2020 Keystone Alpine Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Keystone Alpine, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Body & structure228.6%
- Brakes114.3%
- Electrical114.3%
- Exterior lighting114.3%
- Other / unspecified114.3%
- Tires & wheels114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
Unit has suffered damage to the chassis due to frame flex. An attempted repair was made by the manufacturer during the winter of 2023/2024 but again failed during the summer of 2024. RV was taken to a local dealer where a “Flex test” was conducted, unit failed the test as it exceeded the manufacturers tolerances. Unit has since been parked at the dealership while I battle the manufacturer on an attempted solution. This frame flex and failure is industry wide and affecting many RV’s.
The sidewall of the camper is cracking at the front, lower corner of the left front slide out. This could be an indication of a major structural issue within the wall of the camper. This crack is located in an area of high stress due to the design of the 5th wheel camper. If the structure fails while the camper is being towed at highway speed, a catastrophic event would occur endangering my life and possibly the lives of other motorists. These seems to be a known, recurring issue in many Keystone/Alpine 5th wheel campers around this model year. My camper is available for inspection and repair. I just found the crack yesterday (4/2/2024) so no inspection has been done by the manufacturer or repair service. The movement causing the crack appears to be somewhat minimal (though I have no proven way to measure the movement) at this time but I’m afraid it will get worse and lead to a catastrophic failure. It certainly won’t get any better without repair.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING, RECEIVE INTERMITTENT MESSAGE 'TRAILER WIRING FAULT'. FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER BRAKES AND LIGHTS NOT FUNCTIONING.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING, RECEIVE INTERMITTENT MESSAGE 'TRAILER WIRING FAULT'. FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER BRAKES AND LIGHTS NOT FUNCTIONING.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING, RECEIVE INTERMITTENT MESSAGE 'TRAILER WIRING FAULT'. FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER BRAKES AND LIGHTS NOT FUNCTIONING.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2020 Keystone Alpine RV. The contact stated that the hydraulic jacks were scraping on the roadway while driving at highway speeds. The contact had taken the RV to the dealer who replaced the driver’s side front jack however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that all the other jacks also experienced the failure. The trailer had not been taken to the dealer. The contact placed an eye bolt with an A-clevis to hold up the jacks until able to get the trailer to the dealer. The dealer was informed of the failure and an upcoming appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250 hauling a 2020 Keystone Alpine equipped with HiSpec Tires, Tire Line: JURL4, Tire Size: ST235/80/R16, DOT Number: 041JUHPRL. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and going uphill, the front driver’s side and rear passenger’s side tires sustained blowouts. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The tires were original equipment. The vehicle manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The tire manufacturer was notified of the failure. The tire failure mileage was 7,000. The vehicle failure mileage was 43,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .