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Old 04-22-2017, 11:45 AM   #1
FreeRoamn
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Water Filter & Frig Access 3160RL?

We are getting close to purchasing a 3160RL and had two questions. With the 3160RL floor plan, you can only access the frig when the slide is out. Has anyone found this a total pain and regretted choosing this floor plan? I don't think it will be a big deal for us, but its funny when shopping for RV's they are always opened up and sometimes you miss a design issue because you never looked at it with the slides in.

Another question that I think applies to most Montana's is why a whole house water filter system is not included or even an option in the Montana? Our 2009 OB 5er came with one. I am already looking at installing one on the pass through compartment shared wall with the wet bay on the 3160RL as I don't think there is not enough room in the wet bay for the filter and plumbing/hoses.

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Old 04-22-2017, 06:18 PM   #2
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Why isn't a water filter installed, Cost.
Of course every body needs something different. Some need a camper to full time in some to travel in. The two needs are different but for me if I can't get to the refrigerator and the bathroom while traveling I look for another camper.
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Old 04-22-2017, 09:13 PM   #3
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Our 3150 has the same fridge problem, but really, how hard is it to open the slide far enough to access the fridge. The only time it is a real problem for me is when it's in my shop parked between the verticals of my four post lift. It only needs to slide out a couple of inches to be able to open the rearmost door of the fridge. The designers could have avoided this by, A moving the island a couple of inches forward, or B cutting the rear edge of the island at a slight angle. Makes you wonder if anyone actually tries out a rig after the first one is built.
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Old 04-22-2017, 09:22 PM   #4
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Most of the RVs that we have had we were unable to access the fridge with the slides in. It was never a big deal to us. If we stopped to eat we would just find a place that had the room to open the trailer, fix lunch and sit at the table. For us it is more important to be able to get to the restroom without opening the slides. Those stops are usually quick stop and we are on our way again.


We had a trailer with a water filter system in the basement and it was a pain. It was hard to winterize the system and it seemed like I had water all over every time I serviced it. A system that is attached b/4 the inlet is much easier to work with IMHO.
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Old 04-23-2017, 07:41 AM   #5
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For us it was enough of a problem that these became criteria for the purchase of our next 5er. Access to the fridge, bathroom and bed without having to push a slide out. While it may not have been an issue for some to push out a slide I found it to be a PITA in many cases. I found myself in situations where it wasn't always feasible to push out a slide. Just our experiences.
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Old 04-23-2017, 02:28 PM   #6
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We have experienced the issue with our 3160 and have learned to adapt to the restrictions of the fridge location. You can always isolate the DS/refrigerator slide so it is the only one that will go out if you have to get access to the fridge. I would say that having the island in front of the fridge is more of a hassle when loading or unloading the fridge than the travel mode inaccessibility. Remember your pantry is also blocked by the ODS slide in this model. We are very happy that we have access to the bathroom if needed ;-).

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Old 04-23-2017, 03:11 PM   #7
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Not having access to the reefer is not a problem for us at all. We do appreciate being able to get to the bathroom though.
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Old 04-23-2017, 03:28 PM   #8
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Our 2013 3402RL allows access to the right door and both freezer doors when the slide is in. Bathroom always accessible. Unfortunately, Keystone discontinued this floor plan in 2015...apparently not moving enough of this model to keep it available.
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Old 04-24-2017, 03:28 AM   #9
Phil P
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mlh View Post
Why isn't a water filter installed, Cost.
Of course every body needs something different. Some need a camper to full time in some to travel in. The two needs are different but for me if I can't get to the refrigerator and the bathroom while traveling I look for another camper.
Lynwood
X2

We have looked at a number of new RV's and being unable to access the bathroom and refrigerator while on the road is a no go.

Phil P
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Old 04-24-2017, 07:28 AM   #10
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We've had the 3160 for over 1.5 years now and not being able to access the fridge with the slides in hasn't been that bad. For lunch stops while travelling we either plan ahead and pack a lunch or just pop the slides out at a rest area and make lunch. When we are loading for a trip, we have all the slides out anyway to access the various areas easier. The slides are quick and easy to open (as long as your batteries are good or have power) and as mentioned above, you can isolate the slides to only open/close on or the other (did that this weekend while casino camping as the fridge side was where traffic was flowing so pulled it in most of the time). Overall we have been very happy with the floor plan. The only thing we would have liked is another window in the living area towards the door side, either behind the cooktop or an elevator TV with a window behind it (though with the fireplace and outside entertainment I don't think this would be feasible)
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Old 04-24-2017, 09:28 AM   #11
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Everyone has different priorities with a trailer, which is why there are so many floor plans. In our previous trailer, we could access the fridge, bathroom and bed with all the slides in. It had a great floor plan. Unfortunately, the trailer itself was poorly constructed so after four years we traded it in.

Our daughter is unable to access either the bathroom or the fridge without putting out one slide. That would be a deal breaker for us, but she is willing to put up with to get what she wanted in her floor plan (two double bunks in a 27' fifth wheel). You compromise where you need to.

The 305RL we just bought had so many other redeeming features that we will put up with the fridge being where it is. The slide that needs to go out to access the fridge is on the passenger side, and if we have room to put out the stairs, we have room to put that slide out.
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Old 04-24-2017, 03:13 PM   #12
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Thanks for the feedback! Good point about the frig slide on the stairs side!

We went for it and purchased our Montana yesterday and will pick it up in a few weeks. Looking at water filters, I still don't understand why they don't include one built into the water system. They are relatively inexpensive and a feature that every owner would use. Anyhow, very pleased overall and will do some research now on how to make a clean install on an aftermarket water filtration system.
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Old 04-24-2017, 07:19 PM   #13
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This site has a lot of good info and data (though understand they are selling the products too)


https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/SFNT.htm
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Old 04-24-2017, 07:31 PM   #14
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Thanks for the feedback! Good point about the frig slide on the stairs side!

We went for it and purchased our Montana yesterday and will pick it up in a few weeks. Looking at water filters, I still don't understand why they don't include one built into the water system. They are relatively inexpensive and a feature that every owner would use. Anyhow, very pleased overall and will do some research now on how to make a clean install on an aftermarket water filtration system.
Nice looking trailer. Now the fun begins
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Old 04-24-2017, 09:35 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by mjammersc View Post
This site has a lot of good info and data (though understand they are selling the products too)


https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/SFNT.htm
Thanks for the link!
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Old 04-25-2017, 05:12 AM   #16
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Congrats & enjoy!
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