crack in side of outside wall

I have a same crack in the same place and wrote Starcraft for advise as in " Could a weld be broken or is just the Filon cracked." Answer: Take it to the dealer for an inspection BUT your unit is out of warrentee and Starcraft would not be able to assist you in the repair. That was 5/6 years ago. It never got any bigger and I just fill the crack with that roof seam sealer. I think it is a broken weld. (The framework is welded aluminum) Hasn't fallen apart yet and I doubt if it will.

Sounds like a crack I had. After trying to fix it 4 times Keystone took it back. It was due to the frame flexing way over spec. STAY AWAY.

However....if the crack doesn't show up on the inside wall it may just be a stress crack in the siding caused by improper installation.

The crack can be repaired or sealed with silicone sealant or the "as seen on TV" flex spray. Won't be pretty but will stop water from entering.

Use the crack as a bargaining chip to get the price lower. If you feel the 5th wheel is a good buy.

donn0128 wrote:
Yes it is a sign of major structural issues. RUN!

What he ^^^^ said. Chris

Cracks let water in. Water seeps in and pools at the bottom and things rot. Then keep rotting.

Having seen the extent to which rot can infiltrate a fifth wheel (one with the tiniest of pinpricks in the rubber roof that rotted a back wall and about 16 sq feet for floor area), I wouldn't consider purchasing such a unit.

I recently read a post on another forum detailing a repair for a crack exactly matching what you described. They had cut away the fiberglass and found that the aluminum framing between the slideout and roof had broken loose at the welds allowing flex which resulted in the crack. It was repaired under warranty so there was no indication of cost. I can only guess that it would be very expensive to repair and even more expensive if left unrepaired and ended up doing further damage.

So, yes I would run !!!! RV's already have enough small issues to deal with, you dont want to start out fighting a major issue.

Just my humble opinion

Yes it is a sign of major structural issues. RUN!