Rick's 21 inch roll aboard bag

There are other brand, you know. Some made in this country.

Devika,
We purchased a RS 21 inch rollaboard (I think) 6 years ago. Loved it so much, we quickly purchased another. Ours have been on annual overseas trips and several stateside trips.........they look as good as new and have held up beautifully. If you are not overpacking the bags to the point an elephant would have to stand on them to be able to close the zippers, and if you are being careful that nothing is catching in the zippers when you close them, then I would suggest making a phone call to ETBD, speak to the head of the Travel Store, and inquire if others have had the problem. It could be your bag was part of a bad run (or not). But, surely they would have heard from others if it was a recurring problem. If there is a problem that ETBD is aware of on a manufacturing run, you might score a new bag. If not, would something have happened to the zipper when you checked the bag with an airline (TSA inspections,etc.)...which resulted in your bad luck....a zipper tooth may have gotten bent in the haste of an inspector closing or opening the bag, etc. Is the zipper opening in the middle of the zipper or at the end....where is it "giving way?" And, is that happening to you when it is packed full or when it is empty? Best of luck.

I have this bag and have been using it for at least three years or more. My trips are generally two weeks and the bag is packed to the gills! Have never had any problems with the zippers. Tend to agree with poster that suggested the zipper may have caught on something...or..that you had overpacked and put a strain on the zipper.
Good idea to contact sales store.

I've used my circa 2000 ETBD backback style bag for six two-week trips without a problem, but I don't check or over pack it, so it gets babied.

Thanks Margaret. It opens in the middle. As we zip around the bag, there is an area that opens up once we go past the area if it makes sense. The bag had been full but not to the point of being stuffed. We had another bag that did not have the same problem. Also as we have been traveling on Lufthansa, we have had to check in the bag as they only allow up to 8 kgs on board. Our TSA locks showed the bags had not been opened though. It is nice to hear though that your bags have held up. may be we just got a bad batch as you say. But I also realized our old Rick Steves bags had YKK zips and this bag does not. We have spoken to customer service since I emailed and they have been quite helpful. They are even willing to refund our money.
One thing is for sure, ETBD has great customer service!

Devika, I'd suggest sending an E-Mail to Rick's staff straight away, and describe the problem to them. I've found they've always been VERY responsive to product failure issues, and they should get back to you quickly. Should you happen to be in the Seattle area, stop by headquarters in Edmonds and they should be able to deal with the problem on the spot (as Charlie described). Good luck!

Come on, you got a bad one. Just ask for a replacement. It happens. Nothing and no one is perfect. Let's stop all of this. This is a reliable, decent company that supports its customers. No need to carry on about it. Move on! This is a dead horse.

It's kind of nuts to take the time to bring something up in a forum when that's not where the solution is. Especially if you haven't talked to the only people that can solve the problem first.

Thanks for all your replies. As I mentioned earlier, we are in touch with ETBD and they have been really nice.
I am assuming we got a bad one and we are certainly very happy with Rick. In fact we have been going to Edmonds since 1995 when it was much smaller and before his TV shows.

Have you tried returning the bag to ETBD?....my brother purchased a carry on from them last year and the zipper broke the first time he packed it...he called the company and they shipped a replacement at no cost...their customer service is excellent, contact them and they may simply replace the bag for you...

Devika, thank you for letting us know how kindly Rick's company handled this. They really are a nice group of people, which keeps so many of us loyal fans referring them and buying from them (both merchandise and trips). We have recommended countless numbers of customers to them, and all are equally pleased.

I purchased a RS 21" roller bag when they first came out and use it often, both to Europe for a month every summer and commuting between two US cities more often. A couple of years ago my bag's handle would not longer retract all of the way. I took it into the RS store in Edmonds, WA, and after they inspected the bag determined that it was a "manufacturing malfunction" and told me to go over an pick out a new bag. GREAT customer service. Guess that is why we go up to Edmonds often and have purchase so many of his products. Good luck.

Devika, I understand your question. Like you, I like RS products and find them decent middle priced items. Unfortunately quality changes with time/competition/inflation and it is hard to know whether to continue to purchase them again. Some travel sites on the web do note a decrease in the quality of his bags. However, I have used his expanding travel backpack since 2007 for my international trips and his roller (got it about the same time) when traveling domestically. Plus, as you've noted ETBD is a pretty fair company, at least when I have dealt with them. In an effort to break with my "old school" thinking I bought the rolling backpack for my trip this year. So in answer to the question, I have not had such problems with the bags and (even though I know I can buy bags elsewhere and I can contact ETBD if the product fails) will continue with RS products for now. Good question. Always nice to know what experiences others are having.

Also, be aware that TSA or it's equivalent in other countries, sometimes enters your bag right through the zipper rather than unlock your TSA lock. Many zippers are "self-healing" but not if they are damaged in the process. I just recently saw a YouTube video of this.

David, I'm with you. Good post. If you are thinking about some RS bags, decent choice.... they aren't for everyone but mine have held up well. Like I said, I'm flying in the face of "old school" thinking (for those who lament the loss of dial phones etc.) and trying the rolling backpack. It may be the best or the worst of both worlds..... but with new material and better design, I thought I'd give it a shot.