Good news! Camping World Cicero was able to fix the leaf spring and replace TWO tires (apparently they’re only ordered in pairs) and Hubby was able to pick up our house on wheels last Wednesday. Things are finally starting to feel normal again.
Uncle Chris came up and helped Austin move the temporary camper we were borrowing, Austin backed our baby in and set it all up. He said it pulls like a totally different camper with those two fixes and an adjustment to the pin box. It didn’t beat him up as hard on the hour-ish pull up 81.
Now we have to move all the stuff I packed into the other camper over the last month back into our camper for 2 months.
While we cant use that right side living room bump out because the track is broken, its so nice sleeping in my own bed, and knowing all my stuff is right where I put it.
We’re a bit of a mess still as I was traveling last week, will be in the Bahamas this week and Ohio next week… But little by little we’ll reorganize and settle back in.
The plan now is to enjoy our camper through the end of September until Keystone heads over to pick it up and haul it back to Indiana. We’ll then be waiting again for fixes and updates as they comb their way through the flexing, welds, slide, and anything else they break on the road back.
We’d like to be back in Tennessee for the winter near Hubby’s family and are already ready to claim our summer 2026 spot up here in Alex Bay. We both recognized Friday evening that we’ve never been so happy/excited to come “home” than when we’re up here. Having our house was nice (and what I wanted 6 years ago) but the freedom we have currently to come home, have no projects or yard work, and be on a boat fishing within 20 mins of parking the car is *chefs kiss*
We are toying with the idea that we could find a nice catamaran to winter on in the Keys, and then summer in NY… maybe plot the sail up, but depending on size we’d have to find a different marina so it fits. We’ll see!
Right now I’m very happy to have my washer & dryer back so we’re not stopping at the bank each week for rolls of quarters. I’m taking in all the moments here and prepping for Pirate weekend next weekend!
Keystone Corporate is coming to Cicero, NY to pick up our unit and tow it to their headquarters for fixes.
Does that make me incredibly nervous? YES – MORE SH*T COULD BREAK. But we’re being told anything they break in this tow, they fix – no questions asked. We still haven’t been given any type of figures on cost to us out of pocket for the past 3 weeks, with warranty and insurance, we’re hoping it’s minimal if any. Cicero keeps saying they’ll be fighting for us to not be out of pocket at all.
In the last week we have been back and forth talking to Cicero, and Statesville (finally got a hold of the GM). Cicero says they left a couple messages for Statesville, Statesville says they never got any messages so New York Missy had to be polite but firm that this needs to be dealt with.
After finally getting a hold of Alan Good, Statesville’s GM on July 10th, I was not taking “he’ll call you tomorrow” for an answer. We’re going on Week 3 without our unit, or any information on fixes happening anytime soon. I’m losing my patience. After confirming to Satesville’s team that yes, I know I called North Carolina, that’s where we bought the unit. Yes the camper is in New York…. Alan, upon hearing of our struggles, jumped into action by calling Cicero – sadly, Kim (who we’ve been working with here in NY) had already left for the day. Service guys leave at 6pm, but the front desk workers in service leave at 5 – explain to me how that makes any sense…
Anywho’s…. Alan calls me back at both 5:22p and 5:50p to note that he’s 100% on the issue and calling back to get the full details as soon as Cicero opens the next morning as he’s now playing catch up. He did speak to hubby when all this originally happened but apparently didn’t take any notes about it/couldn’t remember all the details. By 9:25a the next morning (July 11) Allen calls me back saying he’s tried Kim twice with no luck and his Director of Service was also going to connect with Cicero’s DOS for updates. At 10:09a we get a call that Statesville now has all the updates they need about our unit (he’s also pulled our service records from November since he wasn’t the GM there yet – I bet that was fun for him to read about, his new team dropping the ball and all). He’s calling his Keystone contact directly to expedite this process for us now that he understands this is our summer accommodation in a campground… He reiterated that he’s in the office all weekend and is “on it” for us. It’s nice to have some backup. He’s also told Kim that anything warranty or Keystone rejects – to please send him the quote so he can “see what he can do”. As much as I appreciate that, I don’t know if that will happen or what could happen. So it sounds like another weekend of waiting it out for Keystone to respond.
Hubby and I decided to visit our poor, broken down camper that Friday evening after work – take photos of the broken welds, broken wood supports, etc. for our own records and pick up the last few things we absolutely need for an extended outplacement.
No big deal – we’re getting used to quiet weekends with no yardwork. We have not completely become lumps on a log though we helped build a tiki bar/shed at the river this weekend! I also finished another book, that’s 9 for 2025 – how many do I need for a pizza party again?!
We’re also thoroughly enjoying having our Kayak back and an easy launch point in and out to do some evening fishing and a decent workout. We honestly haven’t been in the kayak but twice since we bought it in 2020 during Covid. The Gander Mountain near us in NC was going out of business and we got a helluva deal on it.
It’s so smooth. Plus we’ve been spoiled with friends & family boat access. Bring on the Perch, Bass, Walleye, and Pike!
No news on Monday as I’m sure Keystone had to go over the full report of issues and she’s not just broke. She BROKE broke. I’m no welder (hubby is, surprise surprise), but FOR THE LOVE OF METAL…. WHO WELDED THIS?! Because… they should be fired.
Also, these should not be pinched….
Thankfully hubby is in the area for work this week – so he’s only an hour or so away from CW and was able to chat with the team Tuesday. We got the update that Keystone was coming to GET our Unit and take it back with them. Nothing has been fixed, but the cap has been put back on the front for transport. So it’s in Keystone’s hands now… whatever they break – they fix in that tow. Misty from Keystone HQ connected with hubs on the next step – she has to figure out WHEN they can get the camper in. It could be this week, and in reality – it could be MONTHS from now.
More Waiting. Great, my favorite thing. Hubby is being annoyingly level headed about it. I’m wonky brained because “HELLO – I’VE BEEN WITHOUT MY CAMPER THAT MY WHOLE SUMMER LIFE IS PACKED IN FOR ALMOST A MONTH NOW. I WOULD LIKE IT BACK SO WE CAN ENJOY IT.” And this jerk’s logical brain comes back with “well, we’re not the only ones with a camper in for problems….”
Me:
So we’ll just be here waiting for more updates. Will they get our camper in quickly? Will they offer us a temporary replacement while we wait? Will it be fixed for sure? Will it be returned to us sometime before the end of the summer when we head back to NC?!
The old saying is “no news is good news” but is that really true?
For some instances, like working from home and not hearing from your boss, sure no news is good news – “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. That’s where you don’t want to be the squeaky wheel… But knowing our camper (with the wonky wheel and the cracked leaf spring already) has been at the Camping World in Cicero since June 21st and WE keep having to call in for updates – not so great.
We are in a temporary solution currently – Aunt & Uncle’s old camper (that they sold to their neighbors) needed a place to be stored, and we needed a place to stay here in Alex Bay. Win-Win since we already paid for the whole summer in a permanent RV site up here! We’ll be able to utilize this camper for a few weeks until the owners are ready for their vacation in it.
After we dropped our unit off on that Saturday and waited a few hours – we had no great update. We finally called the following Monday (June 23rd) to be told “we’re going to do a flex test this week” requested by the manufacturer, which in non-mechanics terms is to determine just how much the frame is moving from point A (not being hooked up) to point B (when the hitch is fully attached). And they asked if there was anything we wanted to grab out of the fridge/freezer since they were keeping it hooked up for us (its a residential fridge – the freezer was full). So we came back down the 1.5 hour drive and grabbed a few more things hoping it would only be another week or so.
By June 25th hubby emailed again asking for an update and we were told the flex test would be performed on the 26th (5 days after drop off). So we waited… It worked with our itinerary as we would be headed back into the Syracuse area for Uncle’s retirement party that Friday – we also commandeered a room in their house for that few days.
33 years in the Sheriff’s Department! Well done Uncle Chris! We joined Aunt Becky and the rest of their family to surprise him on his final morning outside the department with cinnamon buns and mimosas before the big party that evening with all family and friends.
We love a celebration! Especially when the WHOLE crew gets together.
Since we had to drive past Camping World on the way back up to the river that Saturday, Hubby and I left early so we could stop to get an update. Mind you, it’s now June 28th and they’ve done the initial diagnostic and a flex test – no fixes. We get a little bit of information that day and start packing up more items from the camper that we need for basic living. They talk a little bit about the flex test and as a non-engineer, I can’t tell you what is “acceptable” frame flex, but when they told us that our frame’s flex was a 1/2 inch change – they didn’t say it with a smile or upbeat attitude.
We grabbed more items out of the fridge and freezer, it’s been “no problem” keeping it plugged in out front for us and we head back up to the river for a weekend of boat lounging and relaxation. Brother, Sister-in-law, Big Sister & the kids were up for the party so EVERYONE got to do some fishing!
Now it’s June 30th, and at 5pm-ish we get a snarky email from Camping World telling us the manufacturer wants additional inspection of our camper and that means they’ll need to move it from the front of the building (could be that day, could be a few days from now). No problem – had we been communicated with about that ahead of time, we would have taken care of everything, but after hubby’s rough Monday travel day (3am alarm, flight delays & cancellations, a 9+ hour drive instead, and luggage that made the plane but not him….) we were in NO mood for the tone perceived within the email – you be the judge and tell us if we were too sensitive –
“You will have to clean out the remaining food that is in the fridge and freezer in the event we have to unplug it for an extended period of time. We technically do not allow customers to keep food in their camper as we have to unplug it and move it from time to time. I was being nice under your circumstances but now that we have to run further inspections, the fridge and freezer will need to be properly cleaned out.”
The first email drafts back were NOT polite. Husband, while usually a teddy bear himself – has no-fluff in his emails – that’s an engineer for you. But we finally came to a seething with sweetness re-write of “no problem, be there tomorrow” response. So I drove down again to remove all the freezer & fridge contents and pack more long-term needs, you know – the cases of wine, a bottle of tequila, my bag of brand new books, work brochures for sales calls, laundry baskets, two right shoe only black sneakers…. essentials 😉 With them being SO nice to keep our camper plugged in this whole time, it was frustrating to open the fridge to see no light on, and walk around the camper to confirm that it was NOT actually plugged in, and that the batteries were most likely dead from the extended power outage.
I clearly didn’t check to make sure I had a full pair… I just grabbed the sneakers that were next to each other in the closet.
A quick stop at WalMart on the way back up set us up for the rest of the work week ahead of the 4th of July holiday. With more friends and family coming to the river, we were able to donate some of the freezer food anyway to the weekends festivities!
So here we are, 16 days after the initial camper drop-off (which we DID have an appointment for, mind you) and no good news. I did happen to ask during our visit “is this going to be a one test a week kind of thing? Because while we do have a temporary solution, if it’s going to take more time we need to find a longer term solution” and was told that they have explained to their manager & techs that we are a “rush” due to our circumstances. We’re only here till September and if I don’t get to be in my OWN, 8-month-new-to-me camper (or a replacement), it’s going to be a frustrating pill to swallow.
They’re telling us (as of Thursday, July 3rd) that they’re going to have to remove the entire front cap of the camper to asses the welds on the frame, how long that’s going to take – another question for the universe. We figured it’d be a skeleton crew for the holiday but we’re about at that stage where we’ll start calling every day or every other day for updates until we get a solution.
Our house is still on the market in NC, so as a worst-case scenario we could always move back in there but we’re VERY much enjoying the freedom we currently have. With the occasional heart rate spikes – everyone’s blood pressure here is pretty relaxed.
That break I was hoping for – nope. WHOLE lotta nope there in nopeville.
We pick back up after we’ve brought the camper back to Mom & Dad’s house for 24 hours on Friday to load up and get ready to start the haul to NY… No issues there thank goodness (no complainer either) but 2 unmarked police cars did happen to drive by….
So we pull out of VA just before 6am and work our way up to I-81 to stay on the straight and narrow for our drive. GPS keeps saying 81 is closed so It’s trying to take us a different way which was just fine. We had our 3pm appointment at Camping World of Cicero so we still had plenty of time to keep the speed limit (usually under) and stay in the right lane.
A couple stops for fuel and bathroom breaks and by 1:25pm we were pulling into Camping World Cicero. Unfortunately… this is where the bad news begins to pile on.
Since leaving VA with our back drivers side camper wheel still at an odd angle – I noticed this when we left NC on 6/14/25. When we pulled the camper to the house November 9th, 2024 (yeah it took them that long to work on the items we asked for) the camper has not moved and I was in the truck with hubby originally. So we didn’t know anything was amiss until this first pull.
Also, that crack in the front wood at the entertainment center that we asked about in October and were told “It’s fine, there’s nothing that can be fixed with that” so it wasn’t written down on the ‘We Owe’…. is worse, and the OTHER side is now cracking. This points us to thinking there is frame flex.
The above annoying/unsightly but something I could look past crack, Now looks like this….
This crack was the reason we reached out for a service appointment in the first place and spoke to Keystone Corporate. We attempted to schedule mobile service from Keystone’s contacts – but all 3 were unavailable.. Our first attempt at a service appointment was in Manassas, VA – but their first appointment availability was July 20th, the first mobile guy was a little curt on the phone and said “I’m not doing that right now”, and the second mobile guy was “unavailable”. We tried.
When we pulled around at Camping World Cicero, we checked-in noting that we were early, but had an appointment. They asked if we were okay leaving the unit until Tuesday to be diagnosed which made us gulp. In talking to Kim originally in their office the previous Monday, we had been back and forth on appointment dates, so the note that Saturday’s they don’t do same-day diagnosis for waiters, was missed. They were able to squeeze us in and we headed out to the camper to take some photos….
We were met with the right side slide-out somehow having wedged itself out… the slide portion of it is supposed to be on the INSIDE.
Not sure how that happens on the far left corner of the slide out while we’re headed down the road with no bumps…. physics isn’t on our side for that one and the wind keeping it in line. That back wheel? Oh yeah, the leaf spring is broken…. (We’re asking them if they can investigate to see if it’s been broken for a while or within the last 2 weeks – hubby says you can tell by the amount of rust that may be on it). Then we noticed all down the drivers side of the camper, the gaps at the bottom of the storage compartments that were flush originally, now have almost an inch of space between the door and compartment outer. There are cracks INSIDE the camper now on the corners of both front living space bump outs (significant cracks – 6+ inches long). The silicone seals around a lot of the storage compartments and water sealant spaces are cracked – Kim noted that these “fixes” were not done properly because they’re not even lined up with how the original camper should be. There’s a weird wiggle in the frame/fiberglass directly behind the ladder at the back of the unit that wasn’t there before, oh and the 3 self-tapping screws that were under the tongue holding the fiberglass around the brand new installed hitch were rolling around in the bed of the truck…. did I also mention that the original water pump was leaking when we first took it home?
I cried.
Our whole current life is packed in that camper. Thankfully we have family here and we have help (which is hard for me to accept – but 1000% appreciated).
Our next steps were to get all the photos taken, parts priced out, and submit it all to the elite coverage warranty we purchased through Camping World/Good Sam originally. We also purchased the full/maximum coverage insurance through Camping World/Good Sam so we SHOULD have two options…. ideally speaking. The wait is what’s killing me the most – we have no control over what’s happening next. Hubby did call the Statesville location on Saturday before they closed to give them a heads up that we are facing some BIG problems and that we may be calling back much more heated. He’s keeping a level head, I’m all up in my emotions. That GM appreciated the call. for now.
So that’s where we are – waiting to hear back from warranty and Camping World. To then decide if they will fix everything, or if we have to submit through insurance. It sucks. I am emotionally exhausted. But it is totally out of our control.
On the positive side – we got river time on Aunt & Uncle’s boat so that took our minds off of the shit-show for a little while. Hubby got to fish (and caught some bass!), we floated, relaxed for the weekend, and are picking up the workweek fresh.
Please send positive energy. We are in dire need of it.
missylouniverse 