Deep scratch on nose of 2009 Montana + value

[Narnia]

Sigh.....!! It seems that in the under $20K category, it's difficult to find that one in nice shape with the right floor plan!!

We are considering a 2009 3400RL, and of course, the decals are cracked. That's to be expected, I guess...but it also has had a deep scratch, that they taped around and spray painted. The paint does NOT match well at all...it looks grey, in comparison, so that it's visible even from afar!

Is there a way to match the same color as the original color of the nose? I'm thinking that it's not likely, due to sun-fading, etc. Is this something that we should consider buying? I am concerned about resale, since it causes me to pause, as a buyer. But, if I could do a better paint job on it, it might be worthwhile.

How much should I offer for it? It also has a cracked fender, due to a blow-out.

[Narnia]

This is the pic of it. They taped around the area and spray-painted it.

How much would it cost to have it properly repaired?

[DQDick]

If everything works and the roof and seals are sound I wouldn't be that concerned about a minor paint problem. As far as resale value, you have control over that by what you pay for it.

[Narnia]

Thank you! So, how much should I pay for it?

[CarWin]

Originally Posted by Narnia

Thank you! So, how much should I pay for it?

Never ever over extend yourself when buying a camper!!!! Its not a good practice to live a champaign lifestyle, if you have an Old Milwaukee pay scale.

Without seeing the coach in person, its almost impossible to give a value by a few simple photos. Do your diligent research on what the values are for the years/models you are interested in buying.

Take everything into consideration, including how far you have to travel to buy said coach.

[Hblick48]

The damaged area should be able to be repaired. Standard white gel coat will be a good color match.

Remove the paint, layer in the gel coat until even with the surface. Spray some more overlapping. Then use power sander to sand even. Use progressively higher sandpaper/wet sanding up to 2000 grit. Use some polishing compound to bring out the luster.

Or you could take the easy route and leave it. As DQDick said, If the rest of the rig is in good shape, it isn't a deal breaker.

No idea as to value? Paid $13,500 for our Montana 3280RL 3+ years ago.

[Narnia]

Originally Posted by Hblick48

The damaged area should be able to be repaired. Standard white gel coat will be a good color match.

Remove the paint, layer in the gel coat until even with the surface. Spray some more overlapping. Then use power sander to sand even. Use progressively higher sandpaper/wet sanding up to 2000 grit. Use some polishing compound to bring out the luster.

Or you could take the easy route and leave it. As DQDick said, If the rest of the rig is in good shape, it isn't a deal breaker.

No idea as to value? Paid $13,500 for our Montana 3280RL 3+ years ago.

Thank you!! That is very helpful info!! I will save this info for any future use that may arise! I didn't know that it would be that simple! I wonder why they didn't do it properly like this??

BTW...since this post, the seller disclosed that they had a dog living in their rig full-time with them, for 2 years. So, that was a deal-breaker for us. We were willing to take it with the bad repair on the chink and the broken fender skirt due to a blowout, but pet odors....uh-uh...we can't handle that.

[holbrook2]

Any good body shop can match the paint. We’ve had several blemishes repaired on the body repairs mostly caused by my husband!

[Donjamin]

I had the nose cap on my 2016 3160 Legacy repainted this past summer when we discovered the clear coat peeling on the upper edge along the roof line. The RV paint shop repainted the whole nose cap for about $1,200. They too had to do some color matching due to sun fade and then sprayed 3 clear coat layers over the whole nose to protect the Montana decal and paint. I felt the cost was well worth it.

Being a Legacy model with a factory paint job, I reached out to Keystone to see if this was a warranty issue. Never heard a word back from them. O, well!

Don

[paulinbaja]

Boat shops are good with fiber glass. That should be least of your concerns on a unit this age. I live in same year and model mine is a good unit a bit beat up due to hard usage, had to replace the fridge this year. The A/C is a concern, we use elect heat so the heater is of little concern. Check NADA for value and offer 20% less and if you WANT the unit be willing to come up a bit. Check the tires if bad subtract $400.00 more.

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by Hblick48

The damaged area should be able to be repaired. Standard white gel coat will be a good color match.

Remove the paint, layer in the gel coat until even with the surface. Spray some more overlapping. Then use power sander to sand even. Use progressively higher sandpaper/wet sanding up to 2000 grit. Use some polishing compound to bring out the luster.

Or you could take the easy route and leave it. As DQDick said, If the rest of the rig is in good shape, it isn't a deal breaker.

No idea as to value? Paid $13,500 for our Montana 3280RL 3+ years ago.

You can NEVER match gel coat that old it will always show. Once gelcoat is painted it is near impossible to remove the paint without damaging any gelcoat under the paint.

Quick fact about 2000 grit sand paper, fiberglass rubbing compound is 1500 grit so anything above the compound step/grit sand paper is of no benefit as there is no way to use it without swirl marks, whereas liquid stepped compounds allow for more even finishes. Also note the Gel coat finish is very thin and easy to burn through.

You could consider painting the entire front cap. where you can closely match the gelcoat color

[oddjobal]

The scratch is minor. Dog odder is major. It can only be covered up for a short period of time before they resurface. Smart move to walk away. When you look at RV's inspect the undercarriage. Blow outs can cause major damage. Hope you find what you are looking for.

[pitman44]

Originally Posted by paulinbaja

Check the tires if bad subtract $400.00 more.

Check the date code. I won't run over 5 years. We got new tires on the used one we bought.

[mazboy]

no hard to get an idea about price...use RVtrader to get an idea. I see the range from $17K to nearly $30K. Where you live makes a difference.


Heck, if you like it, offer them $19K and see what happens:-)

[JanCouch]

We pd 15k for same year, but two ft longer last year.

[GrahamLock]

Has anyone come up with a good way to stop the Montana decals from cracking over time. On my last 5th wheel, I consistently used Aerospace 303 (twice a year) and that seemed to keep the decals in good shape, albeit that the unit was a Triple E. Has anyone else had success with other UV protection on the decals?

[pitman44]

Originally Posted by GrahamLock

Has anyone come up with a good way to stop the Montana decals from cracking over time. On my last 5th wheel, I consistently used Aerospace 303 (twice a year) and that seemed to keep the decals in good shape, albeit that the unit was a Triple E. Has anyone else had success with other UV protection on the decals?

When you have a question that doesn't really fit what a particular thread is about, your best bet is to start a new thread with relevant info in the subject. In this case perhaps "How can I keep my decals from cracking?". That will attract the attention of folks with an answer and folks looking for an answer to that problem.

[Ram Montana High Country]

Originally Posted by Narnia

Sigh.....!! It seems that in the under $20K category, it's difficult to find that one in nice shape with the right floor plan!!

We are considering a 2009 3400RL, and of course, the decals are cracked. That's to be expected, I guess...but it also has had a deep scratch, that they taped around and spray painted. The paint does NOT match well at all...it looks grey, in comparison, so that it's visible even from afar!

Is there a way to match the same color as the original color of the nose? I'm thinking that it's not likely, due to sun-fading, etc. Is this something that we should consider buying? I am concerned about resale, since it causes me to pause, as a buyer. But, if I could do a better paint job on it, it might be worthwhile.

How much should I offer for it? It also has a cracked fender, due to a blow-out.

Might consider using a US Flag decal - would set you off from all the others

[timandsusan]

Those cosmetic scratches and dings can hide major issues like blowout damage. And they can distract the buyer from really major issues like dogs/cat smells. I recommend passing on this one. As far as an investment, an RV is the just below used cars--not a great investment. If the resale is a concern before you buy a used RV, maybe getting into something else would be better--like a nice set of golf clubs or great fishing gear!