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Old 09-17-2008, 03:54 AM   #1
Montyman
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New Montana questions

We are awaiting delivery of a 2009 Montana 3400RL from our dealer. After reading this forum for a few days we are having second thoughts. Problems with poor quality workmanship, shoddy assembly, fuses blowing on pumps, Mission/Marathon tires, Dometic refridgerators, leaking tanks and toilets, GFI circut failures, cable/Dish TV wiring issues, frame cracks, and on and on. Sounds like we are walking into a mess of epic proportions. Are these Montanas constantly in need of repairs? If so why are they such big sellers? Seems like there is more information here about how to repair and fix Montanas than how to enjoy them. We have had another brand for 5 years with alost no problems at all.Also, which Extended Warrentys do you recomend? I'm sure we will need one after what I'm seeing here.
Thanks,
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Old 09-17-2008, 04:18 AM   #2
BB_TX
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First off, there are a lot of members here. With that many members and that many Montys running down the road at 60-70 miles per hour for hours on end, you can expect some things to go wrong. And one thing often discussed here is how to address a problem. We rarely discus how everything has worked perfectly. I am not sure you would find any less problems (percentage wise) on most or even any of the other brands.
We have had our 3075RL 14 months, 6000 miles, and 51 nights and have almost no problems with it. One warranty visit for a wiring error in the living room AC circuits. And a few loose screws that I have tightened myself. I did replace the Missions but I think you will find Chinese tires on most of the others brands.
Could not be happier with ours.
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Old 09-17-2008, 04:21 AM   #3
bncinwv
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Montyman,
Keep in mind that most posters here are venting about their problems. If there are no problems, then those posts reflecting that never make it to the forum. We have had issues, but have never experienced anything major other than a pump failure which was probably our fault anyway (it was replaced under our extended warranty plan). You will have minor problems, but that should be expected as you work the kinks out of your rig. The best advice is to make sure your dealership will service your rig, and use the heck out of it during the warranty period. We use ours on average for about 50-60 days each year but the first year we stayed in it for nine weeks consecutively after delivery (close to home). If you have a reliable dealer and are planning on having access to them for any necessary repairs, my advice would be to see what they recommend if you insist on an extended warranty....we did and are very happy with our selection. Good luck.
Bingo
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Old 09-17-2008, 04:29 AM   #4
ols1932
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We have had our Montana for 8+ years. In that time we have experienced no more problems than we did with other RVs we have owned. Sure, we had problems, but Keystone took care of problems when the rig was three years out of warranty. I know of no other RV manufacturer who would step up like that. Maybe there are some, I've not heard of them. I firmly believe that your satisfaction with the Montana or other Keystone products boils down to how good is your dealer. Will your dealer support you? Do you know them that well or are you looking for the buy from a dealer who will undersell your dealer--but then no service? Our dealer has been superb in the area of service and cooperation.

Orv
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Old 09-17-2008, 04:31 AM   #5
Bruce Lenhardt
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We have had two Montanas and have been very happy with both of them. Have had minor problems only. I still think that a Montana RV is the best bang for the buck.
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Old 09-17-2008, 04:52 AM   #6
dbboy
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Please try the Search for "PDI checklist".

Also the 2005 I have is great. No more problems than than normal.

The only major problem is I keep seeing all the improvements by Ozz and others, and it hard to keep up.

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Old 09-17-2008, 04:53 AM   #7
Jolu
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Montyman,
Our Monty is turning just a year old and I can say we haven't had any more things needing attention than any other new RVs we have had. This is our 5th new RV. There may be a couple of things along the way that will need attention and then again maybe not. I haven't had a new car yet that I didn't have to take back to the dealer for something also. I can only imagine what it would be if we had a forum like this for new cars.
With the Montana you probably won't have near as many things go wrong as you might have with other makes. JMHO This forum is helpful to the owners in fixing and improving things along the way as well as preventing things from going wrong. I can see one getting the impression that we sure have a lot of problems. Some of the things we address here can apply to all RVs.
Enjoy your new rig and I would like to trade up to your model. Perhaps one of these days I will. JB
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Old 09-17-2008, 05:07 AM   #8
Fire5er
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We have only had our Montana for two seasons now, but have had very few issues and none of them Major. The RV industry as a whole has a problem with quality control. We researched 5th-wheels for five years before purchasing and we selected the Montana line because it was the most bang for your buck. But just like anything man made sometimes there are problems, and some units have more problems than others. Just like some Ford trucks have had problems, I just love mine and have not had any issues with my F-350... and it pulls the 3400RL like nothing else. Good luck, and I am sure you too will love your Montana. And best of all you have access to this great site and all the knowledgeable people here. They sure have help and taught me a few things.
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Old 09-17-2008, 05:20 AM   #9
Imp
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We have had ourMontana for 4 years and have lived in it full time. We have only had minor problems and found the fixes here on MOC. It saves a lot of time and money, not having to take it into the dealer. The one issue we couldn't fix (with our bedroom slide) was taken care of by the Service Center at the factory. We have been pleased with our Monty and it is home.

Do make a copy of the PDI list and check it over carefully before pulling it from the dealers. It makes it much easier to get it fixed right away. You will love your 3400 and all the room it gives you.
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Old 09-17-2008, 05:30 AM   #10
Glenn and Lorraine
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We are on our 2nd Montana and to this date have had a few insignificant problems.
Also PLEASE keep in mind a lot of the complaints you are seeing is actually out of Montana's and Keystone's hands. The likes of fuses blowing on pumps, Mission/Marathon tires, Dometic refrigerators, leaking tanks and toilets, GFI circuit failures, cable/Dish TV wiring issues, frame cracks, and on and on are the same units put into 90% of all RV's and not just the Keystone line.
As far as poor quality workmanship, shoddy assembly these are problems NOT unique to any one RV manufacturer but instead to all RV manufacturers. Next time you see a 2,000,000 dollar Prevost MH or a $150,000 high end 5th wheel ask those owners about their rigs. If they are perfectly honest with you they will be telling the same type stories.
Are these Montana's constantly in need of repairs? If so why are they such big sellers? That's really quite simple. The Montana has been the #1 selling 5th wheel for the past 7 years. A big part of those numbers has a lot to do with REPEAT Montana buyers, such as myself. We wouldn't be buying new Montana's if we felt they weren't the best bang for the buck and we surely wouldn't think of recommending the Montana line to our friends and family.
Seems like there is more information here about how to repair and fix Montana's than how to enjoy them. Yes there is more info here on how to repair and fix our Montana's but that is exactly what this MOC is all about. When we have an urgent problem we do have a place to go to get immediate help. There are very few other ONLINE RV clubs with this type of support. Also many of the other RV clubs that do exist are RV clubs owned and controlled by the MANUFACTURER and therefore the members comments/complaints last online only as long as the RV manufacturer allows. The only association the Montana Owners Club has with Keystone/Montana the manufacturer is the fact that we all own Montana's. The manufacturer has no control over what is posted here.
All the above plus the Keystone Customer Service Center is what makes the Montana's, Mountaineer's and Big Sky's the best darn RV bar none.
If you read the entire forum you will also find many Montana Owner discussing their enjoyable trip to somewhere in the U.S. of A, Canada and Mexico.
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Old 09-17-2008, 05:57 AM   #11
richfaa
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You will find the same issues with any brand ..Montana is no better no worse than any of the others as far as quality and workmanship.What is better than the others is that keystone will stand behind the product.. We ran ours about 12K in the first year of ownership all over the country under every kind of road condition you can think of. We spend 6/7 months of the year living in the 3400. We had plenty of failures in the first year most small a few major and all of them taken care of by keystone/ Montana... We are now in our third year of ownership still using it hard with few problems now that the kinks are worked out.I disagree with some who suggest that Keystone is not responsible for vendor problems. Keystone chooses the vendors,,Keystone is responsible for the quality of the vendor items they choose. Fortunately the vendors warranty period on most of the vendor provided items are longer than the bumper to bumper warranty provided by keystone. Do some homework.....example..go over to www.rvnet.com where ALL brands are owned and discussed. You will find they all have the same issues.

Oh..There is no such thing as a minor or insignificant problem...evey problem is significant.Over the course of ownership (28 months) we have had about 50 things go wrong.Things as small as a stripped cabinet screw or a seam on the recliner unraveling to a meltdown and fire. Of the 50 things perhaps only 4 can be considered major..should We be happy that we only had 46 "insignificant problems"///hummmmm.

Purchasing a Montana will be a good choice and as others mention a ..good bang for the buck.. Oh and we are about helping others correct problems..large and small so you will hear about all problems.
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Old 09-17-2008, 09:10 AM   #12
Montyman
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Everyone,
Thanks for the positive responses. I will be purchasing our new 3400RL 400 miles from where we live. The dealer there is a personal friend and gave us a great price. The local dealer was my first try but they refused to give me a price other than list and would not consider a trade in. I called several dealers within a 200 mile radius and none could beat the price. We're heading up there (Nebraska)to a wedding anyway so we'll pick up the new unit then. We plan to spend a few days living in the new unit near the dealership to do a shakedown and possibly find any potential big problems
Soooooo taking it back to the original dealer for warrenty work might be difficult. From what I have been told the local dealer is hard to deal with on warrenty items if the unit was not purchased from them.
I'm pretty handy so working on the small things shouldn't be a problem. We spend winters in Texas so I try my luck down there if any warrenty work is required. I have already gotten prices for a set of new tires. We love the floorplan of the Montana and all the extra features on the 2009 10th Ann. model so we'll just cross our fingers and hope for the best.
I am really appreciative of all the feedback and the help that the MOC Forum gives. I feel a lot more confident when I view all the help for the most common problems.
Thanks to all for the positive responses.
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Old 09-17-2008, 09:50 AM   #13
BB_TX
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I would find all the dealers reasonably close (thru Montana web site) and ask them about warranty work if you should need it. There is a Monty dealer about 40 miles away, but we bought ours at a dealer about 100 miles away, simply because they had what we wanted, when we wanted it.
A friend bought his Monty at the dealer 40 miles away. He was in for a warranty item (DVD player problem). He mentioned that I had bought one elsewhere and that dealer said if I needed warranty work for me to bring mine in and he would take care of me. Have not needed any work since then (8 months ago) so don't know if he was sincere or not.
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Old 09-17-2008, 09:58 AM   #14
Hemlockusa
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Larry and Sue

You need to TAKE THE TIME and don't get in a rush, prior to picking that MONTANA UP. Do a slow walk through, if there is anything MAJOR, DO NOT GET EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW MONTANA AND """TAKE IT OFF THE LOT"""... that is where a lot of folk's get in trouble... Make sure it's right before you MOVE IT....Your right!! The other Dealers are not obligated to work on your unit such as a new car dealer.. There are a lot, if pressed will do the work, but you can be sure you will be on the tail end of the list... Their customers will be placed ahead of you and you will wait for many weeks..before the problem is fixed.. DON'T TAKE IF OFF THE LOT, UNTIL THE UNIT IS RIGHT.... Some dealers will allow you to live in it a few nights ON THEIR LOT, while you go through it... My dealer in KC, NAYLOR spent a lot of time going through my MONTANA BEFORE DELIVERY.. He puts everything through it's paces before it is presented to the new owner... Most dealers do not do this, they wait for you to take it and head out. after your 200 miles away the odds are that you will not return it for a small problem..((true)) AND THEY DO this on a regular basis. Don't let the excitement of the new unit to cloud your SENIOR JUDGEMENT.... See you in Green Gate Grove, I told Daisy May all about your Mollie and my Daisy May is ready to play.... Let Mollie know!!!!!
Later John
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Old 09-17-2008, 10:15 AM   #15
SlickWillie
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I'll go as far as agreeing that the quality of the Keystone workmanship is comparable to other RV's. I won't let Keystone off the hook for choosing low quality components to install in and on the RV's. They had a choice, and they simply took the cheap way out. I looked at SOB this morning, not to buy, but simply because I had to go to Camper Clinic in Rockport. I noticed the SOB had the American made Goodyear G614 (?) tires. They also had residential type refrigerators. I inquired, and was told they run on a 650 watt inverter. Got rid of the Dometic PITA huh! Well, the Montana line still has the imported tires. When will Keystone wake up?

On buying 400 miles from your home. Other dealers may perform warranty work, but rest assured they'll be in no hurry. And to their credit, some things need to be taken care of by your dealer. Certain things are considered lot maintenance. I ran into this last year while in Aransas Pass, TX for a month. We had a bad roof on the bedroom slide, and I inquired at getting it fixed here in Rockport. I was told I would have to bring the RV in, let them take pictures, and then get repairs approved before any could be made, whereas the selling dealer would fix the problem regardless.

Myself, in the location we live in, I am simply not going to take an RV back to Indiana for repairs. I'll sell it before doing so. And I'm not criticizing those that do. Only way I would do so would be at Keystone's expense, and after my dealings with them, I don't see that as a happening thing.
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Old 09-17-2008, 12:43 PM   #16
indy roadrunner
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I for one would make the same purchase I did in April of 06. We have the 3400 and we only part time in it during the summer as I am still working to make payments. However, several trips to Florida, and many trips to state parks in Indiana, plus a couple of trips to Harrison AR and any problems I have experienced are minor. I am still running the Missions, have not had Applo Microwave problems, or storage tanks leaking etc. There are thousands of Montys on the road and you only hear of the bad things mostly. I take what I read as preventive maintenance issues and carefully keep close eye on those issues before they become major issues. Enjoy your treasure and keep reading here for things to keep an eye on and also you will probably have the fix if things do appear.
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Old 09-17-2008, 01:22 PM   #17
jretz
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Montyman,
First let me say welcome to the forum. As you mention there is a lot of discussion about problems on this forum, and as others have stated this is mostly what is discussed not what is working right. I look at it that if I ever have a problem, 2 years with this Montana and 1 year fulltiming, I know were I can find the answers. We have had a great time with our Montana, Last year we did a 10,000 mile trip and no major problems. The problems we did have were usually of our own making. As has been recommended get a good PDI checklist and go over the unit real good when you pick it up. Here's wishing you many great times with your Montana.
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Old 09-17-2008, 01:27 PM   #18
JimF
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We have been fulltime at 25,000 plus miles in the last 2 years in or 07 3400rl. Replaced the tires and Tireco reimbursed the money, all the other things I have found on the unit are to minor to mention or we have had no problem at all. Even a stick house that doesn't move requires maintenance.

I have met many Montana owners during our travels as well as sob owners. By far the Montana owners have been very satisfied with their units and have experienced no problems, it appears that is true with most brands that are on the road. What the Montana has over most units it has a lot more bang for the buck and keystone has a reputation industry wide of standing behind their products. I did a 20-minute pdi on our new trailer and towed it out and have never returned for any warranty work of any sort. My dealer had the unit prep'd very well and we were very satisfied. Our dealer was 250 miles away, we stop by there each time we pass through for the free camping and to just visit with the folks there that we made friends with. Not all dealers are your enemy.
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Old 09-18-2008, 03:26 PM   #19
dennis7366
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Pleased to report we just completed a 3 month, 15,757 mile trip from Florida to Alaska and back. Pulled a 2005 2955RL with a 2007 Dodge 2500 diesel. We had zero, I repeat zero, problems with coach or truck. Everything worked all the time.
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Old 09-18-2008, 04:13 PM   #20
rving2us
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Welcome to a great forum. If you have questions about rving, routing or just want to stop by the campfire with a story.

The Montana is a great rig. I have been pulling one since 2006, a 3000RK. We have logged a little over 12,000 miles and 63 nights and during all of it the rig has been very "livable". Hope you enjoy your new rig, the 3400 is one of the best looking outfits on the road. Good luck.
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