3400 RL owners please help - Montana Owners Club

Driftwoodgal · 09-16-2009, 05:54 AM

Moderators please move this if this isn't the appropriate place.

We had a blow out coming back for Marble Falls on the 4th of July. It took out all of the lower panel as the wheel well molding. It was fixed at the dealership and we took it out camping Labor Day.

After setting up I noticed that the wheel molding had a screw missing from it. I looked closer and indeed a screw was missing, but I think it they put the wrong part when they replaced our wheel molding.

The part that they put on the the rig curves down and finishes the entire curve coming to a point. I think our original had a straighter up and down cut off at the end by the door it was molded at the end.

This probably doesn't make sense without seeing it. I looked at the owners rig pictures and it looks like others have a more straight end to the wheel molding rather than on that continues down to a thinner point with a hole for a screw.

Colleen

HughM · 09-16-2009, 06:11 AM

Does it match the opposite side of you Monty?
Hugh

JimF · 09-16-2009, 10:51 AM

you are correct, my 3400 has a flat end by the door.

exav8tr · 09-16-2009, 11:38 AM

My '06 3400 has about a 5-6 inch flat edge also by the door.

HamRad · 09-16-2009, 02:42 PM

Colleen,
It makes perfect sense. Of of course that could be because we just replaced our driver side fender skirt. We had lost it a few years earlier because of a blowout.

Dave Anderson was kind enough to bring a new fender to the Memorial Day Gathering at Lake Siskiyou (There is a special and funny story that goes with this but that is for another time). Then while at the Spring National Rally at Canyonville, OR a very nice group of members installed the new fender. It did not match the existing fender exactly but was very close. The enterprising guys ended up re-engineering the fender and it looks fantastic!

Keystone has so many different configurations I'm surprised they ever get things matched up!

We drove our rig for at least 2 years without a fender so the new one, even though it is not exactly the right one, looks great.

A big thank you to all who worked on the rig.

Dennis

Driftwoodgal · 09-16-2009, 03:04 PM

I thought the part had a flat edge. This part sticks out six inches from the edge of the slide. It comes to a point just as the drivers side does. What I am worried about is coming out of the rig and scraping ourselves on this pointed area. Bob has thinner skin and tears it when he bumps into stuff. Also worried that it will be easier to catch something on and rip off or loosen the moulding.

Any thoughts?????

I talked to the dealership this morning and they said they sent our VIN number in with the part request. They installed what was sent to them.

Colleen

mtpocket2 · 09-16-2009, 03:28 PM

Ours from the factory sticks out quite a bit. It is a very poor design. Ours is cracked from running into it. Only a matter of time before it rips me or I rip it

Sounds like you got the new and improved part!

akf15e · 09-17-2009, 01:48 AM

We bought the one that was on the floor at the RV show. When we were there, we noticed the molding was broken off about 3 or 4". We didn't think much about it other than to say we wanted a new one before delivery.

When I did the PDI I saw that it looked like the new one stuck out a bit far, but didn't give it any more thought. On our first trip I scraped my leg on it a couple of times and it all came together! Obviously someone at the show had walked into it and broken it, and now I definitely saw the possibility of it happening again.

Bottom line - when it was back at the dealer for some other maintenance, I had them fix it. There were other mid-entry door Montanas on the lot with "straight cut" molding, so I said that's what I wanted as the current design was a safety hazard. They did. Basically they cut it with a fine saw and glued/screwed the small 6" piece next to the door, so when the slide closes it lines up with the rest of the wheel molding.

Long story to say - I'd have them fix it! Good luck.

Driftwoodgal · 09-19-2009, 05:27 AM

Those of you that have the flat sided moulding, can you tell me how far it sticks out from the edge of your LR slide?

Thanks,

Colleen

exav8tr · 09-19-2009, 06:23 AM

Colleen, Mine sticks out about 3/4 inch. We have had no incidents of running into it. I definitely think you got the wrong one.......

tim43 · 09-19-2009, 10:48 AM

At my local realer I have seen the door side slides with both the cut off version and non cut off version. I had mine cut back because I considered the part sticking out a safety hazard.

PSFORD99 · 09-20-2009, 05:49 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Driftwoodgal

Those of you that have the flat sided moulding, can you tell me how far it sticks out from the edge of your LR slide?

Thanks,

Colleen

Mine is real close to an inch, and squared off. What happened to you sounds typical, I had that lower aluminum panel replaced the original was really wavy looked terrible, it was on warranty, the dealer took pictures Keystone said yes replace it, well they ordered the wrong one it was not long enough so they spliced it, well that looked worse than when I started, anyway we eventually got the right panel ordered and replaced. I would just insist you want the same part as the original.

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