# Keystones Answer To Delamination



## pranch (Jul 24, 2007)

I have been reading several topics on here about delamination and currently going through this problem myself with my 2004 28bhs. On my outback the entire back is one big bubble and just noticed a bubble on the front. I took it into the dealership i purchased it from in Sacramento Ca, they said they would contact Keystone and admitted that they had problems with the adhesive from 2004 to current and that Keystone has been fixing the problem. Well today i heard from our s.a he stated that Keystone is claiming that it is not a structual problem but a cosmetic problem, therefore they are willing to pay for the material plus shipping($2,000) but i have to pay for the labor which is $2,000. Total bill $4,000. I explained to them that i purchased an extended warranty when i bought the trailer for $1,900 and does not expire until 2008. They said that this type of "cosmetic problem" is not covered under the extended warranty also. My s.a said that i should be lucky that Keystone is covering this much because they usually dont cover anything at all. I am looking for advice,i know what i would like to do to their answers but for now i need to approach the problem level headed, any suggestions where to start? For now i think i will e-mail Keystone and see where i get.

Thanks

PS great websight very informative on several topics.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

pranch said:


> I have been reading several topics on here about delamination and currently going through this problem myself with my 2004 28bhs. On my outback the entire back is one big bubble and just noticed a bubble on the front. I took it into the dealership i purchased it from in Sacramento Ca, they said they would contact Keystone and admitted that they had problems with the adhesive from 2004 to current and that Keystone has been fixing the problem. Well today i heard from our s.a he stated that Keystone is claiming that it is not a structual problem but a cosmetic problem, therefore they are willing to pay for the material plus shipping($2,000) but i have to pay for the labor which is $2,000. Total bill $4,000. I explained to them that i purchased an extended warranty when i bought the trailer for $1,900 and does not expire until 2008. They said that this type of "cosmetic problem" is not covered under the extended warranty also. My s.a said that i should be lucky that Keystone is covering this much because they usually dont cover anything at all. I am looking for advice,i know what i would like to do to their answers but for now i need to approach the problem level headed, any suggestions where to start? For now i think i will e-mail Keystone and see where i get.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> PS great websight very informative on several topics.


Don't email them...call them. Ask to speak to "Team Challenger" (I think, Andy will confirm). I emailed them almost 2 weeks ago, and haven't heard anything yet, my insurance company is also involved so I haven't called them yet, but.....I wonder if a bent frame is considered cosmetic and not structural?

Tim


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Just a couple of thoughts --

First -- WOW - 2K labor --









Second -- its sort of their way of putting the problem back in your lap all the while making them look like they are the good guys -- ie.. we will pay for the parts but you have to pay for the labor -- (them knowing that your not going to pay that much to have that done) ... so it makes them look like they are trying to be the good guy but that you're not even meeting them half way...

*But with all that said â€" i will tell you that with this being a 2004 -- and that's four years old pushing five -- I personally think what Keystone is offering is well above and beyond what anyone would reasonably expect they normally would. *

A couple of solutions -- Ask keystone if they can work with the dealer and have him charge you the same rate that they pay -- which is substantially lower...

Take the trailer to a custom shop and see if they could repair the damage or perhaps add that diamond plating metal stuff to cover it up a little.

Or hope you get rear-ended by a rich person with great insurance â€¦

Calling Keystone is by far the very best solution -- emailing them a difficult problem is burdensome on them .. i mean lets face it -- folks would rather talk about problems and solutions with you then to try to put it in writing where some shifty lawyer







is going to analyze every word.

---

As for Extended Warranties - well there has been volumes wrote here (PROS and CONS) on this subject but in a recent article by the RV manufacturers and insurers association -- it was stated that only 2%-5% of all extended warranties are ever used, mostly because the extended warranty did NOT in fact cover the item in question, plus each time that a claim was filed that additional out of pocket expenses were captured from the owner (ie DEDUCTIBLE).


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

I believe you are getting ripped on the labor. Mine was replaced under warranty (trailer less than 1 year old), and Keystone approved 5 hours labor I think. The local dealer said that was a stretch, but did it.

You might look for another Keystone dealer (not necessarily that sells Outbacks) to see if you can get a better price on labor. You may have to wait a while, but it could get you a better price.


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## fspieg (Jul 31, 2006)

After re-reading the problem is not just the front but the BACK as well. Having helped replace a back end on an SOB I can tell you it is a lot of work getting the old out and the new back in correctly. Much more difficult than the front. Personally I don't think diamond plate covering a failure is an acceptable fix. Just a cheap way out for both Keystone and the dealer.

Just my opinion


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## BLUB (Oct 23, 2005)

"I explained to them that i purchased an extended warranty when i bought the trailer for $1,900 and does not expire until 2008. They said that this type of "cosmetic problem" is not covered under the extended warranty also."

*Let me guess, Happy Days? No surprise! RUN! As fast as you can!*


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

I had my front replaced by my Sacramento Dealer (Happy Daze) And they did a Outstanding Job. The front looks better than new. I talked with the Tech and he said that they loose money on a warranty replacement because the Factory will only pay for 8 hours and he said it takes 2 techs 8 hours. Removing the bad panels is the hardest part something the factory does not do.


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## arsenana (Jul 8, 2006)

I had both the front and back replaced. Keystone covered nothing, so be glad they've stepped up to the plate. However, I had the front done twice. The first time was by a newbie at the dealer who had never done any replacements - BAD MOVE! Needless to say, the second time was on the dealer's dime. But since we were fulltiming and had no place to stay, it was definitely inconvenient. And now the trim inside on the ceiling is loose - probably from all the work they did up there on the roof.

In retrospect, if it was cosmetic, I would have left it alone and lived with the delam and bubbling.


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

I had the front cap replaced in May 2007. I purchased my 2006 Outback 26RKS in June 2006 from Beaudry RV in San Marcos, CA, so it was still under warranty. I took it back to Beaudry and it was replaced at no charge whatsoever to me. They did a good job, too. Reading the other posts here it appears this delamination/bubbling problem may be somewhat prevalent.

I'd suggest if the unit is still under warranty, it may behoove you to contact (or at least threaten to) an attorney regarding this. This action may make the dealer and/or Keystone change it's tune. You might want the attorney to mention the two words, "class action" as well, since reading these forums you've read about many more people who've had this problem. Heck this might even be a grand topic for a new forum! Power to the people!

Good luck!


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

My 2007 29BHS will be one year old in about 2 weeks. My dealer sent me info. about an extended warranty - $700 for 5 years. I called and asked if the warranty covered delamination, and the answer was a quick NO! Delamination is cosmetic and not mechanical. (It also did not cover the shackles, bolts, etc, for the axles and springs - another thing that will need to be addressed after about 10,000 miles.)

I've taken the advice from the collective wisdom of this site to take a pass on my dealer's offer. I have another offer from Good Sam, too, but I want to ask them questions, as well.

I'd say that Keystone offering to pay for parts and shipping was really a nice gesture. (These are called "good will" warranty dollars, at my company.) Your trailer is 3-4 years old, which means that it is 2-3 years past the warranty - and your extended warranty does not cover delamination.

Try to work with your dealer on the labor charge. They are ripping you off! Talk to your salesman first and diplomatically let him know that your next RV purchase might be SOB, depending on the "service after the sale" treatment you get with this one.

Heck, I might even be tempted to explore the idea of trading up to a new Outback, explaining that they'll be getting the new parts free from Keystone, and that their "charge" is a lot more than their "cost," as far as labor is concerned. I might be able to make out sweetly - or not.

But I wish you well, regardless of what you decide. And let us all know how it turns out. There's strength in numbers!

Mike


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