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Old 10-08-2014, 08:02 PM   #1
Deb&Buster
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Warranty work on Montana 3900FB

We took delivery of our 2014 Montana 5th wheel on June 10, 2014. We started out on our first trip on June 30. All was great. After almost a month on the road, we headed back to the dealer to have about 10 warranty issues dealt with. Unfortunately, we didn't know how the warranty work is performed. After the tech made his list, he explained that this needed to be submitted to the manufacturer for approval of the work which needed to be done. Once they receive the okay for the work to be performed, then they order parts. Then, after the parts arrive we would need an appointment to have the work performed which could be 2 - 3 weeks out! Are you kidding me? After retiring in May, we sold our house and planned to travel in our new 5th wheel. We're seeking help with your experience in service and warranty issues with your Montana and any advice you can throw our way. We have talked to the service rep where we purchased the RV, and requested the service manager's assistance and never received a return call from him. We put a call into the owner's assistant since the owner wasn't around to take the call and basically we were told there wasn't anything they could do. Huh? We would like your recommendation for a great dealer/service department that could perform warranty work on our Montana 5th wheel. We are currently in the Central Valley in California but would be willing to travel to a place we could trust and feel that they stand behind what they sell. Thank you for taking the time to read this. We would like to continue on our journey and enjoy our retirement.
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Old 10-08-2014, 08:38 PM   #2
chuckster57
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Welcome to the forum.
The information related to you by the tech was correct. When we do warranty work, he have to submit pictures of the defect, and ask for the "time" it will take to correct the issue. Approvals can happen in hours or days, and no parts are ordered until such approval. This isn't just how Keystone does it, its how all the RV manufacturers do it.

Depending on how "big" your selling dealer is, there may be a lag between approval, and parts ordering. Then there is the wait time. 2-3 weeks isn't uncommon, as the factory has to send parts to dealers all across the U.S. from one location, no wherehouses located in various places. I know it SUX, but it is what it is. The Keystone website may have a "dealer locater" option, and that may be of help to you, but understand also that some dealers will limit the number of warranty items addressed at one visit if you didn't buy from them. I wish you the best and hope your situation comes to a conclusion that your happy with, retirement shouldn't have any stress.
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Old 10-08-2014, 08:51 PM   #3
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First, welcome to the forum and hope we can provide you with some assistance.

Secondly, the process that you described about "how warranty work is performed" in pretty much standard in the RV industry and doesn't vary much from dealer to dealer. Warranty work has to be authorized by Keystone and this may take some time. The dealer is not about to proceed on a replacement or repair without getting approval from Keystone. Once it is approved and if parts need to be ordered that will consume more time. Finally, depending upon how busy the dealer's service center is, it may take 2-3 weeks before you can get in and the work on your RV actually starts.

As frustrating and "painful" as the process is, the scenario that you outlined is not uncommon. The automobile industry moves a "bit faster" so you can't compare what goes on in the RV world to what takes place with cars and trucks.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you do find a more "friendly and accommodating" dealership - other than the one where you purchased your RV - they are under no obligation to perform warranty work on your RV. You would think that a Keystone dealership would be required to do this but they are not ---- some do but most don't. Dealerships often turn away warranty work if you did not buy the RV from them. We hear this from members all the time. I am telling you this so you can prepare yourself for possibly more frustration and disappointment.

Perhaps one of our California members can recommend a dealership such as the one you are looking for and you can get your RV in for warranty work sooner rather than later.

I wish you the best of luck in your search for this dealership and hope you can soon enjoy your travels and your retirement.
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Old 10-08-2014, 10:00 PM   #4
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First of all, Welcome to the forum. As you've probably guessed, this forum is not associated with Keystone RV company and none of the people who manage that business are members or at least we know of none. We are a group of owners of Keystone RV's and people who are looking for information about them or are considering buying them. We have no connection with the factory.

That said, parts of what you're describing just doesn't make any sense. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, maybe you aren't giving all the information or maybe it's something else....

I say that because almost any dealership will fix "small things", replace broken knobs, fix scratches, adjust cabinet doors, fix broken locks, adjust or reseat a leaking window, replace a burned out bulb, fix a squeak, those kinds of "repairs" usually "on the spot" if you have an appointment in service. It is true that no dealership will take on a major repair such as replacing a bumper, replacing or repairing a major wall or end cap problem, swap out an air conditioner or refrigerator or replace furniture items without factory approval. While a "third party dealership" may not do the "small things" without approval, your selling dealer has a responsibility to take care of your RV and a responsibility to keep you satisfied. That's the way he earns repeat business.

So, without knowing what the "list of about 10 warranty issues" really entails, any advice would probably be premature. If they are significant problems that will take a long time and some expensive replacement parts, then, yes, Keystone has to approve the work. But, if, as I described, it's adjustments, simple fixes that need to be done, your dealer should be taking care of you to earn that "repeat business".

As suggested, you can start searching for another dealership that will work with you, but depending on what needs repair, you may be concerned about something that is, as described above, "just the way things are with every RV company" or it could be that you've happened upon an RV dealership that simply isn't interested in customers after the sale.

I'd urge you to provide more information about what types of warranty work your Montana requires so some better, or at least "more sage" advice might be offered.

Good Luck with whatever you do decide to do.
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Old 10-08-2014, 10:07 PM   #5
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to the forum Deb & Buster, and congratulations on your retirement.

As already stated, the info you were given is correct. It's unfortunate, but many times buyer's don't learn about the process until after the purchase.

If you chose to do so, you could try contacting other Keystone dealers in the surrounding area - doesn't necessarily have to be a Montana dealer.
Be aware that you may need to make several calls since dealers are not "required" (by the manufacturer) to service/repair an RV that they did
not sell. Here's some links that may help:

Find a Service Center
http://www.keystonerv.com/find-a-service-center

Find a Dealer
http://www.keystonerv.com/find-a-dealer


Good luck & here's hoping you get your issues resolved soon.
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Old 10-09-2014, 09:08 AM   #6
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I don't know where you are in the valley, but, RV Express, in Visalia, CA is an independent RV service and repair shop. We buy almost all of our parts & supplies from them. They are a family business and seem to be competitively priced. And no, I am in no way affiliated with them. (559) 651-8080
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Old 10-09-2014, 10:26 AM   #7
Deb&Buster
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Warranty work on Montana 3900FB

Good morning all and thank you for your responses. The list of items we needed fixed were as follows:

Toilet not holding water
Pocket door holder at bottom loose
Trim in bedroom coming loose
Drawer under fridge opens during travel
Drawer under oven opens during travel
Desk drawer (large) came completely out on to floor during travel
Side decorative trim on large back window came off
Entry door latch missing (hold door open)
Door latch on side compartment broken
Swipe seal on slide needs replacing
Battery smell and low voltage
Very small crack in corner shower

The dealer had the 5th wheel for 3 weeks to take care of these items. And although the drawer issues and trim were completed, they advised us that the toilet was fixed, pocket door fixed, side decorative trim fixed, door latch fixed, compartment door fixed, swipe seal fixed and battery fixed. Everything they have indicated as "done" has either failed or was never done. We went to a local hardware store and purchased new gliders to repair the large desk drawer ourselves. They ordered a new shower enclosure BUT we don't trust their quality of work and feel we're better off caulking the crack ourselves and leave well enough alone.

In addition to these items, the carbon dioxide alarm kept going off and is another item that needs replacing. The part still had not come in before we left on our second trip. The fire alarm kept going off and we replaced the battery ourselves. This is all within one month of delivery of our unit.

On our second trip the beautiful double closet doors which were latched before travel came completely off track and broke the wood trim on the back of the doors. Fortunately the mirrors didn't break. When we parked at the RV park, the battery smell was so bad we had to disconnect the battery. We called for a mobile repair service to come check it out. He said the battery was shot and suggested we purchase a new battery from Costco. The service call was $65 and the battery $100. Not sure if we can get money back since we completed these repairs ourselves. During our return travel, the rear emergency window latch broke and was flopping down the road. We stopped and put duck tape in the window. The window had never been opened by us. The closet doors disengaged again and we pushed them back and duck taped them (wood protected) for our travel to the Central Valley.

Do any of you just fix things as they go wrong even though the warranty should take care of these things? Do you have any experience in trying to get reimbursed for things that SHOULD be taken care of under warranty?

We love our unit but frustrated with the process in getting things fixed and getting them fixed correctly.
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Old 10-09-2014, 11:45 AM   #8
JRTJH
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Many people think of an RV as a "type of automobile" and expect warranty work to be similar to that we receive with our cars and trucks. In actuality, it's more like the "home owner's warranty" we get when we buy a new house. If you call the contractor, he "may get out that week" but if he's busy, "You'll see him when the next check is due".... The difference in those two types of "warranty expectations" can be very frustrating for a new owner.

Actually, when you consider a 50 mile trip to haul the RV to the dealership, your time to get it there, being without your RV for 2-4 weeks while it's being repaired and the 50 mile trip to pick it up and bring it home, you've probably spent 200 miles of vehicle operating costs (100 of them towing costs), a day or more of your time, not having your RV for a month plus the uncertainty of whether the repairs will be done correctly or not. All of that adds up to the realization that most of us follow: If I can do it, it's easier and cheaper to just do it myself..... Few of us even consider returning for warranty work unless it's something we either can't do or requires parts that are cost prohibitive. Even then, some members will ask the dealership to get the parts and then do the work at home rather than return to the dealership with the trailer in tow.

Of the list you have included, I've highlighted the ones most of us would return to the dealer for repair. This should give you some idea of what we do ourselves. I'll explain each of the "at home repairs as well:

Toilet not holding water (Reach inside the toilet valve and reseat the seal)
Pocket door holder at bottom loose (adjust the door hardware)
Trim in bedroom coming loose (refasten/glue the trim back in place)
Drawer under fridge opens during travel (adjust the drawer hardware)
Drawer under oven opens during travel (adjust hardware)
Desk drawer (large) came completely out on to floor during travel (secure drawer so it won't open. This is a common problem with all travel trailers)
Side decorative trim on large back window came off (reattach/glue trim in place)

Entry door latch missing (hold door open) Ask dealer to provide parts or to intall missing latch)
Door latch on side compartment broken Ask dealer to repair latch
Swipe seal on slide needs replacing require dealer to repair slide seal, this could be a major repair if the seal continues to tear or come loose.
Battery smell and low voltage ask dealer to repair the charge circuit if faulty and provide receipts for reimbursement. He may refuse reimbursement, but at least try.
Very small crack in corner shower have shower compartment replaced, cracks in the fiberglass seldom are repaired properly and will often fail again, usually after the warranty is expired. Get it fixed now not later at your expense.

Now about the other items that you identified, let's discuss them as well.

the carbon dioxide alarm kept going off Most of the components in any RV are sourced from the lowest bidder. Many of us have issues with the CO monitor giving false alarms. If you do a forum search you'll find a couple of recent threads (within the past 6 months) concerning this problem. Yours should be repaired or replaced by the dealer, but they only last a couple of years before they start having problems.


The fire alarm kept going off and we replaced the battery ourselves The batteries often discharge while sitting on the shelf at the factory. Replacing the battery in each smoke detector is something most of us do annually. Who knows how old the battery in your trailer is, it could have been sitting on the dealer's lot for months or even most of a year plus the time it was in storage on the shelf before your trailer was built. A fresh battery is not that expensive. I'd just replace it as part of owner maintenance and upkeep.


the beautiful double closet doors which were latched before travel came completely off track and broke the wood trim on the back of the doors. Fortunately the mirrors didn't break. There are at least 3 reports of this and cautions by owners given to new owners in the past month on the forum. A couple of ingenious "work around solutions" are given. Here's examples:

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/sho...ht=closet+door post #4

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/sho...ht=closet+door post #2

When we parked at the RV park, the battery smell was so bad we had to disconnect the battery You did, IMHO, the right thing to have it checked out rather than risk a fire. Whether you'll get paid for the service call expense is questionable. Keystone may say you should have contacted them for permission to get it checked out. At least try for reimbursement.

During our return travel, the rear emergency window latch broke and was flopping down the road. We stopped and put duck tape in the window. The window had never been opened by us. those windows are subject to opening inadvertently if not properly secured. Most members "learn by experience" to check the emergency windows often for security. It's unfortunate that you had to learn by experience, and the problem should be in the owner's manual as well as identified by the dealer during the PDI, but unfortunately it often times is not.

Do any of you just fix things as they go wrong even though the warranty should take care of these things?

Most of us have learned either from past experience or through trial and error that it's much easier to just do it and keep camping rather than rely on the dealer for simple repairs. However, in your situation, the items I bolded on your initial list should be identified to the dealer and he should repair them without question. He will probably need to get Keystone's OK before proceeding on the major items, but that's something that all RV manufacturers require, so no matter which brand you had bought, you would be waiting for that to happen before any significant or costly repairs were completed.

Good Luck,
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Old 10-09-2014, 05:26 PM   #9
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If your dealer that repairs the closet doors has a good solution, please post. Sharing such info is how we all learn.
Welcome aboard.
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Old 10-09-2014, 07:26 PM   #10
Deb&Buster
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Thanks John. All good advice. Thanks so much for your time to input the information and suggestions.
Deb&Buster
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Old 10-09-2014, 07:30 PM   #11
Deb&Buster
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Thanks Jack & Marty. We plan to go in to RV Express tomorrow and check them out.
Deb&Buster
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Old 04-22-2015, 10:00 PM   #12
66 Vettster
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,Montana Ppocket Doors and Closet Doors

I had some similar problems with my 2014 Montana. The latch on the emergency window is a common problem. Mine broke within 2 weeks of purchase. I used a tie strap and a pencil and it is working well untilnthey can repair. Last I heard is the latch is on back order. When we travel we use
Floaties (you see them on bed room slides so you don't bang your head )
And we pit them between the doors and wall so it secures and stabilizes the
Door during travel. Good luck with the repair. Mine has been in the shop for
2 weeks and they are still waiting on approval to repair the roof with the staples in the roof that are lifting. You might check your roof.
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