# 2004 Outback 26RS



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Hello everyone, I am a new member and found this site while researching travel trailers in general. Now I am an owner of a 2004 26RS, this is the quad bunkhouse model. We are quite excited to have it! Previously we owned a StarCraft StarMaster tent trailer, so this is quite a step up!

However, we have encountered a problem with the vertical lifting windows. 5 out of 6 will not open!







We took delivery of the trailer on Sept. 20th, and during our walk-through we did not check the windows, one would think they would open! Well it wasn't until we returned home and attempted to open all the windows to air out the trailer that we made the discovery. They are either jammed in the frames or in the case of the window over the kitchen area the left locking slider will not budge!

I called the dealer and we took the trailer back the following Saturday and they decided to order 5 new windows. At that point they said new windows may not resolve the problem. I said that was unacceptable! I also e-mailed Keystone and a week later they suggested loosening some screws around the window and trying again. I forwarded that suggestion to the dealer and no response. So at this point I am basically waiting for the dealer to get the new windows in.

I am rather disappointed that this window problem was not caught at either the factory or the dealer. I spoke with an assistant service manager at the dealer and he gave me an e-mail address for the team that builds the Outback line ([email protected]) so I sent them an e-mail voicing my concerns yesterday and so far no response.

Other than that, the trailer appears to be exactly as we had ordered. Per a suggestion on this site to flip the door underneath the oven to open from the top down, we had the dealer make that change for us and it works great!

We have yet to go anywhere as the odor of new manufacturing still lingers and airing out the bunkhouse end (all 4 windows at this end won't open) is difficult. I am waiting for the window problem to be resolved before we take her out.

I'll keep you posted on what happens.

Take care for now.

Herbicidal


----------



## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Do they open at all or are they very stiff?

We have two windows in our 21rs that open vertically. I found that the rubber gasket that seals between the top and bottom window can prevent it from sliding up. I put some slide gasket seal/lube on the gasket and window frames and now they slide fine. Hope you can get it worked out.


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

They won't open at all. In the case of the window over the kitchen area the left most spring-loaded tab is jammed in so tight I cannot budge it without fear of breaking it. The right side moves freely and I belive the window would operate fine otherwise.

The 4 in the bunkhouse end just flat out will not lift up. All the tabs will slide in toward the center of the window to release the locking function, but I cannot get enough grip to lift the window up.

I gave a follow up phone call to the dealer yesterday and they were not actually able to confirm if the windows had been ordered or not. The person that supposedly did the ordering is out all week.

Thanks for the input and I'll post any new developments.

Herbicidal


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Update:

I was begining to become concerned that perhaps my windows were never ordered so I called the dealer and sure enough, the person that took the measurements on the 5 windows was no longer with the company and the special order parts lady that I was transferred to did not see any such request with my name on it. She said she would check around and call me back. She never did.

So I tracked down the sales manager and refreshed his memory on who I was and the problems I was having. He said he would make some calls. The next day I spoke with the parts and service director, he said that Keystone was deferring any window problems directly to the window manufacturer, and that he would give me an update the next day.

So yesterday I get a call from one of the service guys on my home answering machine saying that Keystone wants me to bring the trailer back to the dealer so that the dealer can remove the windows and reinstall them!







Good grief! I have had the trailer almost one month now and this is as far as I have gone. To my knowledge the windows have not been ordered! Which will take at a minimum 3 weeks to get in! So if the remove and reinstall of the existing windows does not fix the problem I am still about a month away from being able to use it.

My patience is starting to wear a bit thin. I'll call the dealer today and I will most likely drop the trailer off this Saturday.

Stay tuned!

Herbicidal


----------



## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I feel for you. I hope all your problems work out. I had some leaking issues that needed to be resolved.







I had quite a few adjustments done on the trailer over the first year. I have most of them worked out for now. I don't like my service dept. one bit! Customer service ended with the check they got. I am pretty satisified with my Outback now. I really think Keystone and Outback need to FIRE the QUALITY CONTROL STAFF! I sometimes wonder if they even have a QA Staff!









Anyway, I hope it comes together in the end.


----------



## vern38 (Aug 18, 2003)

Hey Herb, should start talking about the *LEMON LAW* and Shake







them up a bit...


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Thanks for your support folks! Well I hitch her up and take her in tomorrow to have them remove and reinstall the windows. We'll see!









PS: received the e-mail notification! Thanks.


----------



## ed&wilda (Oct 8, 2003)

Hey vern: there no lemon law on trailers i know at least not in florida I tryed
ED


----------



## vern38 (Aug 18, 2003)

Ouch that one hurts.







There gonna get us one way or another aren't they.


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Well I dropped the trailer off on Saturday. Repeated my frustrations to the service guy that this was not caught at the factory or at the dealership. Then I tracked down my sales person and let him know the trailer was over in service. I said that if they could not fix the windows during the upcoming week, they would have to order the windows (grrrrr







) and that will take, at a minimum, 3 more weeks. So I could be at least another month away from having the trailer 100% operational. That would be 2 months since our original purchase date. I said that we ought to be compensated in some way for this major inconvenience. He said he would talk to his sales manager.

We'll see. I'll post again when I hear from them on any front. I just want to go camping!

Herbicidal


----------



## vern38 (Aug 18, 2003)

Sorry to here that Herb, I'd be angry not being able to take a *NEW* Travel Trailer out camping because of something like this. Hang in there and let us know what happens. Make them do something for you.


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Well after making follow up phone calls to the service department two days in a row, the windows are fixed! At least that's what they tell me. I have yet to try them with my own two hands. Apparently the "rings" surrounding the windows were mounted too tightly. They were able to correct the one in the kitchen area pretty quickly, but the 4 in the bunkhouse portion took more time and effort and at least one call to the window manufacturer. From what the parts and service director tells me, all 5 windows are now working perfectly!

Good grief, I hope so! For their sake if nothing else.









I'll pick it back up on Saturday. Stay tuned!

Herbicidal


----------



## JimBo (Oct 20, 2003)

Herb, you might determine what you want from them as compensation and ask for it specifically. Maybe some little extras in the parts dept or something for your inconvenience. Being specific has helped in my experience.


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Hi folks! Well we have the trailer back, woohoo! The windows are all working, however in my opinion the vertical sliding windows are a weak point of the trailer. I prefer the windows with the knobs that you turn to crank the windows out. Anyway, the vertical lifting windows are rather sloppy in their frames in a side-to-side motion. So you have to be very careful to lift both ends evenly or they will tend to bind up in the frames. Oh well, at least they are opening now!









To continue with the saga, this past Saturday I created a cover letter detailing my frustrations over the whole thing and asked for monetary compensation based upon my monthly payment, time spent taking the trailer back to the dealer and for the general hassel of not having a fully functioning trailer for a full month when it was purchased brand new! I also had kept a log of sorts keeping track of dates, names and e-mails throughout this whole process. That totalled out to 2.5 pages worth. I printed off three copies and gave one to the sales manager, my original sales person and the general manager of the RV dealership. I was able to hand deliver the envelopes and contents to the sales manager. He said he would pass on the other two letters. We'll see what happens.

Herbicidal


----------



## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

I'm glad your windows are working now. I agree they're not the smoothest operating windows but if you use some slide out lubricant on the window frames it will make them slide a lot easier in the opening.

good luck and enjoy your new trailer!


----------



## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

My windows worked pretty good. The awning style windows didn't close all the way tight. Good thing there are warranties!


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Hi everyone! Looks like I forgot to post an update with the final results. I waited a week for the "main" guy to give me a call or in some way respond to my 2 1/2 page letter. Nothing. So I called him, identified myself and asked if he had seen my letter. He said no. So I had to repeat the whole story all over again. Anyway, to make a long story short, he ended up mailing me a gift certificate to their parts dept. for $100. Better then nothing.

We returned this past Sunday from a 2 nighter and the trailer worked great! Just need to get the gas working for the water heater. The electric method worked fine.

Herbicidal


----------



## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Good to hear. I hope I have all the bugs worked out of my trailer now. I think they are...time will tell. It's tough to do when camping season is so limited for me!


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Glad you got it worked out Herb. And also thanks for sharing your experience! Because I read your post BEFORE taking delivery of our new 28BHS, I intentionally checked every window during my walkthrough. And what do ya know! The vertical sliding window over the sink wouldn't budge. Just like it was screwed down or something! My dealer was able to correct it on the spot though so no biggie.

I see what you mean with the vertical windows too. The vert's in the bunks are real picky about how they are slid up. Gotta get real level or no-go.

Thanks again!

Jim


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Hi California Jim, glad to hear that my information helped out at least one person! Enjoy your home away from home.









Herbicidal


----------



## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

Herb,

After reading this thread I made sure all my windows worked when doing our walk through last Friday. You and I have the same camper (26 RS), but all my windows are the "twist the handle / knob kind. They all worked fine. I do not have any "vertical sliding" windows that you mention.

It seems to me that Keystone uses whatever they have on hand from whomever made them a good deal on parts to build the campers. Even on the three 26 RS campers in my dealer's lot, we noticed configuration differences between the same model campers. For example, two had the TV hook-ups in the bunk room sitting on a shelf IN the door chest while the one we purchased had the TV hookups ON TOP of the door chest. My wife immediately noticed that and wanted the TV hookups ON TOP of the door chest (so the door chest can be used for clothes).

The dealer could not explain the differences between the same model camper, other than two were decorated Desert Rose (with the TV in the door chest) and one was Jasmine (with the TV sitting on top of the door chest). Luckily, we wanted Jasmine and the TV was in the best place for us.

Randy


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Hi Randy,

that is most interesting! I really do not care for the vertical sliders. I wish all the windows were the "twist the knob" kind. Maybe because they were having so many problems with the vertical ones they switched! Who knows?









I honestly had not paid that close attention to the TV hookup's, but I'm glad to hear that all the windows are working for you.

Enjoy!

Herbicidal


----------

