The trip worse than "RV"! - Montana Owners Club

WaltBennett · 08-11-2017, 06:06 PM

We're at the half way point of our three month trip, and I've never had one that had more things break! Started out just after leaving VA and driving around Chicago heading for WI, when our water heater tank broke. Replace that at a one week stop in Minnesota. Then the CAMCO 50 amp plug pulled apart and shorted out tons of stuff inside. Blew three surge protectors (thank the good one I put them on all the important outlets!) and our microwave (may be repairable, but I'm not going to work on that until back home). Had to replace our DISH receiver as well - it was on a surge protector, but I suppose they are way too sensitive. Next thing was our truck alternator failing - quick fix in a little town on the way to Fargo. Got to Fargo, but still hadn't figured out all the power issues and it was over 90 degrees. Picked up a portable room AC that worked well enough to keep the dogs and wife cool and not complaining (much, anyway). Got our picture taken at the ORIGINAL wood chipper (it's at the visitor's center), figured out the power and got the 15k AC working again. Life seemed to be back to somewhat normal.

Spent a few days near Spokane when we found out my wife's debit card had been read by a 'skimmer' while she was checking out at a Walmart. They got her checking account, savings and dipped into her automatic loan accounts as they were all linked. Took a few days, but her Credit Union made it all good again - had her swearing in her sleep!

Glacier was uneventful. Even drove the Going to the Sun Highway both ways with our F350 full-length bed, crew cab dually and didn't kill anyone! Then came Tacoma and our thermostat decided to totally lock up. Popped the fuse and put it back several times, but it would not come back to life. Found out the hard way that the same one is not made anymore, and no one had the newer version available. To top it off, we tried driving around the Olympic Pen. on the 'scenic' route (couldn't see anything due to wildfire smoke) and a logging truck threw a 2" or so rock into our windshield! $250 and a new one in one day, but . . .

We had to get back on the road, but in less than a week will be in Silverton, OR for a week, so I ordered a new one from Amazon and it'll be waiting for us there. We're at Little Creek Casino (nice place to spend a couple of days) west of Olympia and running that portable AC again. Next is the OR National Guard's Camp Rilea on the Pacific for three, then Silverton and then back home by way of South Dakota, Cody and a few other places (but NOT Chicago!). I wonder what else can go broke!

Lenny K · 08-11-2017, 06:19 PM

Hopefully the rest of your trip will be uneventful as you've definitely been through enough.

CaptnJohn · 08-11-2017, 07:06 PM

That is more than enough bad stuff for 3 years!

mlh · 08-11-2017, 07:15 PM

Look on the bright side. You got to go camper and you got everything fixed.
Lynwood

WaltBennett · 08-11-2017, 07:45 PM

Lynwood, I don't want to thing about what else could break!

MARK A · 08-11-2017, 10:42 PM

Oh my gosh, what a story.. When you get to Silverton, take a day and check out Silver Falls State Park. A great way to spend a day. You'll be 20 miles from me. Hope your trip goes better.

Mark

1retired06 · 08-12-2017, 06:39 AM

Surely, it cannot get any worse!!

GLS3950 · 08-12-2017, 07:32 AM

some people have all the (bad) luck, hope yours has run out.

phillyg · 08-12-2017, 07:38 AM

Ahhh, quitcher bellyaching!

You're taking a trip many others can't do or afford. Seriously though, I feel your pain. Our recent 4000 mile trip started bad when the truck broke down before we got out of town ($700 part) and delayed us one day, the FW nearly went up in smoke from a bad electrical connector (trip delay, more money, really scary) and the truck had a rear wheel blowout (trip delay, more money, road service) that significantly damaged the wheel well area resulting in over $3500 of damage. And, we even had two and sometimes three grandkids with us that was, well, challenging at times. I'm ready to take off again, soon.

Theunz · 08-12-2017, 08:28 AM

Recently returned from a two week vacation in sw Colorado. Hit a deer on our third day, trashing a bumper and a fog light. Then discovered our credit card was shut off due to usage away from home, always keep a few hundred dollars of cash on hand when traveling for the unforeseen. Finally 300 miles from home on a Saturday we broke down and had to be towed to a rv park until Monday when we could get the truck into a dealer for a $650 dollar repair. One of my best vacations ever! Can't wait to hit the road again.

Furbabies3 · 08-12-2017, 10:19 AM

Wow, after hear Walt's issue I'm ashamed to say we have been traveling since June 1 and had a battery go bad and the refrigerator go out. I have a 1218 Norcold 18 cu. ft. with less than 6 months running time on it, but a year and half old. We lost it last week and been trying to find help getting it repaired. Most repair people say they are 3 weeks before we can get in, and also comment that they have been lots of issues with this model refrigerator. Finaly got in at Campers World in Houghton Lake, Michigan on this Monday morning, an hour and a half from we are staying. It is what it is!

2016 Montana 3720RL
2013 Ram 2500, Cummins diesel, short bed

psomers · 08-13-2017, 07:26 AM

This thread scares me. We are leaving Labor day for about two month trip through the western states. If I start having those kind of problems I may look for the first consignment rv sales and head home. I also have the Norcold 1218.
As I was told years ago, if you don't like things that break don't buy a rv.
PS: I'm on my 11th rv. I don't learn easily.

WaltBennett · 08-13-2017, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARK A

Oh my gosh, what a story.. When you get to Silverton, take a day and check out Silver Falls State Park. A great way to spend a day. You'll be 20 miles from me. Hope your trip goes better.

Mark

We'll check it out. Replacing the thermostat shouldn't take long and while we'll be vending at the Art Festival (booths 36 & 39), and the eclipse is the day afterwards, we should have the time before all that.

team bradfield · 08-13-2017, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenny K

Hopefully the rest of your trip will be uneventful as you've definitely been through enough.

It was my understanding they would ticket you if you took the 350 on the going to the sun road?

**Carl n Susan** · 08-13-2017, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by team bradfield

It was my understanding they would ticket you if you took the 350 on the going to the sun road?

Nope, you are good. I believe the rule is less than 22' and 8' wide. We took 5 350/3500s crew cabs across with 2 of them being dualies. No problems getting through the gate.

WaltBennett · 08-16-2017, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by team bradfield

It was my understanding they would ticket you if you took the 350 on the going to the sun road?

All I can say is I checked out how wide and long it was, and those red buses they run up and down daily are a few inches longer and just as wide (they're dually's underneath the faux antique body). No one said a word to me, and I turned around right in front of the east gate to go back.

WaltBennett · 08-16-2017, 03:10 PM

TRIP UPDATE! OK, so we drove down the 101 for a bit and then across to Portland in US 26 to get onto I5 to Salem and Silverton. US 101 and 26 had many miles of bad road (heaves, but not many hard bumps). When I opened the Monty up, the folding chair I leave at my 'desk' in the rear (we've a rear entertainment center model) had broken. Wasn't caught in the slide as I stopped opening it when I saw it was sitting funny. Now I really wonder how all the electronics makes it as long as it does! Anyway, this one I think I can glue and screw back together, but the list keeps growing and I'm beginning to wonder if I've enough time left to fix it all!

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