Keystone RV Keystone, Thor Industries, Keystone RV Company Keystone, Keystone RV, Keystone RV Company, Keystone Alpine. Alpine, Alpine 3500, Travel Trailer, Fifth Wheel, 5th Wheel, Westerville, Ohio

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If you have ever purchased a product from Keystone RV company, Holman Motors, Inc. / Holman RV, or any of the companies or RV manufacturers listed below or any of their dealers, distributors or agents; or received warranty work on any unit manufactured by any of the RV manufacturers below, or received a full or partial refund, received a replacement unit of any kind, were asked or required to sign any release of claims, or a confidentiality agreement, or any agreement that contained any release or confidentiality language, with any of the companies or RV manufacturers listed below or any of their dealers, distributors or agents, you may be entitled to receive compensation.  Each of the companies below is a manufacturer of a number of different recreational vehicle brands and models.


1. Thor Industries, Inc.

2. Keystone RV Company

3. Dutchmen Manufacturing, Inc.

4. Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC

5. CrossRoads RV, Inc.

6. Breckebridge

7. Redwood Residential Vehicles

8. Airstream Inc.

9. Thor Motor Coach


If you are a shareholder of Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE: THO), or if you are a lender to any of the aforementioned companies, you may be entitled to compensation.


Two Class Action Lawsuits are being coordinated.


1. Against the Respondents for a number of violations of consumer trade practices law, as well as violations of numerous state and federal laws.


2. A Class Action Suit brought by its shareholders against Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE: THO).


Your name and personal identifiable information will not be released to any person, organization or company outside of my attorneys and myself.  You will not be asked for or required to pay any up-front costs, and you will not incur any expenses unless an award is made to you by a court of competent jurisdiction, and said award is collected.  At that juncture, my attorneys will be entitled to a percentage of said awards, in accordance with customary, legal and ethical standards.


If you would like to determine if you are entitled to receive compensation, please email or call me.  Contact information is on the Contact page.  Again, your information will not be made available to any other person, company or party without your express consent, and because I am acting as a conduit between you and our attorneys, all information that you provide is subject to the Attorney Client Privilege, in accordance with all applicable laws, including but not limited to, Ohio Revised Code 2317 et seq.


This Home Page is a summary of nearly 10 months of being subjected to what is arguably some of the most abhorrent treatment of a customer I have ever experienced in my life.  I have sent almost 600 pages worth of complaints to a plethora of government agencies and consumer protection organizations, all to simply get a new 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE 5th Wheel Travel Trailer repaired by Keystone RV Company in accordance with its contractual warranty obligation.


The companies I have dealt with, or who have been involved in the transactions regarding my 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE is as follows.


Keystone RV Company, (hereafter Keystone), Holman Motors, Inc. AKA Holman RV, (hereafter Holman), and Thor Industries, Inc. (hereafter Thor).  Keystone, Holman and Thor collectively and severally, the Respondent(s).  A party also involved is RCD Sales (hereafter RCD).


Keystone is a Manufacturer of recreational vehicles located in Goshen, Indiana that specializes in travel trailers and fifth wheel trailers.  Holman is a new and used automobile and recreational vehicle dealership and authorized dealer and repair facility for Keystone, located in Batavia, Ohio.  Thor is a publicly traded company (NYSE: THO) that owns a number of commercial vehicle and recreational vehicle manufacturers, including, but not limited to, Keystone, and is headquartered in Jackson Center, Ohio.  RCD is an authorized Keystone dealer and repair facility located in Pataskala, Ohio.


The intent of this website, and this summary is to provide factual information.  I do not editorialize or delineate any express opinions.  All statements made on this website are supported by detail on this website, as well as other copious detail that I have simply not had adequate opportunity to fully publish.  This website is the very essence of my First Amendment Constitutional Rights, and no opinion should be formed and no intent is made that the content of this website is anything but the exercise of my First Amendment Constitutional Rights.


This review began as a simple review of the 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE (hereafter, the Alpine) that I purchased from Holman Motors, Inc. / Holman RV located in Batavia, Ohio.  I had a number of issues with this 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE, which began with the purchase process, but then also involved a number of mechanical and quality discrepancies.  Videos of the discrepancies are located both on this website, and at:


http://www.youtube.com/user/5thwheelreviews?feature=mhee


Rather than simply provide its customer with a satisfactory resolution, Keystone RV Company and Holman Motors / Holman RV elected to escalate this simple process to one whereby there are arguably violations of public policy, customarily acceptable ethical cannons, and state and federal laws.  Further, individuals in management at Keystone stated, We do this all the time, which is arguably unfortunate since a large number of Keystones customers might arguably be retired Senior Citizens who may not have the financial wherewithal, or the business and legal background or resources to challenge the aforementioned companies.  In addition, it appears that the Alpine had material defects before the unit was delivered, and said material defects were not disclosed, and were deliberately concealed either by Keystone or by Holman.  The failure by the respondents to make material disclosures might arguably be a pattern of activity that exists within a corporate culture, given Thor Industries, Inc. recent issues with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).


See: http://www.5thwheelreviews.com/_media/Bloomberg_News_Article.pdf


Given the crystal clear facts, there is little question about the abhorrent treatment I have endured as a customer of Holman Motors, Inc. / Holman RV and Keystone RV Company.  Nevertheless, there were three specific incidents that sealed my resolve to pursue Holman Motors, Inc., Keystone RV Company and Thor Industries, Inc. through to public judgments from the Federal Courts.  The amounts of the judgments are immaterial to the full disclosure that a public judgment provides.


1.) Holman Motors / Holman RV responded to my complaint with the Cincinnati Better Business Bureau requesting that I provide a copy of the warranty.  Holman Motors and Keystone RV Company clearly know what their warranty states, and this was simply what I believe the Court will find to be a cute and clever maneuver to avoid arriving at the full truth; and,


2.) Keystone stated that it does not have a confidentiality agreement or have confidentiality language in its release.  However, upon further questioning, Keystone admitted that its release does contain confidentiality language, which would suggest that Keystone was deliberately concealing material information regarding the transaction of fulfilling its contractual warranty obligations by replacing my Alpine.


3.) Even after Keystone was clearly cautioned about Holmans clever and cute maneuver with the Better Business Bureau, I learned on June 22, 2011 that counsel for Holman Motors / Holman RV responded to my complaint with the Ohio Attorney General stating that Keystone agreed to provide me with a replacement trailer, and therefore the case should be closed. Holman Motors must have coordinated this response with Keystone RV Company since it knew of the offer to replace the trailer.  However, the statement by Holman clearly fails to make the material disclosure and conceals the material facts to the Ohio Attorney General, which concealed facts are that the offer from Keystone of a new trailer as fulfillment of its contractual warranty obligations required that I sign, under duress, a full release of all legitimate claims in law and fact, and that I forfeit my Constitutional First Amendment Rights by signing said release and confidentiality agreement.  Keystone RV Company is not entitled to a release of claims and a confidentiality agreement for simply fulfilling its contractual warranty obligations.  Further, Keystone RV Company is certainly not entitled to extort such a release of claims or confidentiality agreement from me, under duress, to the benefit of a disparate company, Holman Motors, Inc. / Holman RV, and further by withholding the fulfillment of its contractual warranty obligations, while also holding in its possession, my Alpine and other property.


It was Keystone who stated that my Alpine could not be repaired, and therefore it was Keystone that elected to fulfill its contractual warranty obligations by replacing the Alpine.  I believe the Court will find the reply to the Ohio Attorney General to be a cute and clever maneuver to avoid arriving at the full truth, arguably a pattern of behavior that would support claims of concealing material disclosures.  Furthermore, it is arguably a violation of the Disciplinary Rules and Ethical Canons to knowingly and deliberately withhold material information from the highest law enforcement office in the State for the purpose of engendering an opinion that is clearly false and deliberately manipulated.


On June 23, 2011, the day after I learned of Holmans clever and cute reply to the Ohio Attorney General, I began this process of updating this website, developed a website on You Tube, had a television commercial produced to begin assembling two classes of individuals who will file claims for money damages, and will be airing that commercial on national television beginning July 1, 2011.


Please visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/5thwheelreviews?feature=mhee


Through the process of facilitating repairs to the 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE, it was discovered that this unit was knowingly defective and said defects were knowingly and deliberately concealed and covered up by either Holman, or by Keystone.


The records clearly prove that Holman Motors, Inc. / Holman RV and Keystone RV Company held part or all of my money since approximately September 24, 2010, and prior to sending Holman a $5,000.00 deposit, I was given a promised delivery estimation of three weeks from Holman Motors, Inc., / Holman RV.  After sending a deposit of $5,000.00, the delivery date changed, and then changed a number of times, increasing delivery from the original estimate of three weeks to nearly three months.  I had asked to cancel the order and was told by Eddie Holmberg of Holman Motors, Inc. that the deposit was not refundable.  I was unaware at the time, however this is arguably a violation of Ohio Consumer Practices Law, as it was never disclosed to me that my deposit would be non-refundable prior to sending that deposit to Holman.


After experiencing numerous mechanical issues, including a total failure of the hydraulic slide-outs, a defective aluminum wheel rim that caused a leak and flat tire, a cracked battery, that could have caused a fire, resulting because Holman Motors, Inc. put batteries into the Alpine that the Alpine was not designed to hold, and the thirty-plus problems listed in the Problems tab of this website, the Alpine was inspection at RCD.  Based upon the inspection at RCD, the 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE was found to be in such mechanical disrepair that Keystone RV Company elected to have the unit returned to the factory for repair, with a promised redelivery within approximately three weeks.  The Alpine was picked up by Keystone and delivered to its factory repair facility on April 28, 2011.  According to Keystone RV Company representations, this is a premium 5th Wheel Travel Trailer, manufactured by Keystone RV Company that had only experienced approximately 40 days of use.


As of this writing, my Alpine has been in the possession of the Keystone factory, or its representatives for over two months.  During this two month period, the Respondents have told me that my Alpine would require the replacement of at least one full sidewall, from front to back, as a precautionary measure due to the delaminating issue that was identified in my video, and existed prior to me taking delivery of the Alpine from Holman.


Keystones Manager of Owner Relations told me that after discussing the disposition of my unit with others at Keystone RV Company, my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE could never be repaired to my satisfaction.  The level of repair I considered satisfactory was simply that which was represented in the videos and sales literature produced by Keystone RV Company.  This is the information and representations that I, and other people, rely upon in making a purchase decision of a Keystone RV Company product.  Keystones sales videos can be viewed at:


http://www.youtube.com/user/5thwheelreviews?feature=mhee


Keystone RV Company stated that it decided to refund my money because it did not believe that it could repair my Keystone Alpine.  However, the Manager of Owner Relations at Keystone RV Company, Mr. Tim Nusbaum, stated that a release of all claims I have against Keystone and Holman, and a confidentiality agreement would be required.  I found it curious that Keystone RV Company would be attempting to get a release of my claims against Holman Motors, Inc., and a confidentiality agreement in Holmans behalf, when Holman is a completely disparate company from Keystone.  The fulfillment of the contractual warranty obligation was solely to Keystone.


I explained that I had absorbed a large amount of depreciation from the unit I traded in for the 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE, a 2010 Keystone 292 BH, and that I had incurred additional expenses resulting from having to transport the Keystone Alpine 3500 RE for repairs several times, including the total failure of the hydraulic slide-out system when the unit was only a few weeks old.  I told Mr. Nusbaum that refunding my money did not provide me with a travel trailer, as it was May, 2011 the beginning of the camping season.


Keystone RV Company then suggested that it provide me with a replacement unit either a new 2012 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE that would be identically equipped, or a new Keystone Montana that would be similarly equipped.  Once again, these proposals were being floated by Keystone, as performance on its contractual warranty obligations after it stated that my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE could not be repaired.  None of these proposals to replace my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE with a new trailer were ever raised by me with Keystone.  Accompanying Keystones proposal to replace my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE with a brand new 2012 trailer was, once again, a full release of all claims against Keystone RV Company and Holman Motors, Inc. / Holman RV, and a confidentiality agreement, to which neither Keystone or Holman are entitled for simply performing on the contractual warranty obligation.


Perhaps the most important part of this review is that after my 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE was returned to the Keystone RV Company repair facility, and Keystone RV Company was in possession of my property, there began a coordinated effort between Keystone RV Company and Holman Motors, Inc. / Holman RV to strong-arm me into signing a release of all other claims, and a confidentiality agreement to which Keystone RV Company and Holman Motors, Inc. / Holman were not, and are not entitled for simply performing on Keystones  contractual warranty obligations.


The Respondents have attempted to extort a release of my legitimate claims in law and in fact, and to extort a confidentiality agreement under duress of not performing on its contractual warranty obligations.  Keystone RV Company attempted to strong-arm me into a situation whereby I would be required to forfeit my rights and claims in exchange for the Respondents simply performing on its contractual warranty obligation, under duress and while Keystone was in possession of my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE and other property.


It was NEVER disclosed or even mentioned that there would be any extraordinary requirements that I agree to forfeit any claims or other rights before I authorized Keystone to take possession of my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE and other property.  These extraordinary requirements were placed upon me only AFTER Keystone took possession of my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE and other property, despite the fact that Keystone knew that it would require such extraordinary forfeitures of my rights and remedies.  It was stated to me that Keystone has done this many times and requires a release and confidentiality agreement.  It was arguably a deliberate failure to make material disclosures by not telling me of this probable stipulation to the fulfillment of keystones warranty obligations.  I would not have authorized Keystone to take possession of my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE and other property had I even thought that I would be strong-armed into signing anything that would result in the forfeiture of my other claims, remedies and rights, or that any other extraordinary conditions would be attached.


Given no other options, and the fact that I would not allow the Respondents to deprive me of my additional legal claims and remedies or my First Amendment Constitutional rights, under duress, I instructed Keystone RV Company to repair my 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE in accordance with its contractual warranty obligations.  I instructed Keystone RV Company to do nothing beyond or extraordinary, and thereby, I would not provide any release or confidentiality agreement to any of the Respondents.  Keystone is therefore allegedly in the process of repairing a trailer that its Manager of Owner Relations stated in relevant part;  could never be repaired


Given Thors one million dollar-plus settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission only slightly over a month ago (SEC v. Thor Industries, 11-cv-00889, U.S. District Court, Washington DC), it appears that there is arguably a pattern of behavior and a corporate culture that sanctions fraud, misrepresentations and concealment of material disclosures, among other issues.


See Bloomberg News Article at:


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-13/thor-industries-agrees-to-pay-1-million-to-settle-sec-accounting-claims.html


-OR-


http://www.5thwheelreviews.com/_media/Bloomberg_News_Article.pdf


This final review summary is provided for the vast majority of the Respondents customer base.  Many of these people are retired Senior Citizens who worked their entire lives to reach the point whereby they could retire and spend their Golden Years traveling.  Many of these people have very limited resources, and very limited legal literacy.


From my camping experiences, many retired Senior Citizens have invested a substantial amount of their nest egg into an RV.  It is arguably possible that the Respondents victimize countless people who simply do not know that they have other rights and remedies, and do not have the resources to pursue those additional rights and remedies.  These individuals are thereby barred from access to our judicial process.


These conclusions are based in large part upon the fact that, during a series of conversations with Keystones Manager of Owner Relations, Mr. Tim Nusbaum, he stated to me that, we do this all the time.


It will be through class action litigation that the number of persons who have been subjected to the Respondents extraordinary stipulations and arguably strong-arming techniques, and cute and cleaver maneuvering to the demise of customers will be fully discovered and publicly disclosed.


This review was authored, published and filed from and within Westerville, Ohio, located in Franklin County Ohio.  Additionally, the sales tax on the 2011 Alpine 3500 RE that is the subject of this review was paid in accordance with the sales tax rates and to the taxing authority for Franklin County, Ohio.  Proper jurisdiction and venue for any challenge or claim of any kind or nature resides in a court of competent jurisdiction situated in Franklin County Ohio.  Please consider that truth is an absolute defense, every statement on this website is true, supported by copious detail, and be certain to make a cursory review of Ohio Rule 11 prior to even suggesting any action.


Should any government regulatory, investigative or law enforcement agency obtain any affidavits or sworn deposition testimony from any of the Respondents on direct examination that any allegations I have made on this website and its accompanying Events Blog is untrue, please contact me and I will provide you with the information you need to impeach that testimony.


A cash reward is hereby offered for any certifiable written or recorded disparaging comments or remarks made against this website or against or about me personally by any of the Respondents, their proprietors, owners, officers, shareholders, directors, successors and assigns, associates, affiliates, contractors, representatives, producers, editors, employees, agents, legal representatives, licensees, and all parties acting under their permission, or with authority from them.

Keystone RV states they need to replace the entire front-to-back walls on a 152 day-old Keystone Alpine 3500 RE.

The full review is at: 

http://www.holmanrv.net

http://www.holmanrv.net/The_Problems.html

http://www.holmanrv.net/Updates/Updates.html

I received a telephone call from Michelle at Keystone RV customer service regarding the 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE that I had purchased through Holman RV / Holman Motors.

Michelle indicated that my Keystone Alpine 3500 RE had been partially inspected in Keystone's shop.  Michelle stated that Keystone recommended "As a precautionary measure" that they replace the entire sides of the Alpine 3500 RE because of some uncertainty regarding the delimitation issue as mentioned in item number 29 at http://www.holmanrv.net/The_Problems.html - The full review of this 2011 Keystone RV Alpine 3500 RE is available at http://www.holmanrv.net .

This nearly $70,000 Alpine 3500 RE has a sticker that indicates it came off-line on December 1, 2010, approximately 154 days ago, has been used for less than 40 days, and Keystone feels it necessary to completely replace both sides of the 2011 Alpine 3500 RE, from front to rear, "As a precautionary measure."

Arguably one would question how thoroughly Holman Motors / Holman RV inspected this unit when they accepted delivery from Keystone.  Further, one might arguably question the build quality of any Keystone product and the safety thereof if they feel that "As a precautionary measure" Keystone believes that both sides of this 154 day-old Fifth Wheel need to be replaced from front to rear.  The walls are nearly 40 feet in length.

The estimated date that I will have the 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE has been increased from an estimate of three weeks to at least the first of June, 2011.  Pushing the delivery is arguably, and uncontrollably in my mind reminiscent of the experience I had when purchasing this 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE from Holman RV / Holman Motors when the delivery date was changed numerous times, and Holman RV / Holman Motors stated that my $5,000.00 deposit was non-refundable when I had asked to cancel the order.  I therefore, under duress had no alternative but to continue to let the order continue.

I told Michelle on May 4, 2011 that I felt that Keystone should replace the unit with a new and properly build 2011 Alpine 3500 RE and I stated that I believed that Keystone's recommendation to replace the entire sides of the unit is an admission that it was incorrectly built.  However, it does not appear that Keystone is willing to do provide me with a new unit.  Therefore, I told Michelle that I am authorizing Keystone to make the repairs to my 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE under duress, in protest, and with all rights reserved.

I asked Michelle if Keystone would authorize someone from the Department of Transportation to proctor the rebuild of my Alpine 3500 RE.  I have not received an answer to that question as of this writing.

The full review is at: 

http://www.holmanrv.net

http://www.holmanrv.net/The_Problems.html

http://www.holmanrv.net/Updates/Updates.html

This revision of my report corrects a number of typos.

n addition to the following text that provides my review of the 2011 Keystone RV Alpine 3500 RE, you can also read and watch videos and view high resolution photos at http://www.5thwheelreviews.com/Home.html

To view the videos, you will either need to be using a Mac computer, or if you are using a PC running Windows, you will need to install the FREE QuickTime plug-in for your browser, which you can download for FREE at: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/

Prior to the purchase of a 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500RE, ( http://keystone-alpine.com  ) I had purchased a new 2009 Keystone 252BH, and a new 2010 Keystone 292BH, both from Holman Motors.  Browse: http://www.Holman Motorsrv.com and- http://www.keystonerv.com  -  A leak developed in the grey tank on the 292BH filling the underbelly with grey water during a trip over the Labor Day weekend in September 2010.  The unit was under warranty, and I took it to Holman Motors to have the leak repaired.  Holman Motors initially had to send photographs to Keystone, and then the wrong tank was sent.  It was not until October 6, 2010 that Holman Motors called and stated that the correct tank had finally arrived.  They would call when the unit was ready.

During the period that my 292BH was in for service, I began looking at larger 5th wheel units.
 
On September 22, 2010 I had initial discussions regarding ordering a new 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500RE with Eddie Holmberg, a sales representative of Holman Motors, including expected delivery date.  Further discussions on this date with two representatives of Holman Motors stated that the expected delivery date would be approximately three weeks.  I relied upon these representations when making my decision to order this Keystone Alpine 3500 RE.

On September 23, 2010 I received the ordering documents from Holman Motors and told Holman Motors and that I would sign and scan them, and return them the following day via eMail with a $5,000.00 deposit check via regular mail.  At this juncture I was expecting delivery on approximately October 14, 2010.

The following day, on September 24, 2010, I placed an ordered for a NEW 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE through Holman Motors that included additional options not normally available on dealer inventory units as they are customarily ordered for the inventory, such as dual A/C units, Generator Preparation the Trail Air Pin Box, Central Vac, 2 Bar Stools, End Table w/Lamp, dual 6-volt deep cycle batteries, four (4) Larger 40# LP bottles and multiple other additions that would be installed at the Keystone factory or at Holman Motors upon delivery.  Therefore, the unit had to be special ordered by the dealer from Keystone RV.  Holman Motors required a deposit of $5,000.00 to place the order, which I sent and which Holman Motors accepted and deposited.

Later on September 24, 2010 I had a conversation with Eddie Holmberg, the sales rep at Holman Motors who stated that he wanted to get my order into Keystone because his Keystone RV sales Rep (Adam) stated that he would have the new unit to me by the end of October at the very latest.  This was disappointing since I had now sent in a $5,000.00 deposit with a signed order, and already the delivery date had been pushed by a couple of weeks.  Prior to sending in a signed order and a $5,000.00 deposit, I had relied upon the representations of Holman Motors and the Keystone sales rep, Adam that the unit would be delivered within approximately three weeks.

On September 28, 2010 I received word from Holman Motors that the Keystone factory had accepted my order and we were awaiting ETA off-line date.

During further conversations and email messages with Holman Motors, the delivery date had changed again to November 1, 2010 and then an absolute concrete delivery date of November 4, 2010.  

During a conversation with Eddie Holmberg, my Holman Motors sales rep, he stated that Keystone had been sharing an assembly line for its Alpine units with another of their brands, and therefore they had lost two weeks in production. The Keystone RV sales rep and Eddie Holmberg of Holman Motors had confirmed that the promised delivery date was November 4, 2010.  However, now the off-line date was changed again to December 6, 2010.  A cursory examination of the arithmetic suggests that the new delivery date would be mid November if Keystone RV had lost two weeks in their production schedule.  A new delivery date of over thirty (30) days suggests that an additional two weeks has somehow been mysteriously added to the delivery schedule.  According to Eddie Holmberg of Holman Motors, the sales rep from Keystone RV, Adam could not provide a coherent explanation for those two additional weeks.  

So, my question at that juncture was, what happened to the other two weeks?  I was losing confidence in anything that I was being told by Eddie Holmberg, my Holman Motors sales rep or that came from the Keystone RV sales rep.  I would not have ordered the unit in September and made a $5,000 deposit if I had even thought the delivery date would be nearly three months away.  Keystone RV and Holman Motors made representations, which I relied upon prior to making this purchase, and said representations were very explicit.  Many of these representations turned out to be fallacious.

October 16, 2010 I told my Eddie Holmberg of Holman Motors of my disappointment that Keystone RV accepted an order and deposit knowing that they could not deliver on the promised date, and that the Keystone Rep (Adam) was totally unresponsive.  Keystone already demonstrated a pattern of misleading me about delivery dates, and therefore I do not believe that they will deliver on any date that they promise.  

October 27, 2010 The Keystone sales rep (Adam) still has not gotten back to my dealer rep. Eddie Holmberg of Holman Motors regarding an off line estimate close to the 4th of November date that had previously been promised.

October 29, 2010 My Holman Motors dealer rep, Eddie Holmberg agrees that Keystone RVs veracity is questionable.  I indicated that I wanted to cancel the order and get my deposit returned.  Initially, Eddie Holmberg of Holman Motors stated, Its a non refundable deposit.  I explained that the deposit was based upon an initial delivery estimate of three weeks from the date of the order and then a promised delivery date of November 4, 2010.  After explaining briefly that Holman Motors probably did not have the right to hold my $5,000.00 deposit past the promised delivery date, as that constituted a breach of the agreement, Eddie Holmberg became a little less instant that the deposit was not refundable, and in turn began a diatribe about how this deal was not even worth his time like it was my fault.  Eddie Holmberg of Holman Motors stated that the people at Keystone RV sounds like a bunch of morons.

Since trying to get my deposit returned and cancel the order would probably require more than $5,000.00 in legal fees, I felt no alternative but to continue waiting for the delivery of the new Keystone Alpine 3500 RE.

The Keystone Alpine 3500 RE allegedly came off-line on December 1, 2010.  It was delivered to Holman Motors and I picked it up on December 8, 2010.

When I arrived at Holman Motors on December 8, 2010, I did a normal delivery walk around the Keystone Alpine 3500 RE.  However, because of the inclement weather, the walk around was somewhat limited.

As of this review, I have owned this 2011 Alpine 2500RE for a total of 122 days, and have actually used the unit for less than 40 days.  It has otherwise been parked in a secured lot with an RV cover.

Form picking up the Keystone Alpine 3500 RE at Holman Motors in Batavia, Ohio, I went North Carolina to visit a few friends where I stayed for five days.  I then went to Columbia, South Carolina to visit my brother who had recently been diagnosed with 5th stage prostate cancer.  From Columbia, South Carolina, I had planned to continue my travels to Florida, eventually arriving in Key West.  However, during the first couple of weeks, the new clothing washer failed and, while visiting my brother in Columbia, South Carolina, the Keystone Alpine 3500 RE slide-outs failed.  It took over five gallons of hydraulic fluid just to get the slides to retract so the vehicle was towable.  I was told that I had to return to the selling dealer, Holman Motors in Batavia, Ohio.  Never did anyone from either Keystone RV or Holman Motors even offer to pay the cost for diesel fuel for my Ford F-350 6.4L which gets roughly 11 12 MPG while towing this Keystone Alpine 3500 RE.

During the few months that I have owned this unit, please click the Problems Tab to read of just a little over THIRTY (30) of the problems I have experienced. http://www.5thwheelreviews.com/Home.html

Most of the issues delineated in this review of the Keystone RV Alpine 3500 RE are also documented with photographs and video at: http://www.5thwheelreviews.com/Home.html

1.  I had two six-volt deep cycle batteries installed in the Keystone Alpine 3500 RE at Holman Motors.  One of those batteries failed.  It appears that the failure is arguably because the steel frame holder for the batteries is slightly too small and the battery was forced into place causing it to crack.  Photos and video of this area are included with this review of my 2011 Keystone Alpine 3500 RE at http://www.5thwheelreviews.com

2. The carpeting has excessive wear patterns as though the unit has been arguably used for a RV show, a dealer trade whereby it had been shown excessively, or perhaps a heard of cattle had been taken through the unit.  Photos and video are included with this review of the Keystone Alpine 3500 RE.   

I had paid an additional $1,200 for Paint and Fabric protection.  The carpeting looks very old and worn.   According to a conversation I had with the representatives of Holman Motors on September 22, 2010, this paint and fabric protection provides a five-year warranty on paint & fabric and covers up to a 2-inch tear in fabric.  The carpeting looks terrible.  Please see photos and video that are included with this Keystone Alpine 3500 RE Review at http://www.5thwheelreviews.com .

3. The cabinet that holds trashcan completely came apart It was obvious that it had not been cut properly and was only held together with a few staples and screws.  I had to glue it together.  Additionally, several of the screws that hold the hinge on were screwed in until they completely stripped thereby providing zero support.

4. While visiting Columbia, South Carolina on the first trip out, the hydraulic slide-outs failed.  I had to add five gallons of hydraulic fluid just to get the slides to come in.  

5. I paid roughly $2,500 for a stackable washer and dryer.  On the first trip, the washing machine failed.  Holman Motors stated that I would have to proceed under warranty.  I explained that I did not purchase a washer that would need warranty work on its first use, and that I wanted it exchanged for a new washer.   My intended itinerary was to travel from South Carolina to Florida.  However, after the failure of the hydraulic slide-outs and numerous other concerns, I took the unit back to Holman Motors in Batavia, Ohio.  Never did the Holman Motors or Keystone RV even offer to pay for my transportation and fuel costs.

I arrived at Holman Motors late on a Saturday and Holman Motors was closed.  Despite assurances made by Eddie Holmberg that he would advise their night watchman of our expected arrival, the individual had no idea that we were expected.   Nevertheless. the guard allowed us to park in their lot, however we were unable to leave except when they had a guard on duty that could unlock the gate.  The slide-outs were stuck closed, so two adults and two dogs were stuck in the bedroom.  We could not access food because the slides were closed.  I have had eight heart surgeries, and I am brittle diabetic. Because the slide-outs could not be opened, I could not access food or my medication.  No one at Holman Motors ever even checked to see if we were okay.  We werent.  I became very ill as no one at Holman Motors even had the curtsey to check on us until they opened on Monday morning.

6. I noticed that every time I filled the fresh water tank, massive amounts of water was filling the baggage/cargo compartment.  I removed the panel to inspect where the water was leaking.  I discovered that many of the screws holding the paned on were tightened until they stripped, and the wooden frame built to hold the panel had screws put in until it completely split the wood framing.  I further noted that water lines and electrical wires were not tied, crossed over one another and it appeared that the entire build job was in complete disarray.  Photos and video of these issues can be reviewed at: http://www.5thwheelreviews.com

Nevertheless, according to a Columbus, Ohio Keystone RV dealership, Keystone RV representatives told them that the photos I had sent showing the area behind the panel is a normal build and up to code.  I'm not sure what code allows electrical wires that carry from 50 to 100 amps at 110 volts cross over water lines Keystone is referring.

Had I known that this was a normal build in accordance with Keystone RV quality standards, I would have never bought a Keystone Alpine 3500 RE from Keystone RV.  I relied upon the representations made in the Keystone RV videos published on YouTube and on Keystone RVs website that the quality standards were second to none.  In my opinion, the photographs and video I have of my new Keystone Alpine 3500 RE do not reflect second to none quality.  

You can review the sales videos produced by Keystone RV for the Alpine 3500 RE at the following links.  These are the representations that I relied upon when selecting to purchase a Keystone RV Alpine 3500 RE.

http://keystone-alpine.com/index.php?page=videos2

Although I had used some plumbers putty and tightened the fill hose connection for the fresh water tank and put sealer around the water works area, water continues to leak into the baggage/cargo compartment.  When the panel in the baggage/cargo compartment is closed, it compresses the water lines.  It is possible that because the water lines were arguably cut too long causing them to compress and causing a joint to leak.

All wiring, heat ducting, and water hoses are assembled without ties, very disorganized and arguably dangerous.  Basically everything just stuffed in.  Saw dust left behind, very dirty area.  Im am wondering if I was arguably sold a RV Show Demo Model for a Keystone RV show.  For a brand new 5th Wheel that allegedly came off the assembly line just a few days before I picked it up, along with all of the representations of Keystone's second to none quality standards, it had an extraordinary amount of rust and corrosion.  In my opinion, the workmanship on this unit is nothing short of horrible.

7. I can feel an electrical shock when touching the water heater.  Despite the representations made by Keystone RV representatives to the dealer working with me in Columbus, Ohio, that everything they are seeing in my photographs are a normal build and in accordance with code, I do not believe that feeling an electrical shock when touching the water heater is in accordance with code.

8. There is water leaking into underbelly (unsure from where).

9. As I had the panels removed from the baggage/cargo area, I noticed that two of the vents on the furnace normally used to attach ducting to the furnace were open.  I closed them, but they should probably be taped.  I also noticed that large gaps exist at the hose connections to the furnace.  In my opinion, a professional build would include using metallic heat duct tape to insure unnecessary loss of heat.  Photos are available at: http://www.5thwheelreviews.com

10. When Holman Motors inspected the hydraulic slide-out issue, they noted that a hose blew off of the opposing slide and all hydraulic fluid was leaking into the under belly.  They also stated that one of the heat duct hoses was completely disconnected which explained why the living room area was cold while the bedroom was unbearably hot.  I have no way of knowing how much hydraulic fluid contaminated the underbelly, insulation or other areas of the unit.  However, at least five gallons of hydraulic fluid blew through the failed hose.  Heat vent to living room was not connected.  Holman Motors said they reconnected it.  Still not working properly.  If heat in living room is comfortable, the bedroom is unbearably hot.  Supposedly this was fixed at Holman Motors It may have been worked on, but in my opinion it wasnt fixed.  I still have a great deal of concern regarding whether or not there remains toxic hydraulic fluid in the underbelly of this Keystone Alpine 3500.

11.  I had a flat right rear tire on the unit.  I replaced it with the spare and took the flat tire to several different facilities that could not locate a leak.  I then took the tire to the closest tire center to my home that is experienced with trailer tires.  They could not locate any leak in the tire.  Finally, the technician noted that the leak was actually a small defect (crack) in the aluminum wheel itself.  According to Keystone, they only use the best part on their units.  I am understandably very concerned with all of the wheels on this unit.

12. While in Key West, Florida, I noted that the baggage/cargo compartment door latches had been mounted until the screws stripped.  The baggage doors could not be safely closed for traveling.  I had to glue the latches on, but that is not holding.  According to the Keystone dealer in Columbus, the Keystone factory people indicated that I may have voided my warranty.  My answer was, should I have just driven the vehicle and let the doors tear off?  The answer was I could have taped them.  I am checking with the state departments of highway safety in all states from Florida to Ohio to see if they are in agreement with Keystone RV.  I cannot imagine the damage and hazard to life that one of those doors tearing off could cause to a following vehicle and its occupants.  Just my opinion, but I dont think tape is the answer.

13. According to Keystones claims, which I relied upon, the cabinetry is meticulously crafted.  What I discovered is many of the screws are tightened until they striped thereby providing zero support.  Some of the cabinetry is cut wrong and therefore does not fit together properly.  It is not in my opinion of meticulously crafted work or workmanship.

14. Mounting support strips for slide-out skirt broke off on both sides appears screws were stripped.  I had to glue them on.  Unsure if it will hold.

15. The gearing on the slides was not greased.  I greased them.

16. The molding/stripping in water-works area not applied correctly and coming off.  The screws were tightened until they striped.  I had to glue it on.

17. Speaker fell off ceiling above television.  Appears that the screws were tightened until they stripped, thereby providing no support.  I suspect all of the speakers should be removed and properly mounted.  

18. The cable / satellite wiring does not appear correct.  I was able to hook up my satellite service, but could not get cable to work with the cable outlet.  Had to bring the coaxial cable through the back window and connect it directly to the television.

19. The window shade on the back window is mounted crooked.  Other window treatments are not mounted at all and just flap around.

20. Water pump mounted directly on a wooden surface.  No vibration insulation and therefore very noisy.

21. Water pump is working intermittently.  After winterizing, the water pump stopped working when trying to put through the last gallon of RV Antifreeze.

22. Keyless entry keypad fell off.  I glued it on.

22. Shower-head will not stay up keeps sliding down the pole.  Holman Motors said they fixed that when the unit was returned to fix the blown hydraulic hose.  The shower-head continues to slide down the pole.  It is extremely annoying trying to take a shower with a shower-head that continues to slide to a lower position.

23. One of the roof vents was not installed properly.  It fell off.  I used some Dicor to hold it on, as I did not want to glue it on with epoxy.

24. The carpeting seems to be excessively worn.  Definitely did not appear to be new carpeting, and if it was new, it was either not treated in accordance with the $1,295.00 treatment I purchased, or it is the cheapest carpeting the world.  This unit has only been occupied for roughly 43 days since new, and no one since I accepted delivery has EVER worn shoes in the unit.   It just seems like there are traffic patterns  (see photos and videos) that look like a stampede of people were through this unit.  Photos and video of carpeting are at:  http://www.5thwheelreviews.com

25. Refrigerator door handle was broken.  Holman replaced it.

26. The bottoms of all four dinette chairs fell off.  The bottoms were only held on by a few staples despite Keystone's claims that they use screws whenever possible, and even criticize their competition for using staples.  I had to glue the chair bottoms back on.

27. Two of the steps of the rear ladder were broken.  Only two small screws hold each ladder step on one screw on each side.  Holman replaced the broken steps.

28. The 40# Propane tanks do not appear to me to be new tanks, or the manufacturer very poorly paints them.   The first and second set of 40# tanks that arrived at Holman Motors for my unit had bent heads.  I find it difficult to understand how a manufacturer of new propane tanks would ship their new tanks in a manner whereby the heads could get damaged.

29. There are leaking and delaminating seams along the bottom of the upper level.  

30. The wooden frame for the cover for the woofer speaker was broken.  Had to glue it back together.

31.  For a brand new trailer, there seems to be excessive rust and corrosion on areas of the frame, axel and undercarriage and slide mechanisms.  I used rust-oleum on all of the bolts holding the undercarriage because they were so rusty I was concerned with their structural integrity.

32. The underbelly appears to be sagging excessively as though there is a great deal of weight that should perhaps be attached to the frame being held by a flimsily piece of corrugated treated board.  Again, my concern is whether or not there is any material in the underbelly that is soaked with toxic hydraulic fluid.  The sagging is obvious in photos at: http://www.5thwheelreviews.com

This review was authored, published and filed from and within Westerville, Ohio, located in Franklin County Ohio.  Proper jurisdiction for any challenge or claim of any kind or nature resides in a court of competent jurisdiction situated in Franklin County Ohio.  Please consider that truth is an absolute defense and be certain to make a cursory review of Ohio Rule 11 prior to even suggesting any action.