To buy or not

[Dgeisser]

Hi
My wife and I are getting ready to buy a new Montana 3020 rl . The six point auto leveler is the selling point. We have been traveling in a 2004 Carraige Cameo 29rks3 (3slides / 30’ ) for 5 year with no Problems at all . I am already nervous about the cash outflow for the new unit , but after reading about all the problems, quality/ quality control / support issues I’m having second thought .I read another review that’s said Keystone had the 2nd worst problems of manufacturers for 2020. I can see the issues reported here are over several years in your form . Should I be concerned ? Has the quality slipped in resent years ? Are there a lot of problems buying a new unit? Or is just that problems that gets All the press, ? We have seen the 3020 Montana just once,and we loved its look at first site, We plan on driving 9 hour to buy the unit in 6 days. Getting cold feet ! Thank you for any comments .

[Mikendebbie]

When I read all the issues and problems on this and other forums - it is difficult to assess what percentage of RV owners have few or zero issues. Lots of folks come here for help, so you can read about lots of problems and feel overwhelmed and discouraged. What is clear to me is that there is no such thing as the “Toyota Camry” of RVs. The Camry has had a good reputation over the years and you can get 250k miles out of it if you take care of it. They come to the dealer ready to go and everything seems to work as designed.

I have been lucky! I have had no major issues and a few minor issues that I fixed myself (some with help from folks on this forum). You have the benefit of years of experience RVing. Time spent reading about the issues here will equip you with valuable knowledge about some of the major systems and the problems that might happen - but no guarantee that they WILL happen. I think the problems people have are rarely “model specific”...but more related to common systems used on every model. Frankly I don’t think you will find very many threads with a title such as “Help! My 3120RL is a lemon”...you may find something like “Need help with ice maker on my 3120RL”. Good luck with your research. This forum is full of some smart helpful folks!

[jimcol]

You say your Cameo is still serving you well, (no problems for 5 years) and the biggest improvement you're looking for is the 6 point auto leveler. You are already nervous about the cash outflow and the possible problems, quality/ quality control / support issues. You have only seen the new unit once. You are getting cold feet. If it were me I'd slow down on your purchase decision. Don't know what stage of life you are in but at my stage I don't need the angst over the auto levelers. Once you sign there is no going back. Good luck with whatever you decide because you and the wife are the only two that have to live with the decision.

[RMcNeal]

I agree with Mikendebbie. All RV manufacturers are going to have their problems. Doesn't really matter how much you pay for the unit. They all use the same parts and equipment from the same suppliers, lowest bidders. Short of total frame failure or other catastrophic failures, anything can be fixed as it comes up. Just keep up with your warranty time frames and make sure to test everything initially. As an example, I never use the water heater on propane, only electric. Turns out there was a problem the first time I tried it. I'm lucky I found it in the first year so the warranty fixed it at no cost. There are some really good threads on the forum about doing your PDI and I also went a step further and tested every single thing I could on our first shakedown trip. After that, it's just been fix minor things as they appear and keep on top of maintenance.

[DQDick]

Two things to know. First there are thousands of members here and this is the place to come if you have issues, so you don't hear from the thousands and thousands of Montana owners, some with multiple Montanas, who are happy with theirs. That said, if you take your current rig to Morryde they will add level-up to it for a whole lot less money than buying a new rig. We did that with our first Montana and only traded it for a better floor plan.

[Ren]

If you get cold feet and bail, I think most of us have been there. I did it on a 310GKR that was about 12 hours from me just before purchasing the Monty.

I am glad I did because after I bought local, and after SEVERAL PDI's, because I kept finding stuff, or stuff wasn't getting done.... we finally took delivery after a month. The delay was mainly finding incomplete tasks noted on the PDI, ordering new trim pieces, ordering in the LED track in the awning. Another was adding the 3rd AC to the In-Command. All of this takes time.

So, in a nutshell, if you do bail out, you have good reason ( 9 hour drive ). Just be prepared to NOT take delivery after your PDI.... or second. You may want to think about flying over to take a look at the unit, put a deposit down, do a PDI, then do another PDI, then possibly another. But that process would be done regardless of brand IMHO.

[Eagleback]

The Montana is the largest selling 5th wheel in sales, so it would be the highest amount of reported problems. But only second worst. Wonder who tops the list.

[mhs4771]

If you're still happy with your Cameo, ever thing of just updating it?
Our first Montana didn't come with the Level-up System, but I had it retrofitted with the system and then took it to MORryde and had Disc Brakes and IS added.
Just something to consider, granted there is nothing nicer than that new car or camper smell.

[mazboy]

problems exist that is a fact.


here is something to consider....where will you get your warranty work done? I don't think you will want to travel 6 hours each time you need service. Make sure you have someone local......

[1retired06]

Quality has slipped past few years by almost everybody making units at the Montana price range, IMO to keep the prices under control. Your 2004 Cameo was built right by Carriage. Our 2002 and 2005 Montana units were built right with no major issues. 2010 was my favorite and wish we had kept it. Our 2015 quality is not as good as the early units, and has had more initial problems than the other three combined, a combination of failed vendor appliances and shoddy workmanship. Having said that, after working thru all the issues, much by myself, our 2015 has been basically trouble free for the past three years including travel and Florida Snowbirding. For the Montana price range, there is no other Manufacturer I would recommend. Montana is a good reliable fifth Wheel if you maintain it properly. Since you indicate you have been traveling trouble free for the past five years in a 16 year old fifth wheel, I bet you know how to do that.

[Montana Man]

Sounds like my thoughts have already been brought up. You have experience and are doing research. Good for you. At this point I would just say don't expect to buy a trouble free unit. They don't exist. Some say they never had troubles but eventually you find that they have taken wrenches to them. Some units are more trouble than others and there is no predictability in reliability. Decide wisely and let us know how it ends.

[KIEHLS]

9 hours is a long way to drive for warranty issues. We had a long list of issues that were covered under warranty. I was lucky enough to be within 30 minutes of my dealer and didn't take it in until I was confident I had given a proper shakedown.

My 2017 3791RD required/replaced:
Converter
Inverter
Tv antennae
AC fan
Furnace
Interior molding came loose
Pivot door repairs
Sound bar quit working
Exterior trim pieces came loose
Reseal water heater exterior-water pouring in from blowing rain
The guide/slide strip under kitchen slide (big issue at my expense just out of warranty) due to poor design and factory install staples not screws.

After all this I still feel fortunate after some of the other stories I've heard. None of these ruined my day. And even though we full time, only the kitchen slide issue caused us to need a hotel room.

Godspeed!

[dfb]

We looked at the Cameo about 10 years ago.. I thought they used high quality carpet and cabinets... they looked Great to us... My wife likes the Montana for its storage and all the 'fluff' they put in.. I have vented quite a bit on ours.. We have had slide issues, rear axle shackle bolts break. It eats tires like a kid eats candy.. We have had to "rush to build' issues.. Water heater not connected, black water valve not completely closing. Shower door handles coming off. Fan blades falling onto the floor. Cheap Cheap Carpet. Molding falling off, toilet not holding water. RERER placed as such as the stainless steel doors got dented. Floor has got gouged from factory screws left under the slides.. The Black Water tank busted open... ... We have had good luck with everything else.. We have owned 5 previous SOB 5th wheels and this one is the most expensive and the one we had big problems with... If you really want one, get a close out.. Get like 30 percent off..The Value on these is worse than chevy Vega.. Ours was over 72k in 15 and now they will give us 30 on trade in.. We love the auto level, the heated bathroom floor, the Fireplace the big Refer, etc... I just wish the slide would not have broke 3 times, the shackle bolt breaking and the black tank busting and the alignment was right.. The other stuff seems par for the course... We are ready to hit the road again after me repairing the slide and the black tank... When it comes to these issues by now I am an expert... I carry over a hundred pound of tools, cordless drill, extra fasteners etc... So now, on the next failure im like, "bring it on"".... anyway, just signed up for Good Sam service plan.. don't know it its good or not..500 deductible... Good luck in your choice.. Not trying to talk you into or out of a Purchase. Life is short, do what you like.. these are my experiences .. many others are happy... But it's all about the trips, right?? building memories... Have fun in your travels....

[Camp CA]

Welcome to the forum!!

Ditto Mikendebbie.............we have had NO problems on our 2020 Montana 3780RL purchased mid January.

[Mikelff]

Have you considered buying a used model, or at least as suggested, a close out? The financial hit you will take once you drive a new one off the lot is mind boggling! Once they have your money, you are on your own, on to the next guy. You can also negotiate that price. The mark up in new RV’s is criminal. Be prepared to literally walk out the door if they won’t give you your price. Staying close to home is also good advice if you just have to have a new one. The local dealer can always order a unit for you if they do not have one. Slow down and think it through. I bought mine used 2018, bought in 2019 and saved THOUSANDS of dollars. Did I have some issues? Of course, its an RV. Most I fixed myself. Some the dealer had to fix. Luckily, I have a good dealer. They got a couple issues covered by Dometic and Keystone, even though I was out of warrenty. One thing about used is that hopefully the previous owner fixed most of the issues for you. You can buy an extended warranty, and that price is also negotiable. For me, it makes no sense buying new and taking such a big depreciation hit. I don’t have the money to burn. Wish you the best whatever you decide.

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by Dgeisser

..........We plan on driving 9 hour to buy the unit in 6 days.......

That's a long way to drive to purchase a trailer, especially if you need any warranty work UNLESS the dealer is close to where you like to camp OR you purchase an extended warranty that allows any dealer/mobile service to repair it.

In my case we purchased my trailer from a dealer located 5 hours away BUT we camp there 3 times per year for 2 weeks. We also purchased a 6-year extended warranty with $0 deductible that allows any dealer/mobile service to repair it

A friend of mine purchased a new trailer 2000 miles away. Now he cannot get warranty fixes done because the local dealers do not service trailers that they did not sell.

[mudford]

We have a 2020 3120RL for the last year. As some that has owned several RVs all my life, it has no more issues then any other RV we have owned. Keystone has been very responsive to our issues and our selling dealer is great. We ordered this last RV from the dealer because we wanted full body paint and every option. We have been pleased since we picked it up.

[jpwhite]

I've had a number of problems with my 2019 3120 RL. Most were repaired under warrantee. The whole process of multiple levels of approvals to get warrantee work done is a pain, but if you are persistent, they will get repaired. Overall, we have really enjoyed the unit and are happy with it.

The LCI 6 point hydraulic level up system is great. Absolutely love it. It was a major deciding factor to spend a bit more for Montana. So far, no issues with it.

Currently the RV market has gone bonkers. There are fewer units to choose from. Since you have a 5th wheel you like, I agree with the suggestion to consider slowing down the buying process. You may have more choices and better bargaining options later.

I did not give proper consideration to purchasing used when I bought (another suggestion in a previous post). I've done it in the past. It is a little harder to find exactly what you want. You might have to look at a number of units. You can save substantial dollars off that early depreciation of a new unit. Good luck!

[sourdough]

OP if you are looking for a new RV and have one in sight, and really want it, you might not want to wait too long. I was just in my dealership yesterday and asked "what the heck happened to the trailers"? 2 blocks of trailers down to mostly units in for repair and a few new ones. They were moving all the used trailers to the "new" lot to make it look like they had inventory. The guys told me they could not get any new trailers and what they had were flying out like hotcakes. Who knows where we'll be by fall......

[432bartman]

Go get it. We searched everywhere for one, even out of state and they and other quality trailers are hard to come by. I'd literally find one and it would be sold. You only live once.