On the Road and Recliners - Montana Owners Club

Go Pokes · 10-24-2004, 01:25 PM

Do you strap your recliners down when traveling? We usually strapped them down with the black strapped provided -- but after being strapped down during a round trip to and from Goshen, Indiana, the black strap rubbed black on the arm and wore a 3 inch hole in the fabric and form on one side of the arm rest. The chair will have to be replaced if we cannot get extra fabric. Has one else had this problem?

OntMont · 10-24-2004, 01:32 PM

We do use the straps, but we always use an old comforter as padding under the rub spots. It's a shame that happened, don't suppose you can claim any warranty coverage? Are you sure it did not start during delivery? Good luck!

DrivesBGM · 10-24-2004, 01:48 PM

I place some heavy cardboard between my straps and the recliner arms. DOing this hasa worked for almost three years.

Since my recliners ride in the fairly stable front living room (as opposed to bouncing in the rear of the 5er), I've been tempted not to use the tie down straps when under way. Are any of my fellow MOC members traveling without strapping down their recliners?

Craig

steves · 10-24-2004, 02:21 PM

We strap the chairs, position them back to back and put a pillow in front of each chair and the wall. Takes away all the rocking while traveling. Have never had any problems with rubbing of the material

S

DHenry · 10-24-2004, 02:47 PM

I use a piece of carpet between the strap and the chair.

azstar · 10-24-2004, 03:24 PM

Go Pokes,

We wanted to buy some matching fabric to make an ottoman. I called Mastercraft who makes the furniture for Montana. They had me give them the code which is on the tags under the chairs, and they would sell the fabric by the yard. While in conversation with them I discovered they also made ottomans, so I just ordered one with the matching fabric. Call them at (800) 522-5652 or (219)768-4101 or (219) 294-2541 and they can fix you up with the matching fabric.

Happy Camping

rames14 · 10-24-2004, 03:40 PM

We were told that it isn't critical to strap the chairs down, but then we were putting the slides out once and the footrest came out while traveling and wedged behind the slide. After that we always strapped. We put the strap so it slides down between the arm and the back, all the way down to the cushion. Then we tighten it down. Seems to work without any problem. That way the strap just goes over the cushion of the seat.

This weekend, we did what a number of people did at the rally. We switched the sofa and the chairs. That way, we never have to worry about the chairs being strapped down. It also gives us a little bit different look in our 3400.

stiles watson · 10-24-2004, 06:07 PM

Wow, you must be doing a lot of traveling to rub the holes. Is it possible that the straps may not have been tight enough? Logic (not experience) tells me relatively tight straps would prevent rubbing. Since I haven't experienced the problem I might be all wet too.

Go Pokes · 10-24-2004, 06:36 PM

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Azstar, I will be calling Master craft in the morning for extra fabric and I might just order an ottoman also. Rames, we were wondering about switching the sofa and recliners. Glad to know it worked for you and we will do the same. As for as it being a warranty problem, we feel that it was probably our mistake and not the factory's problem. Since we strapped the recliners down before they picked the unit up for warranty repairs.

sreigle · 10-25-2004, 03:48 AM

Craig, we carried our recliner in it's standard position for 18 months in our 3295rk and never bothered to strap it down. In the 3295rk the recliner standard position is just aft of the step between bathroom and living room. That's a fairly stable location. It rode sideways and never moved. We've since moved the furniture around and the recliner is now at the aft end of the couch/dining slide where the dining table used to be. It now rides in the fore-aft direction and is never strapped down. Never moves. It's a fairly heavy lazyboy recliner, though.

When we had the 2880RL with rear lounge we usually strapped those recliners down for the reasons others mentioned. We tried to orient them so not to need strapping but never found a position that kept them from rubbing on something.

Montana_593 · 10-25-2004, 04:36 AM

We do not strap our chairs, they ride at the end of the trailer and so far haven't moved. All my towing is highway, no off roading or boondocking.

Sue · 10-25-2004, 06:05 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by rames14
This weekend, we did what a number of people did at the rally. We switched the sofa and the chairs. That way, we never have to worry about the chairs being strapped down. It also gives us a little bit different look in our 3400.

Can you comment further on this. How does changing the location of the chairs matter whether they bounce around or not??? You have the same unit as me, if the chairs are now where the couch was doesn't that mean that they can bounce around and knock the table n chairs, or the T.V or computer stand (if you have one). Does moving the location really make them less bouncy??? I may have to switch mine around

Montana_621 · 10-25-2004, 06:45 AM

We don't strap ours down either, we have the same unit as Steve and Vicki.

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

Craig, we carried our recliner in it's standard position for 18 months in our 3295rk and never bothered to strap it down. In the 3295rk the recliner standard position is just aft of the step between bathroom and living room. That's a fairly stable location. It rode sideways and never moved. We've since moved the furniture around and the recliner is now at the aft end of the couch/dining slide where the dining table used to be. It now rides in the fore-aft direction and is never strapped down. Never moves. It's a fairly heavy lazyboy recliner, though.

When we had the 2880RL with rear lounge we usually strapped those recliners down for the reasons others mentioned. We tried to orient them so not to need strapping but never found a position that kept them from rubbing on something.

DrivesBGM · 10-25-2004, 01:50 PM

Thanks to all. Next trip I think I will liberate my recliners and not strap them down. That will please Milly to no end because the chairs are heavy and have to be moved to the factory provided strap position!

Craig

patodonn · 10-25-2004, 02:53 PM

We have been on the road for 17 months, and haven't strapped the recliner at all. Never has moved a bit. We keep the computer in that chair while enroute. We do, however, strap the dining room chairs to the dining table..one velcro strap loops around the front leg of both chairs (facing each other)and the front leg of the dining table. We got rid of two of the 4 dining chairs and one of the two recliners. Lots more room to the eye, and we have two spare folding wooden chairs in the front storage for extra guests.

Best,

Glenn and Lorraine · 10-25-2004, 03:12 PM

We have a rear livingroom and we strap nothing down. Not the recliners or the dining room chairs and in a year of fulltime traveling nothing has moved.
The only problem we ever had was when we added a 2 drawer filing cabinet and forgot to lock the drawers. Can you picture 2 drawers of files all over the floor?

Parrothead · 10-25-2004, 04:21 PM

I agree with Glenn and Lorraine. Although we haven't traveled in the Monty yet, we did have two other 5ers before. We traveled up and down the state of California at least 200+ times in the past 10 years, over big mountains and rough roads. We have never strapped down chairs including the dining room or the table. Never had anything move. They are all so heavy, I don't see how they would move. Plus with the slides in there is not much room for anything to slide.

sreigle · 10-25-2004, 06:09 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Montana Sue

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by rames14
This weekend, we did what a number of people did at the rally. We switched the sofa and the chairs. That way, we never have to worry about the chairs being strapped down. It also gives us a little bit different look in our 3400.

Can you comment further on this. How does changing the location of the chairs matter whether they bounce around or not??? You have the same unit as me, if the chairs are now where the couch was doesn't that mean that they can bounce around and knock the table n chairs, or the T.V or computer stand (if you have one). Does moving the location really make them less bouncy??? I may have to switch mine around

Sue, the farther back in the trailer the more bouncing there will be. Directly over the truck is usually the smoothest ride but back behind the trailer axles will be the roughest.

Montana_2205 · 10-26-2004, 05:05 PM

Sreigle, I was looking at your floor plan and wondered where you moved your dining table to, if the recliner is now in that spot? I love to redecorate and I'm getting ideas. Y'all don't tell Scott though. If there anything he hates to hear, it's me saying, "Honey, I have an idea"!

Cindy

sreigle · 10-26-2004, 05:41 PM

After seeing how RC and Samantha did theirs, we did the same. Then a couple of others saw ours and did the same thing at the rally.

Originally the recliner was by the curio cabinet. Now, the dining table is by the curio cabinet and the chair is in the slide where the table used to live. Sounds odd and when I saw pictures I didn't think we'd want to do that. But when we saw it live, we immediately went back and swapped ours. And they're still swapped. We really like it this way. So many advantages, for us at least. The table is at an angle out from the curio cabinet. Keep in mind we only use two dining chairs. The third is the computer desk chair and the fourth is in storage. Four chairs might make it tight getting up and downstairs but with two it's no different than with the chair in that location.

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