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Old 04-19-2020, 01:24 PM   #1
FreeRoamn
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Broken Wall Stud

Just a heads up for others to be on the lookout for this. It starts out very innocently with just a gap in the silicone sealant. I am not sure how common it is but I do know of a 2020 owner that had this same issue along with bent cross-bracing between the frame rails that came from the factory that way.

I had a separation in the small seam that runs vertically from the bottom of the left lower corner of the bedroom slide on our 2017 3160RL. I noticed a bulge in the wall along with it. I took it to my dealer who instantly recognized this a known issue. The aluminum wall stud is broken due to a lack of bracing/missing welds.

I would say our rig has had fairly gentle low to moderate use. Been on a two 1,000 mile trips and about a dozen 60-mile trips in almost 3 years.

My dealer has done this repair to 4 other Montana's so far and hoping next week to hear Keystone will stand behind their product and do the right thing and cover this frame issue. 2017 only had a 1-year warranty on the frame but as of 2019 I believe, now have 3-year frame warranty.
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Old 04-19-2020, 05:44 PM   #2
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(I realize this has been discussed to ad nauseam before but wanted to share that this issue is still happening)
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Old 04-19-2020, 06:00 PM   #3
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Thanks for posting. Please keep us updated. I have the same unit, 2016 built in 2015.
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Old 04-19-2020, 08:33 PM   #4
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I would have thought after all these years they would have found a real welder! My 3761FL has 2 chances for breakage with 2 front slides. Will be watching and feeing for those with the problem.
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Old 04-20-2020, 05:49 AM   #5
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Discovered this on my 3121 Friday. Also have the bulge at the same spot. One picture is weight on the front jacks, the other with weight on hitch. Sent email to Keystone saturday and will contact dealer today.

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Old 04-20-2020, 07:52 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baldicon View Post
Discovered this on my 3121 Friday. Also have the bulge at the same spot. One picture is weight on the front jacks, the other with weight on hitch. Sent email to Keystone saturday and will contact dealer today.

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Old 04-20-2020, 08:24 AM   #7
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Let me try again, I followed the forum instructions. But this looks just like my previous attempt.

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Old 04-20-2020, 08:25 AM   #8
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But it worked this time!
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Old 04-20-2020, 09:10 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baldicon View Post
But it worked this time!
Yep, does not look good. Please keep us updated on your progress with getting this fixed.
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Old 04-20-2020, 09:13 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by FreeRoamn View Post
Yep, does not look good. Please keep us updated on your progress with getting this fixed.
Good luck with your's too. Mine goes back to dealer on the 29th.
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Old 04-26-2020, 01:46 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FreeRoamn View Post
Just a heads up for others to be on the lookout for this. It starts out very innocently with just a gap in the silicone sealant. I am not sure how common it is but I do know of a 2020 owner that had this same issue along with bent cross-bracing between the frame rails that came from the factory that way.

I had a separation in the small seam that runs vertically from the bottom of the left lower corner of the bedroom slide on our 2017 3160RL. I noticed a bulge in the wall along with it. I took it to my dealer who instantly recognized this a known issue. The aluminum wall stud is broken due to a lack of bracing/missing welds.

I would say our rig has had fairly gentle low to moderate use. Been on a two 1,000 mile trips and about a dozen 60-mile trips in almost 3 years.

My dealer has done this repair to 4 other Montana's so far and hoping next week to hear Keystone will stand behind their product and do the right thing and cover this frame issue. 2017 only had a 1-year warranty on the frame but as of 2019 I believe, now have 3-year frame warranty.
Can you determine if your 3160RL was built early or later in the year. As in build in 2017?
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Old 04-26-2020, 01:50 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Ssuesi View Post
Can you determine if your 3160RL was built early or later in the year. As in build in 2017?
Hmmm, not sure without maybe looking for a date on the rig? Once I get it back in a couple of weeks I will try and find out. We picked our up in May of 2017 if that helps.
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Old 04-26-2020, 04:35 PM   #13
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Thank you for the reply. Looking forward to the information.
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Old 04-27-2020, 02:50 PM   #14
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We all had discussion about one of us that had a wall stud cut in the process of installing a dryer vent. Some replied and provided drawings for gussets attached to the inside of the bedroom wall.

Do you think similar reinforcements would be effective in preventing broken wall studs due to flexure?
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Old 04-27-2020, 03:32 PM   #15
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Montana Man said
Do you think similar reinforcements would be effective in preventing broken wall studs due to flexure?

Interesting question - and I assume you mean a reinforcement that us mortals could apply as a preventative measure against stud weld breaking and resulting frame flex.

As I try to envision the length and height of the gusset that would need to be applied to the inside wall - I guess if I had a unit that was beyond its 3 year structural warranty - I might try to do this myself. I am not a structural engineer and I am not sure that I understand all the forces that would need to be counter-acted with a fixed gusset plate - and understanding those forces would dictate the design of the gusset. Do the weld breaks only occur at the base of the walls? Does it occur on both sides of the front section of the RV? How many studs do I have to capture with my gusset? My gusset can catch many studs but it only has that skinny little bottom track to hit with a screw fastener. I suppose I would put more screws into the bottom track than I put in the studs. So - with me not knowing the answers to these issues - my gussets would tend to get larger, longer and UGLIER! The situation would have to be pretty bad for DW to approve my proposed fixes!
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Old 04-27-2020, 03:34 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Montana Man View Post
We all had a discussion about one of us that had a wall stud cut in the process of installing a dryer vent. Some replied and provided drawings for gussets attached to the inside of the bedroom wall.

Do you think similar reinforcements would be effective in preventing broken wall studs due to flexure?
Well, I am not an engineer and don't have a handle on exactly how extensive the RV industry's issues are with quality control on frame and wall construction. But with what I know now, if I had any reason to remove the front cap on my rig I would certainly look into adding gussets and reinforcements or at least double-checking everything is holding together as it should.

On the other hand, if I were not planning on keeping my rig for the long term or I had lots of miles and use out of it without issues, I might just crack a beer and not worry about it.

There are a lot of Montana's on the road, this issue appears almost as old as the RV industry and it's not just Montana's. Based on what we read on the forums and hear in campgrounds as to how prevalent the issue is, it appears not very widespread, just our bad luck with our rigs that have broken wall studs due to broken/inadequate welds, etc. I would think a 5-minute inspection of the welding/construction on the assembly line before closing in the walls would go a long way in saving everyone involved headaches and money.
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Old 05-13-2020, 01:47 AM   #17
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Contact Keystone customer service and see what they tell you.
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Old 05-13-2020, 07:05 AM   #18
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Keystone montana wall construction
https://youtu.be/VqyUr1KQ4-c
2:30 in, talks about welding both sides of a joint.

Construction
https://m.youtube.com/results?search...+construction+
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Old 05-13-2020, 08:54 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryles View Post
Keystone montana wall construction
https://youtu.be/VqyUr1KQ4-c
2:30 in, talks about welding both sides of a joint.

Construction
https://m.youtube.com/results?search...+construction+
That is a lot of welding per wall! At 2:30 is where you can see how easy it is for welds to get missed and voila, you have an issue. I can imagine if they just had a little better QC, this thread would not exist.
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Old 05-13-2020, 09:21 AM   #20
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Wall Stud Fix on my 2018 305RL

FreeRoamn: You may want to take a look at my posting, "Bulge in Side Panel: on the road..". I just posted pictures of the fix for my rig.
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