Fiberglass crack at kitchen slide - 2017 3921FB

[jmb98]

Hi all,

Had our exterior washed/waxed 3 weeks ago & on inspection noticed a long, slightly diagonal fiberglass crack on the fridge side of our kitchen slide. Of course, we’re out of warranty with Keystone, but ran it by them anyway. Their techs say it’s an “unusual” crack, likely caused by suspension, which doesn’t help me at all. Trailer’s been planted at our Arizona park since late October, with the exception of a brake & axle service in early January. Did we crack a weld or something? Who do we take it to for repair? We leave again May 1.

Thanks,
Maggie

[Fishin2dMax]

It's not good news. Something in frame / support of the wall is flexing more than normal. I had a frame /wall Flex issue that bulged the wall in front of my bedroom slide. I caught it before it cracked the fiberglass wall on top. Repairs were not easy and it took a long time to get it repaired. Similar to mine, I highly suspect wall studs welds have broken as a result of the frame flexing or cable slide wall stress. Since I don't think your kitchen uses a cable slide, it's likely due to frame flexing too much. The solid once piece wall will give at it's weakest point; in this case the where the wall and the header meet above the slide. You have two issues to deal with: 1) repairing the wall stud welds and patching fiberglass exterior, 2) finding the root cause of the frame flexing. I suggest taking the trailer to a large dealer that has a good RV body shop. Take pictures and forward on to Keystone for their advice and recommendation for repairs. In my case, I had two excellent dealers (my original and the one doing the repairs) working along with me to get Keystone and Lippert to help with needed repairs. Who knows, depending on what they find, they might even cover some of it under warranty, but you're likely on your own on repair costs. Sadly, frame flex issues in Montana's are far more common than Keystone or their dealers will admit publicly.

[jmb98]

I forwarded lots of pics to Keystone upon their request, only to hear them say they’ll look into it, but won’t do anything about it. The MOC archives had lots of info about frame flex, which is a Lippert issue across all brands, and doesn’t exactly apply to our problem as the hydraulic kitchen slide is toward the rear of our trailer (behind our bedroom slide). We’re on RV Row in Mesa with lots of dealers/repair shops on our street — just need to find one who can repair the damage before we leave town. Appreciate the feedback, Fishin!

[Mikendebbie]

Have you looked at the frame in the wheel well under the slide? Can you see any deformations in the steel?
I have same unit but a 2018 model. The crack looks like a tension crack caused by the the rear end moving down like I marked in the pic below. I can’t imagine how this would happen because there is very little weight in the back end. Cabinets above the rear couch don’t hold much. The fresh water storage tank (if full) would be the some weight behind the axles, and I think the water tank is close to the axles. The weight of the slide might be enough to hammer down on the frame on a rough road and cause it to flex down. But the location of the entertainment slide is common in many floor plan units. If this was a common location for frame flex cracks we would know about from previous similar threads. Based on frame flex problem threads here in this forum - seems there are many issues related to the front end of the unit. I don’t recall reading about problems where this crack is located. This one seems to be unique. I suppose it’s possible that the stud welds above the slide header may have failed and separated. It would have to be where the horizontal header framing ties to the vertical studs.

[bshgto]

Originally Posted by Mikendebbie

Have you looked at the frame in the wheel well under the slide? Can you see any deformations in the steel?
I have same unit but a 2018 model. The crack looks like a tension crack caused by the the rear end moving down like I marked in the pic below. I can’t imagine how this would happen because there is very little weight in the back end. Cabinets above the rear couch don’t hold much. The fresh water storage tank (if full) would be the some weight behind the axles, and I think the water tank is close to the axles. The weight of the slide might be enough to hammer down on the frame on a rough road and cause it to flex down. But the location of the entertainment slide is common in many floor plan units. If this was a common location for frame flex cracks we would know about from previous similar threads. Based on frame flex problem threads here in this forum - seems there are many issues related to the front end of the unit. I don’t recall reading about problems where this crack is located. This one seems to be unique. I suppose it’s possible that the stud welds above the slide header may have failed and separated. It would have to be where the horizontal header framing ties to the vertical studs.

Fixing the crack will be useless until you fix the reason it cracked to begin with. It will crack again. Might be a little trouble but if you suction cupped a Go Pro to record the crack, then go out for a ride you would be able to tell if the crack opens and closes with bumps in the road. That would tell you if it is a frame and or a broken wall issue. At least a place to start. Good luck with this.

[phillyg]

Hard to tell for sure if it's a minor crack just in the Filon without looking at the luan underlayment, which is a pain. The idea about using a camera to observe any movement is a good one. Perhaps you can run a string line along the bottom of the i-beam to see if there's a downward bend from end to end. Also, thoroughly check the running gear on both sides for mis-alignment or something loose.

[jmb98]

Thanks for the assist, guys. It’s beyond my scope, but appreciate the suggestions. Have an appointment for a diagnosis & estimate with a local dealer scheduled for late next month. We’ll see how long it takes to figure it out.

[snowmanfx4]

I had the same crack in my 2016 3911fb. I repaired mine and couldn't see it when I was done. Got the paint matched at Menards. To long to tell you on here. Send my a message on here and I can tell you how to do it. And it was my first fiberglass work.

[Amtracker]

I agree with bshgto the issue is in the structure. The welds broke on all three main studs in the front of the bedroom slide. I was able to spot it due to a bulge but no cracks at that time. The welds being done by Keystone are not the best and t looks like the rapid rate of production is moving the units too fast down the assembly lines. The wall structures are in my opinion tack welded rather than welds completely around the studs.

I have 2020 3791 RD and just had it repaired. Also agree that Keystone has an issue and does not want to address it publicly. My brother has the same model but is a 2019 and had the same issue. Both of our repairs were corrected by Keystone but took so doing.

[twindman]

I had frame issues last fall. Front end had the old frame flex - joint at front under the overhang and 3 short studs at the back allowing the back wall to sort of slip away from the sides.
Anyway I took it to my dealer - Rv Country in Mesa. I asked them if they had experience in welding aluminum studs. They said they see it a lot at the front on the walls. I haven't used the rig yet, so hope they got it all fixed - around $5000 so it better be.