how bad is keystone?

StPaul wrote:
I hope that caulking everything with Durabond will help.

Using Eternabond on the roof of a new trailer may get your roof warrant voided as one TT owner found out. He was warned but did it anyway:

trailernovice

joined: 10/25/2010

Posted: 11/29/11 11:13am Link | Quote | Print | Notify Moderator

A while back, I opened a thread asking whether eterna-bonding the roof seams on an almost-new TT as a preventative measure was a good idea ...the virtually unanimous opinion was 'yes'....


Well, took the TT to the selling dealer today for some minor work...rep. sees the tape job, asks 'why on earth did you DO that'?, and tells me that: a.) it's not necessary b.) it'll trap water if any water ever gets beneath the tape, and c.) any claim under the roof warranty may get kicked on grounds that the roof has been 'modified'....

thought i did the right thing by sealing the seams, but now not so sure....

Ask your dealer or the trailer manufacturer first. It looks like long bandaids laying around the roof trying to hide a problem.

We have a 2006 Keystone Sprinter that we bought new. Have had no problems with it, except to have one day/night shade replaced. Have never had a leak, the interior is still very nice and original, all appliances and heater and air are still working. We use it about 4 months out of the year and it has been stored outside (occasionally in below zero and snowy weather)except for the past 2 years we found a reasonable indoor place to store it. My husband keeps up with any maintenance and cleans the roof and waxes the trailer at least once during the year. It looks brand new. Every brand of trailer or 5th wheel will occasionally have problems. I guess we have been very lucky.

We were very happy with our 2006 Cougar. I wouldn't classify it as entry level, more like a mid level as far as quality went. We kept it for 6 years and even had 1 cross country trip with it with few issues. It did take most of the first year to sort out some build issues but I lay the fault of that at the selling dealer and their fumble fingered techs. Keystone was great and stood behind every issue until it was fixed right. What we especially loved about our RV was how open and light it was with generous windows. The bathroom was especially spacious for a 24' trailer and the rear kitchen was a very well placed surprise for room. The wife also loved that the dinette was on the curb side, not the streetside.

My 2006 that I bought new in 2005 is doing great. Yes a few things need fixed but I think all RVs do require some work. Newest models look so much nicer I would not hesitate to go Keystone again if trading. For now I am keeping mine.

Excellent, thank you myredracer. Our other choice was the Palomino Canyon Cat 17QBC. The CCC is about 1700 lbs. I'm asking some questions about axle pounds from a nearby dealer.

Our tow capacity (5200) limits our choices. My husband's desire to have a separate, dedicated dinette REALLY limits our choices. The smaller the fridge the better, for me. I would give up every amenity for more quality construction. We really are just using it to sleep in and eat inside when raining. We dont really need cable, tv hook ups, we don't even really need the bathroom. BUT, your thoughts on carrying capacity and axle weight are spot on. Thanks again.

At a dealer or private? $11K sounds okay but you could possibly do better. Is it a new previous year model? Full warranty on it? What is your TV? I assume you have kids, hence the bunks?

It looks to me that the 1800 is a single axle trailer, 3940 GVWR, 755 CCC, and is 29'-5" long. The CCC seems rather low and I think you could easily end up loading it close to the GVWR, or even over if not watching the weight. If it has a 3500 lb axle, it could be running close to or potentially even over capacity which is not good - you want some reserve capacity. What tires does it have and what is the load rating? Without seeing the TT and having more info., I would want a 4000 lb axle on it. One full tank of water would add 255 lbs. The weight of things you load into the TT will probably be in the 500-1,000 lb range.

Some things I note from Keystone's website: the fridge is an under-counter model and small. One single 20 lb propane tank. Pass-through storage door is very small. Where would a TV get mounted and where to view from? Dinette seating won't seat 4? No sink/vanity in bathroom. No curtain between bed area and the rest of the TT. Full walk-around beds are normally preferable. If you have a flat tire or blowout, you may end up with more damage compared to a dual axle.

I would suggest looking at dual axle TTs.

The parent company to Keystone is Thor so Thor should be included on your web searches. They like to add a few more visible features and bling, but underneath everything is where they cut down on costs. Buying any TT is also about how the dealer and factory deal with warranty issues.

Friends of ours have a new Keystone and it looks nice, but I have not had a really close look at it yet. We used to own a 20' Coachmen Catalina with a 5K lb GVWR and it had dual axles, 6 cu. ft. fridge, good interior and exterior storage space, vanity in bathroom, dual 30lb propane tanks. Within a year, we found the TT to be too cramped and there was no sofa to watch TV from.

If it were me, I'd be looking at some other makes and models. But if you are restricted by your TV payload/tow capacity, that will narrow down choices.

A dealer told me there were 2 types of trailers (those that leak and those that will leak).

We've have a Keystone Sprinter for 2 years now. Overall no major problems, but lots of little ones. It doesn't leak. It's not build as well as the Jayco we had prior.

We love our Keystone, great first 2 years. Every maker will have their problems. A few years back we were seasonal and just about ever Forest River Salem or Sierra seemed to leak with 2-3 needing to go back to the factory every year. I would guess they have fixed the issue by now but just shows all have issues from time to time.

stpauligirlmn wrote:
Lol! Yes, i think i meant Eternabond :)

Eternabond is a tape that is good for sealing seams. They make a RV sealant in a tube for sealing smaller items. Just DON'T use silicon or you will have a heck of a mess to deal with.