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Old 07-14-2018, 03:53 PM   #1
Foodgod1
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Collecting Data on Newer High Country's

If everyone would please indulge me on this issue for a moment, I think you'll understand where I'm going. I was recently made aware of Keystone using the Norco gearbox to open and close the slides on the High Country models. Apparently, over the past few years, Norco has modified their design and those new style gearboxes will leak oil on top of your slide roofs while your slides are in and the oil will sit on the membrane and cause it to bubble up. Then next time you put the slide out it causes tears and stretches the roof membrane. I belong to a 381 TH group on FB and every on of our slide gearboxes are leaking onto the slide roofs. My request to the group is to check your slide roofs while your slides are retracted. Take a flashlight, stand on a step stool and look directly under the gearbox. It'll be clear as a bell if it's leaking. You'll see bubbling there or a tear. Gentleman on youtube that goes by "Down The Road We Go" has posted 3 videos about the issue if you'd like to see. If yours is leaking please let me know as I'm trying to get Keystone to come up with a permanent solution to this. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you so much.
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Old 07-15-2018, 09:10 AM   #2
Mikeblan2000
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M.O.C. #21523
Our 2017 345 rl has 4 slides with leaking gear boxes in the shop right now. They add drip trays and fix the bubbled up slide roof membrane. That's the fix Keystone has for it.
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Old 07-15-2018, 10:20 AM   #3
jeffba
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This looks different than the cable system on ours. When out of the shop will have to add that to my list of things to check. Side Note part are in and it is back in the rotation to get worked on.
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Old 07-15-2018, 12:23 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Mikeblan2000 View Post
Our 2017 345 rl has 4 slides with leaking gear boxes in the shop right now. They add drip trays and fix the bubbled up slide roof membrane. That's the fix Keystone has for it.
Highly recommend you view a YouTube video from "Down the Road We Go" , In the Shop. In his last update he showed the fix was complete slideout roof membrane replacement with the drip pans. I don't want a patch that's going to get dragged over a slideout seal over and over. That's not a permanent fix. It should be put back in original condition.
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Old 07-15-2018, 12:34 PM   #5
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I just finished washing my roof a week ago and never noticed any signs of oil drips, but then i wasn't looking. i will check it out. I think my motors are manufactured by BAL.
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Old 07-15-2018, 02:19 PM   #6
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I think the gearbox were addressing are manufactured by Norco. Keystone did a heat test on them and discovered that the older version didn't leak. But they changed something about the manufacturing process and over the past couple of years the seals or gaskets will seep oil in high heat environments. Like a closed up camper going down the highway on a 95 degree day.
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Old 07-15-2018, 02:30 PM   #7
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BAL = Norco.

Came back from 2 weeks in LV a few weeks ago. Temps renged from a low of 90 to a high of 107. If that didn't do it, nothing will!
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Old 07-16-2018, 07:51 PM   #8
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I have all 4 slide gearboxes leaking. I think Keystone needs to have a recall not a patch.
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Old 07-16-2018, 08:23 PM   #9
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Bedroom slide only in our legacy is cable driven, but 2015 Bal, no leaks. Guess we ducked the bullet.
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Old 07-29-2018, 01:10 PM   #10
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Replaced gearboxes

We have a 2016 (built June 2015) 353RL and have replaced both of our gearboxes due to the gearboxes cracking and causing the slides to not open or close. The lighter of the 2 large slides is the theater seat/ dining table was replaced with a standard replacement part about 1 year ago. It did take 2 to get a good one, first was too weak to move the slide. The heavier slide has residential fridge/ tv, and was replaced with a heavy duty assembly 2 years ago I'm able to get parts thru Amazon and do the work myself, and carry an extra cable as well as the tools needed. So far, none of our's leak, and we're full timers.
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Old 07-29-2018, 02:30 PM   #11
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Got a new motor and gearbox installed yesterday. New gearbox has attached drip tray
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Old 07-29-2018, 02:35 PM   #12
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Got a new motor and gearbox installed yesterday. New gearbox has attached drip tray
Hmmmm. Why not use seals that don’t leak or redesign the casting so it doesn’t?? Drip pan seems like a bandaid approach!
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Old 07-29-2018, 02:46 PM   #13
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Hmmmm. Why not use seals that don’t leak or redesign the casting so it doesn’t?? Drip pan seems like a bandaid approach!
Like everthing else follow the money. Cheaper this way
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Old 07-29-2018, 05:25 PM   #14
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Gearbox leaking 2018 HC 381TH

I too have a 2018 HC 381TH that was purchased 6 months ago and all 4 Norco gearboxes are leaking and causing the slide roof to bubble. Have since taken into CW for to address this issue and they have reported that they are replacing the gearboxes and patching the roof. I told them that a patch is unacceptable for the reasons talked about in a couple posts. I didn't purchase a patched roof.
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Old 07-29-2018, 05:33 PM   #15
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You are absolutely correct. A patch will get drug back and forth across the seals and require constant maintenance that a undamaged roof wouldn't. Tell them that you want it made "whole" again and accept nothing less. Call Keystone if necessary.
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Old 07-29-2018, 05:35 PM   #16
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I too have a 2018 HC 381TH that was purchased 6 months ago and all 4 Norco gearboxes are leaking and causing the slide roof to bubble. Have since taken into CW for to address this issue and they have reported that they are replacing the gearboxes and patching the roof. I told them that a patch is unacceptable for the reasons talked about in a couple posts. I didn't purchase a patched roof.
We have a 2016 HC 375FL. 3 out of our motors/ gearboxes have had to be replaced within 6 cycles of each other. Although our 2016 gearboxes did not leak I installed drip trays on two of them and the other two replacements have them built in. On one slide has not broke. Kinda makes it interesting when we use it.
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Old 07-29-2018, 06:02 PM   #17
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So … how long till the drip pan needs emptying … how long till the gearbox is low on oil … what's the max incline you can pull without drip pan running over? It's sooooo shady under this tree that I can barely see. (shade tree fix)
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Old 07-29-2018, 08:12 PM   #18
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So … how long till the drip pan needs emptying … how long till the gearbox is low on oil … what's the max incline you can pull without drip pan running over? It's sooooo shady under this tree that I can barely see. (shade tree fix)
Keystone is betting on the warranty expiring before we find out the answers to your first two questions.
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Old 07-29-2018, 10:59 PM   #19
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We have a 2018 Montana HC 362RD and all 5 slides have growing bubbles. It was just one and our dealer didn’t actually fix it. They have it again now with all 5 being problematic. I’m worried about what they’ll call a “fix” this time.
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Old 07-30-2018, 06:58 AM   #20
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We have had our 2018 HC305RL about nine months now. A couple of weeks ago, I first noticed a strange looking "bubble" on the door side slide roof while sweeping the roof off before closing the slide. Hmmmmmmmm . . . . I had no idea why it had just "appeared". Then, I saw this topic, thank goodness. I just checked the other slide, and it too has a bubble. Grrrrr . . . yet another trip to the dealership!
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