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Old 10-24-2004, 02:01 PM   #1
Montana_2230
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Seeking Information Please

Hello, our names are Ray and Judy Wallace. We are new members here in the forum. We joined, hoping to learn some things about our (new to us) used 2001 Montana which we pick up on Saturday Oct 30th. Our Rving experience to date, has been with a pull behind Keystone Outback which we enjoy very much. Yesterday we went to SunCoast RV in Ocala to pick up a repair part for the Outback, walked out with a 2001 5th wheel Montana. The unit we bought was hardly used and seems to be in great shape. we were sorta in the mood to upgrade, so we did. I actually don't know the model number of it, but I think it is a 2955RL.

Our question to the forum, what problems has the 2001 models had? We are not worried about small nit picking problems, just major problems that might include safety considerations or such. I have been assured that the unit will be gone over and checked by technicians and any problems found will be fixed before I take delivery, plus we have a two to three hour walk through PDI scheduled before we sign on the dotted line. The unit was traded in last Thursday, so the dealer didn't have time to do anything with it before we saw it.

Would sure appreciate any of your comments about this 2001 year Montana and Montana's in general. Our Outback relationship with Keystone has been great.

We have a 2002 Chevy D'max with the Allison transmission, so I expect that I will have no probelms towing the Montana.

E-mails or forum replies will be appreciated.

Thanks,

 
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Old 10-24-2004, 02:29 PM   #2
padredw
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Ray and Judy, nice to hear from folks with whom we have so much in common. We have the 2002 Chevy Duramax with Allison as you do and we have the 2955 RL Montana. Ours is the 2002 model, so I can't make any specific comments about the 2001 model. But I can say that we made the choice of the 2955 for its many good features and remain convinced that it is our pick of the Montanas. FIRST, we prefer a 5/wheel in the 30-32 length to longer trailers as we are NOT full timers and prefer to tow and park the RV we have. SECOND, all essential services inside the trailer are available with slides in the full "IN" position. We often stop for lunch (even breakfast) and can get to the refrig, bathroom, and stove easily. THIRD, we like the sliding doors between the bedroom and bath, as well as the doors between the bath and the living room. Most of our use is with just the two of us, and that is a far more desireable bedroom/bath arrangement than the "suites" now in the vogue. On the few occasions when we have overnight guests the bathroom becomes a "pass through" bath with privacy on both sides. FOURTH, we very much like the reclining chairs, the large rear window and the convenient location of the TV.

We have traveled over 24000 miles with this Montana and spent over 150 nights in it, and we still feel we made the right choice. All this to say, I hope you will like your Montana 2955 RL as much as we do. This has become long enough for one response, but I will add another to this thread maybe even tonight.

dw
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Old 10-24-2004, 03:42 PM   #3
Montana_505
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I have a 2001 2955RL. The only problem I've had is a small crack on the bedroom slide. The crack is located just forward of the slide in the lower corner. Keystone is aware of the problem. Mine was repaired at my dealer at no cost to me. Other than that, I've had no problems.
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Old 10-24-2004, 04:01 PM   #4
NJ Hillbilly
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Call Keystone with the VIN # of the trailer to make sure the upgrade has been done to the frame. The older ones have 8" frames and there were issues with cracking near the axles. Keystone will pay to have the necessary work to be done if it has not already been performed. I believe the service bulletin number is "00-8" if I remember correctly. I am sure someone else will verify the number.

Good Luck and enjoy the trailer and the Forum.

John
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Old 10-24-2004, 04:42 PM   #5
sreigle
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Congratulations, Floridanomads! You made a good choice in the Montana 2955RL. There are a number of members of this forum with that model. And your truck will have no trouble at all towing it.

We used to have a 2001 2880RL. The frame on ours was the newer, 10-inch frame, so we didn't need that frame work done. I don't know if any of the 2001 models have the 8-inch frame that requires the upgrade or not. Keystone has been taking care of these even for subsequent owners. Those who have had this work done have reported they are very pleased with the result.

The crack in the bedroom slide that might occur is in a lower corner of the main unit's sidewall, not actually in the slide. It's from normal flex. Later models have a flex joint there. The fix is to install that flex joint and check to make sure there's no frame problem. We didn't have that crack on our 2001, either, but just be aware of it. There are several posts from people who had this work done.

I'm not aware of anything else for the 2001 model. You made an excellent choice. You may already know Montana has been the number one seller in North America for three years running and is looking to make it four in a row here in a few months.

Good luck. Keep us posted.
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Old 10-24-2004, 04:54 PM   #6
lightningjack11
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John,

Service Advisory 00-8 is correct.

Floridanomads,

Welcome to the MOC and good to see you posting. In the upper right of the screen you will see our search function. Good tool.

You can also click on "All Forums" at the top and scroll down the the prooblems section. Read the the current and archived post. Lots of info.

If you see something you don't understand just ask or send a Personal Message to the poster.

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Old 10-25-2004, 04:54 AM   #7
stiles watson
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Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your Monty. Have fun and enjoy.
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Old 10-25-2004, 05:02 AM   #8
Montana_621
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Congrats on your new unit! Welcome to MOC, how long until you get it?
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Old 10-25-2004, 07:24 AM   #9
8.1al
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You might also want to take a close look the tread on all the tires, especially towards the inside. Some members have had trouble with their axles. Not all, but some so before you take delivery would be a good time to check this. It's a lot easier to get fixed before they have your money.
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Old 10-25-2004, 08:02 AM   #10
Montana_2230
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Well I thought I had posted a message thanking all you kind folks for your comments and information. Maybe it went somewhere else on the forum. Anyway we do sincerely thank all of you for reponding to our request here and via E-mails. We will pick up our Montana on Saturday if all goes well with the PDI..

Will keep you posted....We really like this forum!!!
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Old 10-25-2004, 08:16 AM   #11
Steve Ryan
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Welcome Judy and Ray. My wife,Cathy, and I are also new members to the Montana family. We have a 2001 model 2955RL. One day last August we were "just looking" and found it. I think the original owners used it a couple times then parked it.We have since put about 1000 miles on it. Only two problems have come up, one was a loose wire in the junction box at the king pin, the other was a leak in the kitchen sink. Both a easy fix. I replaced all the tires, the ones that where on it where very checked and cracked. I even found all the owner documents,with warranty cards, still in the red pouch.Who ever ordered it added some nice options to it,bigger A/C unit,ceiling fan,table w/chairs,sofa bed,arctic package, to name a few.
From what I have read on the forum Keystone has had some problems with axles and tire wear,but Keystone has stepped forward and corrected them. That says a lot about the company. It is hard to tell if ours will have similar defects, only time and many miles will answer that question. I think all RV's are going to have problems no matter who builds them or how much they cost.Getting those things fixed without a hassle is important to the buyer.
We're very happy with our 2955RL,it is just right for the 2 of us.
Once again welcome and congratulations.
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Old 10-25-2004, 08:41 AM   #12
Dane
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Welcome aboard! You might try using the search function - entering "2001 2955RL". You should access tons of info. We have a 2004 version of this model and absolutely love it.
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Old 10-26-2004, 04:33 PM   #13
Thunderman
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Hello Ray and Judy,
I think you have been advised of most potential problems. Some of the Montana's came with a low profile air conditioner that had a tendency to leak. They replaced my air conditioner with a new one when I bought the trailer. It is my understanding Keystone has a kit which can be installed to prevent the leaking. There have been some reports of the a/c freezing up if operated on low...I have not had the problem. Welcome to MOC and enjoy!
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Old 10-26-2004, 05:30 PM   #14
sreigle
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Good points, Thunderman. I believe all Montanas from the early 2003 models and prior had the taller AC that didn't have that problem. The exception is the front living room models. Those were 3 inches taller than the other Montanas and had the low profile Penguin model AC that had that problem. Starting with the late 2003 models all the Montanas were increased to equal the height of the front living room models and had the new low-profile AC units. Those taller ones are the ones with the flat floor in bath and bedroom area.

As you noted, my experience is the DuoTherms tend to ice up with fan on low in high humidity situations. Not always but occasionally. Some have reported they use low fan and have not had the problem but we found in both of ours that it does happen occasionally. Not all the time though.
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Old 10-27-2004, 06:38 AM   #15
jh1802
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I feel compelled to put in my .02 worth since I have friends in the htg. & ac business.
You should NEVER run your A/C on low because it will freeze up. It needs that higher airflow to keep condensation from forming and freezing on the cooling lines. Also,the combination of water from condensation and the airflow helps keep your condensor from overheating. And that can cost a lot of $$ to replace.
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Old 10-27-2004, 07:22 AM   #16
Sue
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by jh1802

I feel compelled to put in my .02 worth since I have friends in the htg. & ac business.
You should NEVER run your A/C on low because it will freeze up.
If this is a known problem, then why do we have a low/high option??
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Old 10-27-2004, 10:30 AM   #17
jh1802
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Montana Sue
Low is for the furnace. High is for the a/c. The high low switch option is probably for the fan only (for air circulation) we sometimes turn just our fan on at night to circulate air. Also it is probably cheaper for the manufacturer to install this type thermostat.
Have you ever noticed when you turn on your furnace at home the blower runs at about half the speed as when you turn your a/c on?
part of the reason is because it takes twice as much force to move cold air as it does to move warm air. That is why periodically you should have your A-coil in your air handler at home cleaned periodically and change your air filter on a regular basis so it doesn't freeze up.
You could probably get away with running the a/c fan on low on days when the humidity is lower but I would not us the auto feature if you do this. I would keep the fan on the "on" position.
Does this make sense?
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Old 10-27-2004, 11:20 AM   #18
sgf
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Being a licensed hvac mechanic i will add my 2 cents worth, the furnace has only a one speed fan and the position of the hi-low fan switch will have no bearing on the furnace fan speed.The a/c fan is a single motor with dual shafts and blowers,one ;the propeller blade is indeed used to cool or condense the refrigerant in the condenser coil that is located in the shroud on the roof. On the other end of the double shaft motor is a blade, do not re-call if it is a squirrel cage or prop type;to blow the air over the evaporator coil and thus forcing cool,proper name is heat removed air,into the duct work and into the coach. These units are designed to work on either speed but the preferred method is on high providing more airflow and de-humdification to the coach and cooling the warm condenser on the roof better.You can use the low speed if you want to just circulate the air in the coach or in mild weather where you need some cooling without the gush of a lot of air or over-cooling the unit.Not trying to step on anyones toes but keep in mind to keep your filter clean and check the airflow for obstructions.
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Old 10-27-2004, 11:50 AM   #19
Montana_1511
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Hello,

I agree with everything Padredw said about why we love our 2004 2955. Even when we are able to go on longer trips, I'm sure there will be plenty of room for us. We are also towing with a Chevy Duramax - AS OF YESTERDAY! Upgraded from a '97 with a 454. It towed great till we went over Monarch Pass (Colorado) at over 11,000 feet earlier this month. The old truck didn't think much of us for buying the bigger trailer then. Bob hated to part with the '97, but I'm sure he'll love the new one too.

Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Floridanomads

Hello, our names are Ray and Judy Wallace. We are new members here in the forum. We joined, hoping to learn some things about our (new to us) used 2001 Montana which we pick up on Saturday Oct 30th. Our Rving experience to date, has been with a pull behind Keystone Outback which we enjoy very much. Yesterday we went to SunCoast RV in Ocala to pick up a repair part for the Outback, walked out with a 2001 5th wheel Montana. The unit we bought was hardly used and seems to be in great shape. we were sorta in the mood to upgrade, so we did. I actually don't know the model number of it, but I think it is a 2955RL.

Our question to the forum, what problems has the 2001 models had? We are not worried about small nit picking problems, just major problems that might include safety considerations or such. I have been assured that the unit will be gone over and checked by technicians and any problems found will be fixed before I take delivery, plus we have a two to three hour walk through PDI scheduled before we sign on the dotted line. The unit was traded in last Thursday, so the dealer didn't have time to do anything with it before we saw it.

Would sure appreciate any of your comments about this 2001 year Montana and Montana's in general. Our Outback relationship with Keystone has been great.

We have a 2002 Chevy D'max with the Allison transmission, so I expect that I will have no probelms towing the Montana.

E-mails or forum replies will be appreciated.

Thanks,

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Old 10-27-2004, 12:33 PM   #20
sreigle
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Bob and Jean, congratulations on your new truck! Lots of members have similar trucks and report towing the Montana is a breeze! I'm sure you'll enjoy the new one even when not towing, too!

On the AC/Furnace fanspeed question - from reading these posts I think having replaced our thermostat with one that uses only the high fan speed setting is fine for both AC and furnace. Right?

Thanks.
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