New 2024 Montana 3123RL

[Ozzie66]

We just purchased a new 2024 Montana 3123RL, Legacy, Cobalt and could not be happier. It replaces our 2013 Redwood 31SL. We bought it sight unseen and were happy to see some nice changes Keystone made in our 2024 model as compared to 2023 and some 2024 3123RLs now at dealers. These 2024 changes are not yet shown on the Keystone website. Upgrades in our 2024 include:

1. Replaced the ceramic bowl sink with a built-in SS sink.
2. Shower enclosure is “sculpted” white with fancy Rain shower head with two lower body wash rain showers.
3. Some cabinets are special “cottage white”; build sheet lists Woodcliff decor
4. Floor is newer look “planked” as is the plank look vinyl in dining area.
5. Bedroom has a leather-look headboard.
6. Telescoping stair handrail vice old lift and swivel.

So, for anyone looking to purchase a 2024 Montana I would check to see if it has the above upgrades!

I have two questions that I'll ask right now: (I skimmed through the forum, and I know I might be able to find more info there):

1. Has anyone installed a Wingard Trav'ler DirecTV Sat Antenna on a 3123RL? The Winegard has a six-wire control cable and a coax sat signal cable. Where did you locate it? Where and how did you run the six-wire control cable? Does the blue sat coax in the rooftop Wingard 360 run straight thru to the entertainment center or does it run through a "Key TV" diplexer that may cause loss of signal issues? My dealer said it might take 4 to 8 to 20 hours to install it at $185/hour and was just giving me a warning before I asked them to install it (I declined). Any comments appreciated.

2. I have the 400i solar pkg, but only one 12 RV battery. On our four-hour trip home from the dealer the battery was stone dead as the 12VDC Furrion refrigerator was left on. I'd appreciate any recommendations re Lithium batteries, brand, size, and number. Will two 100Ah lithium batteries suffice for dry camping or do I need more battery capacity with this fridge? The Dragonflies are $1,350 @, Battleborn (made in same building in Reno and identical to Dragonflies) $925 @ on Amazon or another brand like $349 Chins??? Thanks!

[Carl n Susan]

Welcome to the MOC!!! You have several neighbors in Gardnerville that also belong to the MOC.

As for the Weingard satellite, I too would be reluctant to let an RV dealer tech attempt an install, particularity at $185 an hour. The KeyTV system is allegedly designed to support a SWM based DTV system.
Ref: https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...?do=file&id=31

This is an ideal solution as KeyTV will feed the sat signal to all the TV outlets in the RV. The downfall of that is connectors that are improperly installed. Theoretically it will work fine out of the box, but be prepared to do some troubleshooting.

A common install in this case is to run the satellite cable down a vent pipe near the convenience center/pass through compartment where you can easily connect it to the KeyTV system.

The desired location of the Weingard box will determine/limit how to run the 6 wire control cable. Some have installed in the closet of the bedroom and simply drilled a hole through the roof into the closet. As you only need to access it when setting up and taking down, this seems to work. Other have installed the Weingard box in the entertainment center which is much more difficult if the TV is in a slide (which I think it is on a 3123RL). Personally, I ran the 6 wire cable to the convenience center/pass through compartment, along with the satellite cable. I mounted the Weingard control box on a shelf that I added there on the driver's side pass through compartment. It is easy there to then turn it on/off when setting up/down.

Not planning on using KeyTV means figuring out where you want the sat cable to go to and, if using wired mini-Genies, how to get cable to the different TV scattered about the RV. Getting the sat cable into a slide can be done but it takes some work.

There are Weingard (or RF Mogul) installers. I know they exist in Quartzsite and Yuma (road trip? Join the MOC rally in Quartzsite in Jan?) and I suspect Reno or Carson City have them too. I know one of your neighbors installed his own Weingard system so it is eminently doable. Food for thought?

As for Lithium batteries, I will let those with them express their opinion IMO the Chin looks like a decent solution.

[Sparatacus]

Congrats and welcome to MOC, those are nice we look at one and love the layout.

[Daryles]

Two 100Ah lithium batteries is a good start. If you do a lot of boondocking you may want to double that and your solar panels (or carry a generator).
We did two months of dry camping this summer in Canada. We have 800W solar, 552Ah lithium batteries and two 2000W Harbor Freight Predator generators with a parallel kit. Everything worked great. In some campgrounds the trees were very tall and the solar didn't work. Generators picked up the slack.

[Ozzie66]

Carl (n Susan), thank you very much for the wonderful information packed reply. It made us really feel welcome to the MOC! This was my first post and I thought it was going to be posted in the New Members Forum, but somehow it got posted to general Discussions. So, I modified my post a bit and just tried to post it in the New Members thread.
Can you give me a hint on how to find a neighbor in Gardnerville who has installed a Winegard Trav'ler Sat Antenna? Thanks again.

[Foldbak]

Check these out. I have 2. So far their great.
https://www.temgot.com/products/smar...app-monitoring

https://www.google.com/search?q=temg...dcsjXCxXg,st:0

[Ozzie66]

Foldback, thank you for the info. Did they hold up during your boondocking outings to power your fridge and your 12VDC lights? I have two Honda 2000s.

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by Ozzie66

Foldback, thank you for the info. Did they hold up during your boondocking outings to power your fridge and your 12VDC lights? I have two Honda 2000s.

Like I said, I love them. They have cut my need for a generator by 75%. I have 2 TV's, surround sound with sub, 12V/LP fridge, lights, water pump, etc. I don't run the generator unless I need same AC or Microwave. I will top off the batteries just before I go to bed. In the morning they will be at around 65% to 70%. 3 hours later with sun they will be close to 100%. I do turn off the inverter at night to reduce the parasitic draw from the entertainment devices. I have my inverter programmed to allow the power button to function. If you have a Dimensions inverter they disable the power button at the factory.

[Ozzie66]

Foldbak, thank you for the best straight forward answer to my question that I've ever seen. I was wondering if the 400i Solar would run my 12VDC Furrion refrig(no LP mode) plus what you run. (and I have two Honda 2000 gens to top off if needed). Do you have the Dometic 13 cu. ft. gas/electric refrigerator that you run strictly on LP mode when boondocking? My new Furrion refrig is strictly 12VDC ops. Different type refrigs will make a big difference in power draw. Thanks.

[Ozzie66]

Daryles, thanks for the info. Please tell me what refrig you have, LP? I have the Furrion 12VDC (and I have two Honda 2000 gens to top off if needed). Thanks.

[Daryles]

We have an RV fridge (propane/120vac electric).
We manually set it to propane mode when boondocking so I don't accidentally leave it in automatic mode and it draws down the batteries unnecessarily.
I actually did that once, it was drawing 30A DC from the batteries via the inverter. Took me a few minutes to figure out what was drawing so much current. We have a Victron BMV-712 battery monitor. A must have tool to monitor power in/out.

On the inside of your fridge there should be a label. It will have the power consumption data you need to do an "energy audit".
Add up all your power requirements (energy audit) to determine how much battery power you need to get through the night (and then some) till the sun comes up or you have to fire up the generator.

Here's a great article to determine how much solar and batteries you need.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sola...ibextid=Nif5oz

[Foldbak]

I have a Dometic. I've forgotten to switch from auto to LP before and found the batteries really low. I can't really give you a good answer on the new 12 volt fridge, as I don't have any experience with one. I don't know what kind of draw and how efficient they are compared to the Dometic. I have to assume that they're much more efficient. A simple solution would be to up your AH's. 300 or 400 should do it.



https://www.temgot.com/

[ScottnSue]

Welcome to the group.
That's a nice setup you have.

[Bill and Lisa]

Welcome to the MOC! I am in a SOB now but still visit here because some info is not brand specific. In our new rig we have the 12V DC 16cu ft Furrion Fridge. Your power consumption will depend greatly on your condition when you switch over to onboard power only.
1. Pre chill on shorepower if at all possible. trying to go from an off condition to chill the freezer and fridge on battery alone will use up alot of power. once unit is in a "cooled" condition, your fridge should only draw 1-2 Amps/hour. If you have a standard type 27 100AH Lead acid battery you can get about 1/2 of the amp hours out of it (50) before the battery is drained. that should give you about 24 hours travel time assuming you are not opening the fridge and lights/fans are off while traveling (Make sure, as others have mentioned to turn off your inverter since you should not need to run any 120V AC equipment while traveling).
2. I have added a second Lead acid battery to my rig and have 370W solar installed. I store my unit in a storage yard and stopped by on my way home from work to turn on the fridge to cool down. Next morning when I went to pick up the unit to take to my house to load (HOA rules suck!) I was down to under 50% on my battery. Luckily, I did not damage the batteries.
3. I am thinking about upgrading to 2 100AH Li-ion but have not yet for 3 reasons:
a. Cost of the Li-Ion batteries (on top of all the new rig expenses
b. My current Progressive Dynamics converter will not fully charge Li-ion batteries (will only dget them to about 80% but solar could take them the rest of the way up.
c. potential issues with the brake controller circuitry on my GMC tow vehicle. (2020 GMC Denali diesel). The higher voltage with the Lithum batteries (14.2V) is reported to cause issues with the brake controller seeing the trailer brakes as being disconnected. Not sure the exact years that are affected - I know 2024 models have the issue but have heard there is an upgraded brake controller that fixes the issue. I may not have an issue with my 2020 version.
d. We typically camp with shore power available vice boondocking so don't really need the capacity Lithum would give me. I do run my inverter when travelling since I keep road drinks and lunch in the outside kitchen small fridge since I can't access the 12V DC fridge without putting out slides and I have yet to reach my destination with less than 100% charge on my batteries due to the truck charging and solar charging while traveling.

Hope that helps you out.
Bill

[Milijose@embarqmail.com]

Originally Posted by Ozzie66

We just purchased a new 2024 Montana 3123RL, Legacy, Cobalt and could not be happier. It replaces our 2013 Redwood 31SL. We bought it sight unseen and were happy to see some nice changes Keystone made in our 2024 model as compared to 2023 and some 2024 3123RLs now at dealers. These 2024 changes are not yet shown on the Keystone website. Upgrades in our 2024 include:

1. Replaced the ceramic bowl sink with a built-in SS sink.
2. Shower enclosure is “sculpted” white with fancy Rain shower head with two lower body wash rain showers.
3. Some cabinets are special “cottage white”; build sheet lists Woodcliff decor
4. Floor is newer look “planked” as is the plank look vinyl in dining area.
5. Bedroom has a leather-look headboard.
6. Telescoping stair handrail vice old lift and swivel.

So, for anyone looking to purchase a 2024 Montana I would check to see if it has the above upgrades!

I have two questions that I'll ask right now: (I skimmed through the forum, and I know I might be able to find more info there):

1. Has anyone installed a Wingard Trav'ler DirecTV Sat Antenna on a 3123RL? The Winegard has a six-wire control cable and a coax sat signal cable. Where did you locate it? Where and how did you run the six-wire control cable? Does the blue sat coax in the rooftop Wingard 360 run straight thru to the entertainment center or does it run through a "Key TV" diplexer that may cause loss of signal issues? My dealer said it might take 4 to 8 to 20 hours to install it at $185/hour and was just giving me a warning before I asked them to install it (I declined). Any comments appreciated.

2. I have the 400i solar pkg, but only one 12 RV battery. On our four-hour trip home from the dealer the battery was stone dead as the 12VDC Furrion refrigerator was left on. I'd appreciate any recommendations re Lithium batteries, brand, size, and number. Will two 100Ah lithium batteries suffice for dry camping or do I need more battery capacity with this fridge? The Dragonflies are $1,350 @, Battleborn (made in same building in Reno and identical to Dragonflies) $925 @ on Amazon or another brand like $349 Chins??? Thanks!

Keep a close look to the frame flex I will said that more than 50% will get it

[sberlin]

Originally Posted by Ozzie66

We just purchased a new 2024 Montana 3123RL, Legacy, Cobalt and could not be happier. It replaces our 2013 Redwood 31SL. We bought it sight unseen and were happy to see some nice changes Keystone made in our 2024 model as compared to 2023 and some 2024 3123RLs now at dealers. These 2024 changes are not yet shown on the Keystone website. Upgrades in our 2024 include:

1. Replaced the ceramic bowl sink with a built-in SS sink.
2. Shower enclosure is “sculpted” white with fancy Rain shower head with two lower body wash rain showers.
3. Some cabinets are special “cottage white”; build sheet lists Woodcliff decor
4. Floor is newer look “planked” as is the plank look vinyl in dining area.
5. Bedroom has a leather-look headboard.
6. Telescoping stair handrail vice old lift and swivel.

So, for anyone looking to purchase a 2024 Montana I would check to see if it has the above upgrades!

I have two questions that I'll ask right now: (I skimmed through the forum, and I know I might be able to find more info there):

1. Has anyone installed a Wingard Trav'ler DirecTV Sat Antenna on a 3123RL? The Winegard has a six-wire control cable and a coax sat signal cable. Where did you locate it? Where and how did you run the six-wire control cable? Does the blue sat coax in the rooftop Wingard 360 run straight thru to the entertainment center or does it run through a "Key TV" diplexer that may cause loss of signal issues? My dealer said it might take 4 to 8 to 20 hours to install it at $185/hour and was just giving me a warning before I asked them to install it (I declined). Any comments appreciated.

2. I have the 400i solar pkg, but only one 12 RV battery. On our four-hour trip home from the dealer the battery was stone dead as the 12VDC Furrion refrigerator was left on. I'd appreciate any recommendations re Lithium batteries, brand, size, and number. Will two 100Ah lithium batteries suffice for dry camping or do I need more battery capacity with this fridge? The Dragonflies are $1,350 @, Battleborn (made in same building in Reno and identical to Dragonflies) $925 @ on Amazon or another brand like $349 Chins??? Thanks!

I can only speak to your batteries dead due to the refer being left on. We travel 6+ hrs with the refer on and never have dead batteries. Your trailer plug should be charging the battery as you travel offsetting the use of the inverter to run ur refer. You have some other battery issue!

[Bill and Lisa]

author has a 12V DC Furion fridge which runs straight off the battery.....no inverter needed.

[AnArky]

Originally Posted by Ozzie66

On our four-hour trip home from the dealer the battery was stone dead as the 12VDC Furrion refrigerator was left on.

Even with just one 12 VDC battery, assuming it was charged starting out, with 12 VDC power from the tow vehicle should be able to keep the 12 VDC fridge running?

When towing, my truck provides 12 VDC power to the complete trailer.

Maybe something to check?

[dlowrey]

We purchased a new 2022 3231CK. Had the dealer credit us for the two lead acid batteries they would have had to provide, and instead installed two 120ah lithium batteries. Also have the 400W solar installation.

We have only made one trip so far and have had the Fridge running for about 3 hours while traveling, running on the invertor-batteries. This was a sunny day and we drove mid-day, so the solar panels had full sunlight. When we got to our destination, the solar software app said the batteries had about 20% charge left in them. I would not run the battery charge any lower for fear of damaging the batteries. As they say, your mileage may vary.

[dlowrey]

BTW, our batteries are
Expion360 VPR 4EVER
Platinum Group 27 120Ah each battery