3950BR - Possible consideration

[Pd99]

Thank you for including me in your group! We have just purchased an RV lot and are looking at the 3950BR model to place on our lot permanently. We have two choices, a 2017 or 2018. We particularly love this model because of the second bedroom/office and loft. We have grandkids who will be spending time with us in the summer. Both used RVs will come without warranty and a price tag of 73k before 12% tax, so we want to make sure there are no known issues with this model or if a particular year is better than the other. The 2018 is actually cheaper, by $3k, and we will be negotiating....any suggestions on a suggested price, Canadian funds

Our winters can be cold -25, with lots of snow, and we will not be using it from Oct-Apr, and it will be winterized. We plan on using a cover to protect it.

Any feedback from the group? We welcome all comments and suggestions about parking it permanently on a seasonal lot. Thank you😊

[Carl n Susan]

I see you are in Canada but still, $73K for a 3 or 4 year old RV seems excessive. You can buy a new one here in the states for less than that.

[DQDick]

I agree. We have been looking for a second rig recently and those prices are way higher than we've been seeing and RV's are selling really well here. It probably depends on when they were built, but the 2017's had issues with the return air ducts collapsing. Fairly easy fix, but sometime later Keystone went to plastic ducts to fix that issue so the 2018 might not have the problem.

[mlh]

You should be able to get 30% off of a new unit. I agree the price seams a little excessive, but it’s Canadian dollars.
Lynwood

[jeffba]

The '18s had AC duct issues also
What does a new one in Canada Cost?

[Pd99]

Unfortunately, we lose 32% exchange rate, and they are marked at this price because their cost to buy in the US is 32%. So in the US, the price would be approx $55k. Is that still excessive?

[Pd99]

A 2021 Montana is $99,950��

[jeffba]

52-56K is what I found here in the US

https://www.rvtrader.com/Keystone-Mo...3950BR%7C33407

[Pd99]

So probably in line based on our exchange rate. Still going to go in with a lower offer, especially considering the age.

[Texan]

Just remember, no rv or any thing recreational has good resale value. You are in the driver's seat. I would look at the new rv's and see what kind of a deal i could get before i commit to a used one. Remember you don't have a warranty with the used one and they are very expensive to repair at a dealer. If you are financing you will get a better rate on a new than used rv. There are some good deals on new and used out there but this seems like an rv i could pass up unless they would take several thousand dollars off the price. Good luck.

[Pd99]

Yes, buying used is risky. Thank you for the feedback. We may just save a little longer and buy new. I do love the Keystone Montana’s though. The new 2021 is $110k here in Canada! Will keep you posted��

[Tom N OH]

Buying new is risky too. I look at the warranty as if it’s toilet paper. Good luck getting any warranty service after delivery. It generally takes more time, more fuel & causes me more aggravation to take it to the dealer than it does to just fix the darned thing myself.

[Texan]

Originally Posted by Tom N OH

Buying new is risky too. I look at the warranty as if it’s toilet paper. Good luck getting any warranty service after delivery. It generally takes more time, more fuel & causes me more aggravation to take it to the dealer than it does to just fix the darned thing myself.

It has certainly made me more into a DYU than i expected to be at this stage in my life. Just a 30 minute job at the dealer can turn into a 3 week stay.

[Mikendebbie]

Most comments here would not be model specific - but you can find lots of info on systems. You should do research about the common systems for those models.
- the hydraulic slides on the big living room slides
- the hydraulic level up system
- does it have an 80 amp circuit breaker on the hydraulic system in the front compartment
- how old are the batteries? How many batteries?
- possible schwintek or cable slide for the bedroom and mid-body slide (I don't know what that model had)
- the thermostats and the AC and furnace units
- the water heater
- what stove do they have?
- the suspension and tires (that is a big topic!)
- the fridge...residential or RV gas/electric
- read up on a subject called "frame flex" and it will help you know what to look for
- do you know what the build date is for either of those? My 2018 was built mid-November 2017 and it has the upgraded plastic ducts.
- these are just a few suggestions. My 2018 model has had a few small issues but I fixed them all myself. It may fall apart tomorrow - but so far so good!

I am not one who would encourage you to forgo the used unit and save to buy a new unit. Check the used units out carefully and then decide.

[Pd99]

I also have a very talented son-in-law who is a welder, and restores cars, bikes, and has done full renovations. I am sure between him and my husband, they could pretty much fix most things.

[Stix]

You can also buy insurance for a used unit to help with replacement cost of any major appliances or such.

[Bierp]

We fulltime in a 2018 3950BR. (2 years now.)

We got it new. When I was shopping them, there appeared to be a mid-year switch in format. Half of them had the bedroom window behind the dresser and half of them had it taller and behind where the washer/dryer door opens. We got the 2nd one, which also had wrap-around shelves next to the bed. (The window-behind-the-dresser one had only some shelves there. Ours go around the corner and have some shelves below.) I do not know if there were other changes associated with this. The Keystone catalogs never mentioned this change, but I looked at dozens of them across the country (online) and it was a pretty even split.

A few points specific to the 3950BR. The loft seems like a neat idea, but it's really not that great. The clearance there is just not as much as you'd want. Even a younger teenager can't sit upright up there, and the mattress is really just a cheap, uncomfortable pad. Putting any kind of actual mattress or topper up there would mean sleeping with your nose to the ceiling.

Also, there's an open shelf cubby up there, but no power near it. We had the dealer install an outlet there (before we knew it wasn't really usable.) We also had them put a MaxxFan in that skylight, which will go a a long way toward keeping it cool as the heat will tend to collect up there.

Our loft has ended up as storage. It's not really great for that either as it's difficult to access the far corners. Get one of those grabber-claw sticks.

As for the Bonus Room, it is convenient, but it is very poorly vented. The AC vent is just a tube drop from the ducting and is essentially useless. On a hot day that room becomes an oven. We ended up buying a portable AC unit and venting it through the window. It was a bit of a kludge to install the window vent, but with enough aluminum tape, anything will stick. That works well enough and thankfully the Montana has the power capacity to handle it. (Even with the 3rd AC we had installed over the kitchen.)

The furnace vents in the bonus room work pretty well. Almost too well as the room doesn't ventilate very well. Again it can become a cooker in there. We will use a magnetic vent cover sometimes, though I don't like adding pressure to the furnace system.

Our initial plan was to have our kiddo sleep in the loft, but it didn't take long to learn that this wasn't viable. We ended up replacing the sofa in the bonus room with a custom sized bed/mattress and he's happy with that.

Enjoy your Montana!

-Jeremy

[Pd99]

Originally Posted by Bierp

We fulltime in a 2018 3950BR. (2 years now.)

We got it new. When I was shopping them, there appeared to be a mid-year switch in format. Half of them had the bedroom window behind the dresser and half of them had it taller and behind where the washer/dryer door opens. We got the 2nd one, which also had wrap-around shelves next to the bed. (The window-behind-the-dresser one had only some shelves there. Ours go around the corner and have some shelves below.) I do not know if there were other changes associated with this. The Keystone catalogs never mentioned this change, but I looked at dozens of them across the country (online) and it was a pretty even split.

A few points specific to the 3950BR. The loft seems like a neat idea, but it's really not that great. The clearance there is just not as much as you'd want. Even a younger teenager can't sit upright up there, and the mattress is really just a cheap, uncomfortable pad. Putting any kind of actual mattress or topper up there would mean sleeping with your nose to the ceiling.

Also, there's an open shelf cubby up there, but no power near it. We had the dealer install an outlet there (before we knew it wasn't really usable.) We also had them put a MaxxFan in that skylight, which will go a a long way toward keeping it cool as the heat will tend to collect up there.

Our loft has ended up as storage. It's not really great for that either as it's difficult to access the far corners. Get one of those grabber-claw sticks.

As for the Bonus Room, it is convenient, but it is very poorly vented. The AC vent is just a tube drop from the ducting and is essentially useless. On a hot day that room becomes an oven. We ended up buying a portable AC unit and venting it through the window. It was a bit of a kludge to install the window vent, but with enough aluminum tape, anything will stick. That works well enough and thankfully the Montana has the power capacity to handle it. (Even with the 3rd AC we had installed over the kitchen.)

The furnace vents in the bonus room work pretty well. Almost too well as the room doesn't ventilate very well. Again it can become a cooker in there. We will use a magnetic vent cover sometimes, though I don't like adding pressure to the furnace system.

Our initial plan was to have our kiddo sleep in the loft, but it didn't take long to learn that this wasn't viable. We ended up replacing the sofa in the bonus room with a custom sized bed/mattress and he's happy with that.

Enjoy your Montana!

-Jeremy

Thank you for your honest feedback. That is very helpful for us as our grandsons are approaching teens years, and you make a valid point about the loft. We may better off letting them sleep in a tent on our lot and getting a Montana without the loft or Bonus room.....hmm back to the drawing board 🤣

[Bierp]

Yeah, you don't have a firm need for the bonus room, I'd consider a different floorplan. That room eats a lot of space. You give up having a 2nd bathroom or a fair chunk of pantry space, etc. It's essential for us and I'm ok managing the challenges, but if we didn't have the kiddo, there are a number of floorplans I'd prefer.

One thing I totally forgot. With the 3950BR through 2018 (and 2019 I think, which I believe was the final year they made this model) you could ONLY get the RV refrigerator. They didn't offer a residential refer. This has been a constant source of annoyance. The refer is in the slide, which means it doesn't vent vertically, it has to vent out the side. Airflow and consistent cooling in the heat is a big challenge. Not so bad in the winter or when we home-base in the woods near Seattle, but summer in the Black Hills area was a refrigeration challenge.

The newer models all offer both residential and RV refrigerator. If I had it in a slide, I'd take residential every time.

Final note. We also had the 80 amp breaker issue and the airflow issues that are common among all the Montana models around this time. I tried to focus on specifics to this floorplan.

-J

[McRod]

3-4 year old RVs sell for about 50% of their new sale price. I would think $40-45k max. $78k is most likely what that model sold for NEW.

Keep looking. For $78k you can get a nice manufactured home or park model (New) with 2x-3x the space if your not planning on being mobile.