I can speak to the construction of a 2003 Mountaineer as I have one. Some things may have changed. As Azstar noted above, the Mountaineer does have a rolled I-beam frame. It also has an enclosed and heated belly using the same materials as the Montana. (Glacier Package - free upgrade on the 2003 models.) The Mountaineer has R-14 insulation in the roof and floor with R-9 in the walls. The Montana has R-14 in the roof and R-21 in the floor with R-9 in the walls. The construction of the Montana and Mountaineer lines are identical if you look at the cutaway graphics in their brochures.
The major differences are that the Mountaineer has a molded fiberglass front cap, but does not have a molded fiberglass cap on the rear and has a steel bumper with an aluminum cover. (I see that the 2006 travel trailers no longer have the molded front cap according to the pictures on the website. I think that decision will adversely affect sales.) The Montana has molded fiberglass caps on both the front and the rear. The Mountaineer does not have the wood look trim in the interior around the slides. (The 2006 models do.) Another thing I have noted is that unless things have changed in the last model year, none of the Mountaineers come with washer/dryer connections. Most all the Montanas have washer/dryer hookups or they are available as an option. The appliances are the same across both product lines. Also, televisions were not included with the Mountaineers.
Other than the above, the carpet, linoleum, and cabinetry appear to be the same. Up until about 2 1/2 years ago, the Mountaineers and Montanas were manufactured in the same plant.
Finally, the Montana line does not include travel trailers and the Mountaineer line does. This is important to us because we wanted a travel trailer instead of a 5th Wheel. I have nerve damage to my left leg which makes a level floor throughout desireable, not to mention having the bed of the truck available for use.
|