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Old 03-02-2009, 05:29 PM   #1
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Like all other vehicless, our units are a conglomeration of a lot of other manufacturer's parts. I've read of various issues with our 5ers, such as broken frames, worn suspension, leaks, etc. I heard the Keystone Montana was the #1 seller last year. The law of averages dictates that some of them are going to have problems. Not one manufacturer is perfect. I have a Keystone Cougar and love it - and am truly grateful for the advice and guidance of others on this site.
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Old 03-03-2009, 11:08 AM   #2
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We've had our Cougar fiver 1 year, 1 month and 1 day - as it would happen - and we love it very much. Our last trailer was a different brand that we had for 4 years and had great luck with it too.

Like anything and everything else there is ALWAYS someone who has a complaint about something! Just glad I'm not one of them....

I'm compiling my bucket list - and being in a bad mood or putting others in one - isn't on the list.

Happy Camping to all......and if you dont' love your Keystone for some reason - get something else!! It won't hurt my feeling at all.

Jo
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Old 03-04-2009, 03:51 AM   #3
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It seems that for some people complaining and being unhappy is just in their makeup. When looking at reviews, I always discount 2 or 3 complaints because I figure they come from chronic complainers and are not representative of reality. Every rv manufacturer seems to have problems of some kind. The units that cost less have lesser quality materials but you should know that going in. We have had 3 trailers, moving up in cost. Although the first was a cheaper unit, we sure had lots of fun in it. It served our purpose and really we had no complaints. We are now in a medium price range unit. We've had a few problems but we have also owned it longer than the other units. So to be expected that things will wear out. If it works for you, it's good.
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Old 06-24-2009, 04:23 AM   #4
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re: Challenger

We have a 2008 Keystone Challenger 33DBB and really like it. We had a Jayco 3230 class c MH had great luck with it also. BTW, Jayco really stands behind their products. We had problems with the slide after the warranty was out but Jayco took care of it. Anyway, Iv'e found the people that have the most problems with their units either don't know how to take care of them or they abuse them. A little "preflight" check and a little preventive maintenance goes a long way.
I ride motorcycles (2008 Honda GL 1800), fly airplanes, & rv. They all require some TLC and attention.
I realize some things (problems) are hidden and can't be seen until they are really a problem but, a lot of things can be seen but get ignored.

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Old 10-15-2009, 06:37 PM   #5
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Have an 06' challenger,so far so good,,,,have had the typical problems that you have to deal with living in it 9 months out of the year. First Keystone to own but no real bad complaints yet,,,,,except maybe not as well insulated and winter time friendly as it was supposed to be and placement of washer/dryer hook ups,,oh yeah and the remote control that controls the a.c and furnace and heat pump and......Cant stand that feature of this trailer,,,,,,the satelite t.v remote also controls all that too,,,,,it gets frustrating change'n channels and also changing from a.c to furnace!!!!
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Old 10-15-2009, 07:24 PM   #6
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I have a 2002 Springdale by Keystone, no real complaints. A bit on the cheap side, but for a brand new dual slide 28' TT at $18K, it's a cheap entryish level TT. No more than I use it she does just fine.

However I had to replace the tub faucet after six years, and the outside showerhead didn't get winterized properly by some idiot (Couldn't be me, nooo.) and froze breaking the head. Total repair costs were like $30! I'll never buy another one! At least not until this one wears out and I upgrade, no how no way!

(Total tongue in cheek there, I'm actually very happy with it.)
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Old 10-15-2009, 09:56 PM   #7
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we have a 2006 cougar,two problems. the black tank wasnt installed properly couldnt use at all, keystone did step up with warranty, dealer didnt do his job though and hes no longer in business the real problem i have is both axles had the bolts that hold the shackles loosened up almost last an axle with less than 1000 miles and keystone blew me off, and now they have a recall on 2007 cougars with the same problem. funny they still wont do mine. that's ok I fixed it the way it should be done.other than that we like ours, and we live in it full time now.the only change it should have is upgrade to 50 amp service.
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Old 04-15-2012, 08:23 AM   #8
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We have a Keystone Outback 300BH (2009) and LOVE it. Yeah, the front decal became a problem so Keystone replaced it (no big deal!). Otherwise, we've enjoyed every minute spent with it.
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Old 04-23-2012, 05:43 PM   #9
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2010 Alpine 3640 rl here and 2 winters under it's roof living 24-7 as they like to say in Michigan at that. Small freezup the first cold spell but it was delivered mid November and winter was here. Couple pieces of loose trim. The best part is the heat pump I wouldn't have another unit without it.
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Old 04-23-2012, 05:56 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jody & Jeff View Post
I'm compiling my bucket list - and being in a bad mood or putting others in one - isn't on the list.

Jo


What a great attitude to have about life! Ain't it the truth? So often we can choose how we react to things and far too often people choose to focus on the negatives which only robs valuable time from us being happy.

Best of luck


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Old 04-23-2012, 11:00 PM   #11
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I'm a previous Montana owner and I'm still on the MOC Forum. We truly enjoyed our Montana, and it was only for health reasons that we traded everything for the MH we are in now. Many times I wish I had it back. Many less troubles.

I spent time in Grand Junction, OR with the MH. Guarantee RV had 20 bays full up every day, and a parking lot of customers waiting for parts, or waiting to get started on service. There was everything in their from a pop-up to a Prevost. There is not an RV on the market that can be excluded from having some sort of problem.

And now with the automatic leveling systems on the 5'ers, we may just switch back. (May)
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Old 04-24-2012, 06:37 AM   #12
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on most forums i find that some folks still have a "high school jock" attitude and what ever they have is the best and if you don't have the same thing to validate their feelings then you are not worthy
i like my unit,if you perceive another brand more to your liking
go for it
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Old 05-11-2012, 05:28 AM   #13
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Integrity

Hi

I have noted on other forums the reference to how many products acquired from suppliers and the logistic problems of bringing this all together in a manufacturing environment. Due to the complexities of the manufacturing process it is normal to have a percentage of the product that is delivered in a condition that results in excessive cost to maintain in usable condition.

I agree totally with this concept because I have 50 years experience as the entity between the end user and the manufacturer.

The difference between manufacturing entities that has integrity and those that don’t is how they handle this percentage of the product that has been delivered to the end user.

Unfortunately Keystone / Thor Industries places their loyalties with the dealers based on the dealers sales ability. When you research the forums it becomes obvious Keystone doesn’t consider the quality of the dealers pre-delivery / service department. You will find some purchasers having extreme problems with their purchased unit have dealers service departments that perform very well and get the problems solved in a timely manner with Keystones participation. At the same time you find what looks to be the majority of dealers that cant seem to get Keystone to even answer their inquires.

Now if you are unfortunate enough to have purchased from a dealer that has a poor pre-delivery / service department and you have determined they cant even change a tire without damaging the trailer. From the information I see on the forums including this one the owner must try to do business with Keystone direct. This is where it all goes wrong. If the dealer is a high volume sales dealer Keystone will back the dealer regardless of how much proof (pictures, documents etc.) you produce to show the dealers service department just isn’t doing the job. Keystone will even refuse to let you bring the unit to their location totally at your expense so they can look at it and see what a mess the dealer is making. Keystone refuses to research other customers that are having the same problems with the same dealer. Keystones official comment on the fact that the unit owner has found others with similar problems is “ Keystone doesn’t cross reference records on different VIN numbers”

That stamen alone indicates a total disregard for the end user and a total focus on sales only or to put it in short form NO INTEGRITY.

3665RE Just my opinion all $11,000.00 worth
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Old 05-20-2012, 12:47 PM   #14
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Opinions - everybody has one and is entitled to them. I respect people's opinions, but as a whole, they are all over the map on the Thor/Keystone/Alpine issue. And without a leaning one way or the other, they are kind useless in helping me to decide.

What I'd really like is an unbiased review. I'm looking at switching from a motor home to a 5th wheel. I've found an Alpine that I really like and seems to be good quality compared to other 5ers I've looked at. But just because the cabinet hardware is quality doesn't mean it all is. I'm aware there are problems with all RV's and bugs to work out, but if there are consistent problems with one brand, I'd like to know before I sign the papers.

Does anyone know where I can find a consumer reports kind of review for 5ers?
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