New Member - Montana Owners Club

Bill DeMeulle · 12-24-2004, 06:42 AM

We are a new member to the club,I have looked at your website and am quite impressed at he participation.
My wife and I are not fulltimers however we spend a week or two each month in our 2003 Montana 3280RL pulled by a 2002Ford F-250. This is our third fifth wheel and we have been very pleased with its performance, the only problem we have had was with the salesman that sold it. He advised we could add a second A/C to the bedroom area since it was already pre-wired, he did not tell us that you could not operate both A/C units at the same time and it had to be re-wired which was an additional expense.
We have had the Montana since July of 2002 and have not experienced any problems with it. Thanks to the administrators for making this site possible.

toolmanroy · 12-24-2004, 07:02 AM

Welcome to the group! We have not found the second AC necessary and it gets hotter here in the summer than it does where you are, often in the low 100's. We had one weekend where it was 100+ each day and did not get below 70 at night. The one AC worked just fine and we even got cold. When we went to bed we closed the vents in the living area and left the ones open by the bed and we were very comfortable. We did not even have to turn on the fan we brought.

lightningjack11 · 12-24-2004, 07:29 AM

Welcome to the MOC Bill. Good to see you posting.

Bill DeMeulle · 12-24-2004, 07:37 AM

Thank you for the welcome note. We don't need it in Huntington Beach, however we spend a lot of time during the summer in the Palm Springs area where it will get up to 120, and one A/C is not sufficient.

HomeOnTheRoad · 12-24-2004, 08:13 AM

Welcome Bill.

There is an adapter that will let you run both ac units at the same time. It works by alternating the current between AC units so fast you can't tell it is doing it. I hear it doesn't hurt the units either. I don't know any details other than it exists. You might check Camping World, Campers Choice and other RV sites. Post back if you don't find anything and one of us will try to help you.

Bill DeMeulle · 12-24-2004, 08:41 AM

Thank you all for your experience and advice. I had the second unit added and paid for the re-wiring and additional circuit breaker. I wanted to share my experience to anyone who was thinking of adding a second unit that would run at the same time as the original.

stiles watson · 12-24-2004, 04:20 PM

Hello Bill,

Welcome to the MOC Forum. Your experience was similar to mine. I can run both A/C's at the same time, but cannot run the washer and dryer at the same time as the bedroom unit. I have an either/or switch. Before I discovered the switch, I thought my second A/C was not working. Haven't used it much. But when I need it, I need it.

By-the-way, for the first time in 15 years, we are experiencing snow enough to cover the ground at Christmas right here in Houston, Texas.

Glenn and Lorraine · 12-25-2004, 01:25 AM

Welcome Bill to the MOC.

After 15 months we have not found the need for a second AC. But than again the highest temps we have experienced so far was around 95 and that was for just 1 day.

Quote:

quote:By-the-way, for the first time in 15 years, we are experiencing snow enough to cover the ground at Christmas right here in Houston, Texas.

To think we were thinking about Texas nezt winter. Gonna have to rethink them plans.

Native Tex · 12-25-2004, 01:49 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Bill DeMeulle

We are a new member to the club,I have looked at your website and am quite impressed at he participation.
My wife and I are not fulltimers however we spend a week or two each month in our 2003 Montana 3280RL pulled by a 2002Ford F-250. This is our third fifth wheel and we have been very pleased with its performance, the only problem we have had was with the salesman that sold it. He advised we could add a second A/C to the bedroom area since it was already pre-wired, he did not tell us that you could not operate both A/C units at the same time and it had to be re-wired which was an additional expense.
We have had the Montana since July of 2002 and have not experienced any problems with it. Thanks to the administrators for making this site possible.

Bill, Merry Christmas and welcome to the forum. Best wish for a great New Year!

Bill and Ann · 12-25-2004, 05:11 AM

Welcome aboard Bill. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Join in the forums. Safe travels.

Bill DeMeulle · 12-25-2004, 05:59 AM

Thank you one and all for your good wishes. I am certain that I will learn a great deal from this forum. Happy and prosperous new year to all.

BillyRay · 12-25-2004, 06:58 AM

welcome!...we don't use a second a/c either. we had one in our last unit and never used it.

Montana_74 · 12-25-2004, 03:21 PM

Welcome to the group Bill. We also have a 2003 Montana 3280 with an added A/C. We can run both at the same time with no problem with the exception of not being able to run the Washer/Dryer. Can disable either with a flip of the switch, located on the ceiling of the W/D closet.

Travel safe

sreigle · 12-26-2004, 05:58 AM

We have the second AC prep but not the AC. We got the prep so we could add an AC if needed. But we've never had the need although we've been in temperatures where the AC ran most of the time. But we were comfortable without a second AC. If we summered in Arizona we might rethink that.

Montana_2730 · 12-27-2004, 06:40 PM

We'll sign the paperwork on our Monty tomorrow. I have been silent but reading the posts on this site. What follows is my take on all the postings. The posted PDI checklist was very handy. It took me 3.5 hours to look over the unit before I was satisfied it would pass the shake down cruise. The converter 3 way voltage chip was a great idea. The dealer didn't know about it and their mechanic loves it. So the guy who post it on this site gets kudos!!! The structrwood warranty was a great tip also in the info package it says the warranty is one year. The dealer has paperwork from keystone that says twenty five years. But this paperwork puts all the warrantys on the manufactures shoulders. So our signing tomorrow is contingent on dealer or Keystone producing twenty five year warranty as advertised. The rust under the under carriage for a new trailer is because of bad quality control at frame builder. So I had dealer employees armed with rustoleum spray touching things up. It took an hour or more. I had dealer provide a creeper so I could inspect under carriage with a flashlight. You would be surprised what you find. They cleaned it thewir way and then cleaned it my way. Vacuuming the floor ducts for sawdust from factory. Washijng the roof and slideouts. It seems they only wash the sides for other folks. The surround sound system works great but you have to know how to set it up. You can buy a testing DVD at any music store which will help in this procedure. Becasue it is cold here in Texas we tested all system throughly. I have the dealer providing me an extra remote. I do not like the feature about only having presets available if you lose a remote for the heat/AC system. I am know where near retirement so this most likely won't be aour last RV. It is our first fifth wheel. I have gone which a gooseneck setup on dealer advise. Dealer assures me it won't violate Keystone frame structure, but that will be in writing tomorrow. We caught about twenty minor and three major flaws in the RV. The best one is a window install crooked. The mechanic must have been drinking and the inspector off sick that day.

Ed & Dee, Texas
Notyet 50
2955 Monty
2005 3500 Dodge
BW Hide a Ball
Ultra Hitch Adapter
600 Cummins Power

DHenry · 12-28-2004, 04:48 PM

Welcome, join in on the fun.

Just148 · 12-29-2004, 01:40 PM

Welcome to the forum. All information is welcome.

Sunshine · 12-30-2004, 06:11 AM

Welcome. Looks like the forum has already been valuable for you.

RC and Samantha · 01-10-2005, 09:54 AM

Welcome to MOC Bill.

It sounds like the two of you get to use your Montana quite often. Envious here!

We have been in some really hot weather in ours and have not needed the second AC. If we would have had it we wouldn't have been able to use it anyway as we were on a 30 amp service. Even at that it kept our Big Sky cool enough to be comfortable and it was well of 110 degrees.

Patty

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