High Country Problems

[GoodTimes]

We have had our HC since July of last year. We have had nothing but problems with it. Sure does take the fun out of camping when you worry every time you go what’s going to go wrong this time. So many things I won’t list them all. Some major ones were the furnace wasn’t working. The service people asked my husband if it had been under water?? It was so corroded. They cleaned it up and it’s been working. We’ve had a leak when it rains coming from one of return air vents. We had it in 4 times with Keystone making the service people jump through hoops and try different things. They finally replaced the AC unit but I won’t trust that it’s fixed until we camp in a rain storm. The kitchen slide out was making a horrid noise. It was moving the wall panel next to the fridge back and forth, warping it and almost breaking it! They discovered a weld that looked like it had broken and Keystone did a quick fix with some bolts that didn’t hold. Our service people said they fixed it and had brought the slide in and out many times and it was fine. Well we just got it home Friday and when I let it out it made a very loud pop. I was afraid it was stuck but it came back in a little so I put it back out. Well hubby wanted to wash it today so he went to let the slide in and it makes an even worse noise than it did. Something is very wrong! We have had it in for service 6 times and this is getting old! I was in tears today! I’d love to take it back to CW and tell them to keep it! We really don’t know which way to turn. We feel like we got a lemon! We are retired, not wealthy and this was our last hurray! It’s turned into not such good times! Thanks for listening!

[jeffba]

Well your issues make mine pale in comparison. I am not sure which state you live in, but I would research your state's lemon law. Years ago with a SOB we had use it. It went back the factory and they fixed it finally. We live in Texas and Texas' lemon law is set up so you do not need a lawyer. if it has not gone to the factory it may have to for repairs.

[GoodTimes]

We live in Mississippi. Yes I’ve been wondering if we have a lemon law. Like I said we just don’t even know where to start. We actually expected a few minor issues but not this!

[GoodTimes]

Oh but we bought our unit in Alabama. Just googled and MS has a lemon law for year from purchase but Alabama has no lemon law to cover campers so I’m not sure.

[Rondo]

Patrice and Kent-- Have you contacted Keystone Customer Service yourself? If not, I would recommend calling them and explaining the situations you are having with your unit. Have your Vin # available because they will want to know that when you talk to them. You may get more done that way than going through your dealer or whoever is working on the unit. It sounds to me that your slide is out of square and when going out or coming back in is bucking the hydraulic rams but this is just my opinion and I'm not a service tech. Give Keystone Customer Service a call and see if they even have a file started on your rig for problems and work with them. Don't get all bent out of shape to the customer service rep because that is the first thing that turns them off to your problem. Be curious and explain the problems and ask for their help. Good luck and let us know how you come out.

[GoodTimes]

My husband called them back when the AC leak started and yes they had a file started on us. We bought from CW but are using a Keystone authorized service place closer to us. I’ve heard too many horror stories about CWs service! I guess we drag it back to our service place once again. Then if this doesn’t do it I’m truly not sure what to do. I think we would be afraid to drive it all the way to a rally!

[mlh]

I’m sorry this is happening to you and hope it gets better. Retired and hoping to enjoy your golden years then this happens.
Lynwood

[DQDick]

If Rondo's ideas don't get it done for you then try and bring the rig to the National Rally in the fall. Things tend to get fixed there.

[GoodTimes]

DQDick where is the Nationally Rally? Is there a post here in this site about it?

[DQDick]

Originally Posted by GoodTimes

DQDick where is the Nationally Rally? Is there a post here in this site about it?

The rally is as posted above, to register go to this thread: http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=73552

[mootana]

Good times
I sent you a PM. I beleive I can help.

[GoodTimes]

Thank you. ☺️

[CarWin]

The Rally is in Goshen,Indiana right by the factory. It is sponsored by Keystone to a certain extent alsoI believe. Its is September 19 thru the 26th.

[Bad Moon]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Keystone craftsmanship. The leaky air conditioner is an old problem that Keystone and their servicing dealers should have known about for several years. Ours took 3 trips to the service department until I told them what the problem was (lack of drain holes and sealer on the mounting bolts) Same thing with our kitchen slide ( Keystone used an obsolete part that was no longer supported by BAL). Now our slide is fixed, but while fixing it, the service guys scratched our counter top and put a dent in the floor.

We too have a long list of problems, but I am tired of having the trailer in the shop for weeks or months, only to have it not fixed, and more things wrong when we get it back.

And, not to add to your misery, but Keystone was absolutely no help to us; hope you get better results.

[Wicked1]

Originally Posted by Bad Moon

Welcome to the wonderful world of Keystone craftsmanship. The leaky air conditioner is an old problem that Keystone and their servicing dealers should have known about for several years. Ours took 3 trips to the service department until I told them what the problem was (lack of drain holes and sealer on the mounting bolts) Same thing with our kitchen slide ( Keystone used an obsolete part that was no longer supported by BAL). Now our slide is fixed, but while fixing it, the service guys scratched our counter top and put a dent in the floor.

We too have a long list of problems, but I am tired of having the trailer in the shop for weeks or months, only to have it not fixed, and more things wrong when we get it back.

And, not to add to your misery, but Keystone was absolutely no help to us; hope you get better results.

As I am a consumer first and foremost and have no brand of loyalty as of yet, it happens with all of them unless you spend ridiculous amounts of money or buy from a company who only sells factory direct.

I have reached out to Keystone about our brand new 2018 Montana and they have a good CW service department working out our issuers, just have to call them and give them a chance. That being said if you don’t get anywhere PM me and I will give you our reps I got from Keystone she has already informed me she can help folks with issues.

[geobet]

To Rondo's point about the slide out of square....OP has a High Country. I don't think they have a hydraulic ram. My high country did the same. Thought it was going to rip the wall apart. I sprayed liberal amounts of DRY LUBE by Liquid Wrench on the entire bottom and adjusted the cables - even pulled the rubber gasket on the bottom out and sprayed inside. All the jerking stopped and the slide ran as it should, and still does.

Some folks get mystified by the workings of a cable slide out. But, it ain't rocket science. I've adjusted several of my friends cable slides and once you understand the principals its relatively easy - just a bit time consuming. I run all my cables snug with no slop but still within the 1" deflection. Hoping it works out for you.

[Twopetes]

I can tell you what the problem is with your slide - We had the same issue and on an HC 353. The cable pulley is connected to the wall frame / stud and Keystone did not reinforce the weld. The weld breaks after a few uses and causes the wall to move in and out (like 6 inches) when you run the slide. Our HC 353 was out of warrantee, but we talked to Keystone customer service and as a goodwill gesture (right) they agreed to fix it. That amounted to CW (yes Camping World of Madison WI - and they did a good job) having to remove the slide and get a certified Aluminum welder to reweld and reinforce the stud locations where the cable pulley is attached. We have not had any problem since. Call them and say you know this is a know issue on the HC 353 - especially if you have a residential frig (which is the end of the slide that breaks) PUSH the issue - they need to cover it. There is at least one other thread regarding this same issue on this site. The HC 343 does not seem to have the problem, but it does not have a residential frig. Our was fixed in April 2017 and no issues since.



See this thread - It was mine originally, but others commented on the same issue.


http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/archive/index.php


RE: you leak - that sounds almost like a roof issue not an AC installation issue.

[GoodTimes]

The link did not take me to your thread. I’d like to read it.

[Denny and Angie Miller]

Originally Posted by Twopetes

I can tell you what the problem is with your slide - We had the same issue and on an HC 353. The cable pulley is connected to the wall frame / stud and Keystone did not reinforce the weld. The weld breaks after a few uses and causes the wall to move in and out (like 6 inches) when you run the slide. Our HC 353 was out of warrantee, but we talked to Keystone customer service and as a goodwill gesture (right) they agreed to fix it. That amounted to CW (yes Camping World of Madison WI - and they did a good job) having to remove the slide and get a certified Aluminum welder to reweld and reinforce the stud locations where the cable pulley is attached. We have not had any problem since. Call them and say you know this is a know issue on the HC 353 - especially if you have a residential frig (which is the end of the slide that breaks) PUSH the issue - they need to cover it. There is at least one other thread regarding this same issue on this site. The HC 343 does not seem to have the problem, but it does not have a residential frig. Our was fixed in April 2017 and no issues since.



See this thread - It was mine originally, but others commented on the same issue.


http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/archive/index.php


RE: you leak - that sounds almost like a roof issue not an AC installation issue.

X2 on the wall studs pulling loose. We bought our 353RL in May 2017, and through this forum learned of the 353RL wall issue. It seems that such a large heavy slide coupled with the weight of a loaded full residential size fridge is more weight pushing/pulling on the wall than the wall construction can handle. We took our unit into the dealer last fall and had them inspect it. They said Keystone considers the amount of movement we were experiencing normal (only about 1/2")...but I already expected that...I didn't think the wall was flexing that much either, but I also didn't think it should flex at all. Now that we are out of warranty, if the full blown broken studs/welds problem develops, I have a record of bringing it in under warranty for that very issue, with the hopes of getting any needed repairs covered at Keystones' expense. However, while having a furnace problem repaired this spring under warranty, I pointed out that a staple is pulling loose from under the rubber roof and looks as if it could poke through at any time. Sadly, Keystone denied the staple issue under warranty claiming it's "not a manufacturing defect"...Rather than argue about it, I decided to just repair it myself. When I climbed back on the roof ready to repair the problem, I found that several other staples were beginning to pull loose as well. I repaired those as well and have been meaning to call Keystone and give them an earful, but have not done so yet.

[dfb]

Who's idea was it to use Cables for the slide.. mine are starting to sag. Id take lectric or hydraulic any day.