Rig falling apart during tow

[Waterboy909]

Hi I'm a new keystone owner and looking for some advice. I purchased a 2017 Montana and during its first tow the framing over the wheel wells has detached.

Normally I would go back to the dealership I purchased this from but they are 2000 miles away and I don't know when we'll be back.

We are also full timing in the unit so any time in a shop is time without our home.

Any advice on how best to handle this, are there mobile warranty repairs available?

Thank you

[bsmith0404]

Are you just talking about the plastic gender skirt that is attached by sheet metal screws? Do what many do and get stainless steel screws with nuts and install them.

[Tbos]

If you are talking about the skirting there are several threads about ways to secure them. Post a picture so we can tell for sure what you are referencing.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2016 F350 CC DRW

[Waterboy909]

I believe that is what they are. Attached are the photos. One completely fell off and is gone the other is on its way. Are these expensive to replace? Any hope of warranty coverage?

[Dave W]

Go to someplace that sells stainless hardware and purchase a box of #8x3/4 or 1" machine screws, Robertson or Phillips round head along with matching SS Nyloc nuts and SS flat washers. You may need a couple of regular tapping screws as I did if you have a HW heater over a fender. They will be #10 as the original holes will be 'wallowed' out.

As far as a replacement fender - good luck with Keystone direct though your seller may warrant them. Regardless, Trekwood will have them: http://www.trekwood.com/index.php

Dig through the search function and you will see several others who have fixed their floppy fender problem (including me)

[chuckster57]

Keystone should be able to provide replacement fender skirts at no cost. One option is to figure out where you'll be in 3-4 weeks and have them shipped to the nearest keystone dealer.

[dcg9381]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Keystone should be able to provide replacement fender skirts at no cost. One option is to figure out where you'll be in 3-4 weeks and have them shipped to the nearest keystone dealer.

Cept you'll have to visit a dealer to have them do the paperwork for the replacement. If your 2000-mile-away dealer will do it via remote, that might work. Mine (dealer) once shipped me parts - Keystone wouldn't ship them directly - only to the dealer.

[JRTJH]

It may be that the OP is making this more difficult than it needs to be. I'd suggest the first call be to the selling dealership, explain what happened and see what they say. They may be "all over themselves" to make it right, then again maybe not. The only way to know is to contact them. I wouldn't avoid the phone call because "it might not work"....

If the selling dealership doesn't "step up the the plate" I'd contact Keystone Customer Service in Goshen, explain that you're "on the road, 2000 miles from home. In their Owner's Manual, they give specific instructions on how to obtain warranty service "when away from home". Might as well, use the printed instructions... If that doesn't work, then it would be time to start getting suggestions from people on the internet.

If the OP hasn't done his "obligatory due diligence" I'd suggest he pick up the phone and call his salesman....

In the mean time, getting those stainless screws and nylocks is almost a "must" to protect the coach from further damage which would not be covered by the warranty.

[Waterboy909]

Thanks for the response, the salesmen referred me to the company and the company said I have to call a local dealer. I haven't had the time to do that yet but we'll see where it goes.

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[sourdough]

You have been given good advice. Contact the dealer and see what his plan would be. If they aren't cooperative contact Keystone. Keystone has sent me parts, via a dealer, for self install. They have also replaced my fenders multiple times on warranty. They know they are an issue. The problem may be the color. My last ones had to be painted and the trailer was 1 1/2 years old. As it worked out, with all the fender failures I had, I have a brand new one sitting in the box in my barn they just gave to me!!

If you still have one attached, but barely, you need to take steps now to re-attach it securely. Advice has been given about the machine screws, washers and nylock nuts. It will work great. I used the existing screws (along with replacements), washers and 8x32 speed nuts. Been tight for 2 years. Whatever you can find, but be sure and do it. They will eventually tear up your skirting (j panel?). When mine was done at the dealership they had silicone caulk that matched the color of the trailer to use on the seams. That might be difficult to come by depending on where you are and the color of the skirts.

[Desert185]

Originally Posted by Dave W

Go to someplace that sells stainless hardware and purchase a box of #8x3/4 or 1" machine screws, Robertson or Phillips round head along with matching SS Nyloc nuts and SS flat washers. You may need a couple of regular tapping screws as I did if you have a HW heater over a fender. They will be #10 as the original holes will be 'wallowed' out.

As far as a replacement fender - good luck with Keystone direct though your seller may warrant them. Regardless, Trekwood will have them: http://www.trekwood.com/index.php

Dig through the search function and you will see several others who have fixed their floppy fender problem (including me)

For the OP:

This is the only fix with lasting success. If a dealer doesn't want to repair it like this, you will only have recurring issues until you fix it yourself.

[Waterboy909]

Thanks I do plan on replacing it with these screws but would like to have the dealer pay for the repairs. Some of the side walls were pretty beat up from the fenders coming off and I do need new fenders. I don't have a truck to tow the rig, my driver said he has this happen all the time and that his previous clients have been able to get keystone to send out a mobile repair person. Has anyone been successful with this? I'm not sure if he was just telling me what I wanted to hear or if keystone will actually be that helpful

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[Ken / Claudia]

Asking them will get that answer but, really if you can turn a screw driver, you can take the old one off and new ones on. Maybe someone can help you were you have staying. There are not 100% needed for travel and sounds like your not traveling. So, if it takes a few weeks that should not be a problem except for the looks.

[dcg9381]

Originally Posted by Waterboy909

his previous clients have been able to get keystone to send out a mobile repair person. Has anyone been successful with this?

Sure he was talking about Keystone? Sending and paying for a mobile tech seems to be an exceedingly rare thing for Keystone to do, especially considering that no further harm will happen driving it to the dealer.

I noticed that Grand Design backs their screws with silicone on this fender trim. I did something similar on ours with glue. No issues so far.

[Waterboy909]

Yeah he said this always happens on Montanas so he seemed fimilar. Too bad he didn't let me know before he shipped it

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[JRTJH]

waterboy,

Reading this thread, I get the impression that you ordered your Montana from a dealer several states away and that you have never towed the trailer, but that either the dealer or you arranged for transportation from the dealership to your place of residence. It sounds as if your Montana was damaged during this transport and that when it arrived for delivery, that you saw the damage and accepted delivery.

If this is the situation, I question whether it would even be warranty work or if it would more appropriately be "damage during transportation" and should be covered, not by Keystone, but by the insurance carrier for the delivery company.

Even though there's a "known weakness" with the fender skirts and some people have had problems with them "blowing off the trailer", there are thousands more that have not been damaged, so it's not specifically a "Keystone problem with warranty" but it may well fall into a category of "damage during commercial transportation" and, if so, you may be pursuing the repairs using the wrong approach........

While I'm "thinking out loud" the more I read, the more I wonder if this might not be a "dealer warranty responsibility" but rather fall into the category of "damage during transportation" and the responsibility should be with whomever arranged/contracted the transport company before you even took delivery.

Essentially, it's like ordering a new drill from Amazon, it arrives at your door with the package crushed and part of the drill damaged. It's not up to you to order parts and install them on your broken drill. You simply annotate the damaged package with FedEx, notify Amazon and they take care of the repair/replacement... It wouldn't be your responsibility to contact Makita and request they send you parts under the tool's warranty.....

If the above is accurate, you shouldn't be "chasing rainbows with the dealer and Keystone, but really ought to just "hand it over to whomever delivered the damaged goods and tell them to contact their insurance company......

[CaptnJohn]

JRTJH I think is correct. I thought the same mostly as even 2000 miles takes me more than 1 day and a visual check is completed before and after every leg.

Anyway~~ I had the same problem on my Cougar and see it will be the same on my new Montana HC. Keystone could spend an extra $2.00 per unit to beef them up but ~~ what I did is bought a box of 8X32 screws, washers and nylon nuts. The heads on the screws are so small they pull through quickly. Where much of the pressure comes from is where the fenders are cut at the slides and act as wind scoops. At 65 MPH a lot of pressure is put against the tiny screw heads. I went to a friend with an autobody shop and got a piece of auto door weather-stripping. Cut to fit an installed on both sides with adhesive and wind goes over and NOT through the fender.

[dblanch57]

Checking the skirts is one of my pre-trip routine. On a previous trailer I arrived at a camp ground to see that on of the skirts was loose, so a trip to the local hardware store was in order.

[Desert185]

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

JRTJH I think is correct. I thought the same mostly as even 2000 miles takes me more than 1 day and a visual check is completed before and after every leg.

Anyway~~ I had the same problem on my Cougar and see it will be the same on my new Montana HC. Keystone could spend an extra $2.00 per unit to beef them up but ~~ what I did is bought a box of 8X32 screws, washers and nylon nuts. The heads on the screws are so small they pull through quickly. Where much of the pressure comes from is where the fenders are cut at the slides and act as wind scoops. At 65 MPH a lot of pressure is put against the tiny screw heads. I went to a friend with an autobody shop and got a piece of auto door weather-stripping. Cut to fit an installed on both sides with adhesive and wind goes over and NOT through the fender.

SS flat washers under the screw heads resolved my issues along with not overly tightening the nuts to crush the plastic.

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by Desert185

SS flat washers under the screw heads resolved my issues along with not overly tightening the nuts to crush the plastic.

I used washers on both sides for a bearing surface - head and nut for that reason.

If the OP can get either the delivery company or, especially, Keystone directly without the dealer intervening, please let the forum know how it was done after the fact so others can gain some knowledge.