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Old 12-08-2019, 06:11 PM   #1
luckeyd
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Would you buy again?

Hello, looking at buying a new 5th wheel, currently own a 2014 Grand Design Reflectiion 303RLS. That unit has been great with just minimal items breaking, knock on wood, but I now want a new rig. Looking at Montana 3121RL Legacy, or another Grand Design, but a Solitude 310GK-R. This is basically same floor plan for each, both 35 feet long. Looked at a 3121RL, and a Solitude 310GK this weekend. Question I have is would you buy a Montana again or go with some other brand due to issues. Have read forums ad nauseum and simply want honest opinions. Thanks for all replies. Oh yes, I have my popcorn and drink handy, so let the opinions begin.

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Old 12-08-2019, 06:30 PM   #2
PNW Fireguy
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I would have no problem buying another Keystone Montana. Issues I have had were minimal and/or related to industry standard equipment. In the price range that the Montana lives in it provides a great deal of value for the dollar. The purchaser making sure that all issues have been identified and addressed during the purchase process is usually where most all issues can be nipped in the bud.


The RV industry as a whole has a quality control/craftsmenship issue. During the economic boom the factories put out as many units as they could come hell or high water. It doesn't matter if it's Keystone, Grand Design, Heartland, etc. every factory had the same goal to produce maximum capacity. That thought process worked its way right down to all the suppliers and dealers.
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Old 12-08-2019, 06:42 PM   #3
Mikendebbie
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Yes - but it would have to have the front bath tub for DW and they have apparently dropped that floor plan in 2020 models.
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Old 12-08-2019, 07:23 PM   #4
ArkansasNWA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luckeyd View Post
Hello, looking at buying a new 5th wheel, currently own a 2014 Grand Design Reflectiion 303RLS. That unit has been great with just minimal items breaking, knock on wood, but I now want a new rig. Looking at Montana 3121RL Legacy, or another Grand Design, but a Solitude 310GK-R. This is basically same floor plan for each, both 35 feet long. Looked at a 3121RL, and a Solitude 310GK this weekend. Question I have is would you buy a Montana again or go with some other brand due to issues. Have read forums ad nauseum and simply want honest opinions. Thanks for all replies. Oh yes, I have my popcorn and drink handy, so let the opinions begin.

Don Luckey
We purchased a 2019 Montana 3121RL and we love it. very comfortable and easy to pull. However our first warranty list had 42 items to be corrected. These were from trim falling off the wall, TV coax not installed correctly, to stove burners would not light. As mentioned by others, the workmanship on new RVs is terrible. Our dealer said they put them together fast and let the retail side make all the corrections. This gives the buyer a bad taste.
However, the one mistake we made was getting the residential refrigerator. (3121RL). The reason is if you loose shore power the batteries might last eight hours if your lucky. So far we have lost everything in the fridge twice due to this issue. So with this said, I would recommend the 3120RL. This is the same unit with the exception it has the larger RV ref and you will have propane backup.
Happy shopping! Safe travels.
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Old 12-08-2019, 08:00 PM   #5
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Absolutely Not.
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Old 12-08-2019, 08:03 PM   #6
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We came down to the same two you are looking at, Montana 3121 and Solitude 310. Our dealer had both in stock so we spent time going from one to the other. We both liked the Montana better, which is saying something since we rarely agree on anything. We've been in a couple 310s since then at campgrounds and are still glad we are in the 3121. But, that's just us.
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Old 12-08-2019, 08:10 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by ArkansasNWA View Post
We purchased a 2019 Montana 3121RL and we love it. very comfortable and easy to pull. However our first warranty list had 42 items to be corrected. These were from trim falling off the wall, TV coax not installed correctly, to stove burners would not light. As mentioned by others, the workmanship on new RVs is terrible. Our dealer said they put them together fast and let the retail side make all the corrections. This gives the buyer a bad taste.
However, the one mistake we made was getting the residential refrigerator. (3121RL). The reason is if you loose shore power the batteries might last eight hours if your lucky. So far we have lost everything in the fridge twice due to this issue. So with this said, I would recommend the 3120RL. This is the same unit with the exception it has the larger RV ref and you will have propane backup.
Happy shopping! Safe travels.
We love our residential refrigerator with the ice maker. Have had rv refrigerators before and those just didn't work as good. But, the problem you described is always a possibility. That's why I bought my Christmas present of a couple of 2000 watt generators. Also, I thought both the residential and rv were 18 cuft? But I may be wrong.
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Old 12-08-2019, 08:43 PM   #8
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Have had two Montanas so far and wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
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Old 12-08-2019, 09:01 PM   #9
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While we are generally pleased with our Montana 3791RD we recently sold our 2017 Class A Fleetwood Bounder and we are highly dissapointed in the poor finishes and over all medioker quality of the Montana compared to our Class A. We bought the Montana for the floorplan (3791RD) our choices were eith Montana or Solitude both about the same quality.

If the floor plan was not a deal-braker I would likely look at higher end 5er's like Mobile Suites and a couple others.

We did notice that Montana's pre 2016 seem better built and better finishes however we did purchase a 2019 again floor plan was the primary driver...

I will also say that Montana's warranty response time is horrible. My rig has been at the dealer for a mount so far and it looks like it will be there till Late Jan. It is not that the service is not available it is the replacement parts from Montana that is the hold up... Fortunately it is not summertime.

I would also not recommend not buying new as the warranty work can be extensive and time consuming, better to buy a couple years old where previous owners have dealt with that hassle.
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Old 12-08-2019, 09:10 PM   #10
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lightsout just so you know Mobil Suites have a boat load of issues as welll. Both Keystone and DRV have something very much in common...Thor. If anyone is thinking that owning an RV is problem free you are going to be sorely disappointed. Even the customs have issues just not the same issues.
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Old 12-08-2019, 09:21 PM   #11
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lightsout just so you know Mobil Suites have a boat load of issues as well. Both Keystone and DRV have something very much in common...Thor. If anyone is thinking that owning an RV is problem free you are going to be sorely disappointed. Even the customs have issues just not the same issues.
Never did I suggest any RV is trouble free including the 7 figure Class A's, however quality finished and fit, is a great start to reducing wear and tear and maintenance issues. With the push to lower cost, lighten RV's, skimp on finishes that creates underlying issues that come back to bite the consumer in the future. for the same reasons that Ikea furniture will have more issues and shorter useful life compared to say Basset furniture, or say vinyl vs leather.

Again it was a shock moving from a mid range Class A to a mid range 5er, the 5er quality was so much lower.

We are crossing our fingers we will get a couple years with not to many issues with the Montana, only time will tell, but my explanation here and above is clearly relevent.
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Old 12-08-2019, 10:23 PM   #12
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Yes - but it would have to have the front bath tub for DW and they have apparently dropped that floor plan in 2020 models.
Do you know why they dropped that floor plan, just wondering.
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Old 12-09-2019, 05:47 AM   #13
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2018 3731FL Bought July 2017, only 1 factory issue with ac install, The others were vendor parts issues (2).
This is our first RV of any kind and we’re not at all unhappy.
Yes we would purchase another Montana!
We’ve added independent suspension and disc brakes.
That will be standard from now on for us.
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Old 12-09-2019, 06:37 AM   #14
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We traded in our 2007 Monty RL3400, on the 21st of November for a 2020 3811 MS Monty. We didn’t even blink at choosing another one, nor did we even look at other brands. We just compared different floor plans. Our 07 gave us 12 1/2 years of great camping with very little issues. We started Full timing back in July as we sold our house in September so we just decided it was time for a new one. We chose the 3811MS as I fell in love with the front sofa with big front window, gives the bedroom a big open feeling. This model has lots of windows compared to our 07 so there is plenty of natural light and the bathroom size was a major plus, again compared to the 07...We also selected the Legacy package, glad we did. Issues so far,, Furnace fan was coming on few seconds then going out, no ignition, made phone calls.. Sail switch is being shipped as we are all set up and we are not moving this camper. Husband fiddled with the switch and now it’s working,, go figure. Switch is still on its way being shipped from the dealer. Ice Maker won’t dump ice until you hit the reset button. Made phone calls to Samsung so we are in the process of that. We are being patient for the repair as we have never had the luxury of an ice maker in a camper before. We did purchase the 6 year extended warranty as we did also on the 07 and never used or needed it, but each camper is different and mechanical things break or something goes wrong. With all this new technology we just wanted some assurance things are covered for awhile. We are hoping that this Monty gives us many happy and enjoyable years as our 07 did. With each person, it’s a personal decision to which one chooses and is happy with. We have been members here a long time, we don’t post much, but have learned mountains of information from this wonderful club. Best of luck on your decision...Sharon
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Old 12-09-2019, 07:18 AM   #15
Carl n Susan
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Here is a previous discussion on this same topic. There are 129 responses, many of which will be repeated in this Thread.
http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=72143
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Old 12-09-2019, 07:56 AM   #16
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Honestly if I had it to do again we would have bought the GD Solitude equivalent to the Montana 3790RD we bought. At the time there were some minor differences in the two units, the Montana won over due to the curved/rounded ceiling inside giving it the feel of being bigger/spacious.... the price point was $20,000 difference at the time in 2015 between the two and I believe the GD's are/were worth the extra money... The Montana hasn't had any real disastrous issues such as a frame broken to date(touch wood) but man it has been a source of constant work and replacement of parts. Why they don't buy quality parts that last............sigh. Now in its 4th year the furniture finish is all starting to flake off on the theatre seating & couch's, fireplace crapped out (new parts on order don't know if it will fix it or will have to replace). Skirting on one side blew off and $2000 later new installed, I wax it twice a year but apparently not enough as colour is fading badly etc etc.... Still like the layout, like the looks of interior and with each improvement & part that is replaced it becomes harder to justify getting something new and starting all over..... When I talked to folks who went GD Solitude when we bought the Montana it seems they haven't had the same issues.... So the $20,000 extra might have been worth it in the end to avoid the frustration & constant repair mode that it seems to take..... Still better than the high end Crossroads Unit we had 3 months and dumped as it leaked just about everywhere.... They all suck for amount of money we spend on them..... If it was a car we wouldn't put up with it....
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Old 12-09-2019, 08:36 AM   #17
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This is our 2nd Montana so we did buy again. Quality in any RV is very poor .We picked the Montana because we receiver excellent customer service on our first one. We are long timers and do many, many miles a year over our roads both Montaña's although not without issues have held up very well.


We are no tbrand loyal on anything and would have purchased another brand if we though it would have been any better.
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Old 12-09-2019, 08:49 AM   #18
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The jury is still out on this one. We're newbies, just bought our first rig in June, 2020 3740FK. We love the floor plan and moved in fulltime in Oct. after selling our house. We planned to head south from CO this past Saturday but, the seal on our fresh water tank failed on Thanksgiving Day. We got it to the dealership asap. They were great and got us in the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. We also showed them an area on the outside of the rig near the kitchen slide and end cap that looked damaged. It was strange in that it was bulging out. They discovered there is a missing bracket allowing the area to "crush" in on itself. The sidewall has to be removed to fix it. We also let them know the livingroom floor bubbles up when the furnace runs (apparently this is a known issue). The dealership said to make a list of things and boy did we. We orginally weren't concerned with some of the small things but, decided after paying so much for our new home we'd point them out. So, we're looking at a minimum of a month in the shop.
We understand issues happen. But like someone else mentioned, you would not put up with this if it were your car.
I know this one is a stretch and people are going to laugh at me. Bare with me just a moment... We called Keystone to see if they would help with hotel costs because this is our home and these issues are manufacturing defects/improper installation.
They told my husband "Well sir, it is a recreational vehicle. We do not look at it as your home. So, no we don't cover that."
Well, we get that. It's what RV stands for...duh. But, don't tell me you offer a full-timer's warranty and then make that kind of comment.
My husband served 30yrs in the USAF and this is the first time in our lives we've been homeless.
So far Keystone's response has been mediocre. Our deciding to purchase from them again will greatly depend upon how they work with the dealership to get these repairs done.
From reading the other responses to your question, it appears this is the way of things. Sad. We are trying to stay positive and hope to be on the road sometime in Jan. if the CO weather will let us make a break for it! ��
Good luck with whichever rig you decide on!
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Old 12-09-2019, 12:09 PM   #19
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my responses vary

whether or not you buy again can often be influenced by your dealer. Often the issue with poor service is rooted with the dealer.

When you look at issues, you need to look at whose fault is it. If it is a supplied part, stove, AC furniture, etc, this issue will be most likely happen across the board. If it is a manufactured item or installation issue that is on Montana.

Some will tell you a good PDI will solve everything-- It won't, but it will give you a good headstart.

As far as service goes, either through Sam lurking or through talking to Keystone Customer Service directly, I have always been taken care of. Ours is enroute to the KCSC and had a wheel issue on the way. Brake, bearing or something. They found a dealer that would take it in and the transporter dropped it off. i have had the next steps laid out and confident that it will make it to the KCSC for repairs.

Again, my dealer said that they did the inspection......not so sure of that.

From being on this site and from personal experiences I would tell folks before going full time live with your unit a year first. Some go from one to the next just fine, but they already have a ton of experience and know how to handle things to minimize their down time.
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Old 12-09-2019, 12:59 PM   #20
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We are on our 2nd Montana. We traded a 2018 3811MS on a 2020 3931FB.So far so good. We have been pleased with both.
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