41V15 Frame Break

[Campingsxs85]

Has anyone been through a frame break issue with the Valor's? We are supposed to be getting our camper back in the next couple of weeks. It has been at the Dealership since Mid-August Last year. They found 3 different breaks around the bedroom slide out and kitchen slide-out. They told me the welds were going to be ground out and rewelded and gussets added. I was just curious if anyone has had problems after the repairs were made? Seems like you always hear all the bad stories but never hear about the good ones.
Thanks!

 

[Bozo]

Will be monitoring this thread as my rig (2024) is starting to sprout numerous, irritating issues. Small by comparison but irritating just the same.

 

[Campingsxs85]

This unit was a brand new 2022 that had sat on the lot for 2 years. We bought it in Montana and hauled it back home to Iowa. Immediately we started tearing up the forward slide seal on the kitchen. We camped with it most of the summer and I installed a new seal myself and it didn't last only but about 1-2 months so at that point I knew something was definitely not right. So, I thought the slide out needed leveled in the box in the wall. We called a Mobile RV Tech he came out and messed around with the adjustments for a few hours and couldn't get any progress made with it. He claimed the glides that sit in the floor were cut in wrong from the factory. After a few e-mails with Alliance and the Mobile RV Tech, I was informed that the Unit most likely had to go back to the factory or an Approved Alliance Dealer. We had our family vacation planned to the Big Horn Mountains to go Camping and Ride Trails. I couldn't have been happier with everything in the camper. This is our first camper with Solar what a difference that makes! When we were on our way home, I started noticing a crack appearing on the top forward side of the kitchen slide out on the exterior of the camper running towards the roof line (It was about 6" long). There was also a wrinkle forming under the bedroom slide out above the frame drop area and the seam behind the front cap was also starting to separate. I knew this wasn't good. I called Alliance back when we got home and told them what was happening and she immediately said it was a frame break. So, she added it to the claims that had already been opened. We took it to the dealer in August and that is where it has been ever since. They told me they have found several frame breaks around the kitchen slide out and bedroom slide out. I am very anxious to get it back to see how everything looks. HOPEFULLY we don't have to go through this again!

 

[M and E]

This unit was a brand new 2022 that had sat on the lot for 2 years. We bought it in Montana and hauled it back home to Iowa. Immediately we started tearing up the forward slide seal on the kitchen. We camped with it most of the summer and I installed a new seal myself and it didn't last only but about 1-2 months so at that point I knew something was definitely not right. So, I thought the slide out needed leveled in the box in the wall. We called a Mobile RV Tech he came out and messed around with the adjustments for a few hours and couldn't get any progress made with it. He claimed the glides that sit in the floor were cut in wrong from the factory. After a few e-mails with Alliance and the Mobile RV Tech, I was informed that the Unit most likely had to go back to the factory or an Approved Alliance Dealer. We had our family vacation planned to the Big Horn Mountains to go Camping and Ride Trails. I couldn't have been happier with everything in the camper. This is our first camper with Solar what a difference that makes! When we were on our way home, I started noticing a crack appearing on the top forward side of the kitchen slide out on the exterior of the camper running towards the roof line (It was about 6" long). There was also a wrinkle forming under the bedroom slide out above the frame drop area and the seam behind the front cap was also starting to separate. I knew this wasn't good. I called Alliance back when we got home and told them what was happening and she immediately said it was a frame break. So, she added it to the claims that had already been opened. We took it to the dealer in August and that is where it has been ever since. They told me they have found several frame breaks around the kitchen slide out and bedroom slide out. I am very anxious to get it back to see how everything looks. HOPEFULLY we don't have to go through this again!

Though I'm really sorry you are going through this, I really do appreciate you sharing it here. This is a really good concise history of the issue that may really help others DX the same issue and get back camping sooner rather than later.

 

[Jim J]

Has anyone been through a frame break issue with the Valor's? We are supposed to be getting our camper back in the next couple of weeks. It has been at the Dealership since Mid-August Last year. They found 3 different breaks around the bedroom slide out and kitchen slide-out. They told me the welds were going to be ground out and rewelded and gussets added. I was just curious if anyone has had problems after the repairs were made? Seems like you always hear all the bad stories but never hear about the good ones.
Thanks!

i hope they do a better job on yours than Lipper did on mine .

 

[Bozo]

Has anyone been through a frame break issue with the Valor's? We are supposed to be getting our camper back in the next couple of weeks. It has been at the Dealership since Mid-August Last year. They found 3 different breaks around the bedroom slide out and kitchen slide-out. They told me the welds were going to be ground out and rewelded and gussets added. I was just curious if anyone has had problems after the repairs were made? Seems like you always hear all the bad stories but never hear about the good ones.
Thanks!

May I ask what dealer is fixing your unit, for my future reference, if needed?

 

[Campingsxs85]

We took our camper to Ketelsen RV in DeSoto, Iowa. Once they inspected the unit and determined what they "thought" needed done they transferred it to their Hiawatha, Iowa shop. It has been there pretty much all winter. I did get a call, and they told me it was completed. They were going to wash the entire camper and detail the inside before they transferred it back to Desoto, Iowa for pickup. So, I would hope in the next week or 2 we should be picking it up.

 

[Bozo]

We took our camper to Ketelsen RV in DeSoto, Iowa. Once they inspected the unit and determined what they "thought" needed done they transferred it to their Hiawatha, Iowa shop. It has been there pretty much all winter. I did get a call, and they told me it was completed. They were going to wash the entire camper and detail the inside before they transferred it back to Desoto, Iowa for pickup. So, I would hope in the next week or 2 we should be picking it up.

Ketelsen in DeSoto is mine as well, not sure if my short travels are gonna expose any frame issues in time. (3year). Sept this year is3 year point. Here, in a few weeks, I have to replace dump valves(leaked since new), replace a hydraulic hose to roadside intermediate jack(maybe others as they all have sharp bends where elbow fittings should be),fenders as they are both broken at multiple screw locations(I am going to plasti weld and epoxy), rear bathroom light replacement(leds quit), while the underbelly is down I will address any issues I see under there when I do valves and cables. No electric valves for me as I have been there and done that and they are not dependable. Overall, I can’t fault ketelsens at this point, but alliance is painfully slow with their warranty approval processes.

 

[Campingsxs85]

My Brother bought his new camper from Ketelsen and had a good experience and that's the main reason we decided to go there. Bish RV was the other Approved Alliance Dealer in Omaha, and we had a very bad experience there with their Service Department on this camper for some warranty work that was done prior. This is our first Brand New Camper and dealing with Warranty. I can't say that any one manufacture's products or warranty is better than another's. I personally liked the simplicity of Alliances campers. (Switches vs Touch Screens, Center Dump A/C's vs ducted, Wiring was very well labeled, and the water plumbing wasn't done the "cheap" way like most RV manufactures.) I have done a ton of research on these before we bought this one. We looked at Raptors, Torque, and Momentum Toy Haulers. If we didn't buy a Valor, a Momentum was our next choice. We walked through a couple Raptor's and I couldn't believe how Cheap it was. There was trim that had fell off and backsplash was separated from the wall. I don't know why some of these Dealerships would even walk a customer through a camper that is damaged from a 9-10hr drive from the factory!! Plus, I would think a camper should be able to hold up a little better than that! I didn't mean to go off into left field, but I feel as if the Alliance is probably one of the better options vs one of the corporatized big box options without breaking the Bank on a "Custom" toy hauler. That's just my opinion. I would probably say in the first full year we have pulled our camper right around 5000 miles. So, we have definitely put it through its paces!

 

[Jim J]

May I ask what dealer is fixing your unit, for my future reference, if needed?

Leppert came to general rv and did it.

 

[Campingsxs85]

I found this thread and thought I would just keep adding too it. I fear that we might have another frame break issue. We got the unit back in roughly early March this year. We have not hauled our side by side in it nor have we gone very far at all. This year has just been very busy so unfortunately, we have not had any big road trips. We got back from vacation on Aug 16th from Branson and I noticed where the repair was made the corner trim that goes along the neck under the slide out is starting to show movement of roughly 1/8"-1/4". I have e-mailed Alliance to see what our options are. Hopefully we hear something back soon.

 

[Midnight Rider]

T

I found this thread and thought I would just keep adding too it. I fear that we might have another frame break issue. We got the unit back in roughly early March this year. We have not hauled our side by side in it nor have we gone very far at all. This year has just been very busy so unfortunately, we have not had any big road trips. We got back from vacation on Aug 16th from Branson and I noticed where the repair was made the corner trim that goes along the neck under the slide out is starting to show movement of roughly 1/8"-1/4". I have e-mailed Alliance to see what our options are. Hopefully we hear something back soon.

Tell Alliance you want a new rig? Thats ridiculous!
Fix it and trade it in for a better rig. This one may just be a lemon? IMHO 🎩
Best of Luck.

 

[M and E]

I found this thread and thought I would just keep adding too it. I fear that we might have another frame break issue. We got the unit back in roughly early March this year. We have not hauled our side by side in it nor have we gone very far at all. This year has just been very busy so unfortunately, we have not had any big road trips. We got back from vacation on Aug 16th from Branson and I noticed where the repair was made the corner trim that goes along the neck under the slide out is starting to show movement of roughly 1/8"-1/4". I have e-mailed Alliance to see what our options are. Hopefully we hear something back soon.

I'm kind of with @Midnight Rider . If nothing else, maybe start looking at your state's lemon laws for RVs. RVs are not covered here in Florida but are in other states. Hopefully Alliance can take care of this the right way, whatever that winds up looking like.

 

[Campingsxs85]

I purchased the Unit in Montana but I live in Iowa. Both States do not have Lemon Law's for Towable RV's but it does apply to motorized RV's. But I would imagine Alliance will try to make this right one way or another. I was not overly impressed with the finished product of the repair from earlier this year. I think my 11 year old daughter could of done a better job resealing the seams than what was done on it and i have had to reattach Bulb seals a couple of time because the seal track is wavy and not attached very good at all in my opinion very poor attention to detail in my opinion.

 

[Bozo]

I purchased the Unit in Montana but I live in Iowa. Both States do not have Lemon Law's for Towable RV's but it does apply to motorized RV's. But I would imagine Alliance will try to make this right one way or another. I was not overly impressed with the finished product of the repair from earlier this year. I think my 11 year old daughter could of done a better job resealing the seams than what was done on it and i have had to reattach Bulb seals a couple of time because the seal track is wavy and not attached very good at all in my opinion very poor attention to detail in my opinion.

While at the fair this year, my wife and I took our yearly stroll through Kettelsen‘s display and my wife talked to an Alliance rep directly about the issues we have had and during the conversation, he said something very telling. “You are not alone in your criticism of Kettelsen’s.”Apparently, they are just like a lot of other dealers that like to drag their feet among other complaints. He did offer that if brought to the factory, all issues would be taken care of and they now have a hotel that customers can stay in while their units are repaired. Before she had that conversation, he had inquired as to how we liked our unit to which I replied, “ I will NEVER buy a new unit again” and walked out. I also gave many lookers honest Opinions on the way out as they had heard part of the conversation with the rep. No knocks against the rep or Alliance, specifically.

 

[RockDr896]

A friend in my camping group owned a Fusion toy hauler before buying his Valor. The frame broke on his Fusion and he put it against his insurance. When the repairs were approved by his insurance agency, he traded it in and handed the insurance check to the dealer, so they could make the repairs. So he dumped the Fusion and bought his Valor in a single day. He let dealer worry about the time to make the repairs. Pretty smart move, I thought....Maybe this approach will work for thirs in this thread.

 

[Bozo]

Today, Kettelsen’s called inquiring how we were doing coming up on our 3year mark of ownership and my wife was very honest about everything that has gone wrong, what our impressions were and that she had spoken to corporate rep at the fair and that we would never buy a brand new rv every again and didn’t know what we are going to do yet. Then he started telling us no matter what they would give us a very favorable price for our unit if we wanted a change. Again, we are never buying new again. Warranty sucks period. If they want to give ,e what I paid on a trade for a slightly used older unit, I might consider it. Mobil techs are the best option, I think, if you are not physically able or handy.

 

[Campingsxs85]

Today, Kettelsen’s called inquiring how we were doing coming up on our 3year mark of ownership and my wife was very honest about everything that has gone wrong, what our impressions were and that she had spoken to corporate rep at the fair and that we would never buy a brand new rv every again and didn’t know what we are going to do yet. Then he started telling us no matter what they would give us a very favorable price for our unit if we wanted a change. Again, we are never buying new again. Warranty sucks period. If they want to give ,e what I paid on a trade for a slightly used older unit, I might consider it. Mobil techs are the best option, I think, if you are not physically able or handy.

I agree we are NEVER buying a new unit ever again. Unless the RV industry can start building them to handle normal use and going down the road without things falling apart or the Frame Breaking! We have had 2 frame breaks within 1 year our structural warranty will be up in June 27'. So, I have very low confidence that the frame will hold together because it's basically going to get a gusset welding in and pushed out the door again. Alliance is wanting us to bring it back to the factory in Dec or Jan for them to make the repairs. I think Lippert makes junk frames out of sub-par materials and put as little into them as they can to keep the weight down. Who cares if more weight gets added! If you want "Payload" then raise the GVWR from the factory. We are pushing for a Factory Buy back because in the 2.5 years we have owned it, the unit has been in the shop for repairs probably around 9-10 months of that. We will see what happens.

 

[RockDr896]

I looked at my 370FB frame, when I segmented the underbelly. Having a lot of welding experience and manufacturing my own equipment, I think a lot of the failures are a result of their stitch welding approach vs one complete solid weld. I have heard the excuses, that it allows the flex needed. I would counter with, it's the flex that is breaking the stitch welding approach. Only further confirmed, with the fix being a gusset being added.

Then you take the same engineering approach to fasteners through out these RV's and how many are just simply undersized or the wrong thread type applied to the materials. I have a bag full of screws, I have replaced in 3 years.

Now days, engineers are locked in a cubicle and get no real feedback on their design results. I would go further to say, they are too young and lack experience in the sectors they apply their craft. They should be required to spend time repairing and assembling what they design....I know I did that to my Geo-technical PHD I had running my Geotech side....at least I contributed one capable person to an otherwise deaf and arrogant licensed trade...LOL!!!

 

[Campingsxs85]

I looked at my 370FB frame, when I segmented the underbelly. Having a lot of welding experience and manufacturing my own equipment, I think a lot of the failures are a result of their stitch welding approach vs one complete solid weld. I have heard the excuses, that it allows the flex needed. I would counter with, it's the flex that is breaking the stitch welding approach. Only further confirmed, with the fix being a gusset being added.

Then you take the same engineering approach to fasteners through out these RV's and how many are just simply undersized or the wrong thread type applied to the materials. I have a bag full of screws, I have replaced in 3 years.

Now days, engineers are locked in a cubicle and get no real feedback on their design results. I would go further to say, they are too young and lack experience in the sectors they apply their craft. They should be required to spend time repairing and assembling what they design....I know I did that to my Geo-technical PHD I had running my Geotech side....at least I contributed one capable person to an otherwise deaf and arrogant licensed trade...LOL!!!

I could not agree more! I am a licensed A&P Mechanic, Union Millwright, Certified Welder and a Farmer so I know all too well how the inexperienced Engineers operate and I think that would be some of the problem. But on the other hand, I think the RV Manufacture weather its Alliance, Grand Design, Thor or whatever the case might be they give them guidelines that they need to meet. (Size, empty weight, GVWR.) This I think is where the discrepancies start happening.

My dad purchased a VanLeigh Beacon which in my opinion is probably one of the higher end fifth wheels and had a frame failure. He took it to Red Bay Alabama, where Tiffin is based and had it repaired one winter and then got it back to home in Iowa and didn't even use it and it was breaking again! Plus, it was empty! So, this is a lot of the reason why I am very sceptical about getting our camper repair again.

My dad ended up trading that camper off for a new Mobile Suites. Which is a very nice camper and he has the independent suspension on it that is fully adjustable. The Manufacture welded the suspension boxes on out of square and cannot be adjusted anymore and is going through tires like crazy. So, he is going to need to cut them off re zero them and weld them back on. The kicker was he just called the Dealer in Perry Iowa rather than e-mail thinking they would take care of him rather than thinking about the paper trail and unfortunately, they played ignorant when he got back from Arizona this spring and by that time his RV was out of warranty! To add to it DRV got bought out by Jayco and the Dealer and Jayco has basically hung him out to dry.