Fuelish Thinking -Trailer Life Dec Edition

[kdeiss]

Just receved my Dec Trailer life. Informative article on towing fuel milage and conditions that affect it.Also a picture of a Momtana in the article looks like a 2955 RL

Also A reader writes in the RV Action Line section having a Montana 3400 and complains of no heating outlet in the throne room.

We have a 2955 Rl with a vent and it is to much heet have to keep the door open

[HomeOnTheRoad]

Would an after market adjustable vent help?

[sreigle]

Ken and Ginny, we had a 2001 2880RL that had the heat vent in the throne room and it put out much more heat than did the vent by the bed. The dealer felt around in the carpet on the step between downstairs and upstairs, removed screws from the four corners, lifted off the step. Below the step is a distribution box. He noted there was one inlet and two outlets from that box (to bathroom and bedroom). He said the one outlet was positioned to get the greater amount of heated air. That one went to the throne room. He reversed the hoses right there in the box and that helped a lot in the bathroom and also gave us more heat in the bedroom. I don't know if this would be of value to you but thought I'd tell you what he did. The screws in the corners of the step were the "standard" rv square hole screws.

[NJ Hillbilly]

I was thinking about contacting the owner and seeing if he knew about this site. Someone should write in to TL and tell them about MOC.

John

[Montana_1683]

Also received my magazine. This is the first issue, as to my memory, that a Montana has been pictured. Never has a Montana been in any of their feature articles. Hopefully one will be featured soon.

Gary

[Montana Sky]

I read the same article today as well. Having the 3400RL I know what he is talking about, but I had found a simple fix to the heat problem. (or lack of) I leave the bathroom door open just a crack while not in use. Between this and having the small gap between the bottom of the door and the carpet it usually keeps the water closet just about right. I thought about having another register installed, but found this fix to work great. Another idea if he wanted to keep the door closed and latched at all times, he could cut another 1/2 to 1 inch off the bottom of the door to allow for more air flow into the water closet. I will agree with this being the first Montana I have ever seen pictured in the Trailer Life magazine. I hope to see more to come.

[NJ Hillbilly]

The lack of climate control is an inconvenience more than a problem to me. Since we camp in warmer times more than colder cooling in there is more desireable than heat. All I do is leave the exhaust fan on and it draws cool air under the door and cools the room fine.
Heat is easier to install just tap into the duct in the storage compartment. Just be sure to install an adjustable register od a damper so the room does not become an oven.

John

[Glass Guy]

If I remember correctly a while back they did a feature on the Montana 3655, I can,t remember what month or year but if I come across that issue I can let you know. Roman

[kdeiss]

quote:Originally posted by kdeiss

Just receved my Dec Trailer life. Informative article on towing fuel milage and conditions that affect it.Also a picture of a Momtana in the article looks like a 2955 RL

Also A reader writes in the RV Action Line section having a Montana 3400 and complains of no heating outlet in the throne room.

We have a 2955 Rl with a vent and it is to much heet have to keep the door open

Steve thanks for the info. When I have time i am going to check that out. Thanks again
Ken

[Glass Guy]

I went back and looked it up the May 2002 issue had a Montana 3655 as its feature model. Roman

[Montana_1683]

Glass Guy
Thank you for the info. I have been getting TL since I have owned RV's for over 8 yrs. Couldn't recall any feature stories on Monty's. I guess it is because this is the 1st year owning 5er.

[sreigle]

Our 3295rk also has no heat in the throne room. we also leave the door open at night on cold nights. believe me, if you don't leave that door open in 20 degree weather it's a wakeup experience to go in there in the middle of the night. i've thought of putting a register in there, just haven't done it. our furnace if right on the otherside of the rear wall of that little room so it wouldn't be a big deal to do.

[Montana_1362]

The cold throne room reminded me of my youth in the old outhouse on the farm. no dilly dallying do your job and get out.

[Mike and Wendy]

Boy, does that bring back memories for me also. I remember having to use the old outhouse on my grandfathers farm, and yes you were in and out! I was just happy they had paper instead of the Sears catalog.

[DHenry]

Monkey Wards paper in my grandparents outhouse.

[Gypsy]

I just received my issue of TL and saw both items mentioned. Although I'm still quite young I can remember using my Grandmother's outhouse and, WOW, could it ever get cold!

There's no heater vent in my WC, but, since I travel alone, I can easily leave the WC door open whether or not the room is in use, even using a door stop if I'm slightly off-level and the door closes itself.

BTW, my sister's apartment has no heater vent in her whole bathroom (not just the WC), and she lives in New Hampshire!

I've often wondered why I don't see more Montanas in articles and advertisements, since it's supposedly the #1 best selling towable RV. Evidently Keystone doesn't advertise, and few of its dealers feature Montanas in their ads. Still, advertising costs money, and if success is achieved without spending $$$, more power to Keystone!

[sreigle]

I remember toilet paper in my grandparents' outhouse but there was also the sears catalog in case the tp ran out. And there was the can of powder that we kids used to call "whitewash". I think maybe it was lime? Was that for odor control?

[Dave Anderson]

Steve; Yup,the "whitewash" was lime, and it is great odor control we still have an outhouse at our kettle river cabin. a trick we learned from the Alaskans is to keep the seat inside the cabin in the wintertime and carry it out with you,because theres no heat register out there either!!!!
Dave

[Parrothead]

I've had to laugh at this post as well as another that addressed the same topic. The lack of heat and A/C in the throne room of the 3400 is not that big of a deal. The door is cut high at the bottom to let in some heat. We keep the vent opened here all year and yes it is cold in the winter. I lived my first 10 years in very rural Kansas on a farm and we did not have indoor plumbing. Outhouses are very cold to say the least. I am vey thankful that when I come out of our chilly throne room, I have heat in my beautiful Montana.

[sreigle]

Parrothead, where in Kansas? My grandparent's farm I referenced was southwest of Hutchinson. I lived in Wichita, McPherson, Wamego, and Topeka.