2020 Avalalanche 313RS residential frig Cracking

Ruger · 02-01-2021, 10:04 AM

Hey everybody, just reaching out to see if anybody has had the same problem as us on your fifth wheels with the new Samsung residential style frig. Ours has the pullout freezer drawer and double frig doors. In the first month of using our camper we noticed a crack in the upper right corner of the frig. Neither Samsung nor Keystone want to warranty the frig. Claiming we either cleaned it wrong, or we but a hot dish in the frig to rapidly heat the plastic and cause it to fail. None of which happened. We noticed it after a 3hr trip for a 4day weekend with a frig full of groceries. I don't think the frig is strong enough to handle the bouncing and vibrations experienced while going down the HWay at speed. But I have been told it is my problem. Not the way I want to start off our relationship with a new manufacturer. I was relly hoping for a better response... I do understand that this is a very expensive appliance and they don't want to eat the price, but neither do I! So just seeing if anybody else has had any issues of success getting them to resolve the issue?

**sourdough** · 02-01-2021, 10:25 AM

Sorry for the problem and hope you can get it resolved - I've never had an issue with a fridge that I recall other than an RV fridge not wanting to stay ice cold in 115 degree heat.

Remember that your fridge is warranted by Samsung; have you contacted them directly? Keystone will be an intermediary with them but I would be talking to them myself.

Also, how are you loading your fridge? If we are going to a place where we have access to a grocery store we buy heavier items like gallons of milk etc. on the destination end. If boondocking are you securing everything in the fridge? We use expandable fridge bars, soft foam little pillow things etc. to fill up the cracks and gaps so things don't go bouncing around.....they're are some very rough highways in the country and left loose in the fridge it would be like bowling balls bouncing around inside.

Javi · 02-01-2021, 01:31 PM

I have exactly the same trailer and so far, a little over 3000 miles and 35 nights camped since we picked it up July 22, 2020.. No cracks and no problems except for the cost of groceries to fill it and it seem to always need a refill..

Vet4jdc · 02-01-2021, 03:19 PM

We have the same fridge and have used it about 120 nights over two years. No problems with ours so far. I suspect it may be a bad unit and an unusual circumstance.

If you got nowhere with the dealer or Keystone, you might try going to Samsung? Best of luck getting it resolved.

kfxgreenie · 02-01-2021, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Sorry for the problem and hope you can get it resolved - I've never had an issue with a fridge that I recall other than an RV fridge not wanting to stay ice cold in 115 degree heat.

Remember that your fridge is warranted by Samsung; have you contacted them directly? Keystone will be an intermediary with them but I would be talking to them myself.

Also, how are you loading your fridge? If we are going to a place where we have access to a grocery store we buy heavier items like gallons of milk etc. on the destination end. If boondocking are you securing everything in the fridge? We use expandable fridge bars, soft foam little pillow things etc. to fill up the cracks and gaps so things don't go bouncing around.....they're are some very rough highways in the country and left loose in the fridge it would be like bowling balls bouncing around inside.

No need to call Samsung, it is excluded from their warranty. He needs to deal with Keystone AND his dealer.... Keystone bought the refrigerator and installed it in their RV knowing that its warranty was excluded from the manufacture. This is one of those cases, he needs his dealer to fight for him, so hopefully his original purchase wasn't one made solely on price.

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/s...RF220NCTASR/AA

"This limited warranty covers manufacturing defects in materials or workmanship encountered in normal household, noncommercial use of this product and shall not cover the following: damage that occurs in shipment, delivery, installation, and uses for which this product was not intended"

kfxgreenie · 02-01-2021, 03:57 PM

Just because this thread i decided to investigate the one we are disposing of today. Customer paid selling dealer for 4 service calls on this 4 year old refrigerator. As verified by the picture you only see frost on the upper portion of the refrigerator evaporator a classic sign of low refrigerant or a compressor not pumping properly.....

**sourdough** · 02-01-2021, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kfxgreenie

No need to call Samsung, it is excluded from their warranty. He needs to deal with Keystone AND his dealer.... Keystone bought the refrigerator and installed it in their RV knowing that its warranty was excluded from the manufacture. This is one of those cases, he needs his dealer to fight for him, so hopefully his original purchase wasn't one made solely on price.

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/s...RF220NCTASR/AA

"This limited warranty covers manufacturing defects in materials or workmanship encountered in normal household, noncommercial use of this product and shall not cover the following: damage that occurs in shipment, delivery, installation, and uses for which this product was not intended"

I don't get anything out of the quote you posted or the Samsung warranty verbiage that says they won't honor their warranty if it is in an RV and I certainly wouldn't eliminate them from my "roundtable" of discussion about the issue. The dealer should be involved but Samsung should be involved, and may have been. Someone determined the fridge had sustained damage outside of warranty - not just "because".

kfxgreenie · 02-01-2021, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

I don't get anything out of the quote you posted or the Samsung warranty verbiage that says they won't honor their warranty if it is in an RV and I certainly wouldn't eliminate them from my "roundtable" of discussion about the issue. The dealer should be involved but Samsung should be involved, and may have been. Someone determined the fridge had sustained damage outside of warranty - not just "because".

From his original post it is fairly evident that he already contacted Samsung, "Neither Samsung nor Keystone want to warranty the frig." The key verbiage that no one can deny is "normal household". He has a cracked liner that can very easily be blamed on the flexing of the refrigerator going down the road or the irregular thermal dynamics that a refrigerator in and RV can go through. A Recreational Vehicle is not a normal household, and if he has any prayer it would need to be removed from the RV and put into a household and then contact Samsung, but they probably already know the life history of the refrigerator. His best bet just to not deal with the frustrations of the whole situation and being it is just a cosmetic problem is to put an epoxy patch kit on the crack in the liner.

**sourdough** · 02-01-2021, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kfxgreenie

From his original post it is fairly evident that he already contacted Samsung, "Neither Samsung nor Keystone want to warranty the frig." The key verbiage that no one can deny is "normal household". He has a cracked liner that can very easily be blamed on the flexing of the refrigerator going down the road or the irregular thermal dynamics that a refrigerator in and RV can go through. A Recreational Vehicle is not a normal household, and if he has any prayer it would need to be removed from the RV and put into a household and then contact Samsung, but they probably already know the life history of the refrigerator. His best bet just to not deal with the frustrations of the whole situation and being it is just a cosmetic problem is to put an epoxy patch kit on the crack in the liner.

You seem to know all the inside facts - from your assumptions of various comments. Unfortunately, far too many RV owners take their unit to Keystone for a warranty repair, are told the warranty is denied because Samsung/Keystone/LG/Lippert/etc. denied the problem yet the problem presented to the manufacturer bears no resemblance to the real issue or is incomplete. Intervention has proven to reverse those situations in real life, mine included. You can throw half the cards in your hand away if you want, I like to keep all mine and get the best play I can.

At this point we have no way of knowing what was submitted to who by whom or who told what to whoever - in that case assumptions, particularly from 3rd parties not privy to the facts, are not beneficial to the resolution of the problem in the best interests of the member IMO. YMMV I'm sure.

wiredgeorge · 02-01-2021, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kfxgreenie

Just because this thread i decided to investigate the one we are disposing of today. Customer paid selling dealer for 4 service calls on this 4 year old refrigerator. As verified by the picture you only see frost on the upper portion of the refrigerator evaporator a classic sign of low refrigerant or a compressor not pumping properly.....

I am not a refrigerator guy but couldn't a filthy coil cause the icing as well?

**chuckster57** · 02-01-2021, 05:51 PM

I’m not so sure Samsung starts the warranty period when keystone “buys” them. I suspect it’s like an appliance store, or say Lowe’s/Home Depot. “Purchase date” is same as date of purchase for the trailer.

If it were me, I would hold Samsung to the fire, maybe use an independent appliance repair shop.

jasin1 · 02-01-2021, 05:59 PM

I should have read the entire post...

**sourdough** · 02-01-2021, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I’m not so sure Samsung starts the warranty period when keystone “buys” them. I suspect it’s like an appliance store, or say Lowe’s/Home Depot. “Purchase date” is same as date of purchase for the trailer.

If it were me, I would hold Samsung to the fire, maybe use an independent appliance repair shop.

You are correct Chuck, a "buyer's" warranty begins when they buy the product from the store/dealer selling it to them....not when the store/dealer bought it to sell.

**chuckster57** · 02-01-2021, 07:15 PM

I know. I’m wondering what Samsung said to deny the claim.

OP: I would take pics of the crack and then one from about 2 feet away. I would argue that a hot dish would leave a discoloration on the plastic.

kfxgreenie · 02-02-2021, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I am not a refrigerator guy but couldn't a filthy coil cause the icing as well?

Not to likley. A filthy clogged condenser would cause the refrigerator to constantly run as it can't dispose of the heat and possibly the compressor to shut off because of an overheat, but you would usually still get a full frost pattern on the evaporator.

kfxgreenie · 02-02-2021, 06:12 AM

Read over this saga, buckle up end enjoy the ride.

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=29067

Javi · 02-02-2021, 06:38 AM

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/s...RF18HFENBWW/US

Just saying..

kfxgreenie · 02-02-2021, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/s...RF18HFENBWW/US

Just saying..

If you are eluding to the 5 year sealed system warranty why yes the parts are under warranty, the labor is not. Already having paid for 4 service calls on the refrigerator the customer elected to dispose of the unit rather than having several hundred more dollars tied up into it.

jasin1 · 02-02-2021, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kfxgreenie

Read over this saga, buckle up end enjoy the ride.

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=29067

I read most of the older thread and I would have handled it different personally. I would have made it accessible as possible for the service company. I would not say it’s in a fifth wheel . I would schedule the service call and have an extra crisp $50 bill in my hand. I would be extremely nice to the service tech and ask him to look at it. Most likely he would take care of it and appreciate the extra money. It would save a lot of hassle.. the service tech only cares if it’s accessible. He could care less about anything else. Yes you shouldn’t have to do that but over the years I’ve found that a little extra money goes a long way for my peace of mind and stress level.. and I have a hvac company and techs so I know from personal experience on both ends of the equation

jasin1 · 02-02-2021, 06:59 AM

And people often dig there heals in and refuse to try and reach any middle ground. When I encounter argumentative people or someone unwilling to bend a little to make things easier then I usually adopt the same stance.

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