Crack on exterior of rig - Montana Owners Club

dmorgan817 · 08-25-2007, 12:40 PM

Huge picture of damage.
This is at the top right corner of the opening for the rear kitchen slider. Has anyone seen this before?

ols1932 · 08-25-2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by dmorgan817

Huge picture of damage.
This is at the top right corner of the opening for the rear kitchen slider. Has anyone seen this before?

That is some crack! Looks to me like something the dealer/Keystone should take care of. I don't know how old your rig is but several of us have had these kinds of cracks repaired under warranty and out of warranty. I'd call Keystone Customer Service, but first contact your dealer. The cracks are caused by "frame flex" and Keystone is well aware of this type of problem as they repaired cracks around my bedroom slide and my entertainment slide when the rig was four years old. However, I just paid $3165 to have the front end of the rig reinforced to stop the frame flex. Our rig is 7 years old.

Good luck in whatever you do. But I'd sure hound my dealer first.

Orv

kmh3212 · 08-27-2007, 02:54 AM

dmorgan, That crack is severe! I would be at the dealer and on the phone to Montana.
What year is your trailer? Also please keep us informed on what is found and what is Montana going to do about it.
Kevin

richfaa · 08-27-2007, 03:21 AM

That is a nasty crack..His post says it is a 05 model so it IS out of warranty and it does not appear to be in a area where the usual "frame flex"problem occurs. That picture and perhaps more need to go to the service center.

dmorgan817 · 08-27-2007, 03:53 AM

It's a 2005 we bought new in 2006. I am so upset. The dealership is 5 hours away in Pasco, Wa. We had it in half a dozen time last year trying to fix the slider leaks. Road dirt and water would come in under the sliders while traveling. Still had a problem with the slider that the crack is located at. This was to be the retirement home. I have emailed the dealer with the pic, another dealer in Bend, OR who is just 3 hours from us and a service advisor from Keystone that responded to emails last year on the slider issues. I hope I hear from someone. I do have the extended warranty but with my luck it won't make a difference. I am heart broken.

bigmurf · 08-27-2007, 07:44 AM

We had a large crack on the front slide of our 2004. Keystone repaired it and we got 200 miles before it opened back up. They tried again about 6 months later (in new building and new man). So far it has held for over a year of full time use.

richfaa · 08-27-2007, 08:12 AM

The keystone service center can track that unit by the VIN number..It MAY have a history

dmorgan817 · 09-13-2007, 05:19 PM

well, we finally got a reply from another dealer in Bend Oregon, All Seasons RV. They got approval to fix the crack and we are bringing it in on Satuday. I truly hope this is a one time thing. I will keep yall informed. Thanks for support.
Debbie

dmorgan817 · 10-13-2007, 04:01 PM

Well we picked up the rig from the dealer in Bend, OR. They fixed the crack along with another one they found at the bedroom slider. They did that under warranty along with a recall update of adding a board and some screws on the frame somewhere.
You would think I would have been shown where? Well....After verifying Friday that we could pick it up (3 1/2 hour drive one way) on Saturday and all was ready, They could not find the paper work, did not have any idea that we had an extended warranty, (copies of papaerwork were scanned and emailed prior to the service appt and the service advisor was shown where they were when we brought it in)and were not going to let us have it. He finally found the paper work and then went out to find our rig. He brought it out to us and I went in to inspect the repairs. The fiberglass was fine, but the shower needed the pin fixed on the door. It was loose and bent at the top. They tore up the metal around the top of the door and the frame. They installed a washer which caused the door to sag at the opening side. They actually cut the metal frame like with a saw. Vertical about a 1/8 inch. The door would not open, hung up at the bottom. Then I tried to close the slide and the batteries were dead. I had them take a picture of the damage and I will take some more. The rig was filthy and windows were left open, But they called us to let them winterize it for $69.99 while it was there so nothing would freeze.
They finally let us take it if I gave them my credit card number. We were there for an hour!! I was not going to leave it and have the snows come in the passes between there and home. I will keep you all informed of what goes on. I am so upset I just cried.

Okie Guy · 10-13-2007, 05:37 PM

Debbie,
I am so sorry about your current nightmare. Do yourself a favor. Tell the manager he has 1 chance to make it right so he needs to step up to the plate. Tell him to fix everything they destroyed in blank amount of time. If he objets then send a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. This will cause them to bend over backwards to fix the problem. That was all it took from McClains RV in Oklahoma City. They forged my name to a gap insurance policy and I gave them a month to resolve the problem. After I filed a complaint with the better business bureau they had a check a my mailbox the next day.
Good Luck and let us know what happens!
Phil

bncinwv · 10-13-2007, 06:11 PM

You need to let Montana know everything also, including the complaints you will file. The dealers reputation should be a concern of the manufacturers also since it ultimately affects the way they are looked at by potential customers. I will strongly advise doing everything in writing with photos and use certified, return-receipt mail. Be strong, be assertive and I hope everything works out to your satisfaction.
Bingo

dmorgan817 · 10-14-2007, 06:46 AM

More bad news. My husband checked this morning to see if the batteries were charging and the CRACK IS BACK! I am so discouraged and the lack of confidence in this rig having any longevity is overwhelming. There is now just a sense of doom. Is there a lemon law for RV's? If it cracked in the same place, they just covered it up, not fixed the problem. Who do I contact at Keystone? Help!
Debbie

DONnANNIE · 10-14-2007, 08:40 AM

Quote:

quote: dmorgan817 Posted - Oct 14 2007 : 12:46:25 PM
More bad news. My husband checked this morning to see if the batteries were charging and the CRACK IS BACK! I am so discouraged and the lack of confidence in this rig having any longevity is overwhelming. There is now just a sense of doom. Is there a lemon law for RV's? If it cracked in the same place, they just covered it up, not fixed the problem. Who do I contact at Keystone? Help!
Debbie

Debbie there is a keystone Cougar factory in Pendleton, OR that you could take it to with Keystone's okay. I would call "Team Montana" in Goshen, IN. I've seen the phone #, but can't find it. But I'm still looking. "Richfaa" has it for sure.

Keep us posted, as I have a 3650RK.

Edit: The only thing I found for Team Montana was Mark Krul at 1-574-537-3901.

If "Richfaa" doesn't come on, PM him for the phone #.

dmorgan817 · 10-14-2007, 10:03 AM

these are the pics

before

after

shower door before

shower door afterf

richfaa · 10-14-2007, 10:55 AM

Mark is a District sales manager and not part of the service center.. The number for the Service center is 866-425-4369 or 574-534-9430. Ask for Team Montana. Have the VIN number handy. Give them all the detialed information you have and let them know you have pictures. Be polite, ask them for any help they may be able to offer. You mentioned you have a Extended Warranty. I would suggest you contact them also.. I think you should have done that first when you suspected you were out of keystone Warranty. Don't know how a Extended Warranty company is going to react to the unit having already had a failed attempted repair on it. You are indeed in a difficult position but can not loose anything buy trying. Oh..be sure to mention that you are a member of MOC and were advised to contact them by Forum members. Play all the cards you have////

DONnANNIE · 10-14-2007, 01:39 PM

Thanks Rich for the correction and phone #.

As a side note I think Admin should add phone numbers to the Home Page RV Links for Team Montana or any other appropriate listing. Seems like we all remember something having been posted but can't find it. And the Search function isn't always successful. Just a thought.

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