Hello from Sandy Oregon!

[KittyCabin]

Thanks for the add! Hopefully I'm in the right group but if not please let me know. Hubs and I had a 2009 30 ft Komfort travel trailer that we spent 8 months out of the year in but it was stolen 3 weeks ago. We are now looking for a fifth wheel and have always loved the Rear Living Montanas. My main reason for joining this group is to pick your brains about which coach is built the best and will have the least amount of issues, as we want to sell our house and take the plunge into full time rv'ing. Another brand I've been researching has continuous problems, (mainly warranty work) and that made me wonder about ALL rv's. We've decided not to buy new, not only for the depreciation factor but also because they spend so much time in the shop getting all the bugs worked out. Our tow vehicle is a 2003 Chevy 2500 hd diesel with the Duramax and our budget is about $50k and we'd like to stay under 36 ft. Soooo, what year make and model do you love and have had the least amount of problems with? TIA!

[DQDick]

Welcome to the forum. We love our Montana and recommend them frequently. One thing about the forum, this is the place to come to get advice on problems so if you read the forum regularly you'd think Montana's must have a lot. Not so, if you go to the members page you'll see we currently have 1009 pages of members so the problems are really minimal. Others will be along who can help you on models. We have a 40 footer and need all the space. Since we full time, IMHO storage space is at least as important as the layout of the coach when picking a model that suits you.

[waynemoore]

2X what dick said. Also $50,000 is more than enough to get a near new 36 to 40 foot rig. Look for whisper air, 6 point level system, non ST tires just to name a few items. Other members will be along to offer their insight. But welcome to the forum this is a good place to start.

[stengels]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you get some insight as to what you would like. Lots of great information here.

[1retired06]

Welcome. Doing some research is the right thing to do, QA/QC does not seem to be a high priority these days in the rv industry. Hope this forum will be helpful.

[cpaulsen]

We have a used 36' Montana and are very happy with it. And...welcome from Lincoln City,Oregon for right now since we are full-timers.

[jcurtis934]

Welcome. With an older 2500, you want to pay close attention to the weight issue so that you don't overload the tow vehicle. Buying used, hopefully the chinese tires will be off whatever you go with. Since planning on fulltiming, layout and storage will be key to being happy. There is so much info here that you could spend years reading. John

[rames14]

Welcome to the forum. Sorry your last unit was stolen. We are currently on our third Montana, not because of problems but lifestyle changes. Our first one, we were still working and no grandkids. The second one, still working, but a side aisle because of the separate bathroom (grandkids). The third one, retirement and our trailer dragged going up to our mountain home. We bought a 3160, which is the second shortest Montana. Not sure if there is a shorter High Country. If a family member were buying, the first thing I would say is choose your dealer wisely. From PDI to warranty work, IMHO your dealer will be the difference between whether you love your unit or detest it. Second, get good tires appropriate for your unit. Third, TPMS. You know from your experience what you want in a floor plan. All manufacturers use the same vendors for frames, appliances, roof, A/C, furnace, axles, suspension, etc. So, 4th would be choose a floor plan from one of the better manufacturers. Fifth, you've already found. Only one comes with the MOC. Members here are pretty open, especially when they have issues. Good luck and let us know how your search goes.

[pkbridges77]

Welcome to the forum - this is the place for great advice without the typical snarky remarks you see on a lot of other forums. Sorry for the trauma of dealing with your stolen rig. We bought the layout and condition of our used Montana and then found we made a solid choice in the build and quality versus other rigs. We now fulltime and are currently in Cripple Creek Colorado, and visiting with neighbors sounded like first-time owners of brand new units (most brands anyway) are typically the quality control department so a good used rig may be a very wise choice. Also, I don't know any of the numbers on the older Chev/GMs, but my short experience towing our Monty with an F-250 was not comfortable so quickly upgraded to a 1-ton dually. No problem with power but suspension and stability was night and day. Good luck in your search!

[KittyCabin]

Thanks for the nice welcome and informational comments.

[Bill-N-Donna]

Welcome to the forum!
One of the best things about owning a Montana is this forum.
This is a great place to share and find information about your Montana.

[bigskyjimmy]

Welcome to the Forum and also looking at what truck you have for sure you will be looking at the shorter lighter High Country's or a Older Shorter lighter Monty, I had a 2004 DUALLY 3500 LB7 Duramax and it pulled my 2012 39ft O.K. but I was MAXED out on weight and a little short on Power and Braking especially on the bigger grades, you have a 2003 2500 SRW and for sure you will be Over weight for the newer bigger Monty's so keep that in mind

[DarMar]

Welcome to the MOC. You will find lots of information here.