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

tracyclifton · 03-25-2012, 03:15 AM

I thought I would post a review of our rig after the first week of use. This is our 3rd 5th wheel and 6th camper. Overall we are very pleased with the new Monty. It is 3' longer and at least 1500lbs heavier than our previous Sandpiper. It pulls like it is smaller and lighter, it has the optional upgraded suspension, and we got 11.8mpg running 60mph on I35. Changing the tires to something better than the Chinese Marathons is a must. We went with BFG. They ran cool, about 10 degrees over outside temps, and never went above 10psi over the cold psi while towing. The remote control system makes set up and hook up nearly effortless. The entertainment system is good, but they didn't hook the tv up to the dvd sound so you must use the stereo when watching a dvd, I'll change that when I have time. Also, if the outside speakers could have been lower and further apart that would have been great. The a/c is adequate, but adding front air is a must. The furnace is good but with only one vent in the front bedroom on the near side of the bed, it needs improvement. The light switches in the monitor panel seem like a good idea, but it isn't. I would prefer them on the wall just inside the door. Plus, it would be nice if the scare lights worked independently. There isn't much room on the sides of the queen bed so it is a little hard to make. Storage is good, but why couldn't we get a laundry shoot to the basement, that is a good feature if you have it. A second switch to the water pump mounted in the rear bath would be a good idea since it is the easiest bath to use when you are on the road. The awning rests on top of the kitchen slide if you put it out all the way, so watch out for that. The convenience center is great, but the sewer hookup and valves for the second bath are terrible. If you have to hook up or drain with the slides out, you have to crawl under the slide to reach the valves, not an easy task. The good thing is the galley drains into the rear tank so it takes a while for the tank to fill up and doesn't fill up your shower tank. For anyone who is on the fence about the w/d combo. Get it! Our Splendide vented unit worked great, until the vent came off. If you don't use it for washing clothes, the ability to just dry our bath towels and put them away and not have damp towels hanging all over the coach is worth the full price of the unit. I can't imagine how useful it will be when swim suit season gets here. The outside kitchen is handy. Although the fridge has no light inside and the light in the compartment is almost completely blocked, so I added an led light on the panel door. The included gas grill works ok. It is big enough to fit 5 baked potatoes and then 5 steaks after you move the potatoes to the top rack. Overall this is a great unit that is a good fit if you have a few kids and want plenty of space (like us). Like any 5th wheel, some things could be changed and improved, but it is very close to greatness the way it is.

03-25-2012, 03:15 AM	#1
tracyclifton Seasoned Camper Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Derby Posts: 91 M.O.C. #11859	2012 Mountaineer 346LBQ Review I thought I would post a review of our rig after the first week of use. This is our 3rd 5th wheel and 6th camper. Overall we are very pleased with the new Monty. It is 3' longer and at least 1500lbs heavier than our previous Sandpiper. It pulls like it is smaller and lighter, it has the optional upgraded suspension, and we got 11.8mpg running 60mph on I35. Changing the tires to something better than the Chinese Marathons is a must. We went with BFG. They ran cool, about 10 degrees over outside temps, and never went above 10psi over the cold psi while towing. The remote control system makes set up and hook up nearly effortless. The entertainment system is good, but they didn't hook the tv up to the dvd sound so you must use the stereo when watching a dvd, I'll change that when I have time. Also, if the outside speakers could have been lower and further apart that would have been great. The a/c is adequate, but adding front air is a must. The furnace is good but with only one vent in the front bedroom on the near side of the bed, it needs improvement. The light switches in the monitor panel seem like a good idea, but it isn't. I would prefer them on the wall just inside the door. Plus, it would be nice if the scare lights worked independently. There isn't much room on the sides of the queen bed so it is a little hard to make. Storage is good, but why couldn't we get a laundry shoot to the basement, that is a good feature if you have it. A second switch to the water pump mounted in the rear bath would be a good idea since it is the easiest bath to use when you are on the road. The awning rests on top of the kitchen slide if you put it out all the way, so watch out for that. The convenience center is great, but the sewer hookup and valves for the second bath are terrible. If you have to hook up or drain with the slides out, you have to crawl under the slide to reach the valves, not an easy task. The good thing is the galley drains into the rear tank so it takes a while for the tank to fill up and doesn't fill up your shower tank. For anyone who is on the fence about the w/d combo. Get it! Our Splendide vented unit worked great, until the vent came off. If you don't use it for washing clothes, the ability to just dry our bath towels and put them away and not have damp towels hanging all over the coach is worth the full price of the unit. I can't imagine how useful it will be when swim suit season gets here. The outside kitchen is handy. Although the fridge has no light inside and the light in the compartment is almost completely blocked, so I added an led light on the panel door. The included gas grill works ok. It is big enough to fit 5 baked potatoes and then 5 steaks after you move the potatoes to the top rack. Overall this is a great unit that is a good fit if you have a few kids and want plenty of space (like us). Like any 5th wheel, some things could be changed and improved, but it is very close to greatness the way it is.