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Old 06-02-2011, 03:22 PM   #1
richfaa
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2006 Montana 3400....5 year report..

We were 5 years old in May of 2011 and been on the road as long timers since then. Between the two trucks that we pulled this with a conservative estimate of mileage on the old girl is pushing 50K. We did 25K on the first truck and this truck is over 40K and I figure 80% of that was pulling the 3400 since we use the truck for little else.

The 3400 is showing signs of wear.Not falling apart or anything but well used. The major upgrade on it was the Mor Ryde IS system that we felt was necessary considering the miles pulled and the hard use. We got the upgraded brakes from Dexter at the last rally.

Our Graphics are finally showing wear. Most are still perfect but some are starting to peel and shrink and in a couple of spots are lifting from the gel coat?? From a few steps away all looks normal.

We have never had a leak..anywhere. Cleaned the roof today and it is dirty but in very good shape. Never had a hydraulic problem all the slides work just fine . The slide toppers are in good condition no rips or tears. The main awning is faded and is drying out (Florida and AZ sun) Think we will upgrade to a electric awning at the fall rally.

No frame problems although the service center did reinforce the front end.

The carpet that I did not think would last 3 years is in excellent condition. Helen cleans it with her Kirby system twice a year.

The cabinets and woodwork are in good shape execpt were the &^%$##
bird Gnawed on them.

we had our share of nuisance problems and of course the "melt down" at quartz site within the first six months we had it..due to..shoddy workmanship at the factory of which I never let Keystone forget about although they went above and beyond to get us repaired and on the road.

For those that recently purchased hope this may give you some idea of the reliability of these guys.. They are labor intensive and you got to keep after them. Keystone/Montana and the service center have been outstanding over the years. That does not mean I get my way all the time.

When we purchased this 3400 we figured that it would last 5 to 7 years the way we planned to use it. It has exceeded our expectations after 5 years.
 
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Old 06-02-2011, 03:38 PM   #2
CasaDelSol
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We have a 2006 2955RL that is my happy place. We love it so much and find it is not too small for our 5 month treks. Would we love a brand spanky new 3400? Oh yeah...but how can you argue with a 5 year old rig that is in great condition and more than adequate for our use. When I see what other people call home on the road I feel so blessed. It is a great product and we love being a part of the MOC family. I'm glad you didn't kill Helen's bird last year at the rally.
Joanie
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Old 06-02-2011, 06:34 PM   #3
Icehouse
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That's a great report, Rich. We've had ours 4 years this coming November. We have nothing but excellent reviews for our Montana. Yes, we've been aggravated with a few times, but really, no big deal in the scheme of things.

Thanks for the report!
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Old 06-02-2011, 06:46 PM   #4
Rondo
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Wow! Welcome back Bernie and Tammy! Haven't seen you posting for a long time and it's good to see you back! How's the business going?

Sorry Rich, didn't mean to jump in here and change the subject! Glad you're having such a good time in your 3400. See you guys in September. Hey, why don't you and Helen head out here to Nebraska for the Central Plains Rally in July?
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Old 06-02-2011, 10:59 PM   #5
HamRad
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Bernie and Tammy,
I have to agree with Rondo! Welcome back. It's been a long time. Hope all is going well with the B&B. Bring us up to date. Anyway it is good to hear from you. Dennis
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Old 06-03-2011, 01:30 AM   #6
indy roadrunner
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Welcome back Icehouse.
Good report Rich, our 06 3400 was 5 years old in March. It is still pretty much OEM. Only mod I have done is add the TrailAir pin box.
Course mine has not had the use as yours as of this year we have been weekenders and vacation types. Now I do have a brand new awning but that is not due to wear and tear. You see Keystone forgot to put in the instruction manual that when you have a water spout come off the gulf that you should have your awning rolled up. Not my fault.I had it tied down. Then I had to replace the outside faucet as one year when adding the pink stuff I forgot about running antifreeze through it and of course it froze.
I have also added a Port-a-bote carrier to the underneath side and we have the new BFG Commercial T/A tires.
We start volunteer work down in TopSail this July and Aug so the ole girl is going to get more of a workout. There is a lot of life left in this unit unless we destroy it through ignorance.
I keep watching those links where others have opted with wet bolts but still see no evidence of wear. Time and jury still out on those. And of course I have added the door hinges on the electric cord carrier on the slides like everybody else has had to do.
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Old 06-03-2011, 02:42 AM   #7
Bill-N-Donna
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I see no reason these units can’t go on for many years. Anything you have will need regular maintenance to keep it up to par. Our camper was built in 2001 and I plan to get many more miles and wear from it.

The thing that worried me about these units when I first got ours was delamination; of which I have seen very little. I have a few bubbles on our kitchen slide that I’ve been watching for 2-3 years and it doesn’t seem to be getting any worse. As a matter of fact you wouldn’t even notice it if I don’t point it out to you so I’m not even sure it’s a problem at all.

Good to see you back on here Icehouse, I’ve been watching for ya!
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2011 GMC 4X4 dually CC, 6.6 Duramax with Allison Transmission. Formally 2001 Montana,2007 3400RL Montana, presently 2018 3401RS Alpine.
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Old 06-03-2011, 03:02 AM   #8
richfaa
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"delimitation' Forgot about that. We have none. After 5 years of hard use and good maintenance I also agree that these can last a very long time. Our primary concern for failure was the OEM suspension systems. Sure wish the RV industry would offer heavy duty packages like the auto industry. We decided to upgrade and repair as needed on this one rather than spend the huge sum of money on an new one. I weas near convinced that after 5 years or so of hard use this guy would be worn out We will do something with the graphics not sure what yet but it won't be Burlington/ keystone or any othet OEM graphics.
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Old 06-03-2011, 03:47 AM   #9
Lee F.
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Thanks for the report Rich. I hope I can get the same from my 2955RL. I've only had it 8 months so far and have spent 51 days in it traveling aprox. 4500 miles. Only problems so far have been a broken sliding door latch, the pocket door track pulled off the ceiling and the lug nuts rusted. First two items fixed under warranty and I replaced the lug nuts with McGard 64805's. All minor stuff. I'm very happy with the unit so far.
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Old 06-03-2011, 04:13 AM   #10
coyoterick
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Bill-N-Donna


The thing that worried me about these units when I first got ours was delimitation; of which I have seen very little.
Um, do you mean delamination instead?

Noun 1. delimitation - a line that indicates a boundary

Don't mean to be anal, I'm just trying to figure out what you're saying here!
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Old 06-03-2011, 05:22 AM   #11
Bill-N-Donna
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Quote:
quote:

Um, do you mean delamination instead?


Of course “Delamination”
My Bad!

[
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Old 06-03-2011, 05:27 AM   #12
mail2us
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Release some capital Rich and buy a new one anyway!
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Old 06-03-2011, 10:43 AM   #13
richfaa
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Dennis, Dennis, Dennis. We are just poor ole retired Feds like yourself. Don't tell Helen about a new one. I told her they don't make Montana's any more.
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Old 06-03-2011, 03:28 PM   #14
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We have 2000 miles towing and have slept 24 nights in our 2010 324RLQ with only a few minor issues. We will be kinda long timing with more trips after we both are retired starting this August 11th. Good report Rich.
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Old 06-03-2011, 05:16 PM   #15
richfaa
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We have decided that the main awning needs replacement. It is fading, brittle and has some tears in it.High winds no doubt. Strange but the slide toppers are in very good shape, Maybe a higher quality material??? Am negotiating with a couple of places in Goshen to get the work done before the fall rally. Mark Krol from keystone recommended the A&E power awning so it shall be.
Who needs a new unit. We will just turn this 06 into a new one.
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Old 06-03-2011, 05:36 PM   #16
BrokenElbow
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As a Montana (and 5er) newbie, this is really good to hear. You guys ride them hard and put them away wet...so a good report sure makes me feel good about our decision to buy a Montana. Rich Thanks for the report. I have learned a great deal on this site in a very short period of time.
Steve
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Old 06-04-2011, 02:49 AM   #17
richfaa
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Some folks over on RV net got tired of the keystone bashing and there are a couple of threads going relating positive Keystone experiences.
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Old 06-04-2011, 03:57 AM   #18
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Richfaa,

Its good to hear that the only problems you have had with your 3400RL is the wiring fire.
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Old 06-04-2011, 04:26 AM   #19
richfaa
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Desert RVer

Richfaa,

Its good to hear that the only problems you have had with your 3400RL is the wiring fire.
That was the one and only major problem. We reported every problem large and small so as to help others avoid issues and to some that came across as I had a lot of problems.

We describe the incident as "the melt down" Because I don't think we actually had a fire as we shut everything down in time. We had a a lot of smoke and melted wiring. It was shoddy workmanship pure and simple and we made Montana well aware of it.

IMO the weakest point of these things was/ is the suspension system....if you use them hard as we do. They have improved with the wet bolts and cross bracing and again IMO they are much sturdier now.

There are full timer folks on the forum that have used and do use these guys much harder than we do.

These are good solid Rv's and with the proper maint and care they will give excellent service...but not without problems.
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Old 06-04-2011, 02:39 PM   #20
Desert RVer
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Did you have any claims against your warranty or extended warranty besides the wiring problem?
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