Big Sky factory tour--info re your questions - Montana Owners Club

David and Jo-Anna · 03-26-2007, 07:49 AM

My wife and I are planning to go up to Goshen this Friday in the hopes of getting a tour of the Big Sky plant. They don't have regular tours scheduled yet, but we're trying to setup a special tour to coincide with a trip I have to make to Cleveland this Thursday.

Does anyone have anything they'd like me to focus on or info about the Big Sky they'd like me to get in the event that the tour goes forward? I'm just looking to get info from them--since they are doing me a favor by setting up the tour, I don't plan to ping on them about any perceived design deficiencies in the Big Sky. LOL!!!

DonandBonnie · 03-26-2007, 09:27 AM

Dave and Jo-Anna, Keep us posted on your tour arrangements. We would like to tour the Big Sky factory while on vacation this summer.

Laundryboy · 03-26-2007, 07:21 PM

I have a couple of questions for them. Why isn't the fridge on the slide in the 350 rlq like it is in the 3500 rl, and why no accordian doors in any of the three floor plans?
I looked through a local dealers 340 rlq today for the third time. I'm really impressed with most of it. In fact about the only thing holding me back right now is the lack of the accordian door between the bed and bath.

Verle and Sue · 03-27-2007, 04:01 AM

DH asked me if the big sky fridge is propane/elec like the 3400? If you have a chance, find out for sure about the "colors" for decor. We're hoping to see our first Big Sky April 6 or 7 and going to Goshen for our Montana Tour April 17. They told us to ask to see a Big Sky, but said they weren't doing any tours, so if you can get a tour, really check it out for the rest of us, LOL. Have fun, I'm horribly jealous LOL. Sue C

richfaa · 03-27-2007, 04:22 AM

I would only be looking at it from One perceptive. Quality Wokmanship/ Fit and finish...It has to be better than the Montana line. We we will be in Goshen April 16th and will, if able, tour the planrt and see fot ourselves.

kwolff7 · 03-27-2007, 05:22 AM

We have seen two Big Skys, one at Orangewood RV and one at RV Traders. The one at Orangewood RV was the 340 RLQ in Aspen Forest and the one at RV Traders was the 360 RLQ in Golden Vista. One of the models had a divider between the bedroom and rest of the rv. We would like a factory tour also since we will be going east to pick up our Big Sky. The 340 model is being built through April and the 350 model will start production in May. We were told that to get a 340 we needed to have an order in by last Friday.

rldriver · 03-27-2007, 06:47 AM

Now you have really made me jealous David. See if you can put any pressure on them to install a 120VAC outlet near the head of the bed, maybe in one of the closets? A lot of us use a c-pap machine and/or electric blanket and there is no way to plug them in with out running an extension cord from the other side of the front closet.

Ours should have been on the line the 21st of this month and may still be there as I was told by my dealer (D&L RV in Wenatchee WA) that it would than take another 12 days before it will show up here. It could have been delayed due to the snow but not sure.

If our rig is still there feel free to do a PDI on it for us before it leaves the factory

.

Have a fun trip and hope they will set up a tour for you.

Verle and Sue · 03-27-2007, 10:25 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by kwolff7

The 340 model is being built through April and the 350 model will start production in May. We were told that to get a 340 we needed to have an order in by last Friday.

Sheesh, I sure hope that's not true, we can't/won't be ordering until May or June (if we order rather than take what's in stock). The dealer we are planning to order through isn't big enough to carry them in stock, but got permission to order for us. Hmmm, not sure what we'll do now "pouting"!!! Sue C

Cat320 · 03-28-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

I would only be looking at it from One perceptive. Quality Wokmanship/ Fit and finish...It has to be better than the Montana line. We we will be in Goshen April 16th and will, if able, tour the planrt and see fot ourselves.

Don't count on it. Why should it be any different? Seems to me the added cost is in bells and whistles, not higher wages for higher quality worker bees.

DonandBonnie · 03-29-2007, 09:35 AM

We were just advised by a dealer that with the dual pane option, none of the windows will open for fresh air. Could you check that out? It doesn't sound right to me.

richfaa · 03-29-2007, 01:27 PM

Helen and I have a Big Sky Plant tour set up for April 16th when we are at the service center. Will be interested in your observations.

Native Tex · 03-29-2007, 02:11 PM

I am like Rich....I would like to know about the fit and finish. Also, ask about the holding tanks and the thickness. I have had to replace my black and gray in the last month. If you have not seen them, they are like tissue paper and seemingly are not emptied prior to installation. By being empty, I mean cleaning out of the holes being pre-punched and the pieces left in the tank. That was one of my problem that created a drain issue.

David and Jo-Anna · 03-31-2007, 10:46 AM

Jo-Anna and I spent an hour and 45 minutes on our tour of the Big Sky factory yesterday--the first tour they have given. The Big Sky units are being made in Plant 17. We were told that many of the line workers previously worked on the Cambridge line--but we didn't see any horse and buggies in the parking lot or other signs of "old world craftsmen." LOL!!!

I spent soooo much time trying to trace and record the routing of the electrical and plumbing lines that we never did make it to the end of the line to see the furnished units. LOL!!! But we did get answers to some of your questions.

Sue--the Big Sky frig runs on both propane and AC. As for color schemes, they have dropped the Twilight Meadow but kept the Golden Vista and Aspen Forest. They are coming out with a new color scheme--rep called it "Midnight something"--he didn't know the full name of it. We only got to see what the wallpaper border looked like as we didn't get to see anything with furniture in it. It looks much darker than the other colors. Jo will try to post a picture or two she took --but that will probably have to wait until we get home next Tuesday.

Dick--they have installed another 120 VAC outlet in the bedroom--it's inside the closet, on the street side. So to hook up your Cpap machine or our electric blanket, you have to leave the sliding door slightly open and run the cord in under the hanging clothes. Not the easiest location, but better than what they offered before. It wasn't in the earlier Big Sky units--another running change--but he thought it would have made it into the units made last week, which should include yours and ours. FYI, ours apparently came off the line on March 23 and is supposed to be enroute to our dealership now. Can't wait to get back home and find out.

Karen--puzzled about your report of seeing a Big Sky 360 and seeing a Big Sky with a divider between the bed and the shower. The rep who took us on our tour said that only 340RLQs have been produced to date--plus one prototype of the 350--and that none of the Big Skys had or will have that folding divider. Color me puzzled.

DonandBonnie--we had the opportunity to check out a Big Sky with dual pane windows and do a side by side comparison with one with regular windows. The windows in dual pane configurations will open, but the opening portion of the windosw is smaller than with the standard windows--particularly the windows on each side of the recliners in the rear. The window over the dresser in the bedroom will also open in the dual pane model, but it doesn't have a screen--think it is intended to be opened only for emergency access. Tradeoffs!!!!

As for the fit and finish, it looked fine to us, but I'll confess I don't have Rich's familiarity with the 3400, so I'll look forward to hearing from him when he does his Big Sky tour next month.

richfaa · 03-31-2007, 10:55 AM

Dave..Thanks for the excellent report.. I was not thinking when I asked you to check the fit and finish.having not owned a Montana of any kind that was not a fair question.

rldriver · 03-31-2007, 05:08 PM

David, thanks for the great report. Our unit should be here now or early next week. Hope to bring it home soon. I will let you know when we hear more from our dealer. WE ARE READY...
Thanks again for the report before you got home.

Hope to see you on the road some day.

Verle and Sue · 04-01-2007, 02:18 AM

Thanks for a great report. I figured the frig would be propane and elec, but since it's a diff frig I might have been wrong. Glad you got to go and what a great surprise when you get home, if your's is there and waiting. Have fun. Sue C

kwolff7 · 04-01-2007, 04:49 PM

David, Actually I don't want to beat a dead horse to death, but I did see a 360 RLQ in Mesa, at RV Traders. I was shocked to see it . It had the entertainment center in the back. I replied to Sue C that I had seen one. Maybe it was a prototype, and maybe that is why it had a divider between the bedroom and the kitchen at the stairway. It was not accordian style, but it was a door that slid across. Obviously, they are not putting this door in the models they are building. I sure wish they were. Karen

David and Jo-Anna · 04-02-2007, 11:37 AM

Karen--you may be right about a prototype 360RLQ that the sales rep who took us on our tour didn't know about. As for the door between the bedroom and kitchen, I wasn't paying attention to that--I assume every Big Sky will have that pocket door next to the steps to the bedroom. I thought you were talking about the folding accordian door that some people were hoping to see between the bed and the shower. Sorry for the confusion.

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