KEYSTONE Complaints

WHILE TRAVELLING HOME FROM A CAMPOUT, I NOTICED EXCESSIVE SPRING IN THE FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER AT THE KING PIN. AT NEXT FUEL STOP I IDENTIFIED THAT THE HITCH BOX WELDS TO THE CAMPER FRAME WAS BROKE AND GAPPED APPROX. 1/2", THE HITCH BOX IS THE WELDED MEMBER TO THE CAMPER THAT ALLOWS THE CAMPER TO BE CONNECTED TO THE TOW VEHICLE. HAD IT COMPLETELY SEPARATED THE CAMPER WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOSE FROM THE TRUCK. THIS FRAME IS BUILT BY LIPPERT WHO PROVIDES MANY OF THE FRAMES FOR CAMPER MANUFACTURERS. I CONTACTED LIPPERT AND WAS TOLD THAT IT ISN'T WARRANTIED DUE TO AGE. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD LAST LONGEST OF ANYTHING ELSE ON A CAMPER IN MY OPINION. SEVERE DAMAGE AND DEATH COULD RESULT IF THIS COMPONENT FAILS AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH TRAFFIC.

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH PULLING OUR 2013 MONTANA 5TH WHEEL WITH ST235/80R16 GOODYEAR MARATHON TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR BLEW. TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED PRIOR TO TRIP.

2014 DUTCHMEN VOLTAGE MODEL #3950 FIFTH WHEEL TOYHAULER RV. I RECENTLY TOOK THE THE RV TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WITH AN ISSUE WITH THE OEM SUPPLIED TRAILER-AIR TRI-GLIDE FIFTH WHEEL HITCH/KING PIN ASSEMBLY. THE KING PIN IS CLEARLY MARKED AS A 21,000 LBS. GVW RATED HITCH AND A LIPPERT (LCI) PART NUMBER OF 194170 . WHEN REPAIR FACILITY ATTEMPTED TO ORDER THE REPLACEMENT KING PIN ASSEMBLY USING THE PART NUMBER ABOVE, LCI INFORMED THEM THAT THE PART NUMBER ON THE CURRENT KING PIN ASSEMBLY IS ONLY RATED AT 18,000 LBS. GVW. THE DUTCHMEN GVW RATING FOR THE VOLTAGE 3950 LISTED ON THE PLACARD IS 19,000. THIS TOYHAULER LEFT THE DUTCHMEN FACTORY WITH A FIFTHWHEEL KING PIN THAT IS NOT RATED FOR THE RV'S 19K GVW. FORTHERMORE, LCI HAS WITHDRAWN THE 21,000 TRI-GLIDE HITCH SERIES FROM THE MARKET AS "NO LONGER AVAILABLE", LEAVING MY RV WITH NO POSSIBLE ALTERNITIVE FOR A 21,000 GVW KING PIN. AT PRESENT TIME, I AM UNABLE TO MOVE MY RV FROM THE SERVICE CENTER DUE TO NO SUITABLE REPLACEMENT KING PIN. THE FACT THAT DUTCHMEN IS INSTALLING UNDER-RATED KING PINS ON THIER FIFTHWHEEL RV'S PRESENTS AN EXTREME SAFTEY HAZZARD NOT ONLY TO THE VEHICLE TOWING THIS RV, BUT ANYONE ON THE ROAD! REQUEST IMMEDIATE RECALL FOR INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF ALL KING PIN BOXES! MULTIPLE PICTURES OF KING PIN PLACARDS AND (INCORRECT) WEIGHT RATING ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. SEVICE FACILITY INFO: RV CONNECTION PANAMA CITY, FL PHONE 850-763-6910 (ASK FOR GARY IN SERVICE DEPARTMENT)

THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (TIRES) FROM A KEYSTONE COUGAR TRAILER. IN A TWO WEEK TIME FRAME (AUGUST 2-14, 2015) WHILE ON VACATION, 4 TOWMAX TIRES ST22575R15D BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. THESE TIRES WERE APPROX. 4.5 YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN A TOTAL OF 6,000 MILES.THE SPARE THAT BLEW HAD LESS THAN 1,000 MILES. WHEN PARKED, THE TIRES WERE COVERED AND NOT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. I FEEL THESE TIRES WERE/ARE DEFECTIVE AND A EXAMINATION SHOULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL OF A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT HAPPENING.

HAD 2 TIRES BLOW OUT ON RECENT TRIPS. THE GOODYEAR MARATHON ST 235/80R16-E CAME ON OUR 2013 KEYSTONE MONTANA 3100RL 5TH WHEEL WHEN IT WAS BOUGHT NEW. TIRE PRESSURES WERE VERIFIED PRIOR TO OUR TRIP. ONE TIRE BLEW (SHREDDED) ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WHILE ON RT 95 IN MARYLAND ON JUNE 17, 2015. CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO CAMPER. I ADDED A TPMS TO MONITOR THE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE OF THE TIRES (IN REAL-TIME) SHORTLY AFTER THAT INCIDENT. ON A SUBSEQUENT TRIP, A SECOND GY MARATHON BLEW OUT ON RT. 95 IN NJ ON JULY 29, 2015, ABOUT 175 MILES INTO OUR TRIP. IT WAS ALSO ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAMPER. STARTING COLD INFLATION WAS 78 PSI (PER GY INFLATION TABLES FOR WEIGHT ON AXLES). MONITOR SHOWED APPROX. 89 PSI AND 98 DEGREES (F) AT TIME OF BLOWOUT. WE WERE ON A SMOOTH, STRAIGHT SECTION OF ROAD AT THE TIME AND DID NOT HIT ANY DEBRIS OR HAZARD. IT JUST BLEW OUT THE SIDEWALL. STEEL BELT WAS BADLY DISTORTED. IN BOTH INSTANCES I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLES. CHANGING A FLAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE TRAILER IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH LOAD RANGE G TIRES. I KEPT THE SECOND BLOWOUT AND TOOK IT TO GOODYEAR. THEY GAVE ME CREDIT FOR THE ONE TIRE. I HAVE THE THREE REMAINING GY MARATHONS IN MY GARAGE SHOULD A RECALL OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. IN READING THRU NUMEROUS RV AND BOAT OWNER FORUMS, THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MANY LOAD RANGE E TIRES ON TRAILERS WHERE THE WEIGHT IS AT THE UPPER END OF THE TIRE RATING.

I PURCHASED A NEW TRAVEL TRAILER MANUFACTURED BY KEYSTONE IN MAY OF 2015. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AFTER MY FIRST TRIP WHEN I REALIZED THE BRAKES BARELY FUNCTIONED. AFTER 4 MONTHS OF TRYING TO GET THE MANUFACTURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK FROM THE FACTORY KEYSTONE STATED THAT THEY FELT THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE DEALER, RCD SALES AGREED WITH ME THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK AND THEY HAD A SECOND 2016 TRAILER ON THEIR LOT WHICH THE BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION EITHER AND THEY WERE SCARED TO SALE IT. I REVIEWED THE BRAKES MYSELF THEY WEEKEND AND DISCOVERED THAT THE WIRING USED BY THE MANUFACTURE WAS TOO SMALL. THERE WAS NEARLY A 3 VOLT (25%) VOLTAGE DROP FROM THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE BRAKE DRUMS. AFTER REPLACING WHAT APPEARED TO BE 16 GAUGE WIRE WITH 12 GAUGE WIRE THE BRAKES NOW WORK PROPERLY. KEYSTONE HOWEVER IS STILL MANUFACTURING TRAILERS WITH INADEQUATE BRAKING CAUSED BY UNDERSIZED WIRING AND INSISTING THEY ARE SAFE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KEYSTONE MONTANA BEING HAULED BY A 2013 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SHORT ASSOCIATED WITH THE WIRING UNDERNEATH THE BED IN THE TRAILER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KEYSTONE ZEPPELIN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING RENOVATED, THE LINOLEUM WAS REMOVED AND THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE SUPPORT BRACKETS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE SLIDE OUT AND IN THE FLOOR WERE FRACTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLOOR BRACKETS WERE INSTALLED EVERY FOUR FEET. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE RV AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRAILER WAS UNSAFE TO PULL AND WAS UNREPAIRABLE. THE TRAILER WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE LATCH TO THE REAR EMERGENCY WINDOW BROKE. (I DISCOVERED THIS WHILE OPENING THE ADJACENT WINDOW FOR VENTILATION). THIS ALLOWS THE WINDOW TO FLAP OPEN AND CLOSED (ON ITS HINGE) AS YOU TRAVEL DOWN THE ROAD. THE WINDOW IS FOR EMERGENCY EXIT SO THE LATCH HAS NOT BEEN USED AND APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN FROM METAL FATIGUE. CHEAP PART MADE WITH CHEAP ALUMINUM METAL.

I HAVE HAD THREE TIRES EXPLODE WHILE PULLING MY 2013 5TH WHEEL CAMPER. ONE TIRE FAILED IN MARCH OF 2015 AND I RECENTLY HAD TWO MORE FAIL JULY THE 3RD OF 2015. I HAD TO BUY NEW TIRES WHILE TRAVELING. THE TWO THAT FAILED IN JULY DID OVER $5,000.00 IN DAMAGE. I AM VERY MAINTENANCE MINDED AND THE TIRES WERE WHAT APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION AND THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CORRECT. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER SAYS NO TIRES NO CLAIMS. THEY DO NOT WANT ANY RECORD. HOW MANY PEOPLE KEEP A HOT, HUGE BALL OF WIRE WHEN THEY FAIL. THE COMPANY KNEW ABOUT MY LOSS THREE DAYS AFTERWARDS AND MADE EVERYTHING MY PROBLEM. THREE OUT OF FOUR TIRES SUGGEST A TIRE ISSUE AND THE COMPANY WILL NOT LISTEN. AFTER I COMPLAINED ENOUGH THEY SAID SEND IN THE GOOD TIRE AND THEY WILL LOOK AT IT. NO ONE EVEN INTERVIEWED ME TO SEE WHAT WENT ON. THEY DON'T WANT TO KNOW BECAUSE YOU GUYS MIGHT MAKE THEM PULL SOME TIRES. WHEN THESE TIRES BLOW AT 65 MPH THEY ARE DANGEROUS. ..UPDATED 10/27/15*BF