About to purchase - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

richfaa · 04-25-2006, 03:26 AM

Here is our experience in ordering a 06 3400.We actually agreed on the purchase price BEFORE the new improvement came out,. Mor-ryde, front cap, Docking Station. The order did not go in until AFTER the improvements. Our price did not increase now that might depend on the dealer but that is our experience. WE did order the 2nd A/c, personal choice. You have to think about the dish on the roof of the camper. You need a CLEAR unobstructed view of the satellite and that is not always possible with the dish on the roof were with a tripod and 50 or 100 feet of cable you can always get a clear shot. The internal Vacuum was a must have with Helen and the reports on the forum have been very positive. As for Major changes in the 07 Montana has made major changes in the late 06 and the way Montana makes changes on the line you are likely to get something different month to month..There is one warning...look out for the BLUE HOSE....

Montana_354 · 04-25-2006, 04:31 AM

They are absolutely right about the dish (installed on the roof) sometimes being obstructed by trees, etc., but the same can be true with the tripods in our experience. We do a lot of mountain camping and have gone without (truly roughing it for DH). After being in some places (Yellowstone, Estes Park, etc.) where we couldn't get a signal with our tripod dish on the ground I was having to climb up on the roof with a low tripod so DH could have TV and I said this was silly. If I were to fall somehow from the roof we'd really be in a pickle so for Father's Day he got a roof mount (Camping World). We still carried the tripod for the times we couldn't use the roof mount one if we were unfamiliar with the campground. Other times he might call me to bring it up since many times I'd drive up after work along with dogs and birds. We use a signal reader & compass for them. Our first choice is to use the roof mount rather than me feeding 25, 50 or more cable.
Kalamity

Montana_5701 · 04-25-2006, 02:14 PM

Escuse me for being brain dead but just made a one day trip from Asheville, NC to just west of Little Rock, AR with the Wilderness (that I hope to rid myself of w/ the purchase of the Montana) but what is the deal about the "Blue Hose" ?? And also, pls. explain to me about the "docking station". It is something new Montana has ??

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

Here is our experience in ordering a 06 3400.We actually agreed on the purchase price BEFORE the new improvement came out,. Mor-ryde, front cap, Docking Station. The order did not go in until AFTER the improvements. Our price did not increase now that might depend on the dealer but that is our experience. WE did order the 2nd A/c, personal choice. You have to think about the dish on the roof of the camper. You need a CLEAR unobstructed view of the satellite and that is not always possible with the dish on the roof were with a tripod and 50 or 100 feet of cable you can always get a clear shot. The internal Vacuum was a must have with Helen and the reports on the forum have been very positive. As for Major changes in the 07 Montana has made major changes in the late 06 and the way Montana makes changes on the line you are likely to get something different month to month..There is one warning...look out for the BLUE HOSE....

richfaa · 04-25-2006, 02:18 PM

The "Blue Hose" is a inside joke.You will have to purchase a Montana to "get it"

Look under Montana problems and technical help..then Blue Coiled hose..You have got to have one...also see a picture of the Docking station complete with..blue coiled hose...

indy roadrunner · 04-26-2006, 12:22 AM

MP-Ray - the blue coil hose is some of us Montana Owners way of having some fun. It was a modification they started to putting on later model or should I say recently manufactured 2006 3400's. They combined an outside water hose source with those that wanted an outside shower with a neat way to winterize your system. They also put all this in a cabinet area with other features that some started calling a "docking station" - don't know where that name came from.
Then the "dealers" didn't have a lot of information about this modification - guess it wasn't communicated very well from Keystone - and the dealers were coming up with some pretty off the wall explainations for the 'blue hose use". One service rep told me it was for pressure washing your coach - go figure. I guess if you hooked it up to a pressure washer it would do that - but can you imagine he thought there was some kind of pressure generated apparatus installed that the hose hooked into.

Montana_5701 · 04-26-2006, 02:12 AM

We just got back yesterday from our trip to NC via Houston and now I am in the shopping mode. I did visit a dealer in SC while we were vacationing and it is definitely going to be a 3400..

Now for the next question...

I don't want to ask the members what they paid for their 3400 as that much is really not my business but I would like to have an idea what the local dealers in your area are asking for their 3400. One of the local dealers just across the state line in OK is asking 47,800 - Local dealer we visited in SC while vacationing was 47,000. Not a lot of diffenence and not worth travelling from Arkansas to SC for that price. Do the local dealers in your area seem to be backing off the price for the higher gas prices ?

Your thoughts ??

indy roadrunner · 04-26-2006, 04:36 AM

Walnutridge RV in New Castle IN has one with MSRP at 55 or 56 that I think they were asking 47 for. I don't know you might be able to deal a little cheaper, a don't think gas prices is going to effect RV prices that much. That 3400 is getting to be a pretty popular model and dealers are moving them fairly easy. Some might not want to deal that much. Enter Montana 3400 in a Google search and see what shows up.

richfaa · 04-26-2006, 05:42 AM

In my Opinion 47/47.8 K is way to much.We did not pay nearly that much ordering in Feb 06. We did NOT order the dual Pane windows, Hi gloss gel coat Aluminum wheels and Fireplace we got everything else.If you ordered all those options I would still say 47/47.8 is @ 3 to 4 K to high. I do not know about any price increases since our order and our unit has all the NEW upgrades.. If you can get the MSVRP for that unit it would give us a better idea of what a fair price should be. Dave..(Disprik )is ordering a 3400 right now with more options than ours and may be able to give a better opinion...

Montana_5701 · 04-26-2006, 06:52 AM

Another dealer in the area in offering the same unit without the options that you mentioned for 42,995 (best well say 43,000.) My initial problem now is to get out from under the 2001 Fleetwood Wilderness. I work in the offshore drilling business in the Persian Gulf so will be at work during May so the purchase for the 3400 is expected in early June.

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

In my Opinion 47/47.8 K is way to much.We did not pay nearly that much ordering in Feb 06. We did NOT order the dual Pane windows, Hi gloss gel coat Aluminum wheels and Fireplace we got everything else.If you ordered all those options I would still say 47/47.8 is @ 3 to 4 K to high. I do not know about any price increases since our order and our unit has all the NEW upgrades.. If you can get the MSVRP for that unit it would give us a better idea of what a fair price should be. Dave..(Disprik )is ordering a 3400 right now with more options than ours and may be able to give a better opinion...

richfaa · 04-26-2006, 07:50 AM

Assuming there have been some price increases since we ordered ours. I would still say the price is 2/3 K high. Freight would also be a issue as we were but 170 miles away from Goshen. By the way our previous TT was Terry Fleetwood and we had no problem selling it out right. We still got our unit for well under the 43K figure, freight and prep included. 30% off MSVRP would be reasonable to expect.

Montana_5701 · 04-26-2006, 09:57 AM

Thanks for the tip. The dealers here do not seem to be willing to budge so may have to continue to look further. So far, each of these dealers are about 110 miles from my location.

My wife accuses me of being a little too compulsive on this issue and this may be true to a certian extent. As far as the selling of the Fleetwood, the add goes to the local newspaper tomorrow but I have not posted on any of the online sites yet. Most whom I have talked to did not seem to have any luck with online sales of RV's.

If anyone knows of reputable dealers near the Arkansas area, would appreciate a nod in this direction.

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

Assuming there have been some price increases since we ordered ours. I would still say the price is 2/3 K high. Freight would also be a issue as we were but 170 miles away from Goshen. By the way our previous TT was Terry Fleetwood and we had no problem selling it out right. We still got our unit for well under the 43K figure, freight and prep included. 30% off MSVRP would be reasonable to expect.

richfaa · 04-26-2006, 11:53 AM

We had no luck with the On line adds. we posted around town, stores, Library, Tires shops.Sold it in less than 3 days. I also will add that our purchase was a cash deal and that should get you a better price.

dsprik · 04-26-2006, 12:43 PM

Rich is right. Ours was out the door under $45K, that included MI 6% sales tax and fees, freight and prep.

We did have the fireplace, dual panes, two A/Cs (Rich has the 2 A/Cs also). However, I did have to sacrifice the Mor/Ryde pin box that Rich is getting on his. I also did not go with the hi-gloss, or aluminum wheels.

I did have to go to a dealer who was 4 1/2 hrs south of me to get this good deal, though. My local dealer told me that this guy was going out of business at those prices. Right.

gkbutler · 04-26-2006, 01:39 PM

Congratulations on the order Dave!! That was a fast delivery date. We ordered our 2950 in April of last year and didn't get delivery until after the 4th of July weekend.

Montana Sky · 04-26-2006, 02:00 PM

You sure are not going to find prices that cheap out here on the west coast. I got mine 2 years ago with every option except the generator, dual pane windows, 2nd a/c, and high gloss. Price back then with everything including the Superglide and install was $45,000. Oh how I wish I would have listened to the voice in the back of my head and got the high gloss. I did not think I would keep this coach long enough to worry about it, but at the rate prices are going up I think I will be keeping this one for a long time to come.

richfaa · 04-26-2006, 05:03 PM

The west coast is nuts.We where in Calif last April and we were amazed at the prices of campers not to mention most everything else of course South Flordia is just as bad, maybe worse. It is good to live in Northern Ohio except in the winter time.Here is what amazed us...how could produce grown in Calif cost MORE in a supermarket in Calif than in the same supermarket in Ohio..I don't get it????

jrgwdenner · 04-27-2006, 12:57 AM

mp-ray, since you have some time before you purchase, try sending your wish list off to several dealers via email and see who comes up with the best price.

Montana_5701 · 04-28-2006, 01:58 AM

It sems that some of the members on this post have "ordered" their Montana's. Is it possible that this is more cost effective and less cost for the dealer vs. just outright buying one off the lot and accepting the options available? In my recent searches, there seems to be an awful lot of differences in price from the delaers in the surrounding states. On the websites, some of the dealers offer a lot of description with pictures and some descriptions are minimal.

Montana_5701 · 04-28-2006, 02:04 AM

And also.......... The flyers, newspaper adds went out yesterday for the Fleetwood so hopefully it will sell, however there a lot of used RV's on the market. The supermarkets and local retailers in the area are pretty good about allowing postings in their place of business so maybe this helps. Are their any other sales tips anyone has to offer ??

richfaa · 04-28-2006, 03:31 AM

Ordering Vs purchasing what's on the lot.It depends. A unit sitting on a dealers lot cost him money every day it is there.So it would depend how long it has been there.When ordering the dealer wants to get the unit off the lot and to you ASAP and that is usually the case. Had I known I could have found one on a dealers lot that had the options I wanted I would have purchased it..But would Not have paid any more for it than I did ordering and that may have been difficult to do. As for the differences in price you are correct in the wide variations. I used the bid process to separate the 'you have got to be kidding offers" from the reasonable offers. Even then the only way to get "the best price/ deal is to go face to face with the dealer. The bid process and the homework that goes with it will narrow your search range. In my experience the Best price is if you can sell your camper outright and do a cash deal on the new one. What We did when purchased autos was to get a pre-.approved loan from our Credit union for say 25K so you have the cash available. Purchase the auto then have the credit union cut the check. To the dealer it looks like a cash deal.It helps if you can go to a dealers lot and say..I like that 3400rl over there and if you can satisy me I will write you a check now.It is a incentive to sell and satisfy...

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