See Ya friends

[Irv]

I don’t like to sound like one of those grumbling, disgruntled RVowners who just gripes but does nothing to try to get the proper attention to fixing the issues of poor build quality.
We bought. 2014 Alpine 3250 RL in March of ‘14.
As expected we had some issues on our list and like normal, LaMesa RV had a long waiting period for an appointment. Even if we could have waited, we now know that the only way to get proper attention in a timely basis is to ask to have repairs made at the factory.
When we made this request, we were told to take the unit to Keystone’s best dealer in Elkhart, (the name escapes me, but if they are the BEST, I hesitate to see the rest.) The trailer was there for 3 months.
We had an overflowing kitchen grey tank which they “fixed” due to the vent pipe not being glued in.
Of course it overflowed again and still does, even after the second “fix”. But during the second visit which took another 3 months they did not winterize our unit causing the toilet valve to freeze. (I had specifically requested that they not forget to winterize if they could not complete the repair prior to Winter.)

So two strikes against Keystone Service after the sale.

During the rest if our ownership, we had slide problems, roof leaks, loose trim, a kitchen island that came completely loose from the floor, a loose window that fell out, a bunch of little wiring and other “pain in the neck” items that I fixed myself....and slowly it began to sink in that Keystone was a typical “ hurry up and build them, put you in a long and inadequate repair program” type of manufacturer.

Recently we made a trade into a Tiffin product, required service for some minor, and expected “birth defects” BUT... when we requested service this time, we were treated completely differently, as a customer that they cared about, and our list was completed swiftly and courteously.

For the obvious reasons stated above, U cannot endorse Keystone products or their repair process and each time I see one of their units, I cringe, hoping the owner has better “LUCK” than we did, and being so thankful to be rid of a trailer that continued to hate me during the entire 5 years of ownership.
Your results may vary but if only one person learns something about researching and being diligent prior to selecting a brand name, then my pain has been worth it.

[sourdough]

It does sound like you had more than your share of issues with the Alpine and that is unfortunate. It also sounds like a lot of your frustration was trying to get timely, thorough repairs of the issues. From your explanation it appears those failures were due to dealership issues vs "Keystone repairs". Remember that the "repair" process is done by a dealership, not Keystone. They do have to approve any warranty repairs and generally provide the parts but the speed and quality of the repairs is totally on the dealership.

An example of the above is my trailer, which is in the shop right now. A split holding tank covered under warranty. Time to get in bay 2 days and assessed problem the next 2 days. Took about 2 days to get warranty approval then the fun....parts ordered and....wait. About 10 days later the little stuff arrived but had to wait on the manufacturer of the holding tank. As of Thursday the tank is supposed to arrive on or around 6/4 - about 3 weeks after the process began and then they have to get it back in a bay and install. IMO the dealer has been doing a good job but they are dependent on lots of other folks. Unfortunately, many dealers work far differently, and much more slowly, than mine. I do however contact them about every 3 days for updates and to "encourage" them.

I fully understand your frustration and the way you feel. I do feel that Keystone, and every other RV manufacturer, puts out units from time to time filled with problems and think we all hope and pray we aren't the guy that unknowingly buys it. Good luck on your new rig and hopefully it's one you can use consistently without a bunch of issues.

[JMaster]

Sorry about all your issues with Keystone. I have a Sprinter Limited 3530FWDEN and it’s pretty much flawless. Having said that... I’ve never had to take it in for any type of warranty work as well.

This is our third rig. First an older Fleetwood Pioneer, then 2016 Forest River Stealth Toy Hauler and now the Sprinter. All three not once gave me any trouble. I just genuinely think I’m overly lucky or just overly baby my stuff. Haha

Good luck with the new unit! Grats!

[chuckster57]

The "repair process" can be complicated at best and the DEALER is critical in this process. Sorry you feel the way you do about Keystone, But I would put a good share of the blame on the dealer.

My current employer is a Tiffen dealer, and I hope you don't have any more issues with your rig. Warranty claims process with them is a NIGHTMARE compared to others, Ask me how I know.

Best of wishes in your travels, your more than welcome to stick around since the components are pretty much the same.

[travelin texans]

I agree Keystone needs more QC at the factory, but as stated most of your issues was with dealers.
Also agree that Tiffin will give better service for a couple reasons,
#1 not everyone can afford their rvs, motorhomes or their new line of towable & #2 compare how many Tiffin products on the road compared to Keystone (Montana's alone out number them) products, just by lack of the number of rvs will get you in for service quicker & better build quality.
I'm not defending Keystone nor am I getting any sort of compensation from them, but compare apples to apples, you're comparing Cadillac to a Ford Pinto, compare Keystone to Forest River & see what might be the difference.
Sorry you had so many issues & very glad you're happy with your new rv!
Now you can go enjoy the lifestyle!
Just reread the title of the post "See Ya friends", doubt they'll be reading or care about any of our comments!!

[chuckster57]

Don't get me started on Forest river....

[Tbos]

Show us a picture of your Tiffen. What model did you buy? Hope it all goes well.