KEYSTONE Complaints

FAILURE OF TWO OUT OF FOUR ALUMINUM WHEEL RIMS ON THE UNIT BY CRACKING IN THE INTERNAL CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE RIM. CRACKS WERE THROUGH THE RIM AND ALLOWED AIR TO ESCAPE FROM THE TIRE. THE VISIBLE PORTIONS OF THE CRACKS WERE APPROXIMATELY 1/2" ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RIM AND APPROXIMATELY 4" INTERNALLY. CONCERNS ARE THAT LOSS OF AIR COULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE OR FURTHER PROPAGATION OF THE CRACK COULD LEAD TO RIM FAILURE. *TR

WHILE HOOKING UP FIFTH WHEEL RV TO TOW VEHICLE VIA ELECTRICAL UMBILICAL CORD A SEVERE SHORT OCCURRED CAUSING EXTENSIVE WIRING DAMAGE INSIDE THE FIFTH WHEEL RV. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY INADVERTENTLY INSERTING UMBILICAL CORD PLUG FROM FIFTH WHEEL INTO RECEPTACLE ON TOW VEHICLE 180 DEGREES OUT OF PHASE. EVEN THOUGH PLUG AND RECEPTACLE ARE KEYED TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE TO PLUG IT IN INCORRECTLY. THIS CAUSED THE BATTERY CHARGE WIRE FROM FIFTH WHEEL TO BE APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE GROUND OF THE TOW VEHICLE AND CAUSED SEVERE MELTING OF INSULATION, RED HOT WIRE, AND LOTS OF SMOKE. THERE APPARENTLY IS NO SAFETY DEVICE, IE., FUSE OR FUSIBLE LINK PROVIDED BY THE MFG OF THE FIFTH WHEEL TO PREVENT THIS DAMAGE FROM HAPPENING IN CASE BATTERY CHARGE WIRE CONTACTS GROUND IN ANY FASHION, SUCH AS INADVERTENTLY INSTALLING UMBILICAL CORD PLUG INTO RECEPTACLE ON TOW VEHICLE UPSIDE DOWN. *TR

MY RV FIFTH WHEEL TIRE BLEW AND ALMOST CAUSED A WRECK. WAS TRAVELING DOWN ROAD AT NORMAL SPEED. OTHER TIRE LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BLOW. *TR

LP/PROPANE LINE ON FIFTH WHEEL RV THAT IS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE TRAILER SUSPENSION. THE LP LINE RUNS THE LENGTH OF THE TRAILER, ATTACHED TO THE MAIN FRAME RAIL/I-BEAM. WHEN THE TRAILER IS IN MOTION AND THE SUSPENSION EQUALIZER BETWEEN THE AXLES PIVOTS AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO, THE SPRING SHACKLE BOLTS COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE LP LINE. *TR

2 TIRES ON OUR TRAVEL TRAILER HAD TREAD SEPARATE WITH LESS THAN 3000 MILES OF USAGE. THE TRAILER WAS PURCHASED IN APRIL, 2006. WE CALL THE SUPPLIER OF THESE TIRES. THEY INFORMED US THAT A VOLUNTARY REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN WAS ALREADY OVER. WHAT IS A VOLUNTARY REPLACEMENT? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KEYSTONE OUTBACK-SYDNEY (TRAVEL TRAILER). WHILE STATIONARY, THE REAR OF THE TRAILER CAUGHT FIRE. APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES LATER, THE ENTIRE TRAILER WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE FROM A POWER SURGE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 09/24/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/30/08.*JB

TIRES ARE ON A 2007 KEYSTONE TRAVEL TRAILER. AFTER 6 MONTHS AND 500 MILES THE SIDEWALLS ON THE TIRES WERE CRACKING. IT IS NOW 1.5 YEARS, AND A TOTAL OF 600 MILES AND THE CRACKING IS SEVERE, AND THE TIRES ARE SHOWING SEPARATION WHERE THE NAMEBRAND AND SIZE ARE STAMPED. IN OUTBACK FORUM ONLINE, MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS, INCLUDING TIRE FAILURE AND BLOWOUTS. THE KEYSTONE DEALERS GIVE YOU A NUMBER TO CALL, THE DISTRIBUTOR TIRECO. THEY OFFER REPLACEMENTS IF YOU COMPLAIN WITHOUT HESITATION. BUT THE PRODUCT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. THE CONSUMER STILL HAS TO PAY FOR THE MOUNTING AND BALANCING. THEY ALL KNOW THESE TIRES ARE BAD, BUT NO ONE WILL ISSUE A RECALL. WHY?? PLEASE INVESTIGATE BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT OR KILLED. I HAVE LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH KEYSTONE RV AND TIRECO (800-937-9433). THEY ARE MILESTAR TIRES. I DON'T KNOW THE MAKER AS THE DISTRIBUTOR WON'T TELL ME. *TR

MY KEYSTONE RAPTOR 3814 HAD 2 BLOW OUTS THAT CAUSE ALOT OF DAMAGE. I MADE SURE THAT THE TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED AND THAT I WASN'T OVER WEIGHT AND I STILL HAD BLOW OUTS. THE CARLIE 15" D RATED TIRES THAT CAME ON MY RAPTOR ARE TOO SMALL. THEY ONLY WILL HOLD #2550 PER TIRE TIMES 6 TIRES IS LESS THAN MY RAPTORS TO GVWR OF #16000!!!! I HAVE SINCE FIXED MY RAPTOR AND CHANGED ALL OF MY TIRES TO 16" E RATED TIRES AD WHEELS AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS. NOW, I TALKED TO KEYSTONE'S AREA REP AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. NOW KEYSTONE OFFERS 16" E RATED TIRES AND 8 LUG AXLES. WHY, ANDY BOUSSARD OF KEYSTONE TOLD ME PEOPLE HAVE ASKED TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS SO THEY ADDED IT TO THE OPTIONS. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE EVERY TIME THAT I PULL INTO A RV SITE, EVERYONE WITH A RAPTOR COMES OVER AND TELLS ME ABOUT THEIR BLOW OUTS AND ASKS ME WHERE TO GET THE 16" RIMS. I THINK KEYSTONE SHOULD PROVIDE ALL OF US NEW 8 LUG AXLES AND 16" RIMS AND TIRES FOR FREE. 5 OF MY E RATED TIRES CAN CARRY MORE THEN ALL 6 OF THE D RATED TIRES THAT CAME ON THE TRAILER. LASTLY, I HAVE SPOKEN TO ROBIN WITH CARLISE BECAUSE MY RV DEALER SAID THAT THE TIRES WHERE BAD AND CARLISE SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS FROM MY BLOW OUTS. ROBIN HAS DECLINED MY RV DEALERS REQUEST AND SHE SENT ME TO THIS WEB SITE FOR HELP. SHE TOLD ME THAT KEYSTONE PUT ON TOO SMALL OF TIRES FROM THE BEGINNING. I JUST NEED TO PAY MY RV DEALER, GET REIMBURSED FOR MY 16" TIRES, AND HAVE A SAFE NICE LOOKING RAPTOR, LIKE I BOUGHT! PLEASE HELP THIS GO SOMEWHERE. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KEYSTONE COUGAR. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE WIRE WAS PINCHED BY THE DUMP VALVE SHAFTS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE WIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND SECURED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.UPDATE 09/10/08 *CW THE CONSUMER STATED THE WIRES WERE LAYING LOOSE AND NOT SECURED IN THE AREA OF THE DUMP VALVES. UPDATED 09/16/08. *JB

WE PURCHASED A NEW SPRINGDALE RV IN 2004 THAT HAD A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR. IN THE SUMMER OF 2007 OUR FRIDGE STARTED LEAKING A YELLOW RESIDUE, SMELLED OF AMMONIA AND WOULD NOT COOL PROPERLY. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLING UNIT AT OUR LOCAL RV DEALERSHIP. RECENTLY WE RECEIVED A PRODUCT RECALL ON THESE REFRIGERATORS AS THERE WAS A FIRE HAZARD. WE COMPLETED ALL THE FORMS AND SUBMITTED OUR PAID RECEIPT FOR THE REPAIRS. WE WERE INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AS WE HAD ALREADY REPLACED THE COOLING UNIT AND THE RECALL WOULD ONLY INSTALL A SAFETY SHIELD TO CONTAIN THE FIRE IN THE EVENT OF A 'FATIGUE CRACK' OCCURRING. AFTER NUMEROUS TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT LINE I HAVE FOUND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS ON ONE OF THE FORMS AND WAS HOPING YOU COULD OFFER SOME ASSISTANCE. *TR