Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum - View Single Post

BusyCarol · 09-03-2012, 12:03 PM

Well we are on our way home from our first adventure, and a good portion of misadventure, in our brand new 2013 3100RL.

Here is what we found for the shake down and misadventures on our trip. We were in Yellowstone for 5 nights. The first night we didn't arrive until 10:30pm because our first problem was a kinked fuel line that the dealer had to fix. Once that issue was resolved we were on our way...

1. While dealer was checking out the kink in the hose he evidently turned the back burner on low to check it out. Imagine my surprise when 2.5hours later I stepped in the trailer at a gas station to a horrible smell...the cooktop cover was being melted because the burner had been running the whole time we were driving! Good thing I needed to tinkle or it could have burned our trailer down! So my new cooktop cover that is a cut out of the solid surface countertop is all bubbled and melted!

2. We don't advise new fifth wheel owners to try parking at Fishing Bridge at night! We had trees on 2 sides of us and the space just barely fit after much manuevering at 11:20pm!

3. First time fifth wheel owners should remember to lower tailgate before unhooking rig! No further comment!

4. Auto leveling...although an amazing feature once you get the hang of it...it is NOT intuitive! So when you gleefully watch your landing gear lower your trailer all the way down...just remember you weren't the first person to watch this happen.

5. Wall paper trim likes adhesive if you would like it to stay up.

6. Keystone put EXCESSIVE amounts of plumbers putty in kitchen sink which, when heated to wash dishes, adheres to everything!

7. The bottoms of shower doors should be caulked with silicone before using...unless you want your wife to yell at you for getting water all over the floor!

8. Last but not least and definitely the MOST IMPORTANT...if you are the delighted owner of a new fifth wheel hitch please check ALL nuts and bolts to make sure they are secure before, during, and after your trip. Much to my surprise, when DH was hooking up I noticed the rails lift 3" off the unit. Evidently all 4 bolts had lost their nuts while we were traveling! Unfortunately we only found 3 of the 4! Luckily there is a repair shop in Fishing Bridge that had a nut and washer that allowed us to make it home. Thank God for pointing out the lifting railings or I might not have been around to make this post!

9. The pads on the leveling jacks need to be tightened down once in a while. At a gas station I noticed them wobbeling! We are now officially paranoid about checking every nut and bolt on the trailer!

Thank goodness both of us are handy with tools and are watching out for 'issues'!

We are halfway home...so keep your fingers crossed that we and the trailer/truck make it in one piece! We hope this post let all other new fifth wheel owners know they are not the only ones....

2.

09-03-2012, 12:03 PM	#1
BusyCarol Montana Master Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Billings Posts: 698 M.O.C. #12641	First trip...shaking out misadventures Well we are on our way home from our first adventure, and a good portion of misadventure, in our brand new 2013 3100RL. Here is what we found for the shake down and misadventures on our trip. We were in Yellowstone for 5 nights. The first night we didn't arrive until 10:30pm because our first problem was a kinked fuel line that the dealer had to fix. Once that issue was resolved we were on our way... 1. While dealer was checking out the kink in the hose he evidently turned the back burner on low to check it out. Imagine my surprise when 2.5hours later I stepped in the trailer at a gas station to a horrible smell...the cooktop cover was being melted because the burner had been running the whole time we were driving! Good thing I needed to tinkle or it could have burned our trailer down! So my new cooktop cover that is a cut out of the solid surface countertop is all bubbled and melted! 2. We don't advise new fifth wheel owners to try parking at Fishing Bridge at night! We had trees on 2 sides of us and the space just barely fit after much manuevering at 11:20pm! 3. First time fifth wheel owners should remember to lower tailgate before unhooking rig! No further comment! 4. Auto leveling...although an amazing feature once you get the hang of it...it is NOT intuitive! So when you gleefully watch your landing gear lower your trailer all the way down...just remember you weren't the first person to watch this happen. 5. Wall paper trim likes adhesive if you would like it to stay up. 6. Keystone put EXCESSIVE amounts of plumbers putty in kitchen sink which, when heated to wash dishes, adheres to everything! 7. The bottoms of shower doors should be caulked with silicone before using...unless you want your wife to yell at you for getting water all over the floor! 8. Last but not least and definitely the MOST IMPORTANT...if you are the delighted owner of a new fifth wheel hitch please check ALL nuts and bolts to make sure they are secure before, during, and after your trip. Much to my surprise, when DH was hooking up I noticed the rails lift 3" off the unit. Evidently all 4 bolts had lost their nuts while we were traveling! Unfortunately we only found 3 of the 4! Luckily there is a repair shop in Fishing Bridge that had a nut and washer that allowed us to make it home. Thank God for pointing out the lifting railings or I might not have been around to make this post! 9. The pads on the leveling jacks need to be tightened down once in a while. At a gas station I noticed them wobbeling! We are now officially paranoid about checking every nut and bolt on the trailer! Thank goodness both of us are handy with tools and are watching out for 'issues'! We are halfway home...so keep your fingers crossed that we and the trailer/truck make it in one piece! We hope this post let all other new fifth wheel owners know they are not the only ones.... 2.