Possible frame weld broken on new Montana

[nremtp143]

Hi guys. Our new Montana was delivered in April and last week while unhitching the unit at home, I noticed the side- nose wall of the camper had broken the silicon bead at the bottom. Once I put the weight back on the truck, you could see the gap at the bottom trim move. The dealer says nothing he can do about it and I've emailed my factory rep, Montana Customer Service and Lippert. I've heard from Montana's Owner Relations only so far. I was asked a hundred questions as to how this occurred(like I know) and everything from what kind of hitch I use and what kind of truck I tow it with. I know they are just doing their job and patiently waiting to see what can/will be done. I have some trips coming up very soon that have been paid for for over a year and worried about making them. I've sent them the video I have below as well as several more pics from every angle. Just waiting to see where to go and what to do next. I have friends that work at an RV plant in Indiana and says possible weld or a wall-frame mount has come loose. Have any of you ever seen one do this?
Gap at bottom widens

[Wild_Card]

goducks10 wrote:

Wild Card wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
You can tell it's in a "tailspin to failure" by the drop in sales. 🙂

They will all be belly up soon...

Really?
RV sales are on track to set a record for sales for the 3rd year in a row.
When RV MFG's go belly up, most everyone else is in trouble too. It means the economy has tanked big time. Since we've been in a longer than normal bull market there may be some truth to that. However they won't go belly up by doing what they're doing now. Too many unsuspecting retiree's and millennials buying. Ignorance is bliss to RV MFG's.
After the next economic collapse it will be the best time to buy a house or RV. Sad though.

I was being facetious.

100k units built 2 of them have failure and they are on the rv.net being talked about...

[mhardin]

RV industry dying? BS!

I saw a national ABC News report last week about how the RV industry is booming, selling 430,000 units in just the last year. Airstream alone has gone from 156 employees in 2008 to 830 employees today.

POKE HERE for the ABC News video.

[Irelands_child]

That article by Greg Gerber of the RV Daily Report has been shot down in billowing smoke and flames on several different forums and by folks that are well tuned in to the RV industry. Read it if you must but keep an open (very) mind

RVIA has a monthly summary of new units shipped by type and percntage. Through June 2017, the RV industry has shipped 256,430 NEW units, a 13.3% increase over 2016, and 18.3% over June 2016. http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=currentmonth

What he is 100% correct in saying is that there are major quality problems as the OP of this thread and a few other respondents have experienced over all brands

[fj12ryder]

Bad link.

Wow, I started reading the "death spiral" link and simply had to give it up. It was full of so much hyperbole, conjecture, wishful thinking, and baloney I had to put it down as a waste of my time. I hope the author doesn't give up his day job.

[goducks10]

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/editpost/forum/24/editTID/29391007/thread/28978942.cfm

Bad link.

[goducks10]

minnow wrote:
I know that our current RV will our last. Not willing to spin the roulette wheel hoping we get one that holds together. Shoddy frames, underbuilt suspensions, slides that quit. Who needs the stress of wondering when and where the next failure will occur.

Look at Northwood MFG or Outdoor RV. They build their own frames. Very rare to here about issues.

[hvac]

Read this. Unsustainable business model.

http://rvdr-cdn3.appxtreme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/RV-Industry-Death-Spiral-compilation.pdf

[hvac]

Read this. Unsustainable business model.

http://rvdr-cdn3.appxtreme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/RV-Industry-Death-Spiral-compilation.pdf

[minnow]

I know that our current RV will our last. Not willing to spin the roulette wheel hoping we get one that holds together. Shoddy frames, underbuilt suspensions, slides that quit. Who needs the stress of wondering when and where the next failure will occur.

[goducks10]

Wild Card wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
You can tell it's in a "tailspin to failure" by the drop in sales. 🙂

They will all be belly up soon...

Really?
RV sales are on track to set a record for sales for the 3rd year in a row.
When RV MFG's go belly up, most everyone else is in trouble too. It means the economy has tanked big time. Since we've been in a longer than normal bull market there may be some truth to that. However they won't go belly up by doing what they're doing now. Too many unsuspecting retiree's and millennials buying. Ignorance is bliss to RV MFG's.
After the next economic collapse it will be the best time to buy a house or RV. Sad though.

[fj12ryder]

Wild Card wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
You can tell it's in a "tailspin to failure" by the drop in sales. 🙂

They will all be belly up soon...

Since they're selling all they can make this seems unlikely.

[Wild_Card]

fj12ryder wrote:
You can tell it's in a "tailspin to failure" by the drop in sales. 🙂

They will all be belly up soon...

[fj12ryder]

You can tell it's in a "tailspin to failure" by the drop in sales. 🙂

[hvac]

This why I went all metal and bought an ATC 28 front bedroom toy hauler. No wood. Anywhere. No surprises.

This industry is in a tailspin to failure.Its pitiful and we enable the issue by continuing to buy the junk they offer. Alternative mfg is offered by ATC,Sundowner, Becker custom trailers.

[laknox]

Ralph Cramden wrote:

laknox wrote:

nremtp143 wrote:
Yes. Last summer they pulled into a campsite went to put the slides out and the entire slide, frame and all, fell onto the ground. Keystone took the camper and repaired it and just under a year later, this happened.

Just shows that the factory "repairs" are of the same quality as the original build. Sad...

Lyle

You can only polish turds to so much of a sheen.

Good one! :B

Lyle