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Old 02-14-2011, 12:55 PM   #1
troutchasers
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Gel Coat or Paint on new 3400RL

We are spreadsheeting up our option list for the 3400RL. The retail price list shows $2170 for the 3400RL gel coat. The Big Sky Package includes Full Body Paint as part of a package to include leveling system, G rated tires (not sure yet of origin), and a shower for $10,225. These are all retail prices.

So... is paint better for long term wear than gel coat? If so... is it worth the cost???? Opinions appreciated.

I will look into piecing out the leveling system, G rated tires to see if 10K makes sense for the package. Deciding factor might be the paint gel coat issue.

This rig is going to get A LOT of miles. We intend to drive from Florida to Homer Alaska at least every other year if not every year over the summer.

Thanks for any suggestions. I'm sure I will have a whole bunch more questions as this spreadsheet comes together over the next few months.

This forum is just a WEALTH of great information!

Cheers!
 
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Old 02-14-2011, 01:14 PM   #2
Ozz
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Re: the Gel coat, I just love them, but we don't have it. The extra weight is a factor for us since I we have so much in the trailer. If we traveled lighter, I would definitely want it.
If you will be doing tons of travel, you may be heavy with goodies as well.
Good luck with it.
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Old 02-14-2011, 02:23 PM   #3
exav8tr
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I have a four year old 3400 with the gel coat and it has held up well. Not quite as well on the fiberglass cap and rear. If I was buying new again and had the option of full body paint I would do it. Of course, they have not been painting them very long so I don't know what the longevity would be. Perhaps someone with the paint can speak about how long the warranty is or what the expected longevity is. I know several of our members have the paint on their Big Skys. I like the design better than the white with decals.....Many problems with decals over the years.........
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Old 02-14-2011, 04:21 PM   #4
thor
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high end motorhome are all full body paint.they still look good years later.
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Old 02-14-2011, 05:41 PM   #5
drknapp
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If the full paint option was available for our 3150 we just bought we would have purchased it. I like the idea of being able to keep a coat of wax on it (being as you aren't supposed to put wax on the decals).
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Old 02-15-2011, 12:11 AM   #6
jsnip42
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I could be wrong but I thought I read on the new Montana's gelcoat was standard now?
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Old 02-15-2011, 12:41 AM   #7
adelmoll
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We love the full body paint we purchased on our Big Sky two years ago. We feel it was worht the extra cost.

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Old 02-15-2011, 01:21 AM   #8
akf15e
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I have the gel coat as the paint was not available yet. I think the paint looks much better and you don't have to worry about decals peeling. That is not a fun replacement job, trust me. I'd lean towards paint with two minor concerns. One is will the paint fade over time. Two, will the paint scheme look outdated after a few years - when I see the old burnt orange paint schemes on older rigs, they look out of place. But it may take years before the styles change.
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Old 02-15-2011, 12:04 PM   #9
washley1
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Full body paint on our BS as well. Two plus years out and it is holding up well, and never been waxed. We parked it in the hot Florida sun for the first year, and now have it under cover. Except when needing a bath, it looks as good as new.
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Old 02-16-2011, 03:29 AM   #10
Hooker
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The full body paint will hold up better than the gel coat...which looks good initially, but will fade...the paint will not.
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Old 02-16-2011, 02:21 PM   #11
Grey Nomads
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We just took delivery of our 2011 3580RL upgrade package. We really like the upgrade. We felt the extras you will receive were well worth the extra cost. We are very happy with the paint job on the Monty. Also the G-tires are made by Goodyear. The level system made it very easy when we got home. Would definitly recommend to purchase the upgrade pakckage.
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Old 02-16-2011, 03:11 PM   #12
richfaa
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If we could afford it we would purchase the full body paint.
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Old 02-17-2011, 03:04 PM   #13
FLtravelers
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We really like the idea of full body paint. Our decals are so crummy that we almost consider having it painted.
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Old 02-18-2011, 09:59 AM   #14
bigred715
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Full body paint would be the way to go if price isn't a concern. No fading and no worry of peeling with the decal system. Hope my 2010 will last a long time.
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