Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum - View Single Post

Irlpguy · 12-06-2012, 01:39 PM

Just to set the record straight on my position on my Montana. There are far more things I love about the Montana than I do not like. I have seen no other make or model that I would currently trade my 3402RL Montana for. They offer great floor plans, very nice décor and upper level attention to detail.

I have had no direct contact with Keystone so can have nothing to say about their treatment of customers concerns. I have today made contact with Keystone for the first time and will reserve judgment while awaiting their response.

What I do have a problem with is the failure of Keystone to deal with several issues of major concern. The flex problem is only one of many. Suspension is another major concern and lets not forget the crap tires they continue to be put on these heavy units. We cannot blame Lippert for they will build any frame style a major manufacturer wants. In the end the responsibility falls directly on the shoulders of Keystone. If this were a manufacturer of most any other product these things would have been dealt with and corrected.

Think about this. I paid in the neighborhood of $65,000.00 for my Montana. For that very significant amount of money I get a “one” year warranty, that is all. I get an additional warranty on certain items depending on their manufacturers warranty. Keystone is not "obligated" to fix anything after only one year..

Today I bought a “new” 2012 Dodge LB Dually, which I will take possession of next week. I paid in the neighborhood of $63,000.00 for the truck. The truck has a 100,000 km or 60 Month power train warranty. It has a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty, without the need to buy an extended warranty.

Will I have some warranty issues with the truck, very possibly, but for about the same kind of money I paid for my Montana, my truck warranty is hugely better than that of my Montana.

I do not consider my Montana to be a lemon, the flex issue is not mine alone, no matter what anyone says the upper deck on every unit using this Lippert frame and Keystone’s slide weakened sidewalls will flex. Some will see the result of that and some will not. Regardless it exits.

I have not been a member of the MOC for very long, but in that short period of time I have read of many varied problems with the Montana, I see in the profiles what people have added to feel safe in driving their units down the road, along with discussion about all of those products, whether it be tires or axles and springs, you name it. There are thousands of dollars being spent in aftermarket products so that a Montana owner, who has spent big dollars on the original purchase, can feel more secure in hauling it down the road.

Owners of SOB may have far more issues than us Montana owners, I don’t care about that, I care that I bought a Montana, I want mine to be no different than Joe’s down the block and I want him to be as trouble free as I might have the good fortune to be. The only way to possibly achieve that is to demand that the inherent problems be fixed at the production line. So if Joe has a problem that I may not have, he can count on me to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in attempting to resolve his issues and improve the product.

Oh yes, please remember some of us live a couple of thousand or more miles from the Keystone factory or service center, we are not able to deal with the source.

12-06-2012, 01:39 PM	#20
Irlpguy Montana Master Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Chilliwack Posts: 1,520 M.O.C. #12935	Just to set the record straight on my position on my Montana. There are far more things I love about the Montana than I do not like. I have seen no other make or model that I would currently trade my 3402RL Montana for. They offer great floor plans, very nice décor and upper level attention to detail. I have had no direct contact with Keystone so can have nothing to say about their treatment of customers concerns. I have today made contact with Keystone for the first time and will reserve judgment while awaiting their response. What I do have a problem with is the failure of Keystone to deal with several issues of major concern. The flex problem is only one of many. Suspension is another major concern and lets not forget the crap tires they continue to be put on these heavy units. We cannot blame Lippert for they will build any frame style a major manufacturer wants. In the end the responsibility falls directly on the shoulders of Keystone. If this were a manufacturer of most any other product these things would have been dealt with and corrected. Think about this. I paid in the neighborhood of $65,000.00 for my Montana. For that very significant amount of money I get a “one” year warranty, that is all. I get an additional warranty on certain items depending on their manufacturers warranty. Keystone is not "obligated" to fix anything after only one year.. Today I bought a “new” 2012 Dodge LB Dually, which I will take possession of next week. I paid in the neighborhood of $63,000.00 for the truck. The truck has a 100,000 km or 60 Month power train warranty. It has a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty, without the need to buy an extended warranty. Will I have some warranty issues with the truck, very possibly, but for about the same kind of money I paid for my Montana, my truck warranty is hugely better than that of my Montana. I do not consider my Montana to be a lemon, the flex issue is not mine alone, no matter what anyone says the upper deck on every unit using this Lippert frame and Keystone’s slide weakened sidewalls will flex. Some will see the result of that and some will not. Regardless it exits. I have not been a member of the MOC for very long, but in that short period of time I have read of many varied problems with the Montana, I see in the profiles what people have added to feel safe in driving their units down the road, along with discussion about all of those products, whether it be tires or axles and springs, you name it. There are thousands of dollars being spent in aftermarket products so that a Montana owner, who has spent big dollars on the original purchase, can feel more secure in hauling it down the road. Owners of SOB may have far more issues than us Montana owners, I don’t care about that, I care that I bought a Montana, I want mine to be no different than Joe’s down the block and I want him to be as trouble free as I might have the good fortune to be. The only way to possibly achieve that is to demand that the inherent problems be fixed at the production line. So if Joe has a problem that I may not have, he can count on me to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in attempting to resolve his issues and improve the product. Oh yes, please remember some of us live a couple of thousand or more miles from the Keystone factory or service center, we are not able to deal with the source.