Beware Montana 343RL High Country

[jackson47]

Hi Everyone,

Just got off phone with Keystone Customer Service with a technician on the line.
My issue is with a brand new purchased in June '11 343 RL High Country. After purchasing I noticed on drive home from TX to NV that the trailer listed to one side (driverside). It has been to two different repairshops for measurements. None of which have measured the area I believe is causing the problem. I have measured over the axle side to side and the listing side is 7/8" to 1" lower from frame to top of axle. Since I have the trailer in my possession, I crawled under trailer to check measurements again trailer frame to axle and frame to ground. Frame to ground measurement is slightly different 7/8" vs 5/8" might be the contour of concrete pad. I also noticed that the vapor barrier was abraided and bare wood was showing above one of the tires on the driverside. I could not find any other damage above the other tires. I have driven this trailer 2,100. I have continuely told Keystone Rep it's the springs. This unit has three slides on driverside and large livingroom slide on entry side. Having weighed the trailer to get side to side weights, I found the driverside to weight 880 pounds more over the axles on that side.

The High Country is a light weight Montana. Gross weight is 12,500 with 5200 pound axles. Empty pin weight of 1,740, delivery weight of just under 10,000 pounds.

Keystone's response to my concern was all of their measurements were within specs. I told them about the wear above the tire. They said take it back to a Keystone service center. I asked if they were okay with the tire wearing a hole in the vapor barrier. They only replied that the trailer met spec. I asked them to confirm that the number one rated trailer company was okay with my concerns that the trailer and tire are rubbing. Their response trailer checked out but you can take it back to a Keystone repair center.

This trailer has been at a repair facility off and on for just over three months. I am so tired of this issue.

Bottom line. BEAWARE OF THE HIGH COUNTRY 343 RL.

[grayghost03]

I have the 2012 Montana HC, and have had no issues, and it pulls level. I think the problem is your unit, not the model. You say its been to the repair center, what was their reply, did you point out the wear in the barrier?

[jackson47]

Everyone was measuring for frame flex. I wanted them to check the leaf springs. after weeks of argueing they let me add additional leaf springs. The unit doesn't list anymore.

[Arch Hoagland]

Thanks for the follow up. It's nice to hear what the outcome of a problem is.

[3665RE]

The title should be “Beware of Keystone / Thor”

Unfortunately you are running in to the problems everyone else has.

For your own protection don’t let a dealer or any Keystone representative work on or inspect your unit without getting copies of their work order.

The dealer and service centers will try to convince you that there isn’t any paperwork because it is warranty. Don’t believe it! When you finally get down to trying to get the problem resolved because it has escalated to a serious or seriously expensive item Keystone denies they have had the opportunity to correct the problem before it became serious. The phone conversations with Keystone will either not have been entered in their computer system or what was entered was not a correct rendition of the conversation.

I would begin to communicate with them by E-Mail so you have a record of the events.



Just my opinion $11,000.00 worth.

3665RE

[mikell]

I had a couple of minor problems to be fixed and everything was on paper and the paper trail was easy to trace. On computer most of it after the tech put it in the system.

[3665RE]

Hi

Just a word of caution.

Get paperwork on everything a dealer or Keystone repair center does to your new trailer. Don’t accept any excuses for them not having paperwork.

Like mikell says they have paperwork for every thing they do.

If you don’t get the paperwork it may cost you big bucks in the future.

Just my opinion all $11,000.00 worth.

3665RE

[Dibber62]

We have a 2013 Montana 343RL. Love it. We have over 5000 km on it. Couple of small issues that were promptly looked after by the dealer It was ready on time. Great job. All paper work was in a folder at the service counter. Only small issue now is mouse proofing. I finally got it done myself. It must be your dealer not keystone. Just my two bits worth.


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[3665RE]

Originally Posted by Dibber62

It must be your dealer not keystone. Just my two bits worth.


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Hi

There is no question the dealer is at fault, I found a couple of years later that they are using tractor mechanics from the farm community that can’t spell RV let alone work on one.

But I contacted Keystone when the trailer was 3 months old and they refused to let me take the trailer to a different dealer that may have had trained technicians Keystone even refused to allow me on their premise in Indiana when I called them from Shpshewana asking to bring the unit to their service center so they could see firsthand what the dealer was doing to me.

The bottom line is Keystone has no integrity and bases their dealer performance on their sales record only. Keystone even told me when I sent the them VIN numbers of several other trailers Keystone had paid to transport from this dealer back to Keystones facility for repair because of the dealers incompetence the “we don’t cross reference that stuff”.

3665RE

[Dibber62]

Have you had any other issues with the unit. Sorry to hear about your dealer and mfg. problems. To bad you have a very nice 5er and this type of thing spoils the enjoyment you get out of your investment. Mine is off warranty aug 1 2014. Unless it is serious I do my own work then I know it is done to my standards. Also not the stress of having to put up with the BS from a uncaring Dealer. Hope it works out for you. Take care and happy trails


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[3665RE]

Dibber62

After the last go around when Keystone told me I had voided the warranty because I didn’t re-caulk everything on the trailer down to and including removing the sink and shower drains and re-caulk them at 3 months old and Mr. Holmes backed this up I decided to repair the trailer.

The trailer was never finished at the factory, the black tank vent was never installed, and the potable water lines were never connected at the convenience center etc. this list goes on for 6 pages.

I spent $20,000 on this trailer and now have a very good trailer that we enjoy the trailer is 5 years old and has 70,000 miles on it and the only additional problems I have are the same everyone else has with theses trailers. The big slide roof has sagged down in the middle and the frame failed at the rear axle spring shackle.

I had a pipe line welder come and repair the frame, this was not the “frame flex” everyone is talking about but the spring shackle failure that is common and doesn’t cost as much as the frame flex issue to repair. The roof I will have the company that did the $20,000 in repairs to the “house” portion of the trailer take care of next winter. In the mean time we have put a slide awing on it to keep rain water out.

Basically what I received from Keystone was a “do-it-yourself” kit that was represented as a completed trailer.

For the amount of money I put out for this trailer in the first 2 years I had it I could have purchased from one of the three manufactures in Indiana that provide a 2 year cap to cap and 5 years on the structure warranty and would have avoided all of these headaches.

I will never purchase a Thor product again.

3665RE

[jackson47]

Do you own a Montana 343RL or Montana High Country 343RL.

[Dibber62]

Yes. New 2013. So far so good.


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[firsterin]

We're having some pretty serious issues with our 2015 Keystone High Country 343rl also. My husband has been on the phone every day since we got it two months ago. Going to yet another Keystone dealer's service center next week to see if they say anything different. We love the layout and everything else about the trailer but the AC is not sufficient for Florida and the breaking system is not sturdy enough. (and yes, we've had the truck system checked) Frustrating, to say the least; when you spend this much money on a produce you expect it to be worth it AND you expect decent customer service!

Originally Posted by jackson47

Hi Everyone,

Just got off phone with Keystone Customer Service with a technician on the line.
My issue is with a brand new purchased in June '11 343 RL High Country. After purchasing I noticed on drive home from TX to NV that the trailer listed to one side (driverside). It has been to two different repairshops for measurements. None of which have measured the area I believe is causing the problem. I have measured over the axle side to side and the listing side is 7/8" to 1" lower from frame to top of axle. Since I have the trailer in my possession, I crawled under trailer to check measurements again trailer frame to axle and frame to ground. Frame to ground measurement is slightly different 7/8" vs 5/8" might be the contour of concrete pad. I also noticed that the vapor barrier was abraided and bare wood was showing above one of the tires on the driverside. I could not find any other damage above the other tires. I have driven this trailer 2,100. I have continuely told Keystone Rep it's the springs. This unit has three slides on driverside and large livingroom slide on entry side. Having weighed the trailer to get side to side weights, I found the driverside to weight 880 pounds more over the axles on that side.

The High Country is a light weight Montana. Gross weight is 12,500 with 5200 pound axles. Empty pin weight of 1,740, delivery weight of just under 10,000 pounds.

Keystone's response to my concern was all of their measurements were within specs. I told them about the wear above the tire. They said take it back to a Keystone service center. I asked if they were okay with the tire wearing a hole in the vapor barrier. They only replied that the trailer met spec. I asked them to confirm that the number one rated trailer company was okay with my concerns that the trailer and tire are rubbing. Their response trailer checked out but you can take it back to a Keystone repair center.

This trailer has been at a repair facility off and on for just over three months. I am so tired of this issue.

Bottom line. BEAWARE OF THE HIGH COUNTRY 343 RL.