# New To Outback Rv's Looking To Buy



## travelmer (Aug 9, 2009)

I have been looking for an outback in the PNW and have looked at one 21RS and on the front of it there was a bubble actually several of them. We were a bit concerned about it having leaks and structural damage, but now I have lloked at a 23 RS and it has the same trouble. The gentlemen I spoke with said that this is inherent of them and in the winter it shrinks right back down. Could someone help me with this? I am curious as to if there is a fix for it? or if it needs to be fixed.

Many thanks,
Meredith


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

marsen said:


> I have been looking for an outback in the PNW and have looked at one 21RS and on the front of it there was a bubble actually several of them. We were a bit concerned about it having leaks and structural damage, but now I have lloked at a 23 RS and it has the same trouble. The gentlemen I spoke with said that this is inherent of them and in the winter it shrinks right back down. Could someone help me with this? I am curious as to if there is a fix for it? or if it needs to be fixed.
> 
> Many thanks,
> Meredith


Welcome to Oubackers!!!

This is delamination, Outbacks are famous for this. Typical cause is a water leak in the clearance lights which causes the separation of the gel coat from the backing. My 2006 25RSS has the problem.

As long as it is not too severe, it is more of a cosmetic issue. You will need to be diligent on making sure you keep the front panel sealed (especially the clearance lights).

This definately reduces the value of the unit. How much will depend on the severity of the problem. I would certainly expect at least $500 off asking price, probably more.

DAN


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Hi again,

Another Outback issue I would look for is stress cracks in the fiberglass panels around the rear slide. My 25rss have these as well and they are hard to stop. Many others have also posted on this. normally they will propigate the entire length ot the panel until they reach the panel edge. Here is a link to a few pictures of this problem. I have tried to stop drill these cracks with mixed results. I currently keep them sealed and pray they continue to propigate horizontally. You need to have the rear slides pulled out and look for these at the corners. I would also look around the corners of any other slides to see if there is any sign of cracking.

Don't want to scare you, just educate you. I have both delamination and a cracked rear panel (both sides!!). I still love our Outback and would buy another (unfortunately, DW won't let me upgrade







). I would not let either of these issues stop you from considering an Outback. Just understand what these problems are and what causes them.

DAN


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## jetjane (Feb 8, 2007)

Some Outbacks also have had a different problem which I think that gentleman was referring to. It was a delamination problem but not from water leaks. It was caused from bad glue where the front looked all wrinkly and wavy. There are a few members on this forum that have posted pictures of it before. I believe a lot of them discovered it after removing a cover (tarp) after being stored for a while. I think it is a cosmetic problem only unlike the water leak delamination where you would have to worry about mold and rotten wood.


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## travelmer (Aug 9, 2009)

TwoElkhounds said:


> Hi again,
> 
> Another Outback issue I would look for is stress cracks in the fiberglass panels around the rear slide. My 25rss have these as well and they are hard to stop. Many others have also posted on this. normally they will propigate the entire length ot the panel until they reach the panel edge. Here is a link to a few pictures of this problem. I have tried to stop drill these cracks with mixed results. I currently keep them sealed and pray they continue to propigate horizontally. You need to have the rear slides pulled out and look for these at the corners. I would also look around the corners of any other slides to see if there is any sign of cracking.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. Did Keystone fix this problem (Delamintion) and if so what models should we be aware of?


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