# Updated To Buy Or Not To Buy?



## Oliver 550 (Jan 4, 2005)

We have been looking at 5th wheel bunkhouses for several months and have narrowed it down to the Outback 29 or the Wildcat 29BHBP. We put a refundable deposit down on a 2005 but are getting cold feet after reading this forum and others there seems to be major problems with Outbacks leaking. We had a "leaker" before and do not want to go there again. Should we be concerned about the Outbacks? The warranty on the Outback is only 1 year and the Wildcat is 2 years. Please give us your thoughts.

Thanks

We bought the Outback. We will pick it up on Jan. 10!
Thanks for your support and comments on making this choice.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Of the hundreds of members here there are only a few percent that report leaks. I had a storage door leak but it was just because the hinge was not sealed. This would be typical of any rig not just Outbacks. Should you still worry, yes but don't let it stop you from getting the trailer if it has the floor plan you want and all the other things that suit your needs.

When you go to look at the one you want really give it a hard look to see if it is built the way you expect it to be. If it is then get it.

Good luck what ever way you go and Happy camping.


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

I don't know anything about the Wildcat. In my experience every line has some issues with leaking. I don't think the Outback has had more than it's share of complaints. I have never had a leak.

In the end you have to go with what makes you comfortable. If you go against your instincts you will always be worried and if it does actually come to pass that you have a leak, you will feel foolish.

We absolutely love our Outback and have been very pleased.

Reverie


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Welcome to the forum and good luck with whatever you buy.

I agree with the above posts that ANY trailer you buy can have leaks or other problems and that it's only a few here that report having trouble. Keystone seems to be pretty responsive in taking care of any problems, even out of warranty if the problem started while under warranty. There are thousands of Outbacks on the road and I'm sure the vast majority are trouble free. Buy the trailer you feel is well built and has the features you want.

One of the best features of the Outback is this forum and the people here









I had a couple of small leaks and it turned out to be the seals just needed to be replaced. The trick is to do regular checks on the roof sealants and all hatches and slides to catch any problems early before they become big problems.

I did these mods to try to keep water away from the water heater and storage compartments;



















Staying on top of maintenance is the best way to keep your trailer dry inside IMO.

Good luck

Mike


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## CWOBOATS (Oct 13, 2004)

Before we bought our new Outback last October, we had narrowed the choices to the Wildcat and the Outback.

Cost was about the same. We went with the Outback because of the Dealership, the salesman and some of the Outbacks features.

I liked the taller slide, the bigger storage in the basement and the full second door into the bunkhouse. My wife liked the Outback's overall layout better, the extra storage, the furniture accent colors and the white interior cabinet colors as opposed to the wood tone.

We have been on one long camping trip (Last Thanksgiving Weekend) and on three weekend trips since purchasing the Outback. We have not had any major problems. Our slide has not leaked, all of our appliance's have worked as advertised and the only complaint my wife had was that the furnace vent in the bedroom was not as powerful as she wanted.

Maintenance has been easy and so far its operated flawlessly. Some individual units from any Manufacture may have more than their normal share of bugs, it happens. Keeping my fingers crossed, so far we haven't had any problems.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

I agree with what everyone else has said so far. I had a leaky window seal, and a faulty fresh water fill line. Both were repaired quickly, the first time, and have been trouble free since.

I would definately buy another Outback were I in the market to upgrade. More important then the leaks is the fact that the dealer I purchased from has a top notch service department that strives to keep the customer satisfied. A good service department is worth holding on to, and can do much for a products reputation.

Like Camper Andy said, you need to look at what floorplan, and trailer is going to best suit your needs, and go with that one.

Good luck in your search.

Tim


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## dougdogs (Jul 31, 2004)

I could be wrong, but I don't remember anyone talking about leaks on a 5th wheel model Outback










And, in my opinion, "s**t happens" on any/all trailers. What would be more important to me is how good is my dealer's service department at making me happy?

Like others have said, good luck on what ever you decide, and I hope you stick with Outback, and with us on this great forum


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Believe DougDogs is right -- not sure I have heard of any leaking problems on a 5. I have the 28F RLS and the night before I was scheduled to pick it up, it went thru one of the worst hail and wind storms to hit Spokane in as long as I can remember. About 5" of hail fell in about an hour. It was still on the ground when we arrived at our dealer's lot the next day to pick up the 5. There was a small drop of water (about the size of a silver dollar) below the a/c vent and we determined it was blown thru the a/c. Otherwise, the rig was dry.

Like someone said way up front on this thread -- there are thousands of rigs out there. We have over 600 owners on this forum. People don't report the good stuff. They only report the bad, so you have to factor that in.

But you need to go with what your gut feel is.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

I've gotten to know a few guys in the RV business, sales and service. Each of them says over and over that the problems with RVs are across all the models. There are very few that don't have some type of issue at some point, that is the reason for the first year (or more) warranty. Though I don't care for it, that is how the business operates.

As for the Outback, yes there have been some issues both now and in the past. The key to me is having a good responsive dealer first, if they are not you will fight for any work. Second is this group, you have a wealth of information for issues as well as shared experiences. Plus if you have a problem we can try to advice on how to handle it from our own experiences as well as share names and #'s of people at Keystone we have spoke with.

Not knowing where you live, I would add that let us know where you are and what dealer you are working with. Searching here and even on RV.net for the dealer name may prove helpful to avoid future problems on either the Wildcat or the Outback. Plus check with you local BBB to see how the dealer fares. Forget the awards they win, you are more concerned with how they service the customer after the sale.

Having bought three campers I have 2 dealers I would do business with again in a heartbeat and one I couldn't recommend, plus many others that I wouldn't walk on to their lot to save a salespersons life.


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## rdowns (Oct 20, 2004)

Hello, I have the unit you are looking at. We towed it home 1100 miles most of it in rain, 2 rainy nights in campgrounds and some rain and snow since we have been home. NO WATER anywhere. Believe me I have looked. The only issues with this camper have been due to something we have done. We wired our batteries wrong and had a series of blown fuses and that is it. We are going to have them replace an outside door that is tweaked a little, and even though that is true, there is still no water in that compartment. This floorplan is very unique and very user friendly. I have not been in a wildcat, there are many out there. If the slide on it isn't full height, I would definitely factor that into useability. Do you like to stop on the wayside and have a bite to eat? If you can't put the slide out, you may bump your head if the slide ceiling is short. This was a consideration to me because we have little ones and stop often and always get things out of the camper. I also think the second door is going to be invaluable, the floor in vinyl and the kids can trek in and out without coming thru the carpeted areas. We have camped many years but only last year in a fifth wheel. We loved it somuch we uggraded to the unit we have. My children are small and I wanted a unit we could grow with. I LOVE my camper. I do wish I could have looked at more units because I like to be thorough, but at my price range I really felt like it was an excellent choice. Don't hesitate to ask if I can help more.


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

No leaks here. I think its like anything. A certain percentage is going to have problems. An even smaller group will have SERIOUS problems. I don't care if it's an Outback, Wildcat, or Mercedes.

For giggles, I went to wildcatters.com to check out their forum and guess what?

For sale, $9,500.


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## aplvlykat (Jan 25, 2004)

Last week we spent a week at joshua tree national park. The first day was great clear skies and in the 70's, the second and third day it rained nonstop and must have dropped 4-5 inches of rain. The only problem we had was with condensation because of two adults,three teens and three dogs in the 25rss for the biggest part of two days but no leaks, this is with both sliders out. The upside is it did clear and we were able to see the park. I also now know how long my propane will last running the heater, refrige, and generator(lpg type) nonstop for 30 hours. I used about 30 gallons for the week and had to refill on the way home. Its a good thing I live in the desert so everything will dry out in no time. Kirk


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