# To Buy Or Not 21RS



## Nole Family (Jul 18, 2004)

Considering buying a 21RS. Looked at an2004 yestterday. Turned the inside upside down looking for signs of any leakage. Saw none, no water stains, etc. In Florida it rains alot, this camper is sitting at the dealer with the rear slide out, so I figured it would be leaking there too? I keep reading so much about leaks coming in at the bed slide and bicycle door, but saw no signs. How many people have problems with leaks, or is it a leaveling problem? We love everything about the camper, but I keep reading about this leak problem THe dealer is over 250 miles away, so I'm not looking to go back often. We have a Coleman pop up 10 years old,never any problems. I'm looking for the same quality. Also looking at the Starcraft Aruba. ANy comments appreciated.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Welcome! I had leaking issues, and all were fixed under warranty. As of now...no leaks. If you are worried, try to go look at it during a good rainfall, and look around. Not all OUTBACKS had leaks...only a select few. Most people are very satisfied OUTBACK owners. If you found the right unit at the right price...I'd jump!


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## Nole Family (Jul 18, 2004)

What kind of leaks did you have? How many different times?


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Our rear slide never has leaked. When I have it out, I level the trailer and then give the tongue jack a couple of extra turns to raise the front a little. Raising the front forces any water on the slide roof to run back. We were down in North Carolina in April and had 30-40 mph wind driven rain right at the rear of the trailer and had no leaks.

Our bike door leaked a little when the trailer was new, a new seal and a gutter over the door solved that problem. I think the 2004's have an entry style door which should not give any problems.

Checking the exterior caulking, slide seals and roof sealant should be a part of regular maintenance to head off any potential problems.

If you haven't found any water damage, you shouldn't be afraid to take the plunge as Pete said







.

We love our Outback!!

Mike


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

No leaks for us either, we've been in several big rain storms and never found a drop in it. I l also checked our dealer one day when it was raining and didn't find any issues either. The only concern I have with the Starcraft is the limited production of rear slides, while Outback and the Frontiers have been making them for a while so you gain from some of that experience with the manufacturer as well as the service departments that work on them.


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## KellerJames (Jan 19, 2004)

Honestly, we have been through a lot of mild storms and a few really bad ones in our 21RS and never had ANY water come in around the rear slider. Occasionally I will get a few drops in around the bike door, but never enough to worry about. It's only when it's driven in by very high winds. As previously stated, the '04s have a greatly improved bike door over the '03s which is the year model I have. If your price is right, I, too, would jump.

KellerJames


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## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

Here's another vote of confidence for the 21. We've had it 4 months now and the rear slide has been out for most of that time with absolutely no leaks anywhere. The seal around that thing is pretty amazing, just try pulling it out with the door shut and all of the windows closed! I have read about earlier models with leak problems where the bike door is (the 04's have a "gutter" above the door), Keystone seems to listen to feedback because of subtle changes like that.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

The only time my rear slider leaked was when I first got it. We rotated the adjustable screws on the support bars (outside) so the slide roof tilted slightly away from the trailer. No more leaking.

I had a really leaky bike door. Service Dept. attempted to fix it 3 times, unsuccessfully. I was able to get Keystone/Dealer to replace the door with a 2004 style bike door. Much nicer door with gutter, and much better latching system. No more leaking.

I had a slight leak on sofa slide gasket which was fixed under warranty.

I had a leaky roof TV antenna which has been fixed twice. No leaking yet.

I had a window which had some trim cut short, and leaked water. Fixed under warranty.

That sums it up. I had lots of leaks, but all were fixed to my satisfaction in the end, with no lasting damage to anything

Frustrating...YES. Show-stopper....NO. I still love the old OUTBACK!


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## Wakeup1 (Mar 9, 2004)

Just bought a 21rs and have had it out three times. Twice it rained pretty hard and so far no leaks!
Viv


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## Central Mass Outbackers (Jun 13, 2004)

We've had our 2005 21RS out for two one-week camping trips this summer which included a couple of hard downpours. The thing stayed dry as a bone and has performed beautifully. We'll be heading up to New Brunswick for a couple of weeks soon, and as it rains there a good bit, expect we'll have another opportunity to check for leaks. So far, so good!


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