Keystone Customer Service Fail

[cjelliott81]

BUYER BEWARE! - KEYSTONE WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS.


An improperly installed (upside down) cargo door has caused thousands of dollars in water damage to my camper and despite a diagnosis from two different authorized Keystone dealerships that that the door is improperly installed, Keystone refuses to take responsibility.


The door is installed such that the weep holes that would typically allow rain water to simply drain out of the door are located on top of the door rather than the bottom (see photos). This allows the door to fill with water during rain showers until it completely fills the door and weeps between the door panels and the black frame that binds each side of the door together ( not to be confused with the door frame that the door seals against when closed).


Per Keystone customer service, "... they stated they do not believe a manufacturing defect. It would be deemed no assistance from Keystone RV. They deemed that the weep holes would not allow water into compartment." This is despite the fact that it has been diagnosed as an improperly installed door by two of their service centers, video of the water running down the door obviously from the door seams and not from the frame, and photos of corrosion on the interior of the door from the water seepage.



Photos: https://goo.gl/photos/5Aa9mdqgHAdAF52GA

Video of leak: https://youtu.be/PpWkQt6AMlU

[cjelliott81]

A couple of notes to address some confusion:

- I have an estimate from CW for ~$2000 to replace the rotten floor and the door.

- Multiple attempts were made to mitigate the leak myself to include sealing the door with foil tape when water was noticed in the compartment until it could be returned to CW for diagnosis, each time I was assured it was fixed and the process would start again.

- When I finally determined the source of the leak 1.5 years after it's first visit to CW, I sealed the drain holes with foil tape to prevent any additional leaking, I however did not attempt to modify or alter the door such as to avoid accusations of my work being the cause of the failure. At no time did I intentionally allow damage while waiting on a warranty resolution.

There are discussions ongoing between myself, CW, and Keystone. I will update once a resolution is determined.

For those who indicate how little they care, yet continue to post in an attempt to initiate a pissing contest; if you feel so inclined to argue with a stranger on the internet - I hear there is an election coming up.

[Lantley]

This post has not done one thing to sway my opinion on Keystone one way or the other.
I'm not a big Fan of Keystone,but I have no axe to grind with them either.
When it comes to RV's quality control is lacking across all brands and all price points. We all know this ...right!!LOL....
Inspecting the individual unit you are buying is critical. As mentioned above a thorough PDI is the key to success.
Buying from a reputable dealer with a stellar reputation is also important.
There is no silver bullet or miracle to make the RV industry totally upstanding.
Once you have a problem you need to be as proactive as possible to get things fixed. Fixing minor items yourself is often the best solution vs. fighting a warranty claim. Good Luck this story has dragged on too long already

[Huntindog]

goducks10 wrote:
I would say all we know is how the OP handled the whole thing. I would like to hear the dealers and Keystones side. Not the way the OP is interpreting it.
Wouldn't deter me from a Keystone product. Every brand has a buyer that's been through the ringer over some issue. If we all decided on what unit to buy based on negative issues then we all would be staying in hotels for vacation.
Keystone sells a bu!! load of RVs. They're bound to have a goof up.

Exactly how the OP handled it is not the big thing here. We know that he reported the leak before the TT was in service for one year... Therefore his warranty should be good... There may be some technicalities with transfering it that were not handled correctly... If so, then that is the dealers fault, as a buyer would not know what needs to be done.

And though the root cause of the leak wasn't found until the warranty was up,, that should not matter as it was reported under warranty. It is not the OPs job to diagnose the cause of the leak.
It doesn't matter how long the dealer takes to correctly diagnose a problem... They need to get it fixed.

If Keystone is in fact trying to weasel out of the warranty because of transfer paperwork not being done right... Shame on them. They very well may cost themselves new sales down the road... From the OP and others that he tells his experience to.

If they are trying to weasel out based on the warranty period being over.... Shame on them again. The OP reported the leak within the warranty period... It needs to get fixed period.

I for one want to know just what the end result of this is. I will be buying another new TT down the road. I want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about all brands.
BTW, my Sabre experience has been nothing short of excellent.. The only reason I would switch brands is because they do not currently offer what I think I will be wanting next time. Maybe they will in the future.

[Candie4749]

I work in warranty for a company that supplies products to the RV industry (not this door though ) The standard for warranty is one year from the date of retail purchase on a brand new unit. We have now purchased four travel trailers two new and two used and I cannot stress enough how important the PDI is. Take two hours plus if need be but check every inch of the unit. I'm surprised that the dealer this unit was purchased from will not just repair the door @ no charge as a goodwill gesture.

[DavidP]

goducks10 wrote:


Keystone sells a bu!! load of RVs. They're bound to have a goof up.

Exactly. They all make goofs but all to often we read very negative posts about how Keystone handles complaints. I too would never consider one of their RV's.

[goducks10]

I would say all we know is how the OP handled the whole thing. I would like to hear the dealers and Keystones side. Not the way the OP is interpreting it.
Wouldn't deter me from a Keystone product. Every brand has a buyer that's been through the ringer over some issue. If we all decided on what unit to buy based on negative issues then we all would be staying in hotels for vacation.
Keystone sells a bu!! load of RVs. They're bound to have a goof up.

[beemerphile1]

dodge guy wrote:
...Yes, but now we all know how Keystone handles warranty issues. For this reason alone I would scratch any Keystone product off my list....

I doubt we have the whole story. I'm waiting for Paul Harvey to come along and say; "and now, for the rest of the story" :B

[dodge_guy]

SoundGuy wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
Those that are offering advice or asking questions, did you miss it when the OP said;

"I'm not here for advise, or to hear opinions on the legitimacy of my claim...."

He doesn't want advice or care about our opinions.

No kidding ... and if I cared enough to bother looking on other forums (I don't) I bet we'd find his same complaint there as well. :R

So if he's not here for "advice" or "hear opinions on the legitimacy of his claim", there's only one remaining reason why he did post here - to seek attention and "right the wrong" that in his mind has been inflicted upon him by Keystone. Ironically, in some twisted way I guess he did get what he wanted as we've already wasted several pages of discussion over this. :S

Yes, but now we all know how Keystone handles warranty issues. For this reason alone I would scratch any Keystone product off my list.

Yes it sounds like the OP came here to tell his story and the bad experience he had with Keystone. Good for him, I hope Keystone finds out about the bad publicity for a defect they caused when the trailer was built.

[SoundGuy]

beemerphile1 wrote:
Those that are offering advice or asking questions, did you miss it when the OP said;

"I'm not here for advise, or to hear opinions on the legitimacy of my claim...."

He doesn't want advice or care about our opinions.

No kidding ... and if I cared enough to bother looking on other forums (I don't) I bet we'd find his same complaint there as well. :R

So if he's not here for "advice" or "hear opinions on the legitimacy of his claim", there's only one remaining reason why he did post here - to seek attention and "right the wrong" that in his mind has been inflicted upon him by Keystone. Ironically, in some twisted way I guess he did get what he wanted as we've already wasted several pages of discussion over this. :S

[RandACampin]

beemerphile1 wrote:
Those that are offering advice or asking questions, did you miss it when the OP said;

cjelliott81 wrote:
I'm not here for advise, or to hear opinions on the legitimacy of my claim....

He doesn't want advice or care about our opinions.

No he just wants to bash and besmirch a company he's looking for help from. The mod should delete these bashing threads starting with this one.

[beemerphile1]

Those that are offering advice or asking questions, did you miss it when the OP said;

cjelliott81 wrote:
I'm not here for advise, or to hear opinions on the legitimacy of my claim....

He doesn't want advice or care about our opinions.

[goducks10]

B.O. Plenty wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
The OP bought the trailer @8 months old. 4 months left on the transferred warranty. He then after two weeks of ownership took it in for repairs. It never got fixed properly. He's still fighting with Keystone. This seems to me that under normal circumstances if you start a warranty claim before the warranty has expired, and the problem isn't fixed during the warranty period that it should still be a warranty problem. As long as it's documented.

Question is and I'm not sure it's relevant is did the OP file the proper paper work to transfer the warranty? If he's getting it worked on right after purchase then it would seem like he's good to go.

I'm not sure if he's trying to get reimbursed for repairs or just trying to get it fixed.

Warranty goes to original buyer only. Not transferable. If he bought it used, no matter how old or new it is, it's out of warranty. Why is this such a big deal? Plug the holes, drill 2 new ones and get on with your life...

B.O.

Not according to this from the manual. It can be transferred during the remainder of the 1st year.

This Limited Warranty may be transferred during the one (1) year term by the original consumer purchaser to a subsequent purchaser. The limited one (1) year warranty, however, shall in no way be extended beyond the one (1) year from the original date of purchase by reason of the transfer from the original consumer purchaser to any subsequent purchaser(s). The subsequent purchaser(s) also has an obligation to notify Keystone immediately upon the transfer of the warranty and to further provide proof of purchase within the one (1) year."

[Community Alumni]

All warranty issues aside, there's still the fact that Keystone denies that the door being installed upside down was the cause for all of the damage. There had to have been some explanation beyond, "Sorry, no fix for you." Keystone repairs dozens of trailers all around the county everyday. It's not unusual for a manufacturer to authorize repairs on a trailer that they technically don't have to fix. So what's one more? Why did they take such a hardline with this one?

- What is the damage for starters?
- What do they say is the cause for the damage?

If you're going to criticize a company, even if you're justified in doing so, then you really got to put all of the facts out there.

[myredracer]

What is the "thousands" in damage? Rotten floor & framing? Have a quote to repair it? Not sure why the OP didn't get the door fixed at his own expense when the issue was discovered if the dealer would not do anything. Water leaks can be the kiss of death for an RV and shouldn't be ignored.

Trying to understand how the door is upside down - is hinge on bottom? Can't imagine how a compartment door could be installed with the hinge at the bottom.

Maybe it is not Keystone at fault and the cause is a defective door built by the 3rd party door supplier. Dealers and/or RV manufacturers often redirect you to a 3rd party supplier and wash their hands of issues. Maybe you could find out who the door manufacturer is and at the least get a replacement door. Challenger is an example of one RV door manufacturer.

The fact that you claimed there was a problem before the expiry of a warranty is important. If you have a Statute of Limitations, it should start from the time you discover an issue - here it is 2 years to file a claim. Maybe go after the dealer in small claims court but need to realize that you have a duty to mitigate. I seem to recall reading somewhere that RV dealers and the manufactures have made themselves claims proof via the "fine print" in a purchase contract.

We met Keystone owners at a CG last year. Their TT had a major roof leak from new. The dealer tried twice to fix it and couldn't. Then it got sent to the factory but they only made it worse. Maybe you don't want Keystone or the dealer attempting to fix the leaking door...