Montana evaluation - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

richfaa · 02-24-2007, 05:14 PM

It is true that Keystone makes nothing and everything is vendor provided. I would expect better from this vendor..Thinking about it..when I attempted to open the bed by pulling out on the back it came out about 1/2 way and I heard something crunch. Then the drawer was hard to pull open and ripped off when I pulled it open.I am thinking that something was out of wack in the back of the sofa and caught on the drawer. I also noted that the back was lopsided and there was a space between the back and the cushion were I could see the air mattress. Lets hope that this was a bad sofa and not the norm..we shall see as folks on the forum should be getting them. I also noted that the Apollo oven is still in the Montana's and the build date on the oven's was Feb 06. The same build date as many of the ones that have failed..including mine.(I notice things like that) The good news is that the sofa looks good. Smaller foot print and softer lines.

kmh3212 · 02-25-2007, 06:06 AM

Rich,
These campers are a very expensive toy for some and a home for the full time campers. This forum hopefully gives Keystone some feedback on quality control of which they claim and advertise. This forum also give Montana owners some of whom never owned a camper easy fixes and information on how to get the most out of their new camper. Keystone cannot possibly go through every little nook and cranny and find every loose screw, pipe fitting, valve handle etc. Like a new house there will be some small problems. Most things the Keystone and the dealer will take care of. The time, aggravation and expense, especially if you live in your camper to take the camper in for service can be tough. Unlike a home on a foundation these homes are mobile and see a lot of abuse with 10-12 thousand pounds of camper traveling down down the roads hitting the potholes. Screws will come loose.
I have seen the excuse that Keystone buys parts from other vendors and those parts go bad. This is not an excuse to me. Keystone selects the vendors, evaluates the part, buys them, installs them, sells them and warranties them as meeting their standards.
Honest evaluation and notification of camper problems is more informative than critical. On the other hand I have seen problems found that can be much more than an inconvenience but a severe safety problem such as frame welds failing. Hopefully these are very isolated incidents but because of this forum we now know what to look for.
Montanas are very well made campers. For most people on this forum this is not their first camper. We did our homework and selected Montana. I looked for 3 years before I traded. Montana stepped in on my camper and is repairing a major roadworthy issue for me long out of warranty. I don't think any other manufacturer would do this!
Keep it up Rich and happy camping!
Kevin

Mac · 02-25-2007, 06:52 AM

Not to sound "Polyanic" but there are a lot more success stories with Keystone and Montana than there are bad stories. I for one could not be more happy and I've owned at least six different brands. Have I had a couple issues with Keystone? Yes, but nothing more than I've had with a stick house that cost 25 times more than the Monty. I'm a supporter and will remain one. That said I'm a supporter of this forum as well and understand the need to exchange ideas and warn others of potential problems.

mac

Jordyn · 03-07-2007, 06:37 PM

Hey Rich,
Thanks for the posts... have you looked at any other RV in the Montana price range? Newmar or Glendale RV (titanium)? I own a montana now but have also owned other coaches that seemed to be better built. I do like to read posts on this forum now, but I feel that I need this site just to help me fix stuff that is wrong with my RV. My wife and I really like the looks and layouts of the Montana.. but you better bring a good set of tools with you on your "vacation" if you purchase one. It seems to me that many owners on this site are willing to overlook many quality issues because they have invested in Montana and may not be able to easily get out of their unit. Every time someone suggests that Montana is poorly constructed; They are accused of being from some other company trying to make keystone look bad. This is not my situation. I have just looked at... and owned a number of units that are better done than Montana. That being said; we still like our unit enough for me to continue with the tool bag and checking in on this site for tips!...however we do not try to convince ourselves that Montana is a great deal for the money. Sorry to have to be the one to provide you the gut check

Montana Sky · 03-07-2007, 07:34 PM

Jordyn,
First of all, Welcome to the MOC! As you have stated, this is a great place to learn and share your experiences with fellow Montana owners. I am sorry to hear you are having problems with your Montana. If you do not mind would you elaborate on some of the problems you are having with your Montana. Not to start any brand wars or Keystone bashing, but I am most curious about your troubles. I am already on my 2nd Montana and I experienced the first "problem" with my coach last year regarding the bedroom slide. Keystone stepped up and fixed it without hesitation, they are top notch when it comes to taking care of their customers.

GregN · 03-08-2007, 02:00 AM

We have had our Montana since July 06. The only problems we have had so far was a water leak at the incoming waterline for the toilet. Very minor leak, the connection at the toilet was loose, tighten up no problem, probaly did not get tight enough at the factory. The other problem was that the bulb on the litte rechargable flashlight was not working. Replaced by the dealer with no problems. We love this Montana. We shopped around looking at everything else, asked questions of other RVer's and their rigs, other brands, for the price range we think the Montana had what we wanted.

ols1932 · 03-08-2007, 02:36 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by DonandJudy_12

we are satisfied, happy owners of a 2000 3555rl and will buy another Monty when we must- just wish we could duplicate our 3555rl floorplan when the inevitable happens- the service center has been unbeatable in our book- we recommend Montana to all we meet out here "on the road again" (our theme song)- Don

If you notice, we also are proud owners of a 2000 3555RL. Have had some problems but none that were either taken care of by Keystone and/or extended warranty. We also won't get rid of this one until we need one and then we don't think we can duplicate this floor plan--especially the storage in the outside of the entertainment center slide.

We also have a "good ol' girl" truck except she's an F-250!

Orv

richfaa · 03-08-2007, 04:18 AM

Jorydn.. Your post says it very well. We did look at other brands..The Titanium is I think a Canadian brand and our Canadian members can comment on them. The Newmar Factory was the best one we saw.These things are in general built by the same folks, using the same vendors and materials. The level of quality is set by the organization and the worker will achieve that level of quality given the organizational support to do so. IMO the Newmar line is a higher quality unit.Our camper choice was determined first by the Number of $ we had to spend, the quality of the dealer, the reputation of the manufacturer and the floor plan. We did not purchase the 3400 because it was Montana, we purchased it because it met our needs in all areas.We are satisfied Montana owners and you have the proper attitude and understanding to also be a satisfied owner.Most folks after they have spent 40/50/60 K on a camper(of any brand) can not accept or admit that the quality is not what they expected.
In our case we got what we paid for and got the quality we expected..We aggressively pursue quality issues with our Montana but we are all in all satisfied owners.

Connorsmom · 03-08-2007, 08:18 AM

I absolutely love my trailer. Do I have some problems? You bet, and I'm having them taken care of. I don't care HOW much money you spend, or what brand you buy, there are going to be issues. Albeit, some may be smaller than others. As long as humans are involved, there will be issues. My trailer could be called "a trailer made in Indiana". I didn't know anything about Montana when I looked or even purchased for that matter. All that mattered to me was I walked in, and it felt like home. I am loyal to the space...not the brand name.

Jan

skypilot · 03-08-2007, 09:32 AM

Jan - I enjoyed your post above -- your last words should be developed into a quote for not just our 5ers, but also a lot of other items in our lives: "I am loyal to the space (engine/fabric/color.....), not the brand name!" We have and make choices and that is what continues to make our economy so great!!!

richfaa · 03-08-2007, 09:56 AM

Jan..great quote,,says it all..

richfaa · 03-08-2007, 12:24 PM

Helen said,,The fridge is making a strange noise..I listened, it was making a whirring sound..She said you can hear it real good outside by the access panel.It was loud...Then the light bulb lite. I got my IR thermometer and shot the side of the camper exposed to the blinding Az sun(it is pushing 90 today) it was 111 Degree The noise was the fridge fan doing what it is supposed to do..cooling down the fridge. never heard that before.So there is a fan and it does the job.

fulltimedreamer · 03-08-2007, 04:48 PM

I have a 2003 Mountaineer by Montana travel trailer. In May we will have owned it for 4 years. We have used the coach pretty extensively with numerous road trips and also lived in it for two summers as campground hosts. The only issue we had under warranty was with the mechanism on a Flexsteel recliner and it was replaced by Flexsteel.

I try to stay on top of maintenance. I keep the A-Frame, steps and other exposed frame sanded and painted. I have replaced an exterior light fixture and the fenderskirts because the plastic had oxidised. The 12 volt breaker on the hydraulic pump failed and I replaced it. My A&E slide toppers delaminated (A&E had a bad batch of canvas but wouldn't stand behind it) and I repaired one today and will repair the other tomorrow. In four years I don't feel this is a very long list.

I was up on the roof today to check the sealer around the vents and around the edges. I fully expected that it would be time to replace the Dicor Sealer, but was pleasantly suprised that it still looks good and this coach is in the weather 365 days a year. While I was up there I added some vent covers so that we can use the fan and vents in inclement weather.

I have been and continue to be pleased with our purchase of a Montana product. Hopefully, I can check back in four more years and report that everything is still going well.

You may also like: