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NOTICE DO NOT BUY KEYSTONE RV's - I own the 2006 Zeppelin II z291 and it has been in the shop twice for slide out cables and pulleys breaking/coming a part. Now I have a safety issue with the Nanco tires .
I am infuriated that Keystone at some point (date) was aware of slide cable pulley system's defect & problems and Nanco tires? And Keystone RV failed to contact owners!!!! My Story - Pictures of other defects
From Keystone RV Company - Product excellence is where we begin. I think Keystone needs to take another look and read the forums with many dissatisfied customers.
I am wanting to hear from other Zeppelin & Keystone RV Owners who have experience their cables coming undone, breaking, pulley bolts pulling out of the bulkhead/walls, other problems such as tires and from those who own other make and models by Keystone RV.
Read posts on/from RV Forums from those dissatisfied with their Keystone RV.
Recently I read on AOL News, "Angry Consumers Fight Back on the Web", by placing video clips of the consumer voicing their dislike of a company or product. One is a video of a guy destroying an Apple laptop on video.aol.com, which this clip "Macbook Destruction" came from YouTube.com
Apple offered him a new computer days after he posted the video on consumerist.com
However, my intent is to not destroy my trailer, but make more public aware of the unfairness Keystone RV's places on us the consumer when our RV's need repairs frequently due to Keystone's inability to make a quality product. Which I am so tired of hearing from companies these words "We are Sorry for Any Inconvenience this may have caused you" as if a sympathetic reply is all we need.
As long as consumers write, call or add comments to camping and RV forums/message boards, its not the full picture of how this affects all the consumers of the same or similar product. The company can address each complaint individually, take a loss and continue to sell, leaving the consumer still dealing with the problem on a smaller scale of one on one. A class action lawsuit would be nice.
Besides being inconvenienced to have to make the calls, write the letter or send an e-mail, the consumer still has to find a dealer to fix our problem, whether it ends up being our cost or the companies, which also means down time of our trailers, and having to go pick them up.
Then if this problem re-occurs or a new problem, as the result of an inherent problem with the design, make, model, then to re-sale or trade in the value is lost and another cost we the consumer must incur. It does not matter if you saved when making the purchase, if you do not know what you are about to encounter because no disclosure was provided, then you should not have to bear the burden and cost taking away from the joy of RVing.
I fear every time I go to slide out or in the cables and pulleys to break down. I cannot sell my trailer because it would not be ethical to sell knowing this problem exists. But it seems to be an ethical business practice for Keystone.
E-Mail Me with your story - Consumer Rip Off - File a Report
Since 1996, Keystone RV Company has quickly risen to become an industry leader in innovation and quality. Keystone was created by a group of owner/managers who left key positions at major corporations in the recreational vehicle industry, bringing together experience and innovation. Our quality oriented work ethic and our attention to detail have made us the fastest growing RV company in the United States, with over 600 dealers and seven manufacturing plants nationwide. Of course, creating excellent recreational vehicles is our highest objective. But at Keystone, we believe that there are many more ingredients to quality. Product excellence is where we begin.
I purchased this Zeppelin II, in Feb 2006 - Cost $22,200 which is a mobile toilet, in order to use the bathroom driving down the road, I have to stop and put the slide out to access my bathroom. click to enlarge - Other pictures
One week after taking home my new trailer on 24 Feb 06, leveling on its RV slab, I put out the slide out. Then shortly after attempted to bring in the slide and the pulley plate pulled from the bulkhead/wall right side. I then returned the trailer to Heinz RV in SLC. My trailer was there for a few days and they placed a piece of wood behind the pulley plate and re-anchored.
Since that repair, the slide out never fit flush against the rubber seal. I do not fault Heinz RV. Who I do fault is Keystone RV for I believe at some point Keystone knew of the design flaw of this slide. Which is 13' 9" wide/long rolls on only 3 small rollers which I can see after extended out. I never was given a manual crank handle or shown how to manually crank the slide in or out. Which if the cable and pulley system fail, manual cranking in or out will not work.
I pulled the trailer on the road for its maiden trip 4 May 2006, to visit my mother in Ft. Mojave a 1137 mile round trip. The following dates & destinations shows minimal usage in 18 months.
2) 10 Nov 2006 to Antelope Island, 90 miles roundtrip 3) 20 Jul 2007 to Aspen Grove, 180 miles roundtrip 4) 31 Aug 2007 to Aspen Grove, 180 miles roundtrip
Note: On the 20 Jul trip, upon preparing to leave before removing leveling blocks or hooking up to the tow vehicle bringing in the slide out, a cable released and flew out. Unknown it broke, unhooked or what happened. I was lucky to get the slide out back in.
This cable release/break makes the second time out of 5 times the slide out has been out cable & pulley problems. Upon returning on 24 Jul, I called Heinz RV to setup an appointment, I was given 20 Aug, just days before our next trip. I was able to move this appointment date up to 16 Aug 07.
Note: Upon dropping off the Zeppelin II on the 16th, there was another Zeppelin II same length as mine. When I went to pick up my Zep II on the 29th, I asked the service repair person I shall call Mr. T., if the other Zeppelin II on the 16th I saw was in for the same problem. I was informed yes it was. And I made the statement that this is an inherent problem with this particular model of Keystone RV or others possibly. Mr. T. did not comment no....he was in agreement.
I noticed Heinz RV no longer was selling the Zeppelin but another model by Keystone Passport Travel Trailers and the like floor plan of the Zeppelin for the Passport is 280BH which Mr. C. the service person I spoke with when picking up my Zeppelin on the 29th, stated that Passport designed that the slide out does not come out as far as my Zeppelin does. This was to compensate for the weight of slide out. Which looking at the 280BH floor plan the slide out is the kitchen area, where my slide out is the couch and dinette area.
Evidently Keystone knows the Zeppelin II slide out to be a problem and in their design of the Passport made this modification. Which hopefully for the new owners of Passports, they will not experience my problem or that of others who own a Keystone product. Which I feel Keystone should put out a recall and modification for current owners of Zeppelins. That the monkey has been put on my back for I cannot sell my Zeppelin without disclosure of something not my fault. And to trade my Zeppelin in means the dealers would know this problem exists and would not give me a fair trade in value.
Note: Other idiotic designs of my Zeppelin is having to put the slide out to access the bathroom. To put the side out to dump the tanks, so I can flush the tanks. I have noticed less than professional design finish of the ceiling and panel strips to cover seams. The staples show, the ceiling and wall texture to cover the staples do not match and you can see where every staple was put. Trim & strips are falling off, the front piece of the couch (skirt) came off. Lack of storage, which with a different design of the slide out, could of included cabinets.
Upon the new camping season in preparing the trailer, I noticed that the water pipes under kitchen sink not tightened; water leaked.
I wrote
Keystone RV via e-mail on 27 Jul 07 and their reply from masct@keystonerv.com
Additional Pictures - click Image to Enlarge
Note: At this point and time I am searching for others online with similar problems with their slide out or this model and make of Zeppelin or other Keystone make and models.
E-Mail Me if you are in this same predicament, have a solution or suggestion. |
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