectors), awning motor seized, awning closes crooked, and more, but for the best one...
We were on the road and looked in the mirror and the rv looked like it was leaning to one side, so we pulled over and looked under the rig. My hubby said a shackle was broken and the spring was sittingon the frame. We had just passed an rv place which happened to be a keystone dealer. So they came out and looked at it with my hubby and they saw SIX of the shackles were rusted and broken. The holes had egged out in shape and broke. You know it is bad when the dealer says, " you are lucky to be alive!!!!!". The springs completely broke free of the equalizers leaving the springs barely sitting on the frame and the middle axle was just floating.It could have come loose causing one of many possible fatal endings. Now the frame is severly gauged. The dealer said it would take 6 days at least to get parts, and we were stuck in their lot. Now what? My hubby and I went to a welder close in our truck (left the trailer at the dealer) and had temporary shackles made. They were a bandaid fix. So now that we are home, we went to our local dealer, and they said that Keystone said no problem they will replace the shackles. They would also reimburse us for our tire because the tires were touching, and also the money we put out for the "bandaid fix". We took them pictures of the now damaged frame, the shackles, the springs and more.

Here is the thing... Keystone fought us tooth and nail about our slide and everything else, but now they are jumping to help us. Why? Liability issue maybe? It is only a year old. The other thing... the dealer erased our pictures off of our USB stick. hmmm. Thank goodness we have copies.

Anyone have any ideas on what we can do? WE don't trust the unit at all. If we were to trade it in, we would take a huge hit financially and that doesn't seem fair to us. This trade would not be by choice.

I asked Keystone for a replacement unit before for all of our other problems, and they returned my call within 20 minutes with an answer to my request. No! Should we ask again? Should we call a lawyer? Isn't this product liability?

Any help would be wonderful!

Ruffus · 03-01-2010, 03:33 AM

I've had really good luck dealing with warranty issues and debt collection by using a really cheap computer program called it's legal. After the initial phone call with out any luck I fire off a letter using my It's Legal Program and have always gotten a positive response because they think it's from a lawyer or your going to take legal action. If you follow the instructions and not add anything else that is threatening you will not beleave the response. Also make sure to use an envelope that has printed addresses not hand written and send the letter certified to get a signature. This way if you have to get a lawyer you have documentation.
Good Luck.

biggmp · 03-02-2010, 02:33 PM

Like you, I was looking to buy a Keystone. I was told by the local dealer that if I bought from another state, they would not do my warranty. I just called Keyston and they confirmed that it is the dealers right to deny service if the camper was not purchased locally. I find this very hard to believe. First that they would turn down work; second that they would not want to develop a relationship for future business, finally that the Keystone Inc. would allow this type of response.

MightyMike · 03-03-2010, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biggmp

Like you, I was looking to buy a Keystone. I was told by the local dealer that if I bought from another state, they would not do my warranty. I just called Keyston and they confirmed that it is the dealers right to deny service if the camper was not purchased locally. I find this very hard to believe. First that they would turn down work; second that they would not want to develop a relationship for future business, finally that the Keystone Inc. would allow this type of response.

Welcome to the USA- country of litigation. Since everyone is so sue happy here, mfgs are looking to protect themselves. Ford got into a problem with this a few years back when they started "owning" dealerships. Some kind of legal ramification, so now are dealers are "independent contractors". Keystone can't "make " any dealer do anything. When i was having major warranty issues with an unreliable dealer, they told me they would "put a note in the dealers file". So how does that help any future consumer? Just gives the mfg. a bad name as far as I'm concerned.

biggmp · 03-03-2010, 05:40 AM

That is true MightyMike but, I would expect any Ford dealership would welcome warranty work on any Ford vehicle. That is the part that gets me. They are trying to scare you into buying locally. I would gladly do so if they would meet or beat the price I can get 8 hours away. The whole thing just helped me decide to by a Jayco. The local Jayco dealers did not give me the same grief and said they will gladly service any warranty issues. After reading some of the stuff on these threads, maybe the Keystone dealers are to busy servicing their own customers to add work from other states.

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