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Old 01-17-2017, 09:32 PM   #1
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Will I Ever Get This Crusader Sorted Out?

We purchased a new 2015 351REQ Crusader last March.
So far we have had 20 problems corrected by the dealer, 17 that I repaired myself, and 9 are still open or waiting for the next trip to the dealer. The dealer repairs required 3 trips and 2 months. At least one thing falls off or breaks on every trip. This trip we had a tread separation with subsequent blow-out on a tire plus a couple minor things. According to their measurements less than 7,000 miles of driving used up 30% of the tread. The main A/C has been inadequate when the outside air is above 80 deg F. The dealer and Dometic are still working to solve that problem.

Two complaints to Prime Time bring the standard response of "We are sorry to hear of the concern you have had with your Crusader".

Are all the Crusaders like this? I've only seen 2 others in campgrounds, one was newly purchased and the other has the same large number of problems.

What do I do when the warranty runs out?
I would trade for something else now if I had the money but I don't. If the trend does not reverse I'll have to evaluate cost of maintenance vs cost of trading when the warranty ends.

Harold Wilson
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Old 01-18-2017, 07:50 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Harold41 View Post
We purchased a new 2015 351REQ Crusader last March.
So far we have had 20 problems corrected by the dealer, 17 that I repaired myself, and 9 are still open or waiting for the next trip to the dealer. The dealer repairs required 3 trips and 2 months. At least one thing falls off or breaks on every trip. This trip we had a tread separation with subsequent blow-out on a tire plus a couple minor things. According to their measurements less than 7,000 miles of driving used up 30% of the tread. The main A/C has been inadequate when the outside air is above 80 deg F. The dealer and Dometic are still working to solve that problem.

Two complaints to Prime Time bring the standard response of "We are sorry to hear of the concern you have had with your Crusader".

Are all the Crusaders like this? I've only seen 2 others in campgrounds, one was newly purchased and the other has the same large number of problems.

What do I do when the warranty runs out?
I would trade for something else now if I had the money but I don't. If the trend does not reverse I'll have to evaluate cost of maintenance vs cost of trading when the warranty ends.

Harold Wilson
All RV's are like this I'm afraid no matter of brand. Good friend purchased a 60K Grand Design that had more water leaks than Niagara falls! I had a new Keystone Passport Travel trailer total piece of garbage, AC failed, Slide was tearing itself apart, cracking fiberglass, mold, 100% JUNK. Brother-in-law purchased a new Class A custom order mind you he had a list that was over 120 items long it went back to Tiffin who to their credit fixed it super-fast and stood by their coach.

RV’s are homes on wheels things shake, vibrate, and are subjected to high heat & low temperatures. With any RV you will need to iron out the kinks over time hoping it will get better.

What I fixed on my 2016 Prime Time Crusader that we purchased brand new May of 2016;

Sound Bar (fixed it myself)
Handel fell off on outside kitchen (fixed it myself)
One bad front leveling jack (dealer screwed me however I got it handed, local dealer fixed it with a credit from the purchasing dealer)

Items that need addressing now:
TowMax tires will be removed because next week they are 100% garbage one exploded damaging the RV is what it is.
Seal around the outside kitchen needs replacing (no big deal)
Darco wrap is tearing under my slide (well documented Forest River issue) they have plates that install so this should be simple to fix.
Auto leveling 2.0 system works 65% of the time this is an issue for me getting tired of it.
Two minor PEX water leaks (common will fix this myself)

So far we have spent over 40 nights onboard for the most part we like the RV plan on keeping it for at least 5 years. I did purchase an extended warranty for additional piece of mind though.
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Old 01-18-2017, 08:05 AM   #3
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Sorry to hear about all this. But I would have to agree every brand has its issues. We ordered our Crusader Oct '15 spent 31 nights and about 10,000 miles in it during 2016 and only minor issues.

- Sink plumbing was loose so it leaked a little...fixed myself
- Faucet was leaking - band aided - dealer fixed
- Very small stress crack in paint by front slide - dealer fixed
- Dealer adjusted all slides (Screw around slide was too tight...hmm)

Towmax tires are starting to show signs of wanting to fail...after 10k I feel lucky they lasted that long...

Even thought my dealer is the worst to deal with...

I am still very happy with my Crusader. However, again I am sorry to hear about all your problems. If only RV manufacturers had standards to follow...

Good Luck, I hope it all gets better!
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Old 01-18-2017, 02:34 PM   #4
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Granted, ALL RV's by nature will have issues because of their constant movement. Granted, SOME do escape quality control prior to leaving the factory....then, even if it did pass, transporting across half the country to the dealers lot, anything can happen.
Then, it's a given that the manufacturers are at the mercy of INEPT dealers. So, even though the unit may have left Indiana (or wherever) with no problems, it may not be true by the time it gets to the dealer and your at the mercy of the dealer to get the unit right again before you buy it.....and many fail!
Then, when you need to take it back to the dealer for repair, whether warranty or not, it shouldn't take "weeks or months" to get it done! In many cases it comes down to them NOT ordering parts ahead of time and/or waiting to order parts from a particular manufacturer until they have a "list" to save on shipping cost! There have been many complaints from members on this forum about the dealer telling them "we're still waiting for the manufacturer to send the parts" when in fact, they have NEVER even ordered them!! This has been verified more than once by a follow-up call to the manufacturer and they have stated that they never received a parts order from XYZ dealer.
I have had my share of problems, some self inflicted, some not but, felt it was easier to just take care or them myself rather than give my unit up for god knows how long just to get something fixed.

So, in closing, sometimes, if you're capable, it may be easier to just "suck it up" and do the repairs yourself to avoid being without your unit.....not that it's right though, just saying.
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Old 01-18-2017, 08:25 PM   #5
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Very frustrating is the long list of problems the unit obviously left the factory with:
One of the slide-out seals was severely curled.
A cabinet door was missing a hunk of wood.
Both sofa cushions had tears underneath.
A screw in the furnace cover was broken.
The kitchen faucet spray head did not work.
The kitchen faucet water connection was not even finger tight.
The ottoman must be turned up sideways to close the slide-outs.
Wiring on one of the jacks was not secured.
A bracket for the propane hose was loose and hitting outside skirting.
The A/C return filters were completely covered with sawdust.
A screw under the dining slide-out was halfway in (only discovered later when it cut the carpet).
A clamp on the suspension spring was loose.
The main A/C would cycle on/off every 3 min. Then after replacing the control the main A/C will not cool if outside is above 80 deg F ( I believe it's due to inadequate ducting).
A bracket securing the refrigerator had screws in only one side of the bracket (discovered after refrigerator shifted)

And this list does not include the many things that broke/fell off after use.

Harold Wilson
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Old 01-18-2017, 08:42 PM   #6
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"Both sofa cushions had tears underneath"
(mine has this now common issue with the sofa bed metal tabs that cut into the bottom of the cushions)

"The kitchen faucet water connection was not even finger tight"
(would encourage every RV owner to check their water lines super common to have loose water lines)

Wiring on one of the jacks was not secured
(yea RV industry just doesn’t like securing wires, water lines no idea why)

I worked in aviation were everything is secured seeing “RV Quality” is quite appalling. Opened up my water bay (under the shower & toilet) due to a PEX leak what a mess is an understatement. Will be securing a few lines not big fan of having water lines flop around. One thing I never do is leave the water on when we are away from the RV, close it when we leave turn it back on when we get back.
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Old 01-18-2017, 08:59 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Harold41 View Post
Very frustrating is the long list of problems the unit obviously left the factory with:
One of the slide-out seals was severely curled.
A cabinet door was missing a hunk of wood.
Both sofa cushions had tears underneath.
A screw in the furnace cover was broken.
The kitchen faucet spray head did not work.
The kitchen faucet water connection was not even finger tight.
The ottoman must be turned up sideways to close the slide-outs.
Wiring on one of the jacks was not secured.
A bracket for the propane hose was loose and hitting outside skirting.
The A/C return filters were completely covered with sawdust.
A screw under the dining slide-out was halfway in (only discovered later when it cut the carpet).
A clamp on the suspension spring was loose.
The main A/C would cycle on/off every 3 min. Then after replacing the control the main A/C will not cool if outside is above 80 deg F ( I believe it's due to inadequate ducting).
A bracket securing the refrigerator had screws in only one side of the bracket (discovered after refrigerator shifted)

And this list does not include the many things that broke/fell off after use.

Harold Wilson

Harold41,

Sorry about all those issues although I feel a good quality dealer would have caught and repaired most of those issues if they had done a proper inspection when they received it from the dealer and before you even saw it.!

And have you tried this for the ottoman? Ours fits and our floorplans are almost identical except for the bathroom (I like yours much better). I've found it will fit if the recliners are turned around. Pic only shows how to set it up before closing slides.
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Old 01-18-2017, 09:45 PM   #8
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The replacement cushions now have vinyl where the tear occurs instead of the thin fabric. We covered the metal parts of the sofa with heavy material. Also there is a low spot in the middle where the two cushions meet. I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood to fit under the cushions and covered it with a moving blanket. The middle of the sofa is much more comfortable now.

I think we tried turning the recliners around but found we still had to slide them up against the wall, and they don't slide easily. I added rollers to the bottom of the ottoman. Since there's only two of us we took out two of the dining chairs and roll the ottoman over there. And you can also sit on it at the table if needed.
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Old 01-19-2017, 09:29 AM   #9
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The replacement cushions now have vinyl where the tear occurs instead of the thin fabric. We covered the metal parts of the sofa with heavy material. Also there is a low spot in the middle where the two cushions meet. I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood to fit under the cushions and covered it with a moving blanket. The middle of the sofa is much more comfortable now.

I think we tried turning the recliners around but found we still had to slide them up against the wall, and they don't slide easily. I added rollers to the bottom of the ottoman. Since there's only two of us we took out two of the dining chairs and roll the ottoman over there. And you can also sit on it at the table if needed.

Yes, the chairs do have to be pushed against the wall. I just use my foot and push on the wood baseplate & slide them up to the wall. I put furniture sliders on the bottom of the ottoman so that when we put it behind the chairs, it is able to slide easily when the slides move.
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Old 01-19-2017, 02:48 PM   #10
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I too have had dozens of problems some over and over and kept going back to the dealer. I am now out of warranty except the front cap which was replaced and has 5 year warranty. I will do any work on it myself that I can which is 99% of it and if not I will go to a private shop. No faith in the dealer and I just figure that's what you get when you buy low end stuff.
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Old 01-19-2017, 03:17 PM   #11
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Well my 2014 PT Crusader had a few problems also. It had a recall on the suspension and that was taken care of. Additionally,
1. Theater seating recliner mechanism broke and had to be replaced. Interesting it was redesigned so the fix required some modification to the seat.
2.Water leaks under the kitchen faucet - the connection was stressed so the hole had to be widen to allow it to pass through without stressing the connection
3. Fireplace had to be replaced, the burner malfunctioned and the auto off kicked in.
4. Shower faucet had to be replaced the little drain valve malfunctioned so no shower at all
5. Replaced all the tires with GY 614s after reading all the problems with Towmax
6. One of the steps on the ladder broke off and had to be replaced
7. All the dicor on the roof had to be removed and replaced
8. The front cap is now fading so now I have to get up on it and use cleaner wax to restore it. Looks okay but still not as it should.
9. The auto level works now but the first time I used it all 4 wheels ended up off the ground
10. The AC had lots of problems and would not cycle on correctly - I would wake up sweating and have to get up and move it up or down to get the compressor going. Finally got it fixed after spending lots of time online and then giving info to FR to get a computer board replaced.
11. Had to add a second AC unit - the one would just not cool it in hot weather or direct sun.
12 One of the theater seating chairs is broken now (spring support broke in half) and the back is just coming apart (never seen faux leather do this). I will have to replace it with a new one of 3 recliners. or ?????.
13. Replaced the kitchen faucet when it broke in half.
14. Replaced the awning motor when it opened and would not close or even activate other than to dim the lights when I hit the retract button. Warranty covered the motor only.

Although I did much of this myself with help from the dealer on parts or under warranty, the AC, Tires and roof dicor set me back about 5k (little less) and this is, by far, the most I have had to do on a new RV and this is my fifth RV and 3rd 5er. (I never thought I would have to do more than what I did on my 1999 Montana) Was planning on a Grand Design but based on one of the above comments, maybe not. Now that I have everything working on this one, I will probably keep it - no use to start over with a new one. All in all, I like the Crusader and it serves our needs well. As we all know, there is no such thing as a problem free RV. Hey the tv works, the water heater is fantastic, the refrigerator works very well as do the other things so it is certainly not all bad. Working with Rick K. at FR was also great but he has moved on.
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Old 01-19-2017, 05:11 PM   #12
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We have a 2016 29RL 5th wheel Crusader Lite, the only problem that required a repairman was the AC compressor that was locked up. I took it to a RV repair shop, not the dealer. Repair shop got permission from AC manufacture to do the warranty work and replaced the compressor. Total time in repair shop was two days. I also replaced the TowMax tires with the Maxxis. Trailer has around 6000 miles on it now.
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Old 01-19-2017, 10:39 PM   #13
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In addition to factory defects, a number of things have broken in the first 8 month's of use:

Two pieces of trim fell off.
Two pieces of paneling came loose.
A cabinet shelf collapsed.
Closet shelf collapsed.
Trash door stop came loose.
Bathroom vent knob fell off, then later came apart.
Kitchen lights broke twice.
Pin box cover broke twice.
Fender came off while driving.
Electrical hook-up cover broke.
Window valence fell off.
Slide-out floor covering (outside) came off.
Two slide-out wiring support brackets broke.
Spare tire bracket bent and could easily have lost tire.
Front cap repaint.
A clearance light cover fell off.

If there's a prize for the most number of problems/repairs in the shortest time I think I'm in the running.

Harold Wilson
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Old 01-19-2017, 10:44 PM   #14
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Go to the national camp out in Goshen, Indiana this year.....they will fix all your problems whether you have warranty remaining or not. And, they do it for free! What other company does that? Problems and things breaking are certainly frustrating, but every brand has issues. At least Forest River offers a solution, if you come to the National event.
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Old 01-19-2017, 11:25 PM   #15
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I guess that's an option after the warranty runs out, however it would have to be a big repair to justify a 1,000 mile round trip. Surely they have some limitations? I wasn't aware they do this.

So far our dealer has been very helpful and reasonable about doing warranty repairs.

Harold Wilson
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Old 01-19-2017, 11:36 PM   #16
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I guess that's an option after the warranty runs out, however it would have to be a big repair to justify a 1,000 mile round trip. Surely they have some limitations? I wasn't aware they do this.

So far our dealer has been very helpful and reasonable about doing warranty repairs.

Harold Wilson
There are no limitations as far as I know.....we went this year, and they repaired every one of my 8 items, as well as 2 other s that weren't on my list. Might be worth the trip if you're still having issues...
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Old 01-20-2017, 01:14 PM   #17
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PT 2015 Crusader problems

Well, I thought I was the only one .

Bought mine last year and parked it on a lot for a year vs pulling it (now scared to do that )

I had issues with he TV lift and posted a thread on it. Found out it wasn't the lift. Called a RV service guy to come in and he found; now get this; 25 electrical issues where the wires were not properly tightened to the breakers, contacts, battery, fusses, etc. The TV Lift was not working due to "no power" due to no connection to power. I have owned 8 RVs in the past and this is a first for me.

He sent me a bill for $500 and Prime Time paid for it. There was a lot of discussion on it however, but they did pay for everything but the call out charge. These were all factory issues and for the most part would have been undetectable if it would have happened to me on the road. Not sure what I would have done.

Anyway, from all the posts, Im scared to take the thing on the road

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Old 01-22-2017, 07:16 AM   #18
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Would have to say what I've read in this thread seem normal for the rv industry today, sad dont you think.
If I listed all my issues it would be 5 miles long.

Few stand outs.
1-slide wear issue
2-cap fade
3-The microwave fell out of its cabinet while towing.
Seems the microwave was supported only by its face plate w/o any support for the bottom. So it was just hanging in mid air. So check your micro.
4-Screw thru slide floor. Yep had this issue on 2 units I've owned. On the Tracer it beat up the wear-bar or threshold and busted small chips off the slide floor. On the Lacrosse I check it when I got the unit home. Thus I took care of that problem before any damage could happen.
5- cracked shower tub. Factory used gobs and gobs of caulk to hide it instead of fixing it.

This is with a 2013 and 2014 models. Or maybe I was just unlucky twice..

I'll stop here, I could go on and on but I wont, I already had my rant vent postings on poor rv quality. As the main point of this forum is helping others and learning, hopefully this will help someone.

Good luck johnruff with getting all your issue handled. Work with prime time and your dealer. PT has been very helpful to us resolving our issues.
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Old 01-22-2017, 09:51 AM   #19
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Go to the national camp out in Goshen, Indiana this year.....they will fix all your problems whether you have warranty remaining or not. And, they do it for free! What other company does that? Problems and things breaking are certainly frustrating, but every brand has issues. At least Forest River offers a solution, if you come to the National event.
While that is good advice and an option for some, for some it is not an option.

I have heard this a lot and it always irritates me. If they are so great at fixing all this why do the rig's go out needing to be fixed, and why should I as an owner have to go to all the expense and time to travel to this one factory fixit event for decent service?

If Fr was truly trying to help customers they would have these events all over the country since they apparently have little control over dealers ability to help with warranty work.

I know I'm preaching to the choir,. End of rant.
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Old 01-22-2017, 09:58 AM   #20
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While that is good advice and an option for some, for some it is not an option.

I have heard this a lot and it always irritates me. If they are so great at fixing all this why do the rig's go out needing to be fixed, and why should I as an owner have to go to all the expense and time to travel to this one factory fixit event for decent service?

If Fr was truly trying to help customers they would have these events all over the country since they apparently have little control over dealers ability to help with warranty work.

I know I'm preaching to the choir,. End of rant.
X2 couldn't agree more. It's good PR tho.
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