New Owner - possibly

[possiblebuyer]

Hi, I've noticed there's allot of negative feedback about Keystone's product. I was thinking of buying a 2013 Keystone Laredo 303TG but after reading asll the nightmare stories of leaking slides and other problems I'm not sure I want to anymore.. But we love the trailer's floor plan and the outdoor kitchen..
Any help here??

Darin & Heather

[BirchyBoy]

Negative comments tend to get spoken/written more. Everything has its quirks. Overall I think the messages here are very positive and don't second guess my recent new purchase.

[possiblebuyer]

I was thinking..... my friend bought a new 38' Georgetown motorhome and his slides have awnings that come out over every slide.. So mabey that would solve any problems one may have with leaking slides.. Perhaps tarping the slides if rain is in the forecast...

[GaryWT]

There is good and bad from every manufacturer. You here more from the ones with issues than the silent majority without issues. Good luck.

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by possiblebuyer

I was thinking..... my friend bought a new 38' Georgetown motorhome and his slides have awnings that come out over every slide.. So mabey that would solve any problems one may have with leaking slides.. Perhaps tarping the slides if rain is in the forecast...

Slide covers/awnings might help in preventing certain types of leaks in slides but not all. Leaks in slides can originate in a variety of places - along the sides and the bottom so installing slide covers is not a guarantee that leaks will not happen. However, they do have other benefits in addition to reducing the likelihood of leaks.

I wouldn't recommend tarping a slide if "rain is in the forecast". If tarps are not secured properly, they rub against the finish and the rubber slide roof and can cause abrasions and scuff marks. Securing a tarp over a slide would not be an easy task and having to that if rain is in the forecast would, I think, be a pain in the neck.

If a person takes the time and effort to carry out routine inspections and maintenance on the RV - especially the roof and around all vents and windows, you shouldn't run into leakage issues. I would guess that the majority of members here have had no major problems with leaks in their RVs. You will, as has been pointed out, hear from those who have and not much of anything from those who haven't.

[bsmith0404]

I was nervous as well for the same reasons as you. I had never owned a Keystone product before. After looking at dozens of RVs I finally decided to go with the one I liked best based on floor plan and finish. Every manufacturer has issues, I don't know if Keystone has more or less than others. My gut is that they are the top manufacturer of RVs on quantity, when you have quantity you will have more people with possible problems. People who have problems speak louder and more often than those who don't. I would worry more about the dealer than the manufacturer. RV service is a unique animal where you fall to the bottom of the list if you did not buy from the dealer where you need to get repairs. Although people like to say that repairs are seldom needed when you are at home or near your dealer, and that is usually true, but how hard will your dealer work for you if you are away from home. The dealer where I bought mine has a reputation for helping their customers wherever and whenever needed. Going as far as finding a repair facility, ordering parts, and shipping them to the facility. When I bought my RV I found a broken blind, they didn't hesitate to pull one from another unit and get me on my way that day.

Back to your original question, I would not be afraid to buy another keystone, I would be afraid to buy one from a different dealer.

[fla-gypsy]

I have never regretted my decision to own a Keystone TT.

[JRTJH]

A couple of years ago one of our members started a "poll" on the forum asking if owners of a Keystone would buy another one. The results were about 91% yes and about 9% no. You can view the results and the comments of this poll here: http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/sho...highlight=poll

[theeyres]

I think it is like auto makers--they are all pretty much alike. The big differences are more in the different levels of luxury. All "entry level" are pretty much the same; all high end are pretty much alike, etc. If you find the level you like and the plan you like buy it. Personally, I've had good luck with my two Keystones--a Springdale and a Hideout. So I would certainly buy another.

[theasphaltrv'er]

Just as in all parts of life. There's people that are not happy unless the can bring down what ever it is & for whatever reason they seem to feel a since of worth for doing it. I guess, their thinking is, if I can't have something worth a darn, nobody should. Our 07 Cougar had only one problem, set to much in the driveway, but DW & fixed that real easy. Our new one, we're running the wheels off it. No problems here.


Milo

[SAABDOCTOR]

POSSBUYER. Anything that rolls down an assembly line is subject to a problem from a ticked off line worker to defective part on the line. As John Posted only 9% said no. I never regretted my keystone purchace. did it have some problems? yes it did. Most were an easy fix so I like others just took care of them. would I buy another? I hope i don't have to but yes i would!! good luck with your search

[LuvsPalmTrees]

POSSBUYER - I have owned 2 TT. Love my old one because it was our first TT. We had a popup prior to that. We camp a lot. We decided to buy a TT for us (kids are older and don't go that often). We shopped 3 camper shows. Walked through just about every TT they had, decided on a Keystone Laredo. I don't regret it at all. Love the layout. I think Keystone has the best layouts out there. Enjoy the TT - complainers will always complain about something.

[Whitewolf]

We had a Keystone Passport Ultra Light. Bought a Forest River Windjammer, which was considered a 'light'. The quality difference was amazing. Passport won hands down. That's one of the reasons after camping in the Windjammer 4 times, I was ready to go back to Keystone. I've never had anything other than those two(other than the extremely used Sears pop upI had in the 80's),so I can't comment on other brands.

[Nitka]

This is my first Cougar, but we have owned a tent trailer and two travel trailers in the past and it is by far the nicest and best built so far. When we decided to upgrade, we had it narrowed down to this one and a Dutchman of the same layout. The Dutchman had some nicer finishes like central vac, but I wasn't sure it was worth the weight... I mean really, I found a very decent vac on amazon for $40 Well, my dh is the type to research the heck out any purchase, even a small one, so he scoured the forums and google. His findings uncovered many more positive than negative reviews on the Cougar and vice-versa on the Dutchman... And the Dealership was and still has been the best (shameless plug - RV Corral in Eugene, Ore)! They've even stayed after closing to swap a gas attachment so we could still make our campground before dark.

[airforceret]

I have a Cougar 280RLS on one side of my back yard, and a Forest River Product on the other... both have experienced leaks, both have been fixed under warranty, and the older Forest River once again is leaking but now that I know about the maintenance necessary with newer RVs, it's just a matter of taking time to reapply a bead of caulk around the exterior seams!

Buy what you like as they all have the potential to have problems, and all the manufacturers make an attempt to fix them under warranty, but in time, it will be your baby to take care of... so you might as well get one you like! LOL

Happy Camping... I'm off to go ATVing this weekend!!! whoohoo (with the Forest River product) The Cougar is heading to Biloxi next month though!

[koko]

Purchased our 7th camper last fall (we've had a wide variety of brands). Went to two RV shows this spring. We're the type who buy something and then go through every available other option 5 months later just to be sure we made the right decision. Well, I'm happy to report that after going through at least enough trailers at those shows that we could barely make it up the steps the 50th time, we feel that our Keystone is of good quality and design. We have convinced ourselves that we have no buyer's remorse.