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My new 2013 Sprinter experience
Our experience with our new 2013 Sprinter 33RLS began in late June of this year. After trading in a 2010 Sprinter 27 RLS that was in excellent condition, the layout of the new 33 RLS led us to trade up. It’s a beautiful camper and it tows great. We have had a ton of compliments on it.
It was 2 weeks before our yearly 4th of July beach vacation. The day we picked up our camper, during our walk thru we noticed the AC wasn’t working properly. It was blamed on a faulty control box, which CW changed on the spot. Not sure why the clean and prep gang didn’t catch it, but it took off after the new control box was installed and cooled for a few minutes. It started popping in the AC control box again, and it was blamed on a faulty outdoor shore cord on CW’s end of the power. Changed cords and it took off again and for the few minutes it ran, all was thought to be ok.
Arriving at Myrtle Beach a week later, it was 98 degrees. Hooked everything up at the campground and the AC ran 5 minutes before kicking the breaker. After numerous attempts at resetting the breaker and having it trip again, we called CW. I will admit the guys at CW in Statesville, NC and in Myrtle Beach, SC jumped in and began doing all they could do to help. And after 2 very hot days, a new thermostat, and another control box, it was discovered that a ground wire had been left loose in the AC unit wiring from the Keystone factory. Finally, we had cool air. Many walk by campers wondered why we had a new camper with the windows open and a fan blowing in 100 degree temps. Very embarrassing, not to mention 2 days of the annual beach vacation spent in a 35’ oven!
So the air was working and all was cool, until the next day when the grey tank was ready to be dumped. I noticed water pouring out from a hole that had been “punched” into the underbelly covering near the tank dump. It only leaked when the gray tank was nearly full, and I only let the grey tank fill when my black tank was nearly full so I could “flush” my sewer lines after I drain the black tank. After the vacation trip, went back to CW and it was found the grey tank was definitely leaking. A new tank was ordered and after 3 weeks, we took the camper in for repairs. After the shower was removed, the entire underbelly covering dropped, and the grey tank finally taken out, it was found that a small cut was in the top of the grey tank, as if a small die grinder wheel had just sliced into the top of the tank. I can’t help but think someone knew this had happened at the factory, because of the crudely punched hole in the bottom of the underbelly cover to let the water drain out. I have never seen a “drain hole” punched into the underbelly cover on any other camper.
This is not my first new camper, and I do expect little things to pop up that need attention. And I haven’t lost any faith in Keystone campers, and I will more than likely purchase another Keystone product. I am just disappointed in the workmanship of this particular camper. Proper inspections would have caught both problems before leaving for its destination. A warped cabinet door, main front door out of alignment, and a torn window screen are little things you expect to find in a new camper and are easily resolved, but 2 major problems that could have easily been preventable are hard to overlook.
And I also felt like CW could have also caught them during the clean and prep. I did find that the fridge cover had never been removed during the dealer inspection because the drain hose was still wrapped around the combustion tube with no drain end cover attached. It was easily fixed, but just another indication that everything had not been looked at.
I want to give a huge “Thank you” to all of the help we received from the guys in the service dept at the CW on Dick Potts Rd in Myrtle Beach, SC. At a time when you’re on vacation and the better half being very unhappy, along with the sweltering heat that makes your temper have a shorter fuse, CW’s service dept took good care of us. And the dedicated professionals at CW in Statesville, NC are the best. From the General Manager, parts dept, and service dept, they treat their customers with respect and with a sense of urgency that made our experience better, and with the assurance that they would make everything right with our camper, which they have.
Now I just have a leery feeling of “what’s going to happen next”.
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