Need reviews on 2015 3610RL - Montana Owners Club

ccorbettjr · 03-02-2016, 05:23 PM

DW and I are buying first RV this year. Been to many RV shows and dealers looking and are strongly leaning towards 3610RL. Local dealer has a 2015 model coming in and salesman said it would be our at a great price! (We'll see about that!!!) Wanted to hear from 2015 owners their thoughts on their units. Likes/dislikes, options chosen and why, would you do over again or choose another model? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

bigskyjimmy · 03-02-2016, 07:16 PM

Me and my Wife Love our 2015 (NOT A 3610) with the Legacy pkg ,that we fulltime in and the only problem we have had is one pantry shelf fell down on a rough stretch of road so we put extra bracing underneath and we also had a waste valve handle got hard to pull so we replaced it with a better one and a toilet that did not hold water but other than that it has been reliable just like our 2012 was and we have never been to the dealer for any warranty repairs on either one ,for me we keep coming back to Montana for the "bang for the buck" high quality Sony TV and DVD blu-ray surround,4100 mor-ryde suspension and pin box,12in frame, central vacuum,Love the quiet Whisper ducted A/C, nice rear cap ,4 step entry and the list goes on, other brands in the same price range cheap out on these and other items,So yeah me and my wife are "happy campers"

DISLIKES:CRAPPY(no pun intended)leaking faulty Thetford toilets they have used for years just like every other brand of 5er uses and replace them with Dometic brand toilets and I wish they would put G rated tires on these heavy 5er's STANDARD lucky for me I had Bought new G rated tires on my 2012 and put them on the 2015 when I traded it AND a nicer mattress would be cool but we bought a 3in foam topper to take care of that MUCH BETTER

Oh and by the way your 3/4 ton Gasser is going to have a hard time going up the hills, you have a nice truck but that Gasser will be hating life going up any steep grades I had to trade my 2004 Dually 3500 Duramax with 550 lbs of torque(your 6.0 liter gasser has only 380 ft lbs) because it was really having a hard time and overheating going up the big hills so something to take into consideration

1retired06 · 03-03-2016, 02:30 AM

Our 2015 came with a rough start. Within 90 days, Microwave quit, Refrigerator failed, and a handful of other minor issues to include electrical, water leaks, etc. Dealer/keystone replaced/fixed everything, and we have had no more issues. Snowbird in Florida. We like the 3910FB model, tows quite nicely, (on our upgraded tires) and our two favorite new features are the LCI leveling system and the quiet AC.

DarMar · 03-03-2016, 03:20 AM

Pat & Chuck: After owning 3 previous Montana floor plans we currently own an early 2015 3610 and love what it has to offer.

When I talk early 2015, our model has a pantry and washer/dryer closet just to the right of the fridge. Probably half way through the 2015 production run they changed to a full width china type of cabinet on the wall to the right of the fridge and relocated the washer/dryer prep to the bedroom closet which in our opinion did nothing to improve the floor plan. As well as this being in the closet one has to install the washer facing in to the centre of the closet.

Now for 2016 they have made the washer/dryer in that bedroom location accessible with a door facing outward to the rear of the rig. That to us is an improvement over the late 2015 design but could be a total mute point if your never install a washer/dryer.

We have the home theatre seating in our plan(which was just an option at the time we ordered) and would highly recommend it. Also you may or may not want to consider a 3611 model which has the residential fridge. In our case that is the one thing we would go with if we were to replace this unit again.

What ever you decide, we think overall, the 3610/3611 no matter what year is a really good layout.

CWSWine · 03-03-2016, 04:25 AM

What I don't like about those floor plans is the windows are looking into your neighbors space and no windows looking out in your space. If you have kids or grandchildren that camp with you and are outside playing you can't keep track of them because of no windows on the door side of 5er.

DarMar · 03-03-2016, 05:09 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by CWSWine

What I don't like about those floor plans is the windows are looking into your neighbors space and no windows looking out in your space. If you have kids or grandchildren that camp with you and are outside playing you can't keep track of them because of no windows on the door side of 5er.

I am not sure of what you are saying here? Our 3610 has all kinds of windows on the door side including the hallway, dining table and behind the living room home theatre seating.

1retired06 · 03-03-2016, 05:28 AM

So does ours. Windows not so much on the ODS

CWSWine · 03-03-2016, 05:50 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by 1retired06

So does ours. Windows not so much on the ODS

My fault looked at the wrong floor plan...

mjammersc · 03-03-2016, 05:55 AM

I think they are referring to the 3160RL with minimal windows on the door side due to the entertainment center. That is one of the few items we would change on the 3160.

BTW the 3610 was on our list as we liked the floor plan but were wanting a little shorter vehicle as we like hitting state and national parks/forests and even at 35' we are limited/excluded in many places.

ccorbettjr · 03-03-2016, 07:27 AM

Thanks everyone for the comments. we were really looking to hear about the 3610RL model as that is what we are leaning towards, but any information is helpful. Will let you know more when we have settled. Thanks again all!

onekla · 03-03-2016, 07:59 AM

From central Arkansas, welcome to the forum and thank you for your service to our country.

Brian and I have the 3610RL (the earlier model - like DarMar's). We absolutely love this RV! We've had it since October 2014. We're mainly weekend campers and try to get in a long trip when we can.

When the slides are in, we can get to the right side door of the refrigerator, the freezer is accessible (might need to stop for an ice cream bar) and we have full access to the bathroom. For now, we're not interested in putting in a washer/dryer which would go in the pantry closet in the kitchen, therefore, we have lots of pantry space. The pantry is not accessible during travel, but we keep snacks in the cabinet to the right of the pantry, which is accessible.

I really like the central vac system. Some folks don't, but it works great for us.

We have the leather theatre seating and sofa and are pleased with it. The sofa folds out to a queen-size bed and it is a decent mattress, not an air mattress. The bed can remain made up for when the kiddos come to visit.

Our unit came with a king-size bed but we kept our queen mattress and sent the king mattress back in the trade-in. It was an easy fix to trim down both sides of the wood that supports the mattress and it gives a little more room to walk around the bed.

The fireplace is used a lot. We use the butane heat to knock out the chill in the mornings and then the fireplace keeps us at a good temp throughout the day. We also use a ceramic heater at night in the living room area during cooler weather.

We are really excited to have the 6-point auto leveling system. Just push a button and it goes through the leveling cycle while we're hooking up water, sewer, etc. This is one of my favorite things.

There are lots of windows on the front side and back end. One thing I wish it has was the MCD shades...maybe someday.

One of the first things we did was to upgrade the tires on our unit and also got a portable surge guard.

One suggestion would be to velcro close any doors that could pop open while moving. If you don't, and don't check those before opening slides, you could end up with a cabinet door being busted or possibly messing up the slide - could be an ugly situation. That hasn't happened to us because we use the velcro fasteners. Our microwave has come open while going down the road, luckily nothing was broken.

We've not seen anything new in the Montana line that we'd trade for - we'd choose this one again if they still made it. This unit pulls well with our truck.

Good luck! Hope you find what you're searching for.

****(Another thing I meant to mentioned...We had reclining chairs at the back end of our previous RVs and I had to turn them around to secure them everytime we hit the road and I set them on my toes one too many times, but no worries now with the theatre seating and a sofa...)

DarMar · 03-03-2016, 09:34 AM

We certainly agree with the points Onekla has made and would stress the importance of upgrading to g rated tires and surge guard.

Two other things that really attracted us to this model. One was the lack of carpeting found in the living/dining area making spills and regular cleanup a breeze. Two was the bath setup including the larger shower. With the larger shower one of the first things we installed was a shower rod and curtain mounted on the inside of the shower preventing water from always accumulating in the bottom shower door rails.

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted.

FordMan1966 · 03-04-2016, 06:31 AM

We love our 3611RL Legacy. Works great for our little family of 3 people. As far as the windows ours has 5 I believe in the awning side as well as the large window in the rear.

ccorbettjr · 03-04-2016, 03:39 PM

Thanks all. Some of the points you have brought up are very helpful and we are excited about getting our 3610RL. We will be using mostly military camp grounds in our travels (great benefit to retired military). The 2015 3610RL coming in to the dealer has black furniture (got the spec list from salesman) and that's a no-go for us. Looking for the brown/java interior. If the dealer can't make the change, we will have to order a new rv. Will keep you posted and again, thanks for the valuable info.

Bigboomer · 03-05-2016, 09:09 AM

We like DarMar and Onekla have the earlier 2015 3610RL. I agree with all their points. Our Dometic frig took the poop in the bed so we installed a Samsung residential frig and love it. If you go with the 3611 with residential frig make sure the dealer puts at least 2 Trojan T-105 batteries so you have enough capacity while traveling between campgrounds.
If you get the standard 3610 with RV frig do your self a favor and get the ARPrv.com upgrade installed on the frig as this will be a preventative measure and help your RV frig work better.
Also make sure your do a thorough PDI going top to bottom checking every little thing possible on the rig before you accept it.

Good luck,

Les

Razrbk · 03-05-2016, 12:09 PM

Ditto on taking your time and doing a thorough PDI. Suggest video the reviewed operational instructions - the manual is very general.

ccorbettjr · 03-20-2016, 06:59 AM

Well, we took the plunge and just ordered our first RV - Montana 3610RL! The dealer had one in but the furniture was the wrong color. We ordered a new one which should be in by middle of May. Salesman brought us a price but the DW had taken photos from an RV show last year showing it offered for $3000 less their current price. The salesman laughed and told us good idea - we agreed to split the difference! Now I'm searching for a 5th wheel hitch to be installed in my truck. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

DarMar · 03-20-2016, 01:37 PM

Congrats, we are sure you will love your decision. Now the hardest part is the waiting!

pkbridges77 · 03-20-2016, 03:08 PM

Pat and Chuck, congratulations on your new rig. Hoping you have many many miles of pleasure enjoying our nation, and thank you for your service. I certainly don't want to throw any wet blankets, but have you noticed that everyone that's posted in response is towing with a 3500? Just felt it was an important point - I know nothing about the specs on your truck or the new rig - I just know I started with an F-250 that was at its weight limits. I ended up trading an 8 month old truck for a new F-350 and the difference in towing is big. No difference in power, but stability and confidence is night and day. Ignore my comments if you've already sorted that out!!

pkbridges77 · 03-20-2016, 03:11 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by pkbridges77

Pat and Chuck, congratulations on your new rig. Hoping you have many many miles of pleasure enjoying our nation, and thank you for your service. I certainly don't want to throw any wet blankets, but have you noticed that everyone that's posted in response is towing with a 3500? Just felt it was an important point - I know nothing about the specs on your truck or the new rig - I just know I started with an F-250 that was at its weight limits. I ended up trading an 8 month old truck for a new F-350 and the difference in towing is big. No difference in power, but stability and confidence is night and day. Ignore my comments if you've already sorted that out!!

BTW I have a Curt Q20 and it seems to be a great hitch.

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