Sharing the Montana - Do you or Don't You?

[seahunter]

Not sure if this is the right place for my strange question in two parts.

The first part of my question is how many folks let friends or family use their truck and trailer?

This would be them taking it out and using it for weekends or a week or two.

The second part is how many let people just stay in their trailer, say if they're visiting for a while?

My take on the first part is this. I have a $65,000 truck and a $100,000 (MSRP) trailer and there is no way - friend or family - are going to take out my rigs. Does that make me a bad person?

Now, for the second part. The whole reason we wanted an RV is so we don't have to stay in disgusting well-used hotel rooms. I have to admit I'm a bit OCD to be fair, so I like having my brand new, clean trailer. So, if I let people stay in it all the time, I effectively have a hotel room on wheels then the way I see it, which I'm not too keen on. This came up recently because my in-laws asked to use our trailer for when their relatives were up for a stay. I thought that was a bit nervy?? If it were me, I would never expect to use someone else's trailer. And what if they don't know how to use all the systems. Even if shown, that's a lot to learn and a lot to forget.

So there are my questions and my phobias - LOL. Just wanted to see what others' opinions are of "sharing the Montana"...

[Irlpguy]

I will be the first to reply to your questions:

1) I would not even remotely consider loaning my unit to friend or relative, no matter how much I love them. I worked my whole life for what we have today as a travel unit. Sorry rent one from a dealer. Heck I don't even let my wife drive my truck.

2) My unit is parked in my yard, depending on the in laws I would either allow them to sleep in it only, or I would sleep in it myself and allow them a room in my house. I would not move it to a campsite to accommodate anyone's visit.

Now how you propose to tell these folks "NO" I will leave up to you, good luck on that one.

[davidaf]

Nope, don't even let people drive my truck. It's not like it's a little honda plus strap 38ft and 15k lbs to it. No way, I'd be a wreck. As for using it when I'm not there, nope. Guess I'm just a jerk. Get your own payment

[seahunter]

quote:Originally posted by Irlpguy

I will be the first to reply to your questions:

1) I would not even remotely consider loaning my unit to friend or relative, no matter how much I love them. I worked my whole life for what we have today as a travel unit. Sorry rent one from a dealer. Heck I don't even let my wife drive my truck.

2) My unit is parked in my yard, depending on the in laws I would either allow them to sleep in it only, or I would sleep in it myself and allow them a room in my house. I would not move it to a campsite to accommodate anyone's visit.

Now how you propose to tell these folks "NO" I will leave up to you, good luck on that one.

Good points! LOL - wife hasn't driven the truck either. I know its better (safer) if she could, but she doesn't want to tow the Montana anyway.

LOL on telling them. They brought it up when I wasn't there. My wife laughed at her mom and said, "Have you MET my husband!" She done took care of that for us.

[seahunter]

quote:Originally posted by davidaf

Nope, don't even let people drive my truck. It's not like it's a little honda plus strap 38ft and 15k lbs to it. No way, I'd be a wreck. As for using it when I'm not there, nope. Guess I'm just a jerk. Get your own payment

I'd be a wreck too. That's why I turn it around and think, would I want to use someone else's car/truck/trailer? Heck no, I be too worried the whole time if I did it, so why would I let someone else do it?

LOL - Get your own payment!

[NCFischers]

Absolutely no on both counts. It's not a hotel, it's our home that we worked way too hard for. There is a learning curve to owning and using these rigs. To me, it would like someone asking to use my toothbrush.

[HamRad]

The "general" answer would be "no". However if I knew the person and knew he/she could handle the rig then the answer would be yes. My brother comes to mind. He knows how to drive these rigs. Heck he's done more work on my rigs than anyone. He knows the rig better than I do.

If we have visitors then either they can stay in the trailer or we can stay in the trailer. We've done both. Absolutely no problems. We always clean up after they've gone. Even though they did a good job of cleaning.

As an example of someone that I would not let tow the trailer around would be my daughter and my son. Love them both dearly. But neither one of them would even ask to borrow it. They know they cannot handle it. Just about any of our MOC friends, however, would be welcome if the circumstances warranted the use. If you're a MOC then you already know how to deal with the truck and the rig. Good luck... Dennis

[ols1932]

Never! I'd let them stay in the rig for a night or two while visiting but that's all.

Orv

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Loan out the unit, well, no that is not going to happen.

I am allowed to drive the truck and tow the Montana, our purchase was one done together, we both worked as a couple to get where we are today, to buy both the truck and 5er. And it is probably more my dream for many years than his.

rant to begin

Ladies can and do drive these rigs, and ooo, the buses your beloved children and grandchildren ride to school on a daily basis are driven by a lot of women. If women can drive buses with your precious cargo, they can drive these units.

rant over.

We are more than happy to allow guests to use the bedroom in the stickbuilt while they visit. We prefer the beds in Tana anyway!

[1retired06]

Nobody drives my truck except my wife, no exceptions. Nobody borrows the fiver or my boat, no exceptions. On a regular basis, folks visit us in NC and Florida, and stay with us in the fiver. We give them the upstairs, and we sleep on our super duper air mattress in the living room.

[Phil P]

Hi

The first part of your question.

We have let one of my uncles and cousin spends a couple of nights in our trailer when they were here for my father’s funeral. My uncle was in his middle 90’s and we are out in the country where it is a 40 minute ride to the nearest decent Motel.The funeral was held at my house there wasn’t a viewing.

I have let a friend stay a couple of nights on the sofa bed when I was at the Florida Fly wheelers event last November.

We have never loaned the truck and trailer to anyone.



The second part of your question.

In my case I would not consider the trailer a “Motel room” on wheels.

However I would agree with your analogy if the trailer was consistently loaned out to relatives or friends.

Phil P

[gkidsdlite]

Kids and Grandkids only as we will be living in it fulltime, when we are on a trip together! I would trust my 2 sons with pulling it as they are professional truck drivers, in fact when on those vaca's they will be doing their time at the wheel! Sorry my 3 daughters, no, not because I favor the boys it's just that they don't have large vehicle experience! As for the DW she will be getting a lot of training/driving under my direction! She trained me so now it's my turn to return the favor!!! HAHAHA

[Icehouse]

No and No. Never. No exceptions. And no apologies. I will happily direct them to the local dealership where they can pick out their own.

[richfaa]

Loaning it out...No. It is to much of a responsibility no matter who the person is. Helen is the only other person who drives the rig emergency conditions aside.

The Montana sits here on our property with full hook ups. It can be used as a motel room for family members or friends but in 7 years of Montana ownership that has not happened. Most Non Rv owners would rather stay in a motel than the Montana.

[seahunter]

Thank you all for your great replies. Was going over them this morning with the Mrs., and I told her we basically got two types of responses - NO, and H*ll NO! I'm feeling much better that I'm not "strange" for not feeling like loaning out the truck or trailer.

[davidaf]

quote:
Ladies can and do drive these rigs, and ooo, the buses your beloved children and grandchildren ride to school on a daily basis are driven by a lot of women. If women can drive buses with your precious cargo, they can drive these units.

DW is free to use/drive/smash anything I/we own. Hopefully we'll end up next to some good folks like you that will give her a prod to start driving the rig. She doesn't even like driving the dually. She bought her own camper, an 84 Westy. I barely fit behind the wheel, silly legs are too long.

[Yamaha_Mama]

We don't lend our Monty out to anyone. With the extra skill and awareness needed to drive, manuever, set up and break down systems, we don't feel comfortable with anyone letting anyone else use it.

On the second question, we are fortunate enough to keep our Monty at our home. So, it is used as a 'guest house' for when our son and his family come to visit.

[Parts Ed]

In answer to your question, No I would not loan out our trailer to anyone-not even our kids, they have had not experience in driving anything like that. Heck my wife didn't even want to let our youngest drive my truck to and from high school as if he would have an accident with it there goes our primary means of towing our trailer(s).....
That being said, I have loaned out my Auto Hauler, but not my truck, to friends so they could move from one house to another but they knew were familiar with towing a trailer.

[kylec2]

My answer is "No" on both accounts.

[kylec2]

My answer is "No" on both accounts.