Montana's forward living with 5 slides

[rving2us]

Hey Hal and Sheri, glad to hear about your new purchase, the rig looks great on paper you will need to keep us all updated on how well the floor plan works. Good luck and happy rving

[seanjackmc]

My wife and I along with the two youngins 4 and 2 just purchased this unit. What we loved was all the room in the front living area. Im 6'5 and can stand without issue in the middle of the living room. The idea of being able to all hang out in that area is aewsome for us. We always complained in our Avalanche 340tg that there was no where to all hang out. Problem solved. Its funny how people complain about the walk thru bath. We love it. Just goes to show different strokes for different folks. You can access the bath without ever having to enter any living space. A big plus when the kids are sleeping on the floor in the lviing room. Plus its a great area for the dog to sleep. I also love the two couches and no recliners. You can squeeze 5 kids on one couch hard to do on a recliner. It all depends on your needs. There are some things we are giving up beds being one of them, but with only two young kids not an issue as they get older we might trade in for a unit with more sleeping area. In my opinion there isnt one floorplan that suits all needs. I wish I could combine the best of several different ones, but for now Ill give some to get some. Happy Camping
Sean

[bncinwv]

I agree with you Sean. One added benefit that we (I) discovered, is this is the first rig where we could find room for an actual apartment sized portable dishwasher. Ours sits next to the dining room slide on the refrigerator side wall and fits like a glove. IF you don't want to let your DW know about this, I can't blame you, since our discovery set me back a little over $500, but it was well worth it. The addition of some nesting ottomans in the living room also did wonders for comfort. We also absolutely love the large bathroom, and regarding a previous post about the bathroom and fridge, the entire kitchen area, fridge, dining room table and bathroom are all easily accessible from either door without extending any slides.
Bingo

[Captain Joe]

I am 6'4" tall and have yet to hit my head. The sofas are forward enough so clearance is not an issue. Yes, you give up some under bed storage, but it allows all the outside stuff to be stored outside. We like the two doors....mud room, dog entry and exit, etc. The desk is very large. The king size bed is great....only drawback is the lack of nightstands. I have never taken a shower in a RV without my head being firmly squeezed into the skylight....not in this unit. We have more than enough inside storage. More room than our old 3-slide 40' Monaco Diplomat motor home. I can't even reach the shelves above the frig. Forget touching the ceiling in the dining and bathrooms. We purchased three Montana matching end tables...two in the living room and one in bedroom. The living room tables fit in between the slides when closed and the bedroom one fits under the bed. Great unit.

[Clemson1881]

That's what I liked most about this unit. The high ceiling in the bathroom. I'm a pretty tall guy myself.

[kylec2]

We loved the floor plan so much we purchased one in December. The living room layout is great and the loss of the recliner was a plus as I like to sit by my bride. The high ceilings give a great roomy feel and the bathroom doesn't feel cramped like so many we have tried. The unit is one of those some will like and others will not; we find it fits our needs perfectly and is the first fifth wheel that feels like a home.

[snowhawk2]

It's always entertaining to read what people think about what they don't own and have no experience with. We have a 2010 3750FL and wouldn't trade it any other floor plan. Once we got into this floor plan, it would be tough to go to another becuase it is so roomy. The living area is unbelievably comfortable with the two couches, fireplace, 40 inch 1080p Samsung LCD surround sound system. On many occasions we have sat 8 adults comfortably in the front living room. When the kids are with us they have comfortably sleep 5 kids up front behind the retracting curtain. The kitchen is big and roomy, and having the desk and table nook area are nice. With all of the room we can sit 6 people at the table. The double side refridge is awesome. It's pretty funny to read all of the criticism about the bathroom. It's one of the best parts of the coach! It is huge, has plenty of room for my wife and I to get ready together, has more storage then we need, and can be accessed from the outside, main cabin, and master bedroom. What's not to like as it is bigger then most if not all Montana bathrooms. The master bedroom has tons of storage, a king size bed, and wall mounted tv, and a huge picture window. It is awesome. It's also interesting to read the criticism of the outside storage because I too was disappointed when we got the coach and saw how small the pass through area was, and I'm a pack rat. However, after filling that area, the front storage and rear storage compartments remain not even 50% filled. So for us, plenty of storage. All in all, we have owned 6 campers and this is our 4th fiver, and it is fantastic. But that is only my opinion and everyone has one, but some are from experience and some people just like to complain and be negative. I have to say I was quite surprised and disappointed by the criticism of this floor plan by fellow MOC members who don't own it.

[Clemson1881]

There will never be a floorplan that EVERYONE likes. Enjoy your Monty. These forums are for sharing opinions and thoughts. There's no reason to be disappointed in that.

[mainer]

When we think of buying a new Montana we keep on going back and forth between the 3400RL which we have and love and the 3750FL. There are pros and cons of both, the 3400RL open living is great and the kitchen has tons of room. The 3750FL living room is beautiful and roomy, gives you lots of separation from your bedroom which is also good when someone is sleeping. The separate bathroom and another entrance/exit I think would be great too. (especially when the lock on your door gets stuck, don't have to go thru a window)

I was wondering, can you access the bedroom without opening the slide? At times when you travel it is convenient not to open the slide to go to sleep.

Which ever model you buy would be great, because it is what you have chosen and you will make wonderful memories. Happy Travels......

[bncinwv]

mainer,
On the 3750FL, you cannot access the bedroom without opening at least one of the bedroom slides, and preferably both. It is a tight squeeze with the slide containing the closet being the only one extended, since the door will not fully open. Obviously on the 3400RL, there is access to the bedroom without extending a slide.
Bingo

[helmick]

Our favorite is still the 3400. There is only two of us so the plan works out great. Montana makes a lot of models for different needs. The 3750 would not be a plan we are interested in, but it could be a great plan if you are camping with children.
If the 3750 works for you that is great, but it`s not for everyone. I don`t think you have to oun a certain modle to comment on one.

[DarMar]

I have enjoyed the great discussion about the pros/cons of this particular model and I congratulate all the 3750 owners on their purchase. Obviously the 3750 has become perhaps one of the most popular models as of late. Is it for us, no! All of our 3 Montanas have had the large rear living room window and we just will not give up that feature, along with the 2 recliners. Discussion such as this one I am sure will be invaluable for those people considering a purchase of this model. Perhaps we should have a thread discussing the pros/cons of each model?

[mainer]

quote:Originally posted by bncinwv

mainer,
On the 3750FL, you cannot access the bedroom without opening at least one of the bedroom slides, and preferably both. It is a tight squeeze with the slide containing the closet being the only one extended, since the door will not fully open. Obviously on the 3400RL, there is access to the bedroom without extending a slide.
Bingo

Thanks Bingo for answering my question. When I re-read your original post I see that you have access to the bathroom, kitchen and dining area without opening a slide, that is unbelievable. Great when you travel and want to have lunch. Guess if Jim wants to, we could take a nap on the couches without opening a slide. Wonder why Keystone didn't make it with a pocket door, like the 3400RL. Love the idea of a dishwasher, can you post a picture of that? What is the weight on it? Would love to have one. My husband the teaser just told me that we could buy a dishwasher from Playtex, left hand and right hand alot cheaper. He's only kidding, he always thought it would be great to have a dishwasher. I see that you too had a 3400RL, congratulations and happy travels with the 3750FL.

[bncinwv]

Marge,
You are correct in that there is limited access to the sofas, however, when the two living room slides are retracted, the L-shaped couch meets right up to the other side couch so you would have to step over it to get into the living room. A nice feature is that the living room slides are electric, not hydraulic, and can be operated independently without any valves to isolate them. In other words the front slides can be extended by themselves and individually to allow for opening the walking space into the living room. In the 3400RL we had a countertop Vesta dishwasher (four place setting) that we used on the counter closest to the rear living room. The only drawback to it was that it blocked the view from the kitchen are to the living room and did not dry the dishes, the drying cycle for it consisted of leaving the door ajar. There are some members who have installed the Vesta in the lower portion of the u-shaped counter in the 3400RL. The dishwasher we got for the 3750FL is a Frigidaire and if I remember correctly it weighs about 140 pounds and is 21" wide x 30" deep x 38.5" high . Here is a photo of it:



This is the only floorplan I have seen that has the room for this particular style of dishwasher (but I have not been in all of the offerings from Montana). I must also mention that it could have been kept in the closet of the 3400RL, but we had stackable Splendides that occupied that area. With regards to your question about the pocket door, if you are talking about to the living room, there are no walls separating the living room from the kitchen/dining area, it is similar to an open floor plan house in that the entire front of the rig is open. I have counted seat space in the living room and dining room area and have figured that we can seat 12 people comfortably within conversation range of each other, unheard of!! If you are wondering about why the pocket door was not used to the bedroom, the only thing I can offer is that the wall between the bathroom and the bedroom is only two inches thick and contains the sink and tub plumbing as well. We loved our 3400, but as soon as we walked into the 3750, we could see that it had everything that we had been looking for in a fifth wheel. And a last note worth mentioning, is that both dishwashers required us to replace the OEM kitchen faucet to a model that was more compatible with the quick-connect/disconnect attachment that is required for dishwasher hookup.
Bingo

[mainer]

quote:Originally posted by bncinwv

Marge,
You are correct in that there is limited access to the sofas, however, when the two living room slides are retracted, the L-shaped couch meets right up to the other side couch so you would have to step over it to get into the living room. A nice feature is that the living room slides are electric, not hydraulic, and can be operated independently without any valves to isolate them. In other words the front slides can be extended by themselves and individually to allow for opening the walking space into the living room. In the 3400RL we had a countertop Vesta dishwasher (four place setting) that we used on the counter closest to the rear living room. The only drawback to it was that it blocked the view from the kitchen are to the living room and did not dry the dishes, the drying cycle for it consisted of leaving the door ajar. There are some members who have installed the Vesta in the lower portion of the u-shaped counter in the 3400RL. The dishwasher we got for the 3750FL is a Frigidaire and if I remember correctly it weighs about 140 pounds and is 21" wide x 30" deep x 38.5" high . Here is a photo of it:



This is the only floorplan I have seen that has the room for this particular style of dishwasher (but I have not been in all of the offerings from Montana). I must also mention that it could have been kept in the closet of the 3400RL, but we had stackable Splendides that occupied that area. With regards to your question about the pocket door, if you are talking about to the living room, there are no walls separating the living room from the kitchen/dining area, it is similar to an open floor plan house in that the entire front of the rig is open. I have counted seat space in the living room and dining room area and have figured that we can seat 12 people comfortably within conversation range of each other, unheard of!! If you are wondering about why the pocket door was not used to the bedroom, the only thing I can offer is that the wall between the bathroom and the bedroom is only two inches thick and contains the sink and tub plumbing as well. We loved our 3400, but as soon as we walked into the 3750, we could see that it had everything that we had been looking for in a fifth wheel. And a last note worth mentioning, is that both dishwashers required us to replace the OEM kitchen faucet to a model that was more compatible with the quick-connect/disconnect attachment that is required for dishwasher hookup.
Bingo

Bingo, Thanks for the picture of the dishwasher and all the extra info that you provided. I was referring to the bedroom/bathroom with a pocket door. The more I hear about this unit it is definitely something special and I can see why you traded. Here in Maine the dealers are not too interested in giving us a price for our 3400RL and a 3750. Maybe it will get better once Spring hits. Guess their lots are full of used 5th wheels.
Again thanks, Marge

[seanjackmc]

If you dont like the 3750fl you have no idea what your are talking about. ok only kidding. If one floor plan fit everyone there would only be one 5th wheel model out there. How boring would that be. I dont know what my wife and I would do not being able to make a wish list for the next 5er. As long as you are happy in yours and you are out enjoying it who cares!
I do agree on one point made here. For a couple traveling alone the 3750fl could be over kill. Now add some kids/friends/dog to the mix and I believe you have an almost ideal setup.
Happy travels eveyone
Sean

[Captain Joe]

quote:Originally posted by seanjackmc

I do agree on one point made here. For a couple traveling alone the 3750fl could be over kill.
Happy travels eveyone
Sean

And what is wrong with that? Me upfront, her in the rear, and plenty of space in between. Just kidding, too......

[Clemson1881]

No such thing as overkill. The bigger the better!!!!

[Fordzilla]

We have the older 3685FL and there are times whne I like it colder and will sleep on the bed while wife sleeps in the front living area. Only problem is she sometimes turns on the fireplace with the heat and it tells the thermostat to run the A/c more and prety soon I'm frozen. Maybe she is doing this on purpose though:>)