Warranty repairs

[Bearcatrp]

Anyone buy a new Keystone last year and having issues getting to authorize repairs? Bought my Cougar half ton last spring. Been in the shop 5 times last summer fixing all the crap that got missed by their worthless QC. Still not done. Have a refrigerator issues that’s not fixed yet. Should have known better to upgrade from my 2017 sprinter, which was pretty much flawless. My Cougar has a great floor plan BUT the long list of crap needing repairs within the 1st 6 months of owning is nuts.

 

[Weldon-KEY]

Just curious if you performed a pre delivery inspection on your camper before you accepted it from your seller? How long did that take you? What kinds of issues have caused you to send it back for warranty work? I've seen issues where the camper was obviously put together with little to no love, and others where small issues could've been spotted and a fix requested before the owner took possession. All campers have small issues. The tolerance of the owners seems to be more volatile. Can you expound on your experience?

 

[sourdough]

The authorization of your warranty repairs depends very heavily on your dealer and their ability/desire to perform them. Are you involved with them and to what degree?

 

[Bearcatrp]

Did a walk through inspection with the dealer. About 2 hours. I let him open every door, every cabinet, every drawer. Turned everything on. Slides opened. Awning opened. Water hooked up, roof inspection. Crawled underneath. A few things I found on inspection was repaired before signing contract. Few things needed ordering but covered so agreed to take it. The last thing that’s chaps my *** is the fridge. Watched salesman open/close fridge. Missed verification of safety lock. Took it on 1st road trip. Opened door upon arrival to find all contents of fridge on floor. Upon my close inspection, the latch on the door frame was mounted too high for the safety latch to latch. The door was dented from swinging open on the road. Warranty approved for repairs. New latch and door arrives. The idiots at the dealer installed but did not verify the safety latch works. Back to dealer. Showed them issue. Told them I will not accept new holes drilled to lower the latch. Been fighting this battle since. Everything else got fixed after 5 trips to dealer. Currently fighting this last issue since last November. I jury rig the door for now. It’s a good rv minus the multiple issues. Great floor plan. If I have to pay to get this right, have a sign ready to post outside when camping to warn others to not purchase any keystone product. Will show anyone that asks why all my paperwork showing why. One thing for sure, will be my last keystone. My 2017 sprinter was almost flawless and fixed immediately. Regret upgrading.

 

[sourdough]

Your issue is your dealer. All RVs come with some sort of issue. It it's warranty the DEALER is the key to satisfactory resolution. Sounds as if Keystone has authorized all the requested repairs, your dealer is just sub par so you might consider putting the blame where it belongs.

 

[Bearcatrp]

The dealer has documented everything including their screw up. Yes, the dealer should have let keystone know the ordered latch still didn’t fix the issue. But it’s still a warranty issue being less than a year old. It’s actually the company that makes the fridge that is responsible for a defective unit. But that’s between keystone on fridge manufacturer. Hope to hear by end of this week which way this goes.

 

[sourdough]

That's not really correct. You have a warranty on your appliances, your roof, your frame, A/Cs etc. - all provided by the manufacturers. For the first 12 mos. Keystone, with the provided documentation from your dealer, will file those warranties for you and take care of them. Keystone will take care of it, again if your dealer provides proof that the item is defective that they can then provide to the manufacturer. The documentation from the dealer is THE key - btdt many times. The fridge issue is on you or the dealer. Keystone paid for the latch and new door from what I read. Your dealer messed it up - the resolution is now on them.

 

[cougar23]

Sourdough is correct! Many if not most dealers cannot get qualified workers.
Factory will authorize repairs but dealer does not have mechanics with the experience to do the work. As most know ALL business's have trouble getting workers, not just RV dealers.
Pays to be handy enough to do the work yourself or have friends that can help.

 

[JRTJH]

There was a time (not too long ago) when I could take my truck to the Ford dealership with a problem, they could "work it in later that day or the next day"... Now, just for a front end alignment, there's a full schedule for 2-3 weeks before they can work on it. For diesel work, expect at least 4-6 weeks to get an appointment for repairs. Then, expect that after the problem is identified, it will be 1-2 weeks for "in the warehouse parts" to be delivered to the dealership, for "currently out of stock parts" the last part ordered for my truck took 4 months for delivery, and that was only after I wrote several nasty letters to the CEO of Ford and was assigned a "special customer satisfaction representative" to follow my complaints.

So, it AIN'T just Keystone that's having problems. Have you tried to get a Samsung front loading washer repaired lately? How about an LG 75" smart TV? or maybe a John Deere tractor ???

As stated in numerous posts above: Keystone does have some "factory line problems"... That said, if YOUR dealer delivered a trailer with numerous problems, THAT'S THE DEALER, not Keystone... If your refrigerator was repaired BY THE DEALER and still doesn't work (because they installed a part incorrectly) THAT'S THE DEALER (not Keystone or Dometic/Norcold)....

If YOUR DEALER can't get your trailer fixed, don't blame Keystone (1000 miles away) blame YOUR DEALER..... It may be time to have a "nice friendly face to face meeting" with the service manager and the general manager so they know your expectations.....

Badmouthing Keystone (who from all your posts, has provided the parts to fix your trailer and approved all the work required, that should have been fixed before you bought it) isn't identifying the problem.

The problem is YOUR DEALER.......

 

[chuckster57]

I have been an RV tech for more than 10 yrs and I can attest to the lack of qualified techs and customer oriented repair facilities.

 

[jasin1]

i’ve never had a warranty request until my roof had a little split in it…don’t want to revisit that but i do wonder if rv manufacturers deny so many claims because of all the frivolous little warranty requests…i’ve read on the forum about people that have a few staples pop loose or a door is misaligned and they are ready to call a lawyer…no middle ground ..no reasoning…just complete satisfaction or else they want to burn the company to the ground.

They finally get to the people that really need some help with warranty work like a roof or delamination and they don’t have time for them because the warranty machine is busy dealing with the people who probably will never be satisfied

 

[DutchmenSport]

In the first year of owning my Montana High Country, I had 81 different issues. Some were a serious warranty problem.... like the brakes broke ... yea... really. The main entry door didn't close right, it drug and had a 1/4 inch gap in it ... really. Bedroom door broke at the door frame and completely separated from the wall.... really. The closet shelf and cloths bar completely collapsed ... really! Those are just a few things that went wrong.

After my 3rd trip to the dealership for warranty repairs, I took the bull by the horns and started fixing stuff myself. I realized REAL FAST that anything fixed under "warranty" will simply be replaced EXACTLY as it was when it came from the factory. They'll screw the same screws directly back into a Styrofoam wall that will collaps again at the first bump in the road. They will not affix additional adheasives, or extra supports, or do anything except restore (whatever the problem is) it to the way it came from the factory. This was completely unsatisfactory as the same problem occurred again on may of their fixes. Except for the front door replacement and all new brakes, springs, everything there, I went back AFTER their 3rd fix and re-fixed things myself. Lots of screws, Liquid Nails, extra supports, extra everything. After 1 year, I had a darn good trailer!

Now we purchased our Montana in the Fall of 2018 for a 2019 model. This was before Covid, so no one can point fingers on these horrid failures at Covid. It was just inferior construction and inferior design at the factor in the first place.

Now, today, OMG! I have a solid camper! Strong, sturdy, and stout. I've probably added over a thousand pounds of extra building material into it. But now, unless a tornado blows it away.... I'm keeping this one till I die!

If you want a good camper .... you simply have to fix the known problems yourself, be pro-active and do a little upgrading on the existing structure, and keep up on repairs before things happen. It's just that nature of the industry these days!

 

[chuckster57]

In the first year of owning my Montana High Country, I had 81 different issues. Some were a serious warranty problem.... like the brakes broke ... yea... really. The main entry door didn't close right, it drug and had a 1/4 inch gap in it ... really. Bedroom door broke at the door frame and completely separated from the wall.... really. The closet shelf and cloths bar completely collapsed ... really! Those are just a few things that went wrong.

After my 3rd trip to the dealership for warranty repairs, I took the bull by the horns and started fixing stuff myself. I realized REAL FAST that anything fixed under "warranty" will simply be replaced EXACTLY as it was when it came from the factory. They'll screw the same screws directly back into a Styrofoam wall that will collaps again at the first bump in the road. They will not affix additional adheasives, or extra supports, or do anything except restore (whatever the problem is) it to the way it came from the factory. This was completely unsatisfactory as the same problem occurred again on may of their fixes. Except for the front door replacement and all new brakes, springs, everything there, I went back AFTER their 3rd fix and re-fixed things myself. Lots of screws, Liquid Nails, extra supports, extra everything. After 1 year, I had a darn good trailer!

Now we purchased our Montana in the Fall of 2018 for a 2019 model. This was before Covid, so no one can point fingers on these horrid failures at Covid. It was just inferior construction and inferior design at the factor in the first place.

Now, today, OMG! I have a solid camper! Strong, sturdy, and stout. I've probably added over a thousand pounds of extra building material into it. But now, unless a tornado blows it away.... I'm keeping this one till I die!

If you want a good camper .... you simply have to fix the known problems yourself, be pro-active and do a little upgrading on the existing structure, and keep up on repairs before things happen. It's just that nature of the industry these days!

I totally get what you’re saying. Here’s the truth: warranty work doesn’t “pay”. Factory decides the labor rate and time allotted. Unless you can articulate with a boatload of pics and verbiage, they won’t cover any extra time or materials. Last dealership I worked at, Keystone paid $110.00/hr for labor and shop rate was $145.00. Back then lots of shops paid flat rate so the tech was trying to “make time” and the repair most likely reflected that. Calif outlawed flat rate, but most shops track your “efficiency” by comparing time clock hours to “billable hours”, and consistently low efficiency can cost a tech his job.

I just wanted to shed some light from a person on the front lines.

 

[sourdough]

To piggyback on what Chuck said; the dealer is cut short on labor rates and hours on warranty work. Keystone will, left to their own devices, only repair a fault with exactly what was there. If a screw pulled out put in a bigger screw etc. But, the owner has input and needs to understand that. An inferior setup that failed has to be proven by the dealer, AND owner, so that a better fix can be approved - btdt. The last large repair on my trailer required my involvement along with the tech, dealer svc. mgr. and Keystone warranty mgmt. I was involved from my first call to the dealer until I picked it up after my final inspection to make sure I approved of the repairs. I had to advocate for the dealer to have the hours that Keystone allowed increased...a lot because they weren't realistic.

In the end I got a one off, custom warranty repair that will last the life of the trailer done to my specs and satisfaction and the dealer got compensated appropriately. The dealer was in my ballpark and it took lots of time on everyone's part but that's what you have to do if you want things done right. Would they do that every time for everyone? No. Would they do that every time for me? No. I was lucky but it shows an owner can affect the outcome of his warranty work...and I've done that now multiple times....but I'm a very involved, hands on person.

 

[flybouy]

i’ve never had a warranty request until my roof had a little split in it…don’t want to revisit that but i do wonder if rv manufacturers deny so many claims because of all the frivolous little warranty requests…i’ve read on the forum about people that have a few staples pop loose or a door is misaligned and they are ready to call a lawyer…no middle ground ..no reasoning…just complete satisfaction or else they want to burn the company to the ground.

They finally get to the people that really need some help with warranty work like a roof or delamination and they don’t have time for them because the warranty machine is busy dealing with the people who probably will never be satisfied

"Those people" can be found in just about every hospital ER. They are the ones screaming to see a doctor when they have a runny nose or a broken finger nail. Meanwhile, the others with serious, more urgent needs wait their turn, often for hours.

 

[wiredgeorge]

"Those people" can be found in just about every hospital ER. They are the ones screaming to see a doctor when they have a runny nose or a broken finger nail. Meanwhile, the others with serious, more urgent needs wait their turn, often for hours.

Most folks in local ERs are the uninsured as the ER has to treat them... believe it is the law. Won't get into politics but there are a lot more uninsured than there were a few years ago.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Keystone sent the same latch as the original. The idiots at the dealer mounted it but didn’t verify it worked. This fridge was built wrong. To me the latch was mounted wrong but after measuring the latch, the latch mounts to the frame, it’s not long enough to latch both freezer and fridge door, the safety latch that stops it opening while driving down the road. The regular latch works though when you close it on regular use. To me, this is a warranty issue. Already told them I won’t accept a larger plate for them to drill more holes to make it work. Paid too much for this unit to have it fixed half assed.

 

[sourdough]

Think about what you are saying. Keystone sent a new latch, the idiots at the dealership mounted it but didn't verify it worked... That is 100% a dealer issue. "The fridge was built wrong". Although those fridges are in thousands of RVs and no one has your issue....they're built wrong? "A warranty issue"? If so, you have already said in your opinion it's a "fridge" issue, that's not a Keystone problem it's yours. Keystone (the manufacturer) sent you a new latch and the dealer fouled that up. Until you figure out what's going on and who to blame you are going to be a very unhappy camper....courtesy of the dealer and your refusal to blame them.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Keystone sent the same plate as was already mounted. Even though the idiots at my dealer didn’t verify it worked, it’s still keystone and the fridge manufacturer issue. How the **** is this my issue? After reading other posts of keystone owners having bigger issues than mine and keystone not covering warranty coverage, seems keystone is not a good RV company to do business with and will tell everyone I know or meet to stay away from this company. Anyways, thanks to everyone who replied. Already looking at my next upgrade and sure as **** will not be keystone.

 

[sourdough]

Good luck on your next upgrade. All RV manufacturers operate the same way and use the same warranties that the appliance, wheel, brakes, frame etc. manufacturers provide. They offer a 12 mo. warranty on the trailer stem to stern and that warranty depends on the component warranties AND what those folks determine to warrant or not generally. Sometimes Keystone will warrant some of those items on a brand new trailer whether the manufacturer does or not but they depend on the expertise of said manufacturers to determine a warrantable fault from an owner (or dealer) fault of which there are many. They don't warrant poor work from a poor dealer which it seems is what you have found.

Keystone did their job in providing a new latch and door. Again, your dealer fouled that up and I wouldn't expect Keystone to pay for it again...or again and again, because your dealer can't fix it properly. Now it's between you and the dealer IMO. Placing the blame on Keystone for this is like blaming an auto manufacturer because a drunk driver ran over you. If you use the same dealer chances are you are in the same boat no matter what you buy if you have issues....but that's your call. Good luck.