Closest competitors of 3400RL?

[sreigle]

David, GVWR can be a bit misleading. Normally you're not towing GVWR. You're towing unloaded vehicle weight plus propane, battery, fluids and your gear. That's the number you need to know. Generally you can figure unloaded weight by subracting carrying capacity from GVWR. That won't be exact but will give you a reasonable approximation. In other words, if GVWR is 16,000 and CC is 4,000 but you only load 2,000 then your towed weight is going to be closer to 14,000, which is within reach for most F350's.

See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

[toolmanroy]

I would be careful looking at the Heartland Bighorn. It is new to the market and they have lots to work out. It looks an awful lot like the Montana until you start checking construction. One other thing I would suggest. Ask the people who service the units what they think. Roy has several RV shops he visits every week and most do not like the Bighorn.



Roy and Nancy

2001 F250 CC 4x4 Lariat diesel
2005 Montana 2955RL

[richfaa]

I think that when you are looking for comparability you need to make sure the products are comparable in terms of such things of price, construction, and all over specifications. Example a 1/2 ton truck would not be comparable with a 1 ton truck. For instance the above mentioned Esclade and Montego bay are both fine campers and we did look at both of them.. But the Esclade 36KSB has a UVW of 13,525 and a GVWR of 16,800..The Montego bay 35RKB UVW 12,187 and a GVWR of 16K. These are of similar size to the 3400 but not comparable in terms of Spec's. Higher weight means higher price and usually means higher quality of Materials.perhaps solid oak cabinetry, Etc.Even some of the comparable Cardinal models are heaver than the 3400. The Cedar Creek is very comparable.. In addition to Manufacturer customer service and dealer to me the issue was Weight, Weight, Weight...Pin Weight, Carrying capacity. GVWR.. IMO the Montana 3400 is not the best all around Fifth wheel in its class but in terms of Manufacturer Customer service, Dealer, Price , weight and all around spec's it was the only fifth wheel that meet our needs . We know exactly what we purchased and we have absolutly no regrets.

Rich& Helen N.Ridgeville,Ohio.

F-350SD, Lariat, V-10,4:30 Diff, tow command Long bed, Crew Cab Dually, 06 3400RL
Mor-Ryde Pin Box

[sreigle]

Well said. That's pretty much it for us, too.

See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

[rogersuemegan]

We have the 3400 2005 and love it. Have made a few changes but wouldn't trade it for anything else. My brother and his wife just bought a 2006 Titanium and she HATES it, wants to trade it in on the 3400 but he says no. I don't think anyone has a camper that can beat the the 3400.

rogersuemegan

[David and Jo-Anna]

I really appreciate all the info everyone has shared on this topic--I definitely have some good candidates to check out. I hope to come out in the same place that everyone here has come to--that a Monty is the best choice. But I know, given my penchant for research, that I will feel much better about my choice if I feel I've really looked at the competition.

One thing I did want to followup on. The only comment made about the Everest was Steve's comment that it lacked attic vents. I seem to recall seeing some comments about the Everest in some post several months ago, but don't recall just what was said about them--and I couldn't find anything when I searched. Any comments about the Everests that anyone can share?

As for the Jayco, Cedar Creek and Forest River Cardinal, how do they stack up in terms of manufacturer support? And do they have anything comparable to this forum that would be worth looking at?

David and Jo-Anna Kikel

[Montana Sky]

David,

No other manufacturer stacks up against the Customer Support from Keystone. And the only other brands that have a club like this that I am aware of is the Prevost bus conversions, and Country Coach.


2004 Chevy Silverado LT 2500HD CrewCab Duramax
2004 Montana 3400RL

[richfaa]

Since you asked and these are conclusions that we came to and mean nothing except to me .Cedar Creek and Cardinal are both Forest River products and In my opinion the Cardinal is a cut above the Montana.Forest River did not pass the "stand behind the product "test..IMO.. I also think the Jayco designer series is a cut above the Montana and the Cardinal ..There was not a dealer within a reasonable distance that we would buy from. Now having said that the Cardinal and Jayco Designer are a cut above the Montana the argument can be made that both of those brands may not be comparable to the Montana. We were impressed with the "organizational climate" in the Jayco plant. We liked the way it felt in the plant.. Anyhow we purchased the Montana..everything fell into place in particular the outstanding floor plan and counter space in the 3400. Oh.. The Everest..To me it is the same camper..They spend their money on interior eye candy..Great shower stall..Our local Camper world carries them.. The Montana was a better buy..IMO... Forest river has a forum www. Forestriverinc.com I was at one time a member over there..so does jayco..forgot the WWW..Take a look..nothing like this forum.

Rich& Helen N.Ridgeville,Ohio.

F-350SD, Lariat, V-10,4:30 Diff, tow command Long bed, Crew Cab Dually, 06 3400RL
Mor-Ryde Pin Box

[sreigle]

David, when I said no attic vents on the Everest, I was referring to what I knew about a year ago. I just now went to www.keystone-everest.com , to the Construction section. No mention of attic vents there and none in the picture. Then I went to www.keystone-montana.com , Construction section. There's the attic vents in the picture and in the text. So, no, the Everest does not have attic vents to help vent moisture.

Now, if I may, here's my take on Everest, for whatever this is worth. First, it's a good rig.

IN THE PAST - I have three times asked Keystone reps the difference between the Montana and the Everest. One of those times was at the Rio Grande Valley Rv Show and some other members were standing there and can vouch for this. In each instance I was told they two have essentially the same bottom line budget but Everest spends more on "eye candy", like nicer interior appointments and Montana spend more on construction quality.

BUT NOW - here's something I found out while chatting in July with a Keystone person at the factory. Both the Everest and the Montana are being upgraded to help close the void left by the demise of the Cambridge. Neither will go to that level but each will get some of the features. One of those features is the very nice woodwork in the Cambridge. That was slated, according to this person, to go to the Montana. BUT, when Jeff Rank moved to Everest he managed to get the new wood moved to the Everest.

It doesn't make sense for Keystone to have Everest and Montana in the same market segment. It just doesn't make sense. So I have to think perhaps the Everest is being upgraded a bit more than the Montana to make it a bit more upscale. Only time will tell. This part is just a guess on my part.

The Everest is a good rig. But for fulltiming, the absence of attic vents would make me wonder what other features are missing that would be valuable in a fulltime rig. That's why we didn't consider the Everest in this latest purchase.



See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

[richfaa]

Steve R. gave a very good overview of the Everest. We also thought the attic vents were a big plus to us since we would be long timing and condensation is a issue in campers.When you walk into a Everest your thought (good PR on Everest part) is this is a plush camper( very upscale interior) but one needs to consider a wide range of things and choose the camper that best suite their needs. It now sounds like Keystone may PR Everest as their top of the line to replace the Cambridge.IMO I think the average, not so knowledgeable buyer would choose the Everest over the Montana just for the shower stall..It is a class act in the Everest.

Rich& Helen N.Ridgeville,Ohio.

F-350SD, Lariat, V-10,4:30 Diff, tow command Long bed, Crew Cab Dually, 06 3400RL
Mor-Ryde Pin Box

[315RLS]

Kz Escalade http://www.kz-rv.com/escalade/index.html

[Montana Sky]

The Kz Escalade is really a nice looking unit. I have looked through them a few times, have not had the chance to tear one apart. I hope Keystone notices that many of the mid to high level 5th wheels are using upgraded tv's, fixtures, and features, and starts to apply them into their Montana.

I saw the new black shower stall and cabinet handles, I actually thought it was a nice touch.


2004 Chevy Silverado LT 2500HD CrewCab Duramax
2004 Montana 3400RL

[virgil47]

Dave I really agree. A flat screen TV was made to order for a fiver. Imagine the space it frees up. I've seen them in Mobile Suites and others and it really makes a difference as to how the freed up space in the workstation can treated. Makes you wonder why Montana doesn't offer it as an option. ???

Virgil & Jo Allmond

1998 Volvo 610, VED12-425hp, 14 speed tranny

STICK HOUSE IS IN Suches, GA

TODAY WE ARE IN A 3555RL IN Whitehorse, YT, Canada

See Our blog at...
Virgil47's Blog

[Thunderman]

When we were looking, I was impressed with the Sunnybrook, Cedar Creek and the Montana. We then narrowed it down to the Cedar Creek and the Montana. At the time the Cedar Creek frame was bolted together while the Montana frame was welded. The welded frame made the decision for us.
Good luck!

Weldon

Weldon and Carolyn
I.D.No. 920
2001 F-250 PSD, CC
2003 2955RL Montana

[richfaa]

The KZ Escalade is a very nice camper but as I stated before the GVWR fo the compairable model to the 3400 is 16,800 so it is not in the Montana class and would be at the limits of most 1 ton trucks. The extra weight means more $ and some better quality materials..You gets what you pays for...

Rich& Helen N.Ridgeville,Ohio.

F-350SD, Lariat, V-10,4:30 Diff, tow command Long bed, Crew Cab Dually, 06 3400RL
Mor-Ryde Pin Box

[Cat320]

Everest and Montana are virtually the same...I called Keystone and that's what they said. David, one thing you need to keep in the back of your mind, as Richfaa said, lots of the 'comparable' 5ers are heavier...too much so for your prospective SRW 1 ton. You know the SRW will "adequately" handle the Montana, many of the others mentioned in this thread would need more truck.

[Native Tex]

[d] David & Jo-Ann - you guys are looking at the best that has really not competition when it comes to construction and the best bang for your buck. $$$$$ Good hunting and happy RVing! [/b]

Native Tex

O.V. & Kathy Bonner
Miss Ko-Ko (Chocolate Lab)
Huntsville, Al
'05, 3400RL
'05 F250 Ford King Ranch, CC, FX4/4x4, 6.0L PSD

"Freedom Isn't Free....Support Our Troops

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by Montana Sky

I saw the new black shower stall and cabinet handles, I actually thought it was a nice touch.

Dave, I'm getting used to the idea. Vicki tells me I am a very small minority of one about having any concern about that color of hardware. It's growing on me so by the time we have it I'll be ok with it and might even like it. By the way, I saw the same color hardware in either Lowe's or Home Depot. It was called "Venetian Bronze."

Everest and Montana have nearly the same bottom line budget but there are some important differences. You'll find nicer interior appointments in the Everest. You'll find better construction quality in the Montana, including attic vents to vent moisture, etc. Those are the differences in how each spends its budget. That's what three Keystone people have told me and that's what I've observed. So in my opinion they're not the same although not all that far apart. Again, my opinion.

See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

[Bob & Lee]

I was reading thru this. you all know we are working on getting a 07 3400 while waiting for the dealers (4) that I am biding with to get serious we thought we would go give the others another look. we looked at the Montego bay and tittinum higher MSRP nice looking and some better things but not enough to trade for one. much higher price and weight. we looked and they were both nice but when we returned home to our 3685 my wife said I think "Iam partial to my montana the quality and space is nicer we got the best for the money". END OF SEARCH


Bob & Lee
U.S.ARMY(Retired)Full time since 2 January 2004
2004 3685FL 1997 F250HD,460, Ext Cab,Auto,4X4

[SKOOBDO]

quote:Originally posted by FulltimeFollies

Before we bought ours, we lived in 7 other fivers. Jayco, Thor, Jayco, Terry, Hitchiker and we looked hard and long. The Jaycos were hard to top. We liked the 3400rl very much, but we found one we even liked better. It is a super fiver for the same exact money, has everything we wanted, does everything we want it to do (so far), looks great, pulls with a dually.

Oh, its a 3500rl Montana.

I narrowed my choice down to Montana 3500RL and a Sunnybrook (same floor plan with rear den), and the Sunnybrook weighed a little too much for my comfort level with my 1Ton and it did not have a washer/dryer hookup option (which was the larger unit they make). ...even though their other floor plans had a washer dryer hookup.

2006 Montana 3500RL, MorRyde Suspension, W/D, 2nd A/C, Fantastic Fans, MaxxAir, Fireplace, RotoChocks, Slide Awnings. 2005 Ford F350 Lariat LE, PSD 4x4 Dually, Long Bed, C-Betr Mirrors, Vortex Spray-In Liner, Access Tonneau Cover, Remote Starter/Alarm, LED Running Board Lights