3295RK vs 3400RL for full-timing

[Wannabe Full-timer]

Has anyone chose between these two for their full-time living and, if so, why did you choose the one you did? I am really looking for the pros/cons of each. I know that can be a truly individual thing but I am sure there must be at least some things that would make you choose one over the other.

Now, without ever being in one mind you, while I know the 3400 is 2' longer than the 3295, the 3295 appears to have as much slide room to me (just by my looking at the floor plans and photos I have been able to come across from dealers on-line) and appears to have more cupboard space, and it appears it has more of an open feeling, but perhaps I am wrong. I know I won't know for sure until I am actually in them.

We will be going to look at these as well as other Montana's next week-end. However, I am hoping that many of you will be able to give me some pointers as to what I might want to be looking for/should be looking for and perhaps what you have found in either of these that you really like/don't like or wish were different.

Really looking forward to your replies.

Sandi & John & 3 Shih Tzu from Michigan (2 adult sons, 1 DIL)
Considering selling stick house, purchasing a Montana, living in it full-time locally so we can continue to live near my elderly father. Continuing to work full-time. Dreaming of the day we can head south for winter!

[Parrothead]

Sandi and John
You are looking at the two models that ended up on our list by the end. To us the 3400 has more of an open feel in the LR. This is where you spend a great deal of time. It also has the ability to have several guests visit without feeling cramped. If you switch the couch and chairs, it has perfect viewing for TV for several people plus the TV can be seen from the dining table if you desire. The computer desk can also view TV if you like to multi task. The large pantry in the 3400 makes up for the cupboards in the 3295. We like where the washer/dryer is in the 3400 and with a combo you still have a lot of room for storage. We lived in our 3400 the first 9 months we had it and were very comfortable. The armoire in the bedroom also provides a lot of storage. Can you tell we like our 3400? View both with the slides out and mentally walk through your daily routine. Don't be concerned with how it looks with the slides in - you are not in that mode much and with a little advanced planning both models work on the road. The main thing when traveling is the potty and both units allow for access to that area.
Happy trails..........................

Sue and Ed Rowe
Hemet California

2005 3400RL

2006 GMC 3500 Dually, D/A, Crew Cab, Long Bed

[Wannabe Full-timer]

Sue & Ed, thank you SO much. These were the kind of things I wanted to hear because I figure even after going in them I may miss some things and having someone point out the things they notice will help me to be really looking for these types of things.

Boy, did you hit the nail on the head with your statement of being able to access the potty while on the road! That is an absolute must for me as well! I have kidney/bladder problems and we have to make frequent stops and sometimes abruptly, alongside the road in a parking lot. So, that is one thing I told hubby any RV we EVER look at you have to be able to access the potty with slides in!

You shared some very valuable info with me and we will try to remember to envision doing all the things we might do in a normal day while living in one of these. I know being able to view the TV from the sofa will be important to husband. Having an open feeling is very important to me. The washer/dryer unit is also a must have on my list.

Sandi & John & 3 Shih Tzu from Michigan (2 adult sons, 1 DIL)
Considering selling stick house, purchasing a Montana, living in it full-time locally so we can continue to live near my elderly father. Continuing to work full-time. Dreaming of the day we can head south for winter!

[Montana Sky]

I chose the 3400RL mainly for its "open feel" and floor space. I use my coach from April - October down at the river in my seasonal campsite. Have had as many as 10 people stay the weekend in that baby. Now you could hardly walk around the coach as I had bodies sleeping everywhere on the floor, but the point being, there was enough room for everyone to sleep. I also liked that I could get to the fridge, watercloset, shower, and bedroom w/o opening any of the slides. I make lunch before I break camp and throw it all in the fridge. While out on the road, I stop at a nice rest area or view point and make that my lunchroom for the day. I do not think you could go wrong with either floorplan, they both offer many great options.


2004 Chevy Silverado LT 2500HD CrewCab Duramax
2004 Montana 3400RL

[Cat320]

We opted for the 3400 over the 3295 because we figured we would spend more time in the living room than in the kitchen. With the RL, you can see out three sides...with the RK, only the cook, while cooking, can see out three sides.

[Wannabe Full-timer]

Thank you! Now, see, I wouldn't even have thought of the "view", being able to see out all the windows in one versus the other. Thanks for pointing that out. That would be important to me too I think.

Sandi & John & 3 Shih Tzu from Michigan (2 adult sons, 1 DIL)
Considering selling stick house, purchasing a Montana, living in it full-time locally so we can continue to live near my elderly father. Continuing to work full-time. Dreaming of the day we can head south for winter!

[Parrothead]

Cat brings up a good point and I hadn't thought about it. All I know is there are lots of windows and you never have a closed in feeling. Another thing I like (because I was by myself a lot during the first 9 months) if you have the small window by the door with blinds up or only dayblinds down you can see who is knocking on your door. I think this is a real safety issue.
Happy trails.........................

Sue and Ed Rowe
Hemet California

2005 3400RL

2006 GMC 3500 Dually, D/A, Crew Cab, Long Bed

[sreigle]

Sandi and John, I think maybe we are also qualified to answer your question. We bought a new 2003 3295RK and had it for four years and one month. We fulltimed in it for the past 3 1/2 years. We loved the floorplan. It has the most counter space and interior storage. It was excellent for our fulltiming. that said, a week ago today we took delivery on a new 3400RL. I think we're going to love it, also. It has less interior storage and counter space but we also really like this floorplan. In my opinion, both are good choices for fulltimers as are several other models.

The 3295RK has the heavier pinweight. The 3400 is a bit heavier overall. The 3295RK is 360 square feet. The 3400RL is 400. Yes, the slides are roughly the same but the 3295RK has 3 of them and the 3400 has 4.

Those are the biggest differences I can see. If I were in your shoes I'd go for whichever sets your heart aflutter more.

See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'07 3400RL
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

[Chaser]

ok, guess we will step in here as well.
We bought a new 2004 3295 and loved it for two years - I was still loving it when hubby says lets trade for 3400, so I went kicking and screaming to "just look". After a couple of trips, and a sore body from being dragged to dealers, we found one we both liked in May 2006, so now we have it and I'm learning to love it. It is most comfortable when you just happen to have good friends in for a movie, and there's room to move around the room without falling over anyone (human or animal), that said, storage is the biggest issue inside - one has to experiment with different places for different things until the right spot is found. And one finds out very quickly what is "needed" and what there is room for, if you get my meaning (just a little dig there). Steve is right. Both the 3295 and 3400 are excellent units for full timing - we spent 6 months in the desert Southwest in the 3295 with 2 dogs and 2 cats and survived quite well. Our stick home is up for sale, so we can enjoy our 3400 full time for a couple of years though we plan to buy some place to park it on in our home state for the Summer time visit with family and friends. Who knows, our 2 may grow to several, or we may find that staying in one place is too gravitating and we go back to having a home base and travel occassionally. There are always choices no matter which model, or what you choose to do with it, you can't go wrong.

Chaser
Mike & Evy Orlob
Retired, Rver's, Racefans

[Native Tex]

Guys I just have to add my two cents. We are not full-timing yet, but are planning to really soon. In fact, the wife retires in less than three weeks. We looked at all the floor plan for months before we decided on the 3400. Many of the ideas expressed are the same reason for our choice. We use our a lot now and love the access to everything and the way it tows. It seems to be balanced very well with the weight of the kitchen over the axels. This helps to keep the bucking in check.

Native Tex

O.V. & Kathy Bonner
Miss Ko-Ko (Chocolate Lab)
Huntsville, Al
'05, 3400RL
'05 F250 Ford King Ranch, CC, FX4/4x4, 6.0L PSD

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[Hemlockusa]

Sandy and John - All my friends have 3400's and they are great - However if your going apples for apples compare the 3400 to the 3650RK they are the same length both have four slides. then make a decision. We have a 3650RK and it's kinda like Steve and Vicki said. Check them both out and which ever make's your heart FLUTTER more is the one for you.... It's not fun paying for something your not completely satisfied with..

Safe Travels John H

2005 Dodge 3500 4x2 Dually Cummins Diesel, Line X /2005 Montana/""MOC TRAVEL ASSISTANCE VOLUNTEER"" ""TOPEKA, KANSAS AREA"" 3650RK

[Wannabe Full-timer]

I still would be hard pressed to make a choice between the two models, which are my favorites still after being in almost every model of the Montana's a couple weeks ago. I must say, husband & I both seemed drawn to the 3295 more, although I liked the open feeling and big rear window in the 3400. I would be spending a lot of my time at the desk in either one (since I work on a computer at home daily) so that area will be very important. Any pros/cons to the desk in either of these? (I felt with having the kitchen counter and table near the desk in the 3295 would be a real asset for my work.) We need to keep in mind too that we want to be able to tow with a F250 and realize we will probably need rear suspension(?) air bags ? installed on the truck from what I have read on this forum. (Ok guys, don't shoot me as I don't know what I am talking about obviously lol). My heart says the 3295 but my mind says the 3400 would be more open/roomy feeling. Now, what do I do?!?

Sandi & John & 3 Shih Tzu from Michigan (2 adult sons, 1 DIL)
Considering selling stick house, purchasing a Montana, living in it full-time locally so we can continue to live near my elderly father. Continuing to work full-time. Dreaming of the day we can head south for winter!

[CountryGuy]

Sandi,

Look some more?? HA HA, you can shoot now and laugh later!!

We have the 3295, and your comments about the counter and table top being extra desk space are very true, I also have used the kitchen chair nearest the computer desk, and can always bring another chair around if I need it. I tend to have a lot of papers spread out during parts of my work.

I'll make it work somehow, cause for me, the telie has to be AWAY from me while I am on the computer. I don't even want to see the blue flicker of death out of the corner of my eye. Al can watch that blue flicker (he has wireless headphones so I don't hear it either) and I can work away. If there is something he thinks I just have to see on the telie I can swing my desk chair around (secretaries desk chair, wheels, arms, adjustable height on the seat, etc.) and I can still see the telie just fine.

In an honest discussion, I have a lap top, and very small printer and small scanner. Real estate is at a premium. I use one of those shelf things you can buy to put at your sink, walley world had a real nice looking one for $10.00 that matched the wood of Tana pretty close. It came with 3 sections, I used 2, I put the little printer up there, the scanner under it and can still lift the lid to scan. People have said they put tower (desk top) on the floor and have no problem with them.

Yes, there are times I would like the open floor plan of the 3400. That is a great feeling sitting in one. But, at this point in my life, my work is very important to me, and so is my desk and so is NOT seeing that telie. We looked for 5 years to find a rig that gave us that choice, saw the 3295 and in 30 seconds went, BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!! We did not even look at the bedroom/ bathroom area. Did not care one bit what was up there, cause it had the desk and telie we wanted. We can watch telie from the chair and the couch, if we wanna watch and Carol can work away, happy as a pig in mud. Will it be the same for us in 5 years?? Maybe not, our lives morf, so do our needs in a rig.

Hope that helps ya some.

Carol

[Wannabe Full-timer]

Thanks so much Carol. Your comments really are helpful and I can totally relate to the working situation. I have to have it quiet also when working but usually do most of my work during the day when husband is at work. However, I too utilize a cordless headset for watching TV at night in bed when husband is sleeping (and husband would have to do that in the Montana) when I am working as I do work on weekends some too when he would be in the RV. I also would have to have my office chair that is totally adjustable as I have to have a good one due to back problems so I am "ergonomic".

Thanks too for the suggestion of the over the sink shelf. I have one of those in our TT but it is real skinny and is only one piece but looks real nice. Did you find yours in the furniture or kitchen gadget area at Walmart? I have to have paper trays for four different types of paper and I have a small envelope holder I use for my work as well as a couple reference books (but I could get software to replace those). I have a small transcription machine and two printers - one a 3 in 1 but I think I could get by without that. I currently have a wonderful big corner desk with hutch in my home office and so much stuff on it but there is a lot I really could do without that I have now. I have a PC and a laptop and I am happy to use just the laptop but I need a backup computer at all times due to my work in case I have a problem with one. I will probably buy another laptop eventually. I usually find I need to upgrade every couple years anyway as my computer gets heavy use and they become outdated so fast.

Thanks again!

Sandi & John & 3 Shih Tzu from Michigan (2 adult sons, 1 DIL)
Considering selling stick house, purchasing a Montana, living in it full-time locally so we can continue to live near my elderly father. Continuing to work full-time. Dreaming of the day we can head south for winter!

[CountryGuy]

Sandi,

I found my over the counter shelf in the kitchen gadgets area of Walleyworld. It is 6 inches or so wide??? my little Cannon portable printer fits on there soooooo nice!!

I have a 4 drawer unit, fits in the cupboard over the kitchen table for storage of paper and envelopes. It works really good. Some other MOC people have reported putting printers in cupboards and using wifi routers, etc. Now, Al and I talked about this just today, and we are not sure at all, but wondered about the wireless stuff to the printers interfereing with wifi internet systems some of the campgrounds have. I don't think it does, but we really are not sure on this. We have been in campgrounds that say in no uncertain terms if you have wireless in your rig and it messes with their wireless you have 2 choices, 1. turn off your wireless or 2. leave! They mean it. But, I think they mean wireless between 2 computers. It is just something to be aware of and do some further research on.

My desk chair is not the best in the world, but it does fit under the kitchen table for travel by simply lowering it to the lowest seat position. We only have 2 kitchen chairs. so, on one side of the table, we have one OEM chair, and the other we have one OEM chair and my desk chair (while running).

Don't forget you have that large storage area over the desk, and even tho I load it up pretty good, I don't load it FULL of books. They say a 200 pound man can hold on and hang from those cupboards, but I still try to put some of the books in other areas of Tana.

Carol

[Wannabe Full-timer]

Thanks for the heads-up on the wireless. I am looking at getting an ExpressCard (replaces the PC card) with cell phone service probably from Sprint when the cards become available. I have a newer Compaq/HP laptop and it only comes with this type of slot but the cards are not widely available yet. I hope having one of those for Internet service wouldn't be an issue in a CG! I had the opportunity to try WiFi at a KOA this summer in our TT and it just wouldn't do for my work at all. It was very slow and I got a lot of disconnects and I was right near the tower in the CG. However, it could have been due to the location of the KOA too perhaps.

I bet the over-the-sink wooden stand I have now in the TT is about the same as you are talking about that Wally World carries. However, I don't know if my Canon would be stable on it. I have a PIXMA iP4200. It is small but perhaps your printer is smaller? Mine is about 12" x 16".

Thanks for the suggestions on storage options too for office items. Great tips!

Sandi & John & 3 Shih Tzu from Michigan (2 adult sons, 1 DIL)
Considering selling stick house, purchasing a Montana, living in it full-time locally so we can continue to live near my elderly father. Continuing to work full-time. Dreaming of the day we can head south for winter!

[CountryGuy]

Express card and cell phone would not affect any campground wifi, AT ALL. That I do know!

if your PIXMA is like my MP500, NOPE, that is not gonna work on that shelf, I don't remember the number of my Cannon at the moment, but it is SMALL! It is a portable printer, it prints legal and color too. I'll see if I can remember to look up the number sometime. I believe it is smaller than a sheet of paper.

If I had the Pixma you are talking about, I would be looking at cupboards?? Gotta tell you tho, this MP 500 probably would not fit in ANY of the cupboards in Tana., geee it takes up a lot of real estate. It is a scanner/printer/copier one. Someday I might figure out how to do the copy part!

BTW, that wifi that you used this summer does not sound like it was working so good. There are sooooooooooo many variables bout getting wifi in a campground to work, that we could have a LONG thread on just that. wifi, just like the rest of the internet and computers, will be a great thing if they ever get it to work! HA HA, Computer is my best enemy and worst friend.

Cheers, have a good one

[Wannabe Full-timer]

That is great to know that the ExpressCard will not be a problem. What a relief!! As for the WiFi I used this summer, it was my first and only experience with it ever, while we were on vacation, so I know little to nothing about it. LOL

I have to have a printer that has a paper top feed due to the type of paper I use (that has handwritten info written on the top 1/4 of each page) or I get terrible paper jams. I have an HP 3 in 1 and while I think personally HP is very high quality I got too many paper jams due to the paper I have to use. The printer may have to sit on my desk or perhaps even the kitchen counter (therefore I think I need the Montana 3295 for convenience of my work as I print out a lot of pages most days).

Sandi & John & 3 Shih Tzu from Michigan (2 adult sons, 1 DIL)
Considering selling stick house, purchasing a Montana, living in it full-time locally so we can continue to live near my elderly father. Continuing to work full-time. Dreaming of the day we can head south for winter!

[Parrothead]

Be aware that the campgrounds WiFi is only as good as their connection and system. We were at one CG whose WiFi was on dial up - I asked because it was sloooooooooooooooow. Also most systems will have a time to shut down for maintenance and/or backup. The KOA we were at in Williams, AZ went down every Sunday evening for about an hour.
I found Carol and Colleens comment interesting about the quietness. Maybe it comes from working in a busy enviroment but I can't work with quietness. If the TV isn't on, then Jimmy is. I thought the desk area bigger in the 3400 but I may be wrong. The 3295 was the one we were after until we saw the 3400. Colleen we changed the couch and recliners in our 3400 and since Ed usually sits in the recliner it gave me the whole couch and the little table to spread out all of my papers when working. And of course the floor. (That stems from days at the CPA firm where everybody had stacks of papers on the floor.) Also when I was working and living in the Monty, I had a desktop on the desk, a large LCD montior and my printer, scanner, copier. I keep paper in the cupboard above as well as software CDs and extra supplies. I also use the chair storage for blank CDs and DVDs, cords, etc. Even though I'm not working now, I still use the computer a lot and still love the desk. We added a keyboard drawer that also has a mouse shelf. Both of these units are great units but we are glad we went with the 3400.
Happy trails...................

Sue and Ed Rowe
Hemet California

2005 3400RL

2006 GMC 3500 Dually, D/A, Crew Cab, Long Bed

[CountryGuy]

Sue, I could stand the noise IF Al did not watch some shows that I, well, HATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Listening to them UGHHH, plus, his hearing is a problem, so, he has to have them on LOUD to hear that stuff. That really distracts me.

If, the sound was not the problem, then that blue flicker would be! I had to sit facing that buggar in the TT when I wanted to work, or had to face the other way and suffer from claustophobic stress. I chose the blue flicker, and after a 6 week and then and 8 week stint with the blue flicker and getting drawn into and revolted by shows that I found objectionable, well, 3295 here I am!

I tell you after looking for a desk away from the tellie for over 5 years, I did a major happy dance and giggled all the way home from the RV show!

Moral of the story, know your lifestyles, your likes, dislikes, be creative in finding solutions to the problems, get the best rig that fits you, and then MONTANA!!

Carol