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Old 10-17-2019, 09:40 AM   #1
David T
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Montana quality, what happened

I purchased my 4th Montana this year. When we arrived home from dealer both closet doors had vibrated out of tracks. When we flushed toilet water sprayed out of back and soaked floor. Kitchen sink leaked and soaked everything under cabinet. Tailights fill with water when it rains and I have to remove and dry. Awning does not close in track properly. Bought in Fla. and live in Mi. Dealers here don't want to work on rig purchased from Lazy days. Fixing most items myself but not happy with quality. First 3 montanas were quite nice with very little maintenance.
 
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Old 10-17-2019, 09:54 AM   #2
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What happened, old world craftsmen aren’t what they used to be.
Seriously they are building too many too fast without a property trained crew. If they did a drug test many would fail. These are the times we live in. They can’t get people to work so they haft to take what they can get.
Lazy days gave you a good price because they knew you wouldn’t be back and now your local dealer doesn’t wont to work on it because they won’t make any money on warranty work.
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Old 10-17-2019, 09:56 AM   #3
Skw774
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So true...
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Old 10-17-2019, 11:47 AM   #4
richfaa
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The makeup of the workforce has not changed in years. They never had "old world craftsmen". Craftsmen do not work on a assembly line. We were there during the fall rally hiring signs were everywhere everyone who can work is working. The in dustry understands the ups and downs of the economy. The economy is strong now and they are pumping out RV' as fast as they can knowing the economy will weaken as it did in 07/08 and the RV industry is the first to feel it . Helen said she was told they were building 18 a day at the Montana plant #4. I say more than that. The unemployment number in the Elkhart/Goshen area is 3.1 % that means that everyone who can work is working. The workforce in that area is varied and represents the people who live there, The Amish are part of the workforce
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Old 10-17-2019, 12:24 PM   #5
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I have owned several new RV's over the 30 years from pick-up campers to large diesel pushers and the problem has always been the total lack of quality control. I know that when I take delivery of a new unit I will have to spend several days and a couple short trips fixing plumbing leaks, loose cabinet doors, re-nailing interior trim, adjusting all the doors. The worst is all the glue and caulking clean-up on the outside of the coach and all that sawdust that keeps on appearing everywhere. It's all part of owning a new RV.
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Old 10-17-2019, 03:49 PM   #6
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I've bought 3 new Montana's ... a 2000 / 2005 / 2011. I really started to see quality of build issues with the 2011 model. There will not be a 4th Montana for me. All manufacturers have quality of build issues now days no matter how much money you decide to throw at it. I simply want to try something different.
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Old 10-17-2019, 05:52 PM   #7
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Having owned 2 Montanas and having read the MOC for nearly 10 years and been to many National and Regional Rallys we know Lynwood, Rich, and Dieselguy have it correct. However, sadly these issues are all RV industry wide. We have personal experience with Lazydays in Tampa and we were a "welcome to Lazydays" customer before writing the check and a "why are you still in the building" customer after we had wrote the check. After Janice pitched a fit in the hallway they returned to their better treatment of us. Then we traveled to Tucson AZ and Laysdays there treated us wonderfully and fixed several things even we had not found yet. It is truly a crap shoot.
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Old 10-17-2019, 06:24 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Recumbent View Post
Having owned 2 Montanas and having read the MOC for nearly 10 years and been to many National and Regional Rallys we know Lynwood, Rich, and Dieselguy have it correct. However, sadly these issues are all RV industry wide. We have personal experience with Lazydays in Tampa and we were a "welcome to Lazydays" customer before writing the check and a "why are you still in the building" customer after we had wrote the check. After Janice pitched a fit in the hallway they returned to their better treatment of us. Then we traveled to Tucson AZ and Laysdays there treated us wonderfully and fixed several things even we had not found yet. It is truly a crap shoot.


These issues are everywhere. You just can’t hire quality people. I have a friend in the machine shop business like me. He said he needed a good machinist. I ask why he didn’t hire someone he said “they don’t exists” and that is in every industry and trade.
What are we doing sending kids to college to work at Walmart and can’t find people to fill good jobs. No wonder manufacturing is going overseas. Are we nuts!
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Old 10-17-2019, 08:24 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David T View Post
I purchased my 4th Montana this year. When we arrived home from dealer both closet doors had vibrated out of tracks. When we flushed toilet water sprayed out of back and soaked floor. Kitchen sink leaked and soaked everything under cabinet. Tailights fill with water when it rains and I have to remove and dry. Awning does not close in track properly. Bought in Fla. and live in Mi. Dealers here don't want to work on rig purchased from Lazy days. Fixing most items myself but not happy with quality. First 3 montanas were quite nice with very little maintenance.
We also are on our fourth, and quality is not the same, not just construction, also the quality of furniture, carpet, etc which is not wearing as well as past units.
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Old 10-18-2019, 09:05 AM   #10
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The exact reason we are not letting go of our 2011 Monty. To many issues with the newer ones.
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Old 10-18-2019, 11:12 AM   #11
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I watched the forums (multiple vendors) for over a year before I bought a 2020 3561. What I saw was the same thing on all of them, poor quality out of the factory, granted the $150,000.00 units had less issues, but still had them and I wasn't going there.

I ordered mine (wanted options) instead of one from the dealer (not sure if that made any difference), but mine was perfect when we picked it up and has been for 5,000 miles. That being said my dealer would not let us near it for a week or so while they peeped it, no idea what they may have fixed if anything. I think the dealer has allot to do with what you pick up.
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Old 10-18-2019, 03:11 PM   #12
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The exact reason we are not letting go of our 2011 Monty. To many issues with the newer ones.
This is exactly how we feel also!
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Old 10-18-2019, 06:48 PM   #13
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I was talking with an independent service technician as he was working on a friends 5er I asked him which brands are well built. He looked at me like I was crazy and said none of them are built worth a s**t. He said nearly all the appliances, tv, stereo, furnace,AC units, water heaters, etc are the same regardless of brand. He also said Montana was probably one of the better better brands unless you go with the HIGH DOLLAR units
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Old 10-18-2019, 08:54 PM   #14
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IMHO Corporate Greed and SOME employees doing crap work. Just my opinion.
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Old 10-19-2019, 08:09 AM   #15
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Can you say "Thor"
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Old 10-19-2019, 08:59 AM   #16
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Thor has been the parent company of Keystone TV for a very long time "https://www.thorindustries.com/brands
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Old 10-20-2019, 07:46 AM   #17
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After the rally we made the loop to the Great Lakes Regional Rally, Wagon Masters ran a GREAT rally, did more of the UP, did Door County, a friend in north IL, West Central IN. Then had to go back to Goshen for some repairs. D&T RV Service did GREAT timely work. Authorized Keystone Service Center. One of the services they provide for dealers across the country is PDI. Dealers have them pick them up at the factory, do the PDI before transporting to dealer … very interesting idea. Thought I'd throw that out for any one ordering a unit.
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Old 10-20-2019, 08:25 AM   #18
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The single most important thing that would improve quality and customer service is to MAKE manufacturers and dealers adhere to the same standards that car/truck manufacturers have to adhere to. Second would be to improve Lemon laws.
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Old 10-20-2019, 09:04 AM   #19
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For ever buyer that wants quality to be improved, there are ten buyers that want an RV at the lowest price that fits their pocketbook. This fact is not lost on the RV industry and they are building them to cater to the latter not the former. You also find problems in even the most expensive lines so it really is a case of buyer beware whether there are better lemon laws or not.
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Old 10-20-2019, 09:13 AM   #20
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Since price is the deciding factor and no RV manufacturer has dedicated dealers it always comes back to price. Dealer sales folks have no idea about value, they don't even know Montanas have two gray tank valves and Montana has been doing that forever. That said, my 2017 has many structual and mechanical improvements over my 2010. The cabinets etc. don't even come close, but we wouldn't go back and lose the improvements on the newer one.
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