decision made

[richfaa]

It's a Montana.Helen and I looked at all the data we have collected since jan 05 and decided that all things considered The montana suits our needs best. It will probably be the 3295 but the 3400 is not out of the picture. Helen likes both floor plans. To me it is a cost vs benefit thing) There is huge sticker price difference between the 3295 and the 3400.The 3400 is 2.2 feet longer but what am I getting in that extra 2.2 feet other than extra space????? We would be paying a lot for that 2.2 feet(do you sense a spousal disagreement)?Montana was always at the top of our list but there were other brands we thought might be just as good, I still think that quality control in the RV industry stinks but I also think that Keystone is aware of the problem and is "on' the issue .I also think that they have the BEST customer service and customer relations program.. IE..The shackle issue. They listened and corrected. Keystone goes the extra mile to satisfy the user and maintain their good name. That alone was enough to make the difference for me.However IMHO you get the best bang for your buck with the Montana. We are having a dealer issue.Out nearest dealer is @ 40 miles away and the distance is not the problem the dealer is.I would not buy a hot dog from the dealer. There is another one @ 1 hour away that we are not familiar with but we have all summer to wrestle with that. We will go to the factory again. We want the perfect Montana.

[Wordsmith]

Rich, nothing wrong with wanting the perfect Montana. Though I do not like the 2005 edition of the 3295RK as well as our own, I believe that you will find it truly offers adequate space for living. I know ours does.

Good luck on the continued hunt for perfection; I just hope you can find a dealer that will make the difference for you!

[syplace]

WE have the early rendition of the 3295 RK and the only thing we wish is for more room to manuver around the bed. I love the kitchen and have yet to use up all the storage space. I am sure you will like it also. Many happy trails.

[Dustytuu]

We went about 450 miles to a dealer that treated us right. He was recommended to us by a friend of our next door neighbor. We have been very happy with them. We did find a Montana dealer here in CO that will handle any warranty issues. We just call the dealer we bought from first, and they set it up for us here. We couldn't find anyone to give us a decent deal here in CO. when we bought our 2004 Montana 3295. We love it!

[Kathi]

First, you did choose the best no matter what floorplan you choose. We chose the 3400RL because it suited us to a T. There are only the two of us, but we really liked the floorplan. There are 4 slides instead of 3. You can get to the refrigerator with all the slides in, and the bathroom too. I am sure that you can get to these areas in the 3295RK also, but be sure. Yes you have an additional 2.2 ft but it is nice to have when you are living in it. Just our preference but you know what you want and you have to get what you like. We are very happy just to have the Montana all together.

[richfaa]

We have not seen the late 2005 3295 it sounds like Helen may not care for some of the changes.We will see the 2006 model soon.We would be Ok with either the 3295 or the 3400.We will see how it goes over the next few Months. Helen chooses the floor plan.We got rid of a camper because Helen did not have enough room to make the bed.That is one of the first things she looks at.She seemed to be Ok with the 3295???When we were on the Factory tour last summer and we described what we wanted in a Rv Mark took us out in the lot and said this is what you want..it was a 3400. I just think it is over priced.However...Helen makes the choice...whichever...
..

[stiles watson]

Saving money can be counted, of course, in dollors. Marital harmony--priceless. Montana purchase regardless of floor plan--wisdom. Man, are you on a roll or what.

[patodonn]

Rich: Bang for the buck, Montana has it, hands down. Re the dealership issue(s), my dealer was fine for the purchase and immediate after delivery "tweaking", but really poor for warranty service. That being said, IF you are going to be fulltimers, that hasn't been a big issue for us. "on the road" support, both through Keystone as to who to contact, and the dealers themselves has been fine. Under warranty, we got the a motor/pump assembly from Lippert and the work done in Bakersfield. Had a slight leak develop in the toilet water flush inlet valve, and had warranty work done in AZ for that. Having the brakes adjusted here in FL (routine maint, not a "problem" issue). We had warranty work done in Goshen, twice, with good results.

We settled on a larger rig than I wanted, but, after two years of living in it, I'm sort of glad we did get the extra couple of feet in length. That was a wife "priority issues", and in those areas, you gotta trust her judgment.

Pricing...there is a good book available through rvtraveler@topica.email-publisher.com which details strategy and techniques to maximize your purchasing power in the RV buying "game". Dealing from a position of knowledge is a good thing. That web site has lots of good info on it, aside from lots of "unique to RVing" publications.

Good luck, enjoy, and I'm sure we will hear more from you as the adventure unfolds.

Best regards,

[scmdba]

Rich, Congrats on your choice of Montana. That's the conclusion we reached two times! We bought our 2002 315RLS (it was a Montana then) and now a 3400RL from the same dealer and have been pleased in every aspect of the relationship, both initial purchase and warrantee support. It would be a bit of a drive for you since they are in Middletown, north of Cincinnati, but you might want to check them out. If interested, I can send you the url to their web site. (No, I don't get a commission, darn it. Best wishes whichever floorplan you decide is right for you.

[jpf]

Rich, congratulations on your decision, and thanks for your help and input in finalizing our choice. We just returned from our second shakedown cruise, 3 nites outside Reno, in our new 3400 (picked up may 5th in Las Vegas). The pickup trip was supposed to be a 4 day down and back, took 11 days we liked it so much.
We are very pleased with the layout for the two of us, and for planned fulltiming in October. Met some folks a few sites over this last trip with a new 3295 on their shakedown cruise, for them with family and friends joining them still in their near future, that model worked best for there needs.
It's all about priorities, but admittedly, hard to make the final call.
Good luck to you and Helen with your selection.

jp
PS: Only had one issue so far, circuit board controller in the A/C which also operates the furnace was "out of box" failure. Dometic warranty shop replaced the board in two hours after a week wait for an appointment, prior to this trip. We will be relying on other than place of purchase when necessary since we bought 600 miles from (temporary)residence.
PPS: Take a look at the "C-BETR" mirrors, they were recommended to us and we love the additional visibility along the sides.

[richfaa]

Scmba..yes send me the URl or the dealer name and I can google it. It is all interstate from our front door to Cincinnati.I think two traffic signals between here and there. Done it many times..that BIg flea market along the interstate.We are both excited about making up our minds( and believe me all you guys and gals had a big part in it) now we can channel our efforts into finding a dealer and price haggling(we love that part)

[HomeOnTheRoad]

We have looked at every model. Each has features that the others cannot beat. We felt the 3295RK excels in kitchen counter space, kitchen cabinet storage space, and inside storage space in general, despite that 2.2 feet shorter. You have to decide which features best fit your needs and go with that model. It has only 3 slides but they are big slides, probably as much square footage in those three as the four slide models have in 4 slides. Good luck.

[richfaa]

Those three features are exactly why Helen picked out the 3295.We hear via the forum that some changes have been made in late 2005 and perhaps 2006 models that cut into the storage space..we will take a look.

[sreigle]

Good choice, whichever Montana model you decide on, Rich. We are very happy with our 3295RK and feel it is the right choice for us but we are aware everyone's tastes and needs are different and other models are best for other people. But we most all agree on the Montana being the best bang for the buck. After touring the plant again last week and working with the people at the service center, we are more convinced than ever we made the right decision.

[richfaa]

Another decision made.We will NOT be Full timing.After a lot of thought we have decided to keep our home.We will follow the sun and we will travel the country.We figured we would be very lucky to be able to full time for 5 years or so before Mother nature said enough then we would have to buy a home all over again. Besides we like it here in Northern Ohio, execpt for winter. Cost of living is good, Taxes are reasonable.Leaving the home empty for long periods of time is not a problem.In my working life with the FAA we were required to be at school in OKC for months at a time so we know the drill. So another decision out of the way.The information on this forum HELPED us in that decision making process.We are waiting for the 2006 model year floor plans to come out with a factory trip planned in Late July.

[sreigle]

Congratulations on the decision, Rich. We came close to the same decision. Many people are doing just what you are planning and are very happy with that decision.

When you do the factory tour, if you want to drive 15 miles to Elkhart, Hart City RV has all the Montana floorplans in stock and most, perhaps all, of the Mountaineers. We recently looked at every one of the Montanas there. Hart City RV is part of the Camping World complex on State Road 19 / Nappanee St. in Elkhart.

[richfaa]

Steve..we toured the Montana plant last July and did go over to Hart City RV. Note that you CAN order a Montana through the Camping world network of dealers..we are 30 mins from a Camping world.