Montana take note - Montana Owners Club

mazboy · 09-02-2020, 05:04 PM

Just came from an Alliance 5th wheel rally in Elkhart. This new company has some beautiful rigs out there.

The Alliance 310RL out shines the Montana 3120RL...greatly. Three A/C units are standard and the whole system is simple to operate.

Montana needs to look at these rigs for future design or risk losing their customer base in my opinion.

They have already lost 4 Montana owners that I know of to these new rigs.

DutchmenSport · 09-02-2020, 06:16 PM

Competition is a good thing.

mtlakejim · 09-02-2020, 07:01 PM

Who owns Alliance? IF they are an independent that starts doing well you can bet that one of the big 3 will buy them before long. Just the way it goes.....

BB_TX · 09-02-2020, 07:04 PM

New start up less than a year ago. Many ex Heartland that went out on their own. Think I would wait a while until they prove themselves.

**AZ Traveler** · 09-02-2020, 07:22 PM

Agree that competition is good. Time will tell if the build something decent. Remember everyone uses the same subs.

prndl · 09-02-2020, 07:25 PM

Blah Blah all the same layout. I guess there's only so many ways to make a floor plan. Did note that the 340RL will cut off the stairs to the bedroom with the kitchen slide in. If they had reversed the bathroom it would have worked out. Oh well, they will learn.

**DQDick** · 09-02-2020, 08:11 PM

The only real problem with purchasing an off brand is, if they don't make it, warranty and parts become a thing of the past. Many examples of that over the years.

Montana Man · 09-02-2020, 08:14 PM

If they were a subsidiary of Toyota or Honda or other quality conscience it would be awesome.

sourdough · 09-02-2020, 09:56 PM

Alliance? Just started. No track record. Jump off and spend 100k on something that no one has a part for a year from now...or ever heard of? Nah. If they have the newest, bestest thing they will be going gangbusters in 5 years...but then they will have to follow the same track as every other RV manufacturer to sell units....and be owned by Thor....and sold for about 20-30k less than what you bought it for. I'll wait.

Dam Worker · 09-02-2020, 10:34 PM

Competition is good, I hope they do succeed. Grand Design suddenly showed up a few years ago and is still going strong, of course the owners had been in the business before LOL. I do remember the Toyota and Honda of the late 70’s and 80’s and hearing people say that they were just a fad. Unfortunately as already stated if someone starts a company and they are good products they usually are swallowed up by the big three.

1retired06 · 09-03-2020, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Alliance? Just started. No track record. Jump off and spend 100k on something that no one has a part for a year from now...or ever heard of? Nah. If they have the newest, bestest thing they will be going gangbusters in 5 years...but then they will have to follow the same track as every other RV manufacturer to sell units....and be owned by Thor....and sold for about 20-30k less than what you bought it for. I'll wait.

Agree. 4.5 years ago we saw a new fifthwheel line. Fifthwheel popped, quality everywhere, beautiful woodwork, obvious quality build. New company started by grandsons of a well known and respected Class A motorhome manufacturer, known for customer support. We loved it. Price points were roughly $25K over Montana pricing at that time. For us, worth it, willing to pay. We are Florida snowbirds, ex fulltimers. Wanted one badly, but had a 2015 Montana we had recently purchased. So, last year at the Tampa RV show, went with checkbook in hand ready to buy. Very disappointed in what we saw. Still a really nice fifthwheel, but the pop was gone. Quality was still nice, but not like what we saw in the first units. We passed.

Ren · 09-03-2020, 08:24 AM

You lost me at hearland....

BB_TX · 09-03-2020, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1retired06

.......
. Still a really nice fifthwheel, but the pop was gone. Quality was still nice, but not like what we saw in the first units. We passed.

And that is likely the problem of marginally funded startups. Start off with something built better, nicer, and more features than the competition to get off the ground. And then realize to be profitable and still stay competitive they need to reduce costs and lower their price point. And that leads to a reduction in quality.

richfaa · 09-03-2020, 08:26 AM

I agree competition is good. We are however very happy with our Montana and we do not see a new RV in our future. We have been all over the country and we would have no use for 3 air conditioners considering the number of times we may have needed them.

Creeker · 09-03-2020, 09:42 AM

Open Range and Grand Design anyone?

This company will follow suite if they have much success at all. The others are waiting like Vultures to swoop down and eat them up.

Fish · 09-03-2020, 11:19 AM

Alliance are nice but the same wall thickness and construction as the Montanas best as I can tell.
If I'm spending that much money I'm going to a mobile suites with thicker walls.

masterdrago · 09-03-2020, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

Alliance are nice but the same wall thickness and construction as the Montanas best as I can tell.
If I'm spending that much money I'm going to a mobile suites with thicker walls.

If we had the $$ when we purchased, that's where I would have pushed DW for sure.

mtlakejim · 09-03-2020, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dam Worker

Competition is good, I hope they do succeed. Grand Design suddenly showed up a few years ago and is still going strong, of course the owners had been in the business before LOL. I do remember the Toyota and Honda of the late 70’s and 80’s and hearing people say that they were just a fad. Unfortunately as already stated if someone starts a company and they are good products they usually are swallowed up by the big three.

Proving my point. Grand Design has already been bought up by Winnebago I believe.

mtlakejim · 09-03-2020, 04:42 PM

Yah know I have about decided that the only way to assure a quality RV is to build it yourself. I know for sure that the cargo trailer conversion craze has really taken off. Which proves it can be done. It really isn't that much of a leap to think you could have a custom 5th wheel frame built by a welder (in aluminum square tubing no less-light weight and no corrosion).

As I start my conversion of our 24' enclosed trailer, I am more confident than ever that I could do a custom built 5th wheel and maybe even for less than you might think if I do a lot of the work myself. For absolute certain it would be considerably better built! And then I would be able to fix ANYTHING that goes wrong with it!!

Granted it is not a project for everyone. I am fortunate to have a wide range of skills (jack of all master of some). So I may well give it a shot.

mtlakejim · 09-03-2020, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richfaa

I agree competition is good. We are however very happy with our Montana and we do not see a new RV in our future. We have been all over the country and we would have no use for 3 air conditioners considering the number of times we may have needed them.

I am looking at adding a third roof A/C but then I saw a post about New Horizons following Spacecraft and starting to install mini split A/C units. Then I joined an enclosed trailer conversion group and wow about 1/2 those folks are opting for mini-splits.

Looks like for sure mini-splits are the wave of the future. For certain they work far more efficiently and seem to be much more rugged than roof air units from what I am hearing. I am about to install a couple here at our sticks and bricks since our ducted central unit just bit the dust $$$$.

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