Hitch Pin Welds - Page 4 - Montana Owners Club

Montana_4028 · 07-03-2005, 06:46 AM

Keystone has decided they are going to try and repair ours even though a pin broke on the kitchen slide when we had it at the dealer's last week. They wanted us to bring it up so that they could take pictures which Keystone had requested. My husband was putting the slide out to show them the damage to the linoleum from the carpet getting caught in the slide, when the pin broke on the slide and one end of the slide just refused to move. They fixed it that day, but it still gives a loud "clunk" when it first starts out. While taking pix of the serial #, they found that the serial # underneath and the pin box serial # don't match! What does that suggest? Either it was in an accident before it was even sold and they replaced the pin box or????? Anyway, they told us that it was standard for Keystone to take at least 30 days to get parts shipped in so I hope Frosty is getting better service than we are!! Mobilrvn, have you made it yet?

mobilrvn · 07-06-2005, 09:45 AM

Hi All, thanks for the concern. We are currently in KY, slowly going to the factory since our appointment isn't until 8/8. Figure that we have four more stops before we get there. Think that it will be a close thing. This stop we had a broken jack. Got a mobile RV repair to fix it since all the local Keystone dealers were too busy. Keystone said that they would pay for it---$120 for a ten minute job. A nut fell off the bolt which couples the connecting rod between the jacks--I was too ill to care at the time. Seem like the right wall has fallen down another 1/8" according to my measurements and the sofa S/O when it is out can now be "wiggled" in place by shaking the frame around the S/O. I was worried that it might bind with the wall sliding down---go figure!

Since our cat rides in the 5W while we are traveling, will have to ask him how much shaking is going on in there while we are going down the road. Know that there are vibrations from the way stuff moves around--think that the nut backed off the bolt on the jack because of it.

Good luck to everyone,

frosty · 07-06-2005, 02:51 PM

frosty havent made it yet yet yet

frosty · 07-12-2005, 04:16 AM

frosty--3295 rk got the Monty from the dealers all repaired ...Looks great ---We are going to try it out this A M on a trip to Del...Looks like Pocono R V did a good
job... Said that Keystone was great people to work with.
Will give report when we get home...have our fingers crossed

sreigle · 07-12-2005, 07:00 PM

Thanks for the update, John. I'm glad to hear the dealer did you good.

Montana_2785 · 07-18-2005, 08:44 AM

Well, I'm 99% sure that our pinbox area of the frame is broken

I now have the telltale signs of the caulk in the bedroom moving when I'm hitched up.

Has any second owner had Keystone take care of this on their nickle?

Eric

sreigle · 07-18-2005, 12:17 PM

Eric, they've fixed it for second and third owners.

frosty · 07-25-2005, 11:06 AM

took the Montana(3295rk) to Del.. about 200 miles eeverything went O K .. Checked over good when we got home,everything looks O K to me. Pocono R V did a good job and many thanks to Keystone for their help.Dealer said they were great to work with ....Many Thanks to everyone for your help and concern
John and Rose Marie

Montana_4028 · 07-25-2005, 06:42 PM

Glad everything seems to have worked out for you, Frosty! Our hitchpin is now starting to move up and down about 1 1/2 inches. Keystone is going to fly experts in from both Los Angeles and Goshen to show the people at Alpine how to do the repairs. We will be put up in a hotel at their expense while this happens. Still don't have date, but are hopeful it will be this week. Will let you know what happens.

frosty · 07-27-2005, 04:12 PM

wish you the best of luck,I sure they have the problem taken care of .. ..It is a very nice 5th wheel...keep us posted
Frosty

Montana_2785 · 07-30-2005, 01:02 AM

Well, our Montana is currently sitting inside a bay at Collier RV in Rockford IL. Jon, the service writer I normally deal with, told me that 6 of the 7 welds on the curb side are broken!!!

Collier has never made this repair before so I was debating whether to do the convenient thing and have them do it or take it to the factory for a sure repair. This information kinda makes it a no brainer. It isn't going ANYWHERE till this is fixed...

Jon took some pictures, but his camera won't focus very close. I'm running up there this morning to take some pictures with my camera. I'll post one here so you can all see what the deal is.

Eric

richfaa · 07-30-2005, 02:18 AM

The hitch pin wield issure is high on our list of "questions" when we vist the factory next week.We will get to take a good look at that area on the line and ask if they are planning to do anything to enforce that area.That issue is the one that concerns me the most.A friend of ours has a 04 2955 and had the same problem on a trip to Alaska..keystone fixed it at the factory on the way back.

rames14 · 07-31-2005, 11:32 AM

I haven't seen anyone post any issues with the 3400RL (2005). Anyone know if there is an issue with all models or just certain floor plans? It appears as if Keystone is doing a good job of taking care of everyone. A coworker just bought a Newmar, and he has had a number of issues as well. There have been numerous posts about the "quality" in the RV world. It appears as if there will be similar issues until the "Toyota" of the RV world forces everyone to get better.

sreigle · 07-31-2005, 02:08 PM

My understanding from our trip to the factory is the new ones have eliminated the issue. But I'll reserve judgment until I hear what Richfaa finds out next week.

Montana_2785 · 07-31-2005, 05:25 PM

I tried posting this earlier but the forum was having problems of its own...

Well, Saturday I went out to Rockford and spent some time looking over the damage. What I found out is that the description in this thread of "Hitch Pin Weld" is a bit misleading.

A better description would be "Overhang Area Welds". But the most descriptive would be "Overhang Sidewall Support Welds". According to Jon, my usual service writer at Collier RV, these are the welds that Keystone is ponying up the $$$ to fix (provided it the rig isn't abused, etc.....) Our particular problem is with the support for the outer bedroom wall on the curb side (right under the dresser). Here are some pictures of my woes to help everyone understand the exact issue. These pictures were taken while the weight of the rig was supported by the king pin.

This is what I noticed inside to let me know that I have a problem. According to all here that have already lived through this, this is the classic symptom. This is the dresser top butted up against the front closet wall. I'm not sure what it would look like if it was the wall support under the bed slide....
http://tinypic.com/9rh8w9.jpg

Outside orientation shot. This is taken from under the overhang slightly to the outside of the wall so you can see where we are. You can see the big bedroom window over the dresser is open. You can see the steel strip that is screwed to the bottom of the wall. The silver color of the screws stands out against the black paint of the strip. You can also see that the strip does not quite extend to the very front part of the wall bottom. The black steel beside the strip (that DOES continue to the very front of the rig)is the box beam that makes up the side of the overhang frame. You can't see it from here but the front of that strip has separated from the box beam by a good 1.5 to 2 inches when the king pin is supporting the weight and flexes the frame upward.
http://tinypic.com/9rh8nn.jpg

Here is a close up of one of the broken welds. The white area you see is the interior wallpaper covering on the wall board that extends up into the bedroom. It is interesting that you can clearly see that it is the weld itself that has broken. Neither the steel strip nor the steel box beam fractured.
http://tinypic.com/9rh8bc.jpg

Last is a long view along side the series of broken welds. The bottom of the wall has a strip of flat steel that is screwed into the bottom of the wall. The edge of this strip is welded, via a total of seven 1 to 1.5 inch welds, to the bottom edge of a box beam that makes up the overhang area frame. The front 6 welds have broken and only the 7th at the rear most of the overhang area remains intact. This is Jon from Collier RV pointing out the remaining weld (he'll kill me if he finds out I've posted him here

)
http://tinypic.com/9r87ds.jpg

Jon's manager, Pete, pointed out to me that the steel strip on the street side wall bottom is buckled and it doesn't look very sturdy. I very much hope that Keystone will also reinforce that side as well. I'll be checking on that when we know better what will be done. That really needs to be a thicker steel strip with beefier welds. They have described to me what Keystone does by overlaying another peice of steel across the existing strip and over to the frame to strengthen those weld joints.

A bit of good news... As of right now, I have very little interior damage. Jon tells me that a panel inside the closet really should be fixed as it has been buckled off the wall. That is really it. I would assume that if that 7th weld had let go that we would have likely sustained greater interior damage. I have everyone here to thank for educating me about what the interior symptom meant so I got it in for repair soon enough.

Considering that we are now occupying one of their bays I think that Collier will be pushing for a quick resolution so I should have an update soon.

Eric

richfaa · 08-01-2005, 03:57 AM

Eric, great post on the hitch pin issue.I have copied the post and will take it to the factory with us Thursday so We can see exactly where the wield are.

richfaa · 08-01-2005, 05:39 AM

Not going to the plant..seems that they no longer do Montana tours on Thursdays????Glad we called to confirm.

sreigle · 08-01-2005, 08:11 AM

Excellent post, Eric. And you are correct that it really is the overhang and not the pinbox that is a problem. The shot of your dresser is exactly what we were seeing on ours, too. Plus when hitched we had a gap between outside wall and molding at the lower corner near the propane locker on the curb side.

Did they or are they going to remove the front cap while doing the work? They (Keystone service center) removed ours and the other unit getting the same work done. I wouldn't want them to miss something on yours although I'm not sure exactly what requires cap removal.

Thanks for posting this.

Montana_2785 · 08-01-2005, 08:25 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

Excellent post, Eric. And you are correct that it really is the overhang and not the pinbox that is a problem. The shot of your dresser is exactly what we were seeing on ours, too. Plus when hitched we had a gap between outside wall and molding at the lower corner near the propane locker on the curb side.

I didn't see any gap like you are describing. Perhaps we found our problem before it got as bad as yours?

Quote:

quote

id they or are they going to remove the front cap while doing the work? They (Keystone service center) removed ours and the other unit getting the same work done. I wouldn't want them to miss something on yours although I'm not sure exactly what requires cap removal.

Thanks for posting this.

No one has mentioned the need to completely remove the front cap. Again, if yours had deteriorated more than ours has, perhaps you had more internal damage??? I'll be sure and ask about it... I did already have it on my list to ask about possible damage to the roof/trusses.

Eric

Montana_2785 · 08-01-2005, 08:31 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

Excellent post, Eric. And you are correct that it really is the overhang and not the pinbox that is a problem. [...]

You know, up till Saturday I couldn't understand why Keystone was telling people to go ahead and pull their rigs 100's of miles to get to a repair facility. The description made me think that it was going to fall apart on the road.

Now that I've seen the problem first hand I understand that it isn't a frame issue at all. It is a connection of the outer body TO the frame that is failing. The frame is perfectly sound. With that in mind, there is no danger of the unit coming apart and falling into pieces.

Eric

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