Lower Bedroom/Bathroom Floor sinking

[Montana_1765]

We have a 2003 3280RL and recently found the wall around the closet and toilet area isn't touching the floor. Upon further inspection the carpet at the step up to the bedroom around appeared to be pulling loose, then found the floor has sunk 3 or more inches. ITs NEVER been wet, other than the few drips out of the shower when drying our feet, and we have never done any major twists on the road with the unit. Anyone have any similiar problems?
My husband is currently underneath and I can hear him mumbling about no supports. Maybe he has it all figured out.

[sreigle]

Scatter let us know what your husband finds. I'd be very interested in this.
I hope it's nothing serious.
Thanks.

[Montana_1765]

Well, its not the best news we could have had. The brace that extends forward to the bedroom has no center brackets to hold or help distribute weight in the middle of the room, and that is where all the weight is when you walk in and out of the bedroom/lavatory area. The aluminum crosspiece just goes from one side to the other with virtually nothing holding or supporting it in the center, and when one of us walks in the area the other can see (from the underbelly compartment) the entire floor and aluminum brace go up and down with each step (1-2 inches!!) If you look at the spot where the drop chute for the laundry is you can see the crosspiece is well supported, but the further forward you go the support is not there.
Since all the Montana's have the same bedroom floorplan I sure hope they fixed this problem after the 2003's.
He is going to pull everything out of the underbelly storage and get in there with screws and reinforce that area, maybe even build a T brace with 2 X 4's till we can get a welder to build something else.
Be sure to check yours... my first hint came when I was on my hands and knees mopping the toilet area and noticed the wall was no longer touching the floor at the corner. Now when I get down and look I can stick my entire fist under the closet wall next to the step up into the bed area.....and the carpet is no longer tacked down since the floor has moved. Bare particle board is showing. I have put a rug there to keep the tacks from scrapping our bare feet.
You will NEVER guess what KEYSTONE/MONTANA dealer told us today when we mentioned this to him...he said that NONE of the Keystone products, not even the Big Sky model was meant to be used FULL TIME. DUH? Thats not what the dealer we bought from told us.

What else is going to happen.

Full Timing it....

[8.1al]

The manual for our 2004 states that it is not intended for full time use, but your problem shouldn't have happened.

[RC and Samantha]

I didn't see that in the manual. I sure hope that doesn't happen to ours?

[sreigle]

It does say that in the manual for the Montanas as it does for 90% of all fifthwheels and travel trailers. But I sure wouldn't think this situation would be acceptable no matter how much or little the unit is lived in.

Just took my flashlight and took a pretty good look at the basement ceiling in our 3295 (2003 model) and it has extra framework in that area, in both the fore-aft and side-to-side direction. We get no movement of the floor upstairs. Maybe someone with a 3280 would take a look to see how theirs is built. If yours differs from others then maybe something got screwed up during the build.

[RVWheels]

Scatter.....
It shouldn't make any difference whether or not the unit is used for "full-timeing". The floor should NEVER come apart like that! Don't know who you talked with at Montana but they must have mis-understood what you were talking about. Regardless of whether the unit is used for full-time use or only week-end trips.... the floor should always hold together. Keep on them until they fix it! Good luck. RVWheels