[runoman]

I have a 2010 320FDB and have had a lot of problems with it. Most have naturally occurred outside of warranty. Approximately 2 to 3 months out of warranty and while in storage, significant cracks developed under the front cargo door to the basement. At the same time, most of my decals began peeling off. I was unable to come to a complete solution as they stated this is due to the cold climate I live in and this is not an uncommon problem and therefor not Keystone's fault. The local service manager told me his assessment was the problem was due to the factory's failure to pre-drill holes prior to installing the panels. If Keystone is correct, I would have to guess there are numerous Outback Sydney fifth wheels in cold climates that are doing the same. I have not been able to find anyone with the same problem. Anyone familiar with this problem?

This appears to have been just the beginning as now at just over three years, again in storage, the front end is completely coming undone. The damage extends from under the cargo door all the way up to the pin box. Framework and insulation is now exposed. I have never seen anything like it. I have emailed Keystone again however I don't expect to hear from them as they ignored me last time. Anyone have any success stories or advice? I really don't want to have to go down the road of legal action but I feel this is significant enough a problem that I am willing.

 

[CdnOutback]

We live in Winnipeg, MB, Canada and have had no issues with cracking at all on our 2010.

 

[H2oSprayer]

WOW!! I have been a happy Outback owner since we purchased our prior unit in 2004. So much so, that when we upgraded to a new unit last year, we purchased another Outback. I have never see anything like that. I also live in a cold(ish) climate and have had no such damage. Would you mind sending me an PM (private message) with whom you contacted at Keystone?

 

[Todd&Regan]

I've never seen or heard of a problem like that. I would hope Keystone is willing to work with you on that. Try calling them 866-425-4369, rather than e-mails. Nag them often if you have to.

 

[CamperAndy]

Looks like you can unscrew some of the panels. I would do that and inspect for frame damage or what ever is stressing the skin enough to cause cracks like that.

 

[hoodscoop]

I too have a 2010 Sidney. It is a 321FRL. I live in the mountains of Maryland about 2000 feet up and see temperatures near zero, warm to my northern friends, before wind chill in factored in. The RV gets hit with direct winds and to date have no problems.

Maybe a silly thing to say, but is the storage area at a safe place. Could it be impact from something while you're not there?

Might want to consult a fiberglass type person for their take on the subject.

Best of luck

 

[sptddog]

That almost looks like either something is going on underneath the fiberglass (bent frame somehow?) or the fiberglass itself bad - could the composite structure of the fiberglass be bad? I've had fiberglass horse trailers over the years and the RV, and they get spider lines, but you really have to do something to the actual fiberglass to have it split like that....wow. I could perhaps reason out spider lines in a cold climate, but nothing like that. That really seems much bigger than just a cold climate.

 

[willingtonpaul]

to my eye, that has to be structural. can't just be the fiberglass, IMHO.

 

[runoman]

Thanks for all the input. The possibility of a problem with the quality of the material had crossed my mind but I hadn't really thought of structural issues. I will definitely explore this further. It is currently stored in the identical location that it was when the first crack developed in 2011. The location is relatively safe on a private acreage next to a year-around occupied home. Its exposed to relatively little wind but it can get cold, sometimes as low as -15 to -20F. Is it possible rocking motion while set on the front jacks can cause enough torque in the frame to cause this? I previously owned a Keystone Laredo and stored it at the same location with no problems what so ever. I really appreciate the ideas!

 

[Jacques]

Thanks for all the input. The possibility of a problem with the quality of the material had crossed my mind but I hadn't really thought of structural issues. I will definitely explore this further. It is currently stored in the identical location that it was when the first crack developed in 2011. The location is relatively safe on a private acreage next to a year-around occupied home. Its exposed to relatively little wind but it can get cold, sometimes as low as -15 to -20F. Is it possible rocking motion while set on the front jacks can cause enough torque in the frame to cause this? I previously owned a Keystone Laredo and stored it at the same location with no problems what so ever. I really appreciate the ideas!

I would like to know if the problem has been fix or what was the cause. I do suspect the frame weakness or torsion due to side to side moovement caused by freezing temp.