KEYSTONE Complaints

SPRING HANGERS RH SHEERED FROM FRAME AT 12,000 MILES FAILED AGAIN AT 13,000. OCT 15 2010. LH FAILED AT 16,000 PLUS FRAME FRACTURE, APRIL 4, 2011 3 TIRES SEPARATED AT TREAD LINE REPLACED JANUARY 15, 2011. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KEYSTONE COUGAR RV EQUIPPED WITH DURO TIRES, SIZE 225/75/D15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE TIRES WERE DRY ROTTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

OURSELVES AND OUR NEIGHBOR BEGAN SMELLING PROPANE FOR ABOUT A WEEK OUTSIDE OF THE RV. RV SERVICE TECH INSPECTED IT AND WE WERE TOLD THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE FITTINGS AND REGULATOR BETWEEN THE TWO PROPANE TANKS. RV SERVICE TECH SAID HE HAS REPLACED MANY SUCH FITTINGS AND HAD NOTIFIED KEYSTONE WHOM GAVE HIM NO RESPONSE. HE ALSO ASKED HIS SUPERVISOR TO FILE A COMPLAINT BUT WAS UNSURE IF HAS EVER BEEN REPORTED. OUR 7 GALLON PROPANE TANK LEAKED ENTIRELY EMPTY IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, WE WERE SWITCHED TO OUR OTHER PROPANE TANK WHILE THE OTHER WAS LEAKING. WE ARE SHOCKED AND SURPRISED WITH THAT MUCH PROPANE LEAKING THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AND EXPLOSION. IT COST US $80.00 TO BE REPAIRED TO A SAFE CONDITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KEYSTONE RAPTOR RV WITH MISSION RADIAL FT TIRES, LINE SIZE 235/80/16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR AND FRONT PASSENGER AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE FAILED AND EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KEYSTONE COUGAR WITH DURO H7A-15ST TIRES, SIZE 225/75R15(N/A). THE CONTACT STATED FOUND FRACTURES IN THE SIDE WALL OF ALL FOUR TIRES AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED THE TIRES BUT THE CONTACT NOTICED FRACTURES ON THE REPLACEMENT TIRES AS WELL. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE NOT UNDER WARRANTY SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KEYSTONE LAREDO TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER, WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO THE BUMPER, FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE SPARE TIRE AND BUMPER TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED, BUT THE CONTACT LEFT A MESSAGE AND RECEIVED NO RETURN CALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V063000 (TIRES: TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE) BUT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE WAS NO FAILURE OR CURRENT MILEAGE ON RECORD. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KEYSTONE CHALLENGER TRAILER. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT FASCIA HAD DETACHED FROM THE STEEL FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ALUMINUM MATERIAL THAT HELD THE FRAME WAS SEPARATED MISSING SCREWS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I OWN 2010 KEYSTONE MONTANA 3400RL FIFTH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER, AND TOOK DELIVERY FEBRUARY 9, 2010. IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH FIVE GOODYEAR MARATHON ST235/80R16 LOAD RANGE E TIRES. THE MANUFACTURE LOCATION CODE IS OHUN 1LHR, MFG DATE 3909. I HAD APPROXIMATELY 8500 MILES ON THE TIRES WHEN TRAVELING GARDEN STATE PARKWAY JUNE 10, 2011, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED, LEAVING ONLY MANGLED SIDEWALL AND DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL. I FOUND A GOODYEAR DEALER AND REPLACED THE BLOWN TIRE WITH ANOTHER MARATHON. THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 17, 2011, WHILE TRAVELING ON I-64 WESTBOUND IN INDIANA, THE RIGHT FRONT TRAILER TIRE EXPLODED. AFTER CHANGING THE TIRE, I CONTINUED ON TO MY CAMPGROUND NEAR SHILOH, IL, AND OBTAINED A TOWMAX BRAND REPLACEMENT TIRE. WE BEGAN OUR NEXT TRIP JULY 20, 2011. WHEN I PULLED INTO OUR CAMPSITE AT COLUMBIA, MO, WE NOTED THAT THE LEFT REAR TRAILER TIRE WAS GOING FLAT, AND COULD HEAR AIR ESCAPING. I REMOVED THE TIRE AND INSTALLED THE SPARE. THE NEXT MORNING, I TOOK THE TRAILER AND FLAT TIRE TO MCKNIGHT TIRE AND AUTO CENTER, COLUMBIA, TO HAVE THE TIRE REPAIRED. THEY INSPECTED IT AND STOPPED COUNTING AT SIX HOLES, ALL ALONG THE OUTER THREAD GROOVE. AFTER SEEING THE TIRE, I TOLD THEM TO ALSO REPLACE THE RIGHT REAR TIRE (THE LAST OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE TRAILER) BECAUSE I FELT THAT IT WOULD ALSO FAIL SOON. WHEN THEY REMOVED THE RIGHT REAR, THEY NOTED TREAD SEPARATION AND SOME STEEL BELT WAS SHOWING IN THE TREAD. THE TWO REPLACEMENT TIRES ARE WESTLAKE BRAND. I CARRY A 120 VOLT, 150 PSI, 6 GALLON PORTER CABLE AIR COMPRESSOR IN THE TRAILER BASEMENT AND CHECK AND ADJUST THE COLD PRESSURE ON EACH TIRE TO 80 PSI EVERY MORNING BEFORE TRAVELING. I THINK THAT THIS WAS A BAD LOT OF TIRES WHICH SUFFERED FROM THREAD SEPARATION. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 KEYSTONE COUGAR TRAILER322QBS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WELDING IN THE FIFTH WHEEL AREA FAILED, CAUSING THE FIFTH WHEEL PIN TO FRACTURE. THE FIFTH WHEEL THEN SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME AS WELL AS THE BOLTS IN THE BED AND KITCHEN AREA. THE TRAILER WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED AND FOUND A DEFECTED WELDING THAT CAUSED THE FIFTH WHEEL PIN AND BOLTS TO FAIL. THE TRAILER WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE TRAILER DID NOT HAVE A MILEAGE TO BE REPORT.

THE AREA OF THE FRAME WHERE THE PIN BOX ATTACHES FAILED. ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR SHOP, THE WELDS WERE NOT DONE CORRECTLY WHEN IT WAS MANUFACTURED. MULTIPLE AREAS OF POOR WELD PENETRATION WERE EVIDENT IN THE FRAME FAILURE AREA, AND THE RESULTING FAILURE ALLOWED THE HITCH TO DISCONNECT FROM 75% OF ONE FRAME RAIL AND ABOUT 50% OF THE REMAINING FRAME RAIL. AN INTERNET SEARCH HAS REVEALED MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF SIMILAR FAILURE OF LIPPERT COMPONENTS FRAMES USED BY VARIOUS MANUFACTURES. ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR SHOP THIS SAME PROBLEM WAS THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL IN 1999 ON CARRIAGE 5TH WHEEL TRAILERS.