# Fiberglass Crack



## jnlswain (Apr 7, 2006)

After our last camping trip, while cleaning the ROO, I noticed a fiberglass crack at the bottom right corner of the opening for the rear bed slideout. It was about three inches long and coming out from the corner of the opening







. I took the ROO into my dealer, RV Traders in Mesa, Az and left it. Of course, it went out of warranty this past April, so I was concerned about getting stuck with a repair bill. 
Today I got a call from the Service Department, and Keystone agreed to cover the repair, and they are shipping a new rear panel to the dealer. When it comes in, I will take the trailer back and leave it for the repair (we're heading to Puerto Penasco, Mexico next Tuesday for five days of beach camping).
I was prepared for a battle, so I was pleasantly surprised when everything went so smoothly. Although my dealer has been great on service issues so far, I didn't know what to expect from the factory.
Anyway, when we are treated fairly by Keystone and our dealers, we should let each other know







. Also, keep your eyes on that rear wall for cracks!

John


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

Way to go Keystone







I really do think it really helps on which dealer you are going through also. It's funny how some dealers have no problems doing warranty claims and then you hear of the ones that can't seem to get Keystone to fix anything. Make sure your dealer double checks the frame to make sure there is no structural issues and you might want to take a trip over to double check yourself









Scott


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Scott and Jamie said:


> Make sure your dealer double checks the frame to make sure there is no structural issues and you might want to take a trip over to double check yourself
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ditto on what Scott said. The panel didn't crack without something moving quite a bit from its original shape or position. Something may have come loose, allowing movement of the supportive structure or other component behind the panel. Or something whacked it from the outside - which I'm sure your dealer would have detected. Ask your dealer to thoroughly check out the structure beneath the panel, as well as anything that could move and/or impact the panel - lest you have this unfortunate development again.

Just my $.02.

Mike


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## jnlswain (Apr 7, 2006)

Good advice, guys. I'll make sure they do that while the skin is off.

John


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## 26rs_outback (Oct 18, 2007)

I've got a keystone outback 26rs with the exact same problem.







The trailer is out of warranty but I did buy an extended warranty when I purchased the trailer. Keystone won't fix the crack because it's out of warranty, and the extended warranty won't cover it either because they can't determine what caused the crack. The camper has been sitting in storge from this past winter and when I went to get it this spring the crack showed up. Has anyone else had this same problem? It sounds like Keystone may have a design defect. I've contacted Keystone, but they have given me the run around.

I sure wish that I could say that I had the same luck, looks like i'm going to get stuck with the 2500 in repairs. FYI don't buy extended warranty's because they don't cover anything.


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## Burnzy (Jan 22, 2007)

jnlswain said:


> After our last camping trip, while cleaning the ROO, I noticed a fiberglass crack at the bottom right corner of the opening for the rear bed slideout. It was about three inches long and coming out from the corner of the opening
> 
> 
> 
> ...












Ummm...I was just about to post the same thing!!! Two weekends ago we went camping and on Sunday when we where putting in the slideout I noticed it wasn't closing right. A few days later I was washing it and that's when I noticed the crack in the lower right hand corner of the slideout. I was thinking the same...if I take it in, is it going to be a fight with them to repair it. It is still under warranty.

I hope this dosen't become a recall thing...mine is an 07' 28krs.


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## hyewalt34 (May 9, 2004)

My buddy had a crack develop on the left side frame of his Keystone Challenger kitchen slidout. it was a structural design problem and Keystone repaired it. I do think it makes a difference who your dealer is though.

Walter


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Thanks for the heads up









Thor


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

Looks like a pattern could be developing here. Hope they all get repaired without a lot of fuss.


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## av8r_27 (Jul 25, 2011)

Hi Outbackers!
I am a prospective Outback Kargoroo 28 KRS buyer and a unit I looked at over the weekend had cracks on the rear wall projecting from the lower corners of the rear slide opening. It sounds like this is similar to the other posters in this thread. I was wondering if there was ever a definite fix for the issue and if so, how difficult is it?

A few questions:
1. Is it even worth even considering a unit with these cracks?
2. Is this a weakness in all units with a rear slide? Meaning if I find a unit without the cracks, does that mean that it is just a matter of time before it will crack as well?
3. If it is a fixable repair, what kind of price would you expect to fix? Basically I need to lower the asking price to adjust for this defect.

This website is an invaluable resource for all current or future Outback owners. Thanks to all that contribute. I have already learned so much.

Neal


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Hi Neal,

Welcome to Outbackers!!!

These cracks are pretty common on the rear slide units and are cosmetic in most cases, so long as they have been sealed. I think there was a posting a year our two ago about a crack that was caused by a faulty weld in the frame that broke loose, but this would have been the exception.

I just sold my 2006 25RSS that had cracks on both sides of the slide (fully disclosed to the new owner, of course). They were purely cosmetic, nothing structural. I tried to stop drill them, but this did not stop the crack from spreading. I eventually took a sharp razor blade and scored the gel coat to the far edge (only a couple inches) of the trailer. This helped guide the crack in a direction I wanted it to go. I then took some waterproof marine adhesive (I forget the Brand name) and put a bead on the crack. It was similar to caulk, but dried hard, yet flexible (this is critical) and was very sticky. It held solid for a couple years and was still solid when I sold the trailer earlier this year. There are other fixes people have applied as well if you search.

I would look very close for water damage and signs of delam in the area of the crack. Also look at the direction the crack is heading. If it looks like a stress crack is heading perpendicular to the edge of the trailer and there are no signs of water or structural damage, I think it is OK. Just adjust the price accordingly, I had to!!









DAN


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## av8r_27 (Jul 25, 2011)

Thanks for the quick reply Dan!

I added my picture to the gallery and here is the link:
http://www.outbackers.com/forums/uploads/1303327887/gallery_12493_3_2227.jpg

The cracks are on the bottom of both the left and right corners of the slide cut-out on the rear wall and propagate horizontally toward the far edge. I pushed on the cracks and it is spongy; definitely not sealed because the gap widens when pushed. I believe the marine adhesive you mention is 3M 5200 marine sealant. Do you know what is behind the rear fiberglass shell? How do you suggest I inspect for structural damage?

Also, what is a fair amount to expect to reduce for this damage? This is at a dealer so I'm not sure how much wiggle room I would have.

Thanks again.


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

av8r_27 said:


> Thanks for the quick reply Dan!
> 
> I added my picture to the gallery and here is the link:
> http://www.outbackers.com/forums/uploads/1303327887/gallery_12493_3_2227.jpg
> ...


Is it spongy because there is no structure behind the crack or is it spongy because water has gotten into the crack and saturated the backing of the Gel Coat? Look into the crack at the backing and see if you can see signs of swelling. Also look at the Gel Coat to see if it is still attached to the backing. It appears that there is no water damage or delam, you can clean it up and seal as discussed previously. You are correct, the sealant was 3M 5200, good stuff.









As for price, it just comes down to negotiation. This is a bullet you can use to justify your offer. What price is the dealer asking?

Good Luck.

DAN


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

If they would round the corners there would be less chance it could crack. Keystone makes the cut square though so if there is a slight pull from one corner to the other or from side to side a square corner could develop a crack very easy.

Too bad they dont round the corners then use moulding to make it square. Much less chance of a crack. Id think with all of the troubles Keystone has had they would find a way to stop this. Its really an easy fix if they would just think a bit.


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

It's called Filon and it should not be used in the front or rear or anywhere there is any stress. They will most likely replace it with the some old crap. It is basically laminated cardboard with the thinnest sheet of fiberglass they can put on it. It adds no structural strength at all. Good luck on the fix I hope it doesn't came back after warranty.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

N7OQ said:


> It's called Filon and it should not be used in the front or rear or anywhere there is any stress. They will most likely replace it with the some old crap. It is basically laminated cardboard with the thinnest sheet of fiberglass they can put on it. It adds no structural strength at all. Good luck on the fix I hope it doesn't came back after warranty.


I agree on the front. As far as the rear, I doubt they ever stop using it. So just engineer the cuts Keystone, the problem will go away.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

I had the exact same problem on the 28RSDS we just traded in a few weeks ago. I never even thought to check the forum to see if it had happened to anybody else. The cracking started about a year ago, so the trailer was about 3 years old. My solution was to slap a couple pieces of Eternabond on there and traded it in like that. The dealer didn't give it a second glance.


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## av8r_27 (Jul 25, 2011)

TwoElkhounds said:


> Thanks for the quick reply Dan!
> 
> I added my picture to the gallery and here is the link:
> http://www.outbackers.com/forums/uploads/1303327887/gallery_12493_3_2227.jpg
> ...


Is it spongy because there is no structure behind the crack or is it spongy because water has gotten into the crack and saturated the backing of the Gel Coat? Look into the crack at the backing and see if you can see signs of swelling. Also look at the Gel Coat to see if it is still attached to the backing. It appears that there is no water damage or delam, you can clean it up and seal as discussed previously. You are correct, the sealant was 3M 5200, good stuff.









As for price, it just comes down to negotiation. This is a bullet you can use to justify your offer. What price is the dealer asking?

Good Luck.

DAN
[/quote]

It's hard to determine if and if so, how much water has gotten into the cracks. By the color of the crack, it has been there a while. It is a 2007 model so there is no telling how long it has been there. From the sounds of things, the backing material is very flimsy to begin with so I wouldn't expect it to be resistant to my finger pushing.

Dealer is asking $14500. Seems high to me. This is my first time looking at a TT so not sure how much markup the dealer added. Everything else looks good and working.

Thanks again for the advice and information!


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