KEYSTONE Complaints

WHILE OPERATION OF THE LIPPERT SLIDEOUT IN OUR '04 KEYSTONE 285EFS FIFTH WHEEL, THE SLIDE STOPPED. UPON INVESTIGATION (FOLLOWING WIRES, CHECKING FUSE, CONTACTS, ETC.) I FOUND BURNT OUT AND MELTED WIRE NUTS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE FUSE PANEL LYING IN SAWDUST. THE WIRES ARE 10 GAUGE (30 AMP). ONE STRIPPED END WAS AN INCH IN LENGTH WHILE THE OTHER WAS LESS THAN 1/16". THESE WIRES PROVIDE FULL 12 VOLT AMPERAGE TO OPERATE THE SLIDEOUT. THIS WAY OF STRIPPING WIRES FOR WIRE NUT ATTACHMENT IS NOT PRUDENT FOR A SAFE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AND IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I WOULD BELIEVE THAT KEYSTONE SHOULD USE "BARREL CONNECTORS" FOR THIS EXTREME AMPERAGE AND NOT PLASTIC WIRE-NUTS WITH IMPROPERLY STRIPPED WIRES. THERE'S MEMBERS ON THE KEYSTONE RV CAMPING GROUP SIGHT THAT HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF "BURN-OUT". THIS CAN AND COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. THE 30 AMP BREAKER NEVER TRIPPED. I ALSO TOOK PICTURES. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A KEYSTONE SPRINGDALE CAMPER AND THE SIDING PULLED AWAY FROM THE FRAME WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH. .THE CONTACT TOOK THE CAMPER TO THE DEALER, AND THE MANUFACTURER TOLD THEM THAT IT HAD A 12 YEAR STRUCTURE WARRANTY, AND THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH ON DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING AND WRAPPED ITSELF AROUND THE FRONT AXLE. THE TRAILER WAS PULLED OVER, AND WHEN CHANGING THE TIRE, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE OTHER 3 TIRES ONLY WORE ON THE INSIDE TREAD. THE TIRE WAS CHANGED, AND THE TRAILER WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER, WHO REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES. THE TRAILER DEALER WAS CONTACTED THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHO EXPRESSED THAT THE TRAILER, ALONG WITH OTHER MODELS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE AXLES. THE AXLE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND ADMITTED THAT SOME TRAILERS HAD THE INCORRECT AXLES INSTALLED ON THEM. THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER ALSO CONFIRMED THE AXLE PROBLEM. NEW AXLES WERE ORDERED, AND UPON INSTALLATION, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE HUBS ON THE DRUMS WERE NOT PRESSED IN ALL THE WAY. THIS CAUSED THE HUBS TO LEAK GREASE ON THE BRAKE SHOES, WHICH CAUSED THE ELECTRIC BRAKES TO NOT WORK CORRECTLY. ALSO, THE SPRING BRACKETS ON THE NEW AXLES WERE NOT WELDED CORRECTLY, AND WERE 3/16 OF AN INCH OFF. ALSO, WHEN MOVING THE TRAILER TO INSTALL THE NEW AXLES, THE SERVICE DEALER NOTICED THE HITCH GOING UP, BUT THE TRAILER WAS NOT MOVING. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTICED THAT 2 WELDS FRACTURED WHERE THE HITCH WAS WELDED TO THE FRAME OF THE TRAILER. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT INCORRECT AXLES INSTALLED ON A TRAILER, AND A DEFECTIVE HITCH POSED A MAJOR RISK TO SAFETY. THIS WAS A 2003 KEYSTONE LAREDO, NOT 2004 MODEL.

AXLES ON TRAILER IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE INSIDE OF ALL FOUR TIRES. AL-KO AGREED TO REPLACE AXLES, BUT WOULDN'T COVER LABOR OR REPLACEMENT OF TIRES WITH LESS THAT 5,000 MILES. *NM

TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED WITH A MISSION LOADMAX T-108 RADIAL TUBELESS TRAILER TIRE, SIZE ST235/80R-16E, MANUFACTURED BY NANKANG IN CHINA, AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE US BY TIRE CO, INC. THE TIRE WAS ONE OF FOUR LIKE TIRES ON MY 2006 KEYSTONE MONTANA FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER, MODEL 3400RL, PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL 2006 AND WITH LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON THE TIRES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH. THE DEFECTIVE TIRE DID NOT LOSE AIR, BUT THE SEPARATED TREAD FLEW OFF THE TIRE AND DAMAGED THE SHEET METAL FENDER SKIRT OF THE TRAILER. NO LOSS OF CONTROL, INJURIES, OR OTHER DAMAGE OCCURRED. BEFORE TAKING ACTION TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TIRE, I SEARCHED THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS FILE ON THE WEB AND FOUND FOUR REPORTS ON SEPARATED OR BLOWN OUT MISSION TIRES. I ALSO SEARCHED DISCUSSION FORUMS (RV.NET, TRAILER LIFE.COM, AND OTHERS) AND FOUND DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS OF SEPARATED OR BLOWN OUT MISSION TIRES ON TRAVEL TRAILERS AND 5TH WHEELS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I DECIDED NOT TO TAKE ANY FURTHER RISK WITH THE MISSION TIRES AND REPLACED ALL TIRES INCLUDING THE SPARE, WITH BF GOODRICH COMMERCIAL T/A LIGHT TRUCK TIRES. AT THE TIME OF REPLACEMENT, I FOUND OVER 18" OF TREAD BULGING AND SEPARATED FROM THE CASING OF ANOTHER OF THE FOUR MISSION TIRES, AND 2" X 8" BLISTER ON THE INSIDE OF THE CASING OF THE THIRD MISSION TIRE. THE FOURTH MISSION TIRE THAT WAS ON THE GROUND AND THE SPARE (A NANKANG TIRE BRANDED MILESTAR M-108) APPEAR TO HAVE NO DEFECTS. I NOTIFIED MY KEYSTONE MONTANA DEALER OF THE INCIDENT, AND I AM IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING A CLAIM WITH TIRECO, INC OF CALIFORNIA (CLAIM # PL-10449) WITH THE EXPECTATION OF BEING REIMBURSED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE MISSION TIRES AND DAMAGE TO MY TRAILER. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE TIRES MUST BE SHIPPED TO TIRECO, INC. FOR THEIR INSPECTION AND JUDGMENT WHETHER A MATERIAL OR WORKMANSHIP DEFECT EXISTS THAT WOULD SUPPORT REIMBURSEMENT.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE KING PIN BOX AREA WELDS BEGAN TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SALES/SERVICE DEALER. THE FRAME MANUFACTURER AND THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER WAS PARKED, THE INNER WALL AND WALL FRAME SUPPORTS DROPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE TRAILER WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE FRAME SUPPORTS WERE NOT ADEQUATE, AND THE OUTRIGGERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE TRAILER HAD ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS INSTALLED ALONG THE FRAME WALL AND FLOOR. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. AFTERWARDS, THE TRAILER WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO AWAIT FURTHER INSPECTION. UPDATED 12/15/2006 - *NM

MY FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER IS WEARING OUT ALL FOUR TIRES ON THE INSIDE EDGE. WEAR SEVERE ENOUGH THAT I HAD TO USE SPARE ON ONE WHEEL, CAUSED HAVING TO CHANGE TIRE ON EDGE OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE AXLES WERE MANUFACTURED BYAL-KO. THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING AS THEY SAID THEY WERE OUT OF WARRANTY. DURING INVESTIGATING I FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY RV'S WITH THE SAME TROUBLE, ALL WITH AL-KO AXLES. I AM REPLACING THE AXLES AT MY OWN COST. *JB

DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR MOD# RM2862 SER# 42703351. I HAD A FAILURE OF MY REFRIGERATOR. STRONG AMMONIA SMELL INSIDE THE TRAILER, YELLOW STAIN NEAR BURNER TUBE AND GOT HOT ENOUGH TO BURN THE SURFACE OF THE SHEET METAL. MY REAL COMPLAINT IS THAT THE MFG KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND THE DANGERS AND HAS NOT NOTIFIED THE CONSUMERS. I HAD DONE SOME READING IN A OWNERS FORUM I AM IN AND A MEMBER LOST THEIR TRAILER AND ALL ITEMS INSIDE DUE TO THIS TYPE FAILURE. I HAVE HAD THE REFRIGERATOR IN TWICE ALREADY FOR FAILURES ALREADY AND CANNOT SEEM TO GET IT FIXED RIGHT. *JB

DEFECTIVE AXLES CAUSING SEVERE TIRE WEAR. I ALSO AM AWARE OF TWO OTHER LAREDO TRAILERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE OF WHICH SUFFERED A TIRE FAILURE DUE TO THIS AXLE PROBLEM. *JB