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Old 03-24-2009, 12:42 PM   #21
brenkco
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 856
M.O.C. #8154
For what its worth:
1. We don't have slide toppers on the 3400 we are trading in but have ordered factory toppers on the 3455. DW doesn't like me on the roof. We do camp in the trees on occasion and sweeping damp debris can be an issue. Not sure I would have opted for them but DW wanted them and after 33 years, I know better than to argue!
2. We have not boondocked and do not have a generator so no opinion.
3. We purchased the extended warranty on all of our previous RV's and only had one minor claim. I guess we fall into it's peace of mind category. We did purhcase one for the new rig.
4. We have been in hot weather in which the single a/c unit would not cool the coach down. I think it was Brad's post to a question that I posted...he starts his generator while in tow a before he arrives so the rig has cooled down. We opted for the 2nd a/c on the new rig since we don't have a generator
5. No washer and dryer...DW doesn't want one so neither do I!!!
 
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Old 04-20-2009, 08:51 PM   #22
Art-n-Marge
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Murrieta
Posts: 5,816
M.O.C. #9257
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Hi bobbyd,

You've made an excellent choice to convert to a 5er from a Travel Trailer, but don't forget to get a truck that can tow a 16,000 lb trailer (your 5er's GVWR). Believe it or not it will actually tow easier than dragging a TT because the weight is over the wheels. It might take a little bit getting used to the behemoth at your rear view mirror, but just do what we do - Look forward and use your side mirrors - don't look at it. Done!

Before commenting on each of your items, you must also consider that the trailer is allowed about 1 1/2 tons of cargo (clothing, food, electronics, kitchen ware, bedding, BBQ grill, lights, tools, other equipment). You'll be surprised how fast weight adds up. You lose cargo weight for everything you add - generator, slide toppers, 2nd A/C, washer/dryer or combo. Also the more items you add (that can break) the more valuable an extended warranty becomes but I'll discuss that later.

Factors to consider - Will you be full-timing or part-timing? Will you have mostly long duration trips (more than 2-3 weeks) or shorter trips? Will you be camp-based (near towns mostly), or boondocking (remote locations)? All these factors actually help determine the need for one of the conveniences you refer to. Remember adding any of the items is a pain to remove if you don't need it on a particular trip, but you've got that weight to carry anyway.

Now for your questions:

1. I have read elsewhere on this forum that slide toppers may only last 3-4 years. With 4 slides, this could be a considerable expense. I understand the purpose of the toppers, but considering the initial cost and replacement cost, are they really a worthwhile option?

The durability of the toppers depends how and where you camp. If you about forests and trees all the time then having to climb up and clear debris on 4 slides is a consideration. If you are mostly near cities, or in the open then go with the regular sweeping because otherwise they are noisy with any winds. 4 slides is a very high expense in comparison to occassional cleaning. Heavy rainstorms have been known to pool and stretch in the centers. Unlike your patio awning a slide topper cannot be angled to provide for a deluge. When I had a trailer with only one slide topper that was easy to deal with. With my 4 slide Montana I haven't bothered.

2. One option available is a generator. With the unit installed under the bedroom area, how much of an issue does noise and vibration become? Is the noise they create loud enough to be bothersome to surrounding neighbors?

If you mostly use hookups, then a generator is a heavy expense to drag around. This is only good if you plan to boondock (park or camp somewhere with no hookups) A LOT. In any case the chances are high that the sound rules prevent you from running it past about 10pm anyway and where there's no sound rules you might want to consider your neighbors especially if they do not have well-insulated behemoths to sleep in. You can tell you've angered a neighbor when you have to resolve whatever vandalism has occurred over that past night. As for capacity if you have 2 air conditioners you will probably need a (larger 5500W unit). With one AC, consider a 4000W unless you also have a washer/dryer and other luxuries because they run for quite a while. Make sure it's covered on your warranty if you get one. They are generally not loud enough to worry about, plus there are insulation materials that can make it even quieter (but you must still shut it off at most campgrounds per the after-hour noise rules). The biggest nuisance for a generator besides keeping fuel around is the exhaust. Make sure you get an exhaust extension to route the fumes away from the living quarters or windows.

3. Are extended warranties worthwhile? Do the RV manufacturers offer them or are they only available through second parties?

Being from California I can relate to this but I've heard the shaking that occurs in an RV is equivalent to an earthquake from 4.5 to 6.5 on the Richter scale when hauling down the road. Guess what? Stuff will go wrong even with the best of intentions for component vendors for RV products with that kind of shaking. And I can attest an Earthquake will stop after a couple of minutes. The shaking of a rig goes on for hours on a long vacation.

Unless you have deep pockets and/or have the knowhow of a design engineer or an expert maintenance man, a warranty might be a strong consideration. Make sure you get one that covers ALL the components in the rig even those beyond what the manufacturer covers. There are quite a few companies that offer these specific plans. Having to use it once or twice will pay for itself. Get one that's universal (doesn't require all the work to be done at your dealer) because many problems are better taken care of where you are, not when you finally limp home. This decision will be based on how often and where you use your rig.

4. Is it recommended to have a second A/C unit in a rig 33ft or larger? We have a single ducted unit in our 30ft TT now, that has been sufficient so far, but we have never had the TT in the sustained high temperatures of the south or west.

Personally, I do not have one and I while I'd like a second one (We live in So California where it gets pretty hot), it would require me to hookup to 50amps. With a 30 amp hookup I pay for the campsite and that's it. Many sites will charge extra if you require 50 amps. My 'tana is wired for a 2nd unit but if it gets installed I will have to check to make sure the ducting is set up right. The A/C controls is setup for 2 zones, but that doesn't mean Keystone set up the venting that way too.

5. Is a washer and dryer unit worth the cost and does it prove to be adequate in the washing and capacity?

RV Washer/dryer units are not like at home. They have less capacity and take longer to do the same amount of clothing, so do NOT get behind in the laundry. So besides the weight consideration and the length of time to do the laundry (don't run too many other appliances at the same time), most women I talk to prefer to have their husbands lug ALL the laundry and do it on several machines at the same to get it done with (the husbands like that, too). After all we want to have time to have fun, not babysit laundry. But other advantages to having one in the rig is you can use it even when it's raining. RVing in Southern California, that has not been a big issue for us.

I hope we have helped with your decision-making.

Happy RVing,
Art
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Old 04-26-2009, 09:53 AM   #23
sreigle
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
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M.O.C. #20
I can only give you our experience. We've been fulltiming (2003 Montana 3295RK and 2007 Montana 3400RL) for more than six years and somewhere around 150,000 miles. We've done Decembers in Kansas City with lows to 5 below. With the newer rigs, freezing of internal water lines is not an issue so long as the furnace runs occasionally. With our 2003 we did have to do some water line insulation. We also film the windows in that weather since we don't have dual panes.

We added a second A/C unit this last Fall. Our 3400 measures total of 39 feet 1 inch. The single AC is adequate to maybe low 90's ambient temperature. After that it can get a bit warm inside although still significantly below outside temperature. The second A/C makes a difference. If you're not going to be in those high temperatures for extended periods then I'd not spend the money.

Don't have a generator so can't speak to that.

We've had the toppers on all three of our Montanas and will continue to have them. About 4 years and ours showed some serious deterioration. I'd guess by the 5th year we would have replaced them but we traded the rig instead (but not for that reason). To me they are worth it. I don't have to sweep tree limbs, acorns, other debris off the tops of the slides before retracting the slides. Snow and ice just roll off when you retract the slide. I don't do anything to keep water from pooling. The weight of the water/ice/snow pulls the toppers down even to the slide rooftop. Not a big deal. The topper just pulls more material off the roll and when we retract slides it clears itself. Toppers do flap some in the wind and can make some noise. If your toppers have sufficient tension on the roll it's not nearly as bad as it is otherwise. Still, it does bother some folks. To us it's a tradeoff we're willing to make. I don't like climbing on the roof in the rain/snow to sweep the slides so we can leave.

Washer and dryer. We've had a washer and dryer stack our entire six years of fulltiming and would not be without them. If you get a stack be sure you get apartment size and not the rv-specific (read that as small tubs) units. Those smaller ones just take too long to finish all the laundry. This, as with many things, is personal preference. Some people like doing laundromats in the park or in town. We don't. We've had this w/d setup in both Montanas in which we have fulltimed. Vicki loves them and feels they're an excellent choice. I will say when we bought this Montana we had a new set put in, different brand. And rv-sized. They were out of here within a month and our dealer took our old w/d set out of our tradein and installed them in this Montana. So, to answer your capacity and adequate washing capability, then answer is yes if you get the right size and quality and no if you get something else. In my opinion, anyhow.

Good luck.

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