Need a little pre-purchase advice

[TexCamper]

Hi folks,

My wife and I just walked through a new Montana 3121rl at our local dealer. The trailer looks fantastic inside and we're very interested in buying it.

But we did find a few things that I'd like an opinion on. The trailer came from a dealership on the southern coast of Texas, and it looks like it had been exposed to the sea air for a while at that dealership.

There were a few minor things like a drawer next to the stove that didn't latch and the large weatherstripping on the basement door on the utility side was mostly detached and just flopping around. These to me are just typical 5th wheel lack of QC and easy enough to fix before we do our PDI.

The three things that stood out as somewhat worisome that I would really appreciate some advice on:

1. There was substantial exterior rust on the pinbox. Not the normal little bit of rust you see on the pin itself, but the whole pinbox was rusty to the point of flaking. I got under the trailer and looked around and saw a little light rust on the frame, but not much elsewhere that looked severe. I did also notice rust at the base of the propane tanks. It gave me the impression of a trailer that was a year or two old.

2. There was also an obvious leak at the base of the toilet.

3. The opening to the water heater was quite rusty and the anode rod had corosion on it. We've seen rust on the openings of water heaters locally, but this a little heavier than normal.

The dealer said they will replace the pinbox and clean up any rust before we take delivery, but I'm wondering if I should be on the lookout for other rust issues before laying down my cash.

Also, is that leak at the base of the toilet cause for concern.

We love the layout of the trailer and we have friends who have bought from that dealer in tha past with good experiences.

I would appreciate the sage advice of the folks here just to make sure this trailer isn't a lemon waiting to be squeezed once we buy it.

Thanks,
Jesse

[DadsHemi]

If they are willing to clean it up with a good wash and wax on the exterior and the items they say will be replaced and fix the interior items I don’t see why not. Are they willing to give you a good deal on it. There will alway be something that will need to be done before taking delivery of any RV.

[hemiallen]

Check the DOM printed on the label I believe near the slide / leveler control panel. I have seen they say month and year.

With rust like that, needing to replace the pinbox ( about $1k item ) I suspect there is some hidden facts of it's history, like previously sold and returned after being rode hard and left wet? Bottom negotiated price should be around $65k looking like new, IMHO.

I purchased my Rockwood in the spring, came with rusted undercarrage and the exposed propane line for the outside BBQ, and I said I wouldn't order one again driven through salted roads, but I am on the west coast so my rig won't be seeing salted roads from me.

Good luck with your decision, it seems you are pretty leery of the rust now, wait until you own it!

Allen

[TexCamper]

Originally Posted by hemiallen

Check the DOM printed on the label I believe near the slide / leveler control panel. I have seen they say month and year.

With rust like that, needing to replace the pinbox ( about $1k item ) I suspect there is some hidden facts of it's history, like previously sold and returned after being rode hard and left wet? Bottom negotiated price should be around $65k looking like new, IMHO.

I purchased my Rockwood in the spring, came with rusted undercarrage and the exposed propane line for the outside BBQ, and I said I wouldn't order one again driven through salted roads, but I am on the west coast so my rig won't be seeing salted roads from me.

Good luck with your decision, it seems you are pretty leery of the rust now, wait until you own it!

Allen

Checking out the DOM sounds like a great idea. It doesn’t look lived in. I’m basing this observation on the amount of plastic wrap still on the appliances and the TV.

One other thing I forgot to mention. There’s a slight dip in the floor next to the kitchen slide. It extends the full length of the slide. Never noticed this in our current 5’er, so I’m wondering if this is normal on a Montana. Is there supposed to be a slight dip in the floor at the edge of the kitchen slide?

[DadsHemi]

Originally Posted by TexCamper

Checking out the DOM sounds like a great idea. It doesn’t look lived in. I’m basing this observation on the amount of plastic wrap still on the appliances and the TV.

One other thing I forgot to mention. There’s a slight dip in the floor next to the kitchen slide. It extends the full length of the slide. Never noticed this in our current 5’er, so I’m wondering if this is normal on a Montana. Is there supposed to be a slight dip in the floor at the edge of the kitchen slide?

My 3160RL has that dip, it’s been that way since new, I’ve looked at the structure under it where is sits and have seen anything adnormal structuraly.

Just do a good PDI and take your time, if you can go back and give it another look over to help the discussion.

[DQDick]

Another thing to check is the jacks. Sea air can corrode the jacks and potentially damage the seals.

[Desert Rat]

Just my opinion, but what about the problems you can't see? I would walk away and save yourself the future headaches.

[rames14]

We don’t have the knowledge that you do concerning your local dealer. Your happiness with any RV depends on how good your dealer is. Only you can answer that. If your dealer is good, then you have a good shot at making it work for you. I’ve read what you wrote and it seems that there are alarm bells going off in your head. If that’s the case, move along and find a 3121RL that is pristine, or order one. The 3121RL is a great unit (we have it’s dyslexic older brother - 3160RL) and one of the popular models. You may even want to order one exactly how you want it. If you decide to buy that one, do a very thorough PDI and don’t sign until everything is the way you want. Best of luck on your decision.

[1retired06]

If it was us, we would pass. A good dealer can find you another 3121RL.

[phillyg]

Hard to know the history. Maybe sat in salt air for a while too long, or, but flaking paint doesn't mean it can't be cleaned up and repainted. I'm sure a toilet leak can easily be repaired, but what if water leaked aggressively in the subfloor, although its unusual to have the water turned on in a new unit. A dip in any floor would usually indicate lack of underlying support; I'd be concerned as it won't improve.

If you decide to go for it, use one of the PDI checklists on the forum and take the necessary three hours to inspect, give them your list of repairs, and don't accept (sign) for it until you're satisfied. For example, of the 13 major items on my list, 9 of them were repaired over 3 days, and the remainder required a one-time visit once parts were available (with written dealer promise).

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by rames14

... I’ve read what you wrote and it seems that there are alarm bells going off in your head. If that’s the case, move along and find a 3121RL that is pristine, or order one. ...

Well said, good advise, and this was my first thought too when I read the post.

I worked in a hospital kitchen when in college. The kitchen administrator had a golden rule about anything that was prepared. His rule of thumb was ... "If in doubt, throw it out!" .... I have since learned, this is true for everything in life, not just food. If it don't look right, it probably isn't.

The other one, that took a while to fully understand, "You can't put lipstick on a pig." Well, you can, but it's still a pig, always was, and always will be, no matter how you dress it up.

Listen to your head and the warning signals. Save yourself a lot of headache in the future by doing so.

[DQDick]

We had an experience with a Texas dealer last summer. The story the salesman gave us on the origin of the trailer proved not to be true and we backed out. A dealer you can trust is the biggest thing in buying a camper.

[TexCamper]

Originally Posted by DQDick

We had an experience with a Texas dealer last summer. The story the salesman gave us on the origin of the trailer proved not to be true and we backed out. A dealer you can trust is the biggest thing in buying a camper.

Hey DQDick, what city was that dealer in? I had a similar thing happen about 4 months ago with a dealer here and the result was me backing out of a trailer. This dealer seems to be trying to correct the problems, but I am worried that if the pinbox shows that much rust that other things may have been affected like the tires, brakes and other stuff I may not be able to see. I may just have to back out on this one and order one fresh from the factory so I know it wasn't caught up int he Texas freeze or left sitting out exposed to salt air for an extended period of time.

[mhs4771]

Wasn't there some sections of Texas that suffered flooding last year??

[scattershot]

I think I would give it a pass. If it’s a new one, they can order a new one for you without the headaches.

[Cat320]

Those issues are a bad way to start off with a new rig, no telling what else is wrong that you can't see. I'd pass.

[TexCamper]

Thanks for all the input folks. We've decided to pass on that particular Montana and order a fresh one from the factory. Another dealer in the area has one already on order that should be here in about 5 weeks.

[Byron B]

Originally Posted by TexCamper

Thanks for all the input folks. We've decided to pass on that particular Montana and order a fresh one from the factory. Another dealer in the area has one already on order that should be here in about 5 weeks.

I see you are in Pflugerville. We are in Georgetown and bought a 2019 3121rl lightly used last year. We have been pulling a fiver for almost 20 years and live now in 3 different ones. The 3121 is our travel rig.
PM me please with the dealer name. We have probably used them over the years and I can give you some info on them.
Btw, we do not have the slope in the floor in ours....

[Dean A Van Peursem]

Originally Posted by TexCamper

Hi folks,

My wife and I just walked through a new Montana 3121rl at our local dealer. The trailer looks fantastic inside and we're very interested in buying it.

But we did find a few things that I'd like an opinion on. The trailer came from a dealership on the southern coast of Texas, and it looks like it had been exposed to the sea air for a while at that dealership.

There were a few minor things like a drawer next to the stove that didn't latch and the large weatherstripping on the basement door on the utility side was mostly detached and just flopping around. These to me are just typical 5th wheel lack of QC and easy enough to fix before we do our PDI.

The three things that stood out as somewhat worisome that I would really appreciate some advice on:

1. There was substantial exterior rust on the pinbox. Not the normal little bit of rust you see on the pin itself, but the whole pinbox was rusty to the point of flaking. I got under the trailer and looked around and saw a little light rust on the frame, but not much elsewhere that looked severe. I did also notice rust at the base of the propane tanks. It gave me the impression of a trailer that was a year or two old.

2. There was also an obvious leak at the base of the toilet.

3. The opening to the water heater was quite rusty and the anode rod had corosion on it. We've seen rust on the openings of water heaters locally, but this a little heavier than normal.

The dealer said they will replace the pinbox and clean up any rust before we take delivery, but I'm wondering if I should be on the lookout for other rust issues before laying down my cash.

Also, is that leak at the base of the toilet cause for concern.

We love the layout of the trailer and we have friends who have bought from that dealer in tha past with good experiences.

I would appreciate the sage advice of the folks here just to make sure this trailer isn't a lemon waiting to be squeezed once we buy it.

Thanks,
Jesse

Run don't walk away from this RV. With what you have discovered about this RV without even using it there are probably twice as many problems that you don't see. If you need to buy an RV find one you can have confidence in. A Montana Brand may not be you best choice.

[BobStack]

Definitely walk away, you don’t want to start with major issues to save a few dollars. Be smart and wait for that perfect coach. As far as light rust that’s an ongoing issue on all of them that requires a little preventative maintenance. I use salt away on mine when I bought it and use mouse free which acts like an undercoating and has a oil in it that lubricates the frame and keeps all pests and rust away.