Keystone cap fading issue

[grampscamper]

I know this has been covered many times before but wanted to vent my frustration. It seems some of the Keystone 5th wheel and travel trailers front caps are fading badly. I have read a few posts of customers that have had Keystone repaint these caps, some have been covered out of warranty.
They seem to be selective on who they will help. I noticed mine starting to fade at about 22 months after I took delivery. I didn't contact Keystone immediately because we were using our 5th wheel almost every week and it wasn't very noticeable at the time. It is now fading quite rapidly.
I decided to contact my dealer a couple of weeks ago. They told me it was a known problem and they thought Keystone would likely cover it. My dealer asked me to send pictures for them to forward to Keystone. A few days ago I got a call from my dealer saying the claim was denied. I called Keystone directly and was told I'm outside the warranty period therefore it wouldn't be covered. They suggested I purchase a product to remove the oxidation.
I now have a 2 year old 5th wheel that looks much older. I was hoping for them to except responsibility. I know they have warrantied trailers that were built before ours but for some reason ours was rejected. I sent an email to Keystone and my dealer expressing my disappointment.
I haven't given up hope yet. I will be contacting management at my dealer to see what they will do to help.
Wish me luck.

[B_O__Plenty]

kway wrote:

B.O. Plenty wrote:
I have been paying close attention to this fading issue and how different manufactures are dealing with it. So far it seems that about the only one that really seems to care on a longer term basis is Cedar Creek. There have been several owners that reported that Cedar Creek has not just painted but has replaced the entire cap for this. They claim to be using a different gel-coat starting with their 2015 models to prevent this. If this is working for them they will get my business the next time I buy a new trailer. I'm really tired of spending my money to correct issues that never should have happened to begin with.

B.O.

This may be true BUT only for original owners. Before y'all bash me for expecting Cedar Creek to cover the unsightly white chalky fading of our front cap just know that the unit we bought is a 2015 Cedar Creek 38CK that was virtually NEW when we bought it - on the inside still had plastic and tags on everything. The previous owners were said to have had it only a couple of months. Furthermore if I had bought a used car I would expect the paint and body to last more than a year.

I didn't go through the dealer to resolve the issue. I went straight to Cedar Creek who tells me this unit not only out of warranty but we are also not original owners and that is where their allegiance lies and where their goodwill ends.

Not very happy with them at the moment.

Sorry but when you buy used at what was probably a greatly reduced price you get no warranty. You buy it as is. I assume you knew that but bought it anyway. Spend some of the thousands you saved and have it painted.

B.O.

[kway]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
I have been paying close attention to this fading issue and how different manufactures are dealing with it. So far it seems that about the only one that really seems to care on a longer term basis is Cedar Creek. There have been several owners that reported that Cedar Creek has not just painted but has replaced the entire cap for this. They claim to be using a different gel-coat starting with their 2015 models to prevent this. If this is working for them they will get my business the next time I buy a new trailer. I'm really tired of spending my money to correct issues that never should have happened to begin with.

B.O.

This may be true BUT only for original owners. Before y'all bash me for expecting Cedar Creek to cover the unsightly white chalky fading of our front cap just know that the unit we bought is a 2015 Cedar Creek 38CK that was virtually NEW when we bought it - on the inside still had plastic and tags on everything. The previous owners were said to have had it only a couple of months. Furthermore if I had bought a used car I would expect the paint and body to last more than a year.

I didn't go through the dealer to resolve the issue. I went straight to Cedar Creek who tells me this unit not only out of warranty but we are also not original owners and that is where their allegiance lies and where their goodwill ends.

Not very happy with them at the moment.

[grampscamper]

car2900 wrote:

B.O. Plenty wrote:
I have been paying close attention to this fading issue and how different manufactures are dealing with it. So far it seems that about the only one that really seems to care on a longer term basis is Cedar Creek. There have been several owners that reported that Cedar Creek has not just painted but has replaced the entire cap for this. They claim to be using a different gel-coat starting with their 2015 models to prevent this. If this is working for them they will get my business the next time I buy a new trailer. I'm really tired of spending my money to correct issues that never should have happened to begin with.

B.O.

My 2014 Cedar Creek 34 RLSA just got a new front cap. I think my dealer was responsible for this happening. Cedar Creek first covered sanding, buffing, and sealing which only lasted 2 months. They then agreed to send a new cap to the dealer for installation. I thank Cedar Creek but credit my dealer for making it happen and doing a great job installing it. I will certainly be a Cedar Creek customer from now on and a lifetime customer of my dealer which is a 300 mile round trip for me. A good dealer with a good service department is very important.

I agree 100% I stayed with the same auto dealer for 25 years until they closed down. They got my business because I was always treated fairly.

[car2900]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
I have been paying close attention to this fading issue and how different manufactures are dealing with it. So far it seems that about the only one that really seems to care on a longer term basis is Cedar Creek. There have been several owners that reported that Cedar Creek has not just painted but has replaced the entire cap for this. They claim to be using a different gel-coat starting with their 2015 models to prevent this. If this is working for them they will get my business the next time I buy a new trailer. I'm really tired of spending my money to correct issues that never should have happened to begin with.

B.O.

My 2014 Cedar Creek 34 RLSA just got a new front cap. I think my dealer was responsible for this happening. Cedar Creek first covered sanding, buffing, and sealing which only lasted 2 months. They then agreed to send a new cap to the dealer for installation. I thank Cedar Creek but credit my dealer for making it happen and doing a great job installing it. I will certainly be a Cedar Creek customer from now on and a lifetime customer of my dealer which is a 300 mile round trip for me. A good dealer with a good service department is very important.

[grampscamper]

Yes. I'm discovering now it is best to have it painted. Now if I could get Keystone to do anything for me.
As far as maintenance is concerned, my RV has been cleaned and waxed with the best products since it was new.
I do own a boat that is 16 years old and it looks like new. I use the same wax and sealer on both.
My RV looks more like it's 16 years old.

[Veebyes]

transamz9 wrote:

Veebyes wrote:
The standing joke in the marine industry says that a boat can be any colour, as long as it is white.

That holds true with RVs too. Colour simply does not hold up to the ravages of the sun. Add this to manufacturers who, in an effort to minimise weight & costs, spray very thin gel coats into molds. A new unit may sit, with no maintenance, no wax, in a lot for a year before it is sold. The dealer uses something cheap & easy before sending it out the door then the owner either does not maintain it or also uses something cheap & easy which typically does not last very long before it is chalking again.

The darker it is, the faster it will chalk.

I have to disagree. My 8 year old boat that spends a lot of time in the sun still looks brand new. I think a lot of it is products that are used in the manufacturing and products used in taking care of it.

Not sure what the pic is of. Assume that it is part of a bassboat type that spends very little time in the water & is kept on a trailer where it is often kept in the shade.

Puffy life for a boat.

I have 2 boats. A 14'er & a 32'er. Both are now 19 years old. Both spend their summers, 7 months minimum, in water. Salt water. Tough life.

I'd like to see what the trailer boats, with all of the fancy graphics etc. look like after the saltwater & sun has worked on them for 19 seasons.

Agree very much that gelcoat life on RVs or boats starts with the manufacturer. A good gelcoat takes lots of expensive material. After that it is up to the owner to take care of it.

Sooner or later major refurbishment of the gelcoat will have to be done. As some RV owners are finding out the really thin gelcoats are only last a couple years without a really intensive maintenance schedule.

Back to the OP, a coloured gelcoat is simply a bad idea. Much better to use a marine type epoxy paint or automotive paint.

[transamz9]

goducks10 wrote:
Boat gel coating at least from what I read on boat forums is a few steps above what the cheap RV industry requires.

I agree 100%. RVs would weigh a lot more if they were built to the standards of a boat.

[goducks10]

Boat gel coating at least from what I read on boat forums is a few steps above what the cheap RV industry requires.

[transamz9]

Veebyes wrote:
The standing joke in the marine industry says that a boat can be any colour, as long as it is white.

That holds true with RVs too. Colour simply does not hold up to the ravages of the sun. Add this to manufacturers who, in an effort to minimise weight & costs, spray very thin gel coats into molds. A new unit may sit, with no maintenance, no wax, in a lot for a year before it is sold. The dealer uses something cheap & easy before sending it out the door then the owner either does not maintain it or also uses something cheap & easy which typically does not last very long before it is chalking again.

The darker it is, the faster it will chalk.

I have to disagree. My 8 year old boat that spends a lot of time in the sun still looks brand new. I think a lot of it is products that are used in the manufacturing and products used in taking care of it.

[grampscamper]

Paul Clancy wrote:
My dealer was unwilling to help. I had to go directly to the manufacturer to get it covered. Goes without saying I will not buy from that dealer again.

I'm curious. What model and how long out of warranty?

[Paul_Clancy]

My dealer was unwilling to help. I had to go directly to the manufacturer to get it covered. Goes without saying I will not buy from that dealer again.

[grampscamper]

I meticulously maintain our 5th wheel. I wax it at least twice per year with a good quality wax. It didn't seem to make any difference. Maybe it slowed the process a little but I'm not sure.
I'm frustrated with the appearance of our almost new 5th wheel. Our next 5th wheel won't have a dark colored cap regardless of make. I would recommend that anyone that experiences cap fade report it to your dealer immediately. I would take pictures and document it with an email to your dealer. I know many have been covered well outside the warranty.
Maybe if you have a good dealer and/or manufacturer you may have better success than I'm experiencing.

[Tequila]

sameissue with my northwood trailer. Also brown/ I can polish it out with cut wax, 2 weeks later it is back, ocndiering polishing then using a spray clear coat on it. Problem is I am in mexico and wont have the chnace to do that fro awile. I did no notice spray clear coat in Torklift Central. I have to drive home at Xmas with just my truck so i may pick some up. I will try it on the bit that is on the tip first.

[K_sKamper]

We rubbed the faded cap out with Meguiar's Marine rubbing compound and then waxed it Meguiar's Premium Marine Wax with UV protection. It came out pretty good, waiting to see how long it lasts. There was so much Keystone would not fix correctly within the warranty did not bother trying to get them to cover. A friend had the front of theirs sprayed with clear coat which worked on the fading unfortunately the person that sprayed it did not put a heavy enough coat and it is a bit gritty.