Experience with Keystone Montana - RV-Dreams Community Forum

sirwinston21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Experience with Keystone Montana

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

I know several folks fulltiming in Keystone Montanas. And yes, some of them had some problems early on.

Here are a couple of blogs by Montana fulltimers:

http://phoenixonceagain.blogspot.com
http://theeastsheadwest.blogspot.com

-- Edited by Ckerr on Sunday 9th of June 2013 04:02:27 PM

Raytronx · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have full timed in our Keystone Cougar 2 years now, approx 40,000 miles towed, around 200 camp sites. Coast to Coast to Coast

It's held up really well, minor problems but no major flaws and it's considered lower end than a Montana. It was an inexpensive unit and we could still get a good portion of our investment back.

It all depends on your budget, have to compare apples to apples.

-- Edited by Raytronx on Sunday 9th of June 2013 05:46:58 PM

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi,

I did a search on the forum for Keystone and noticed that the threads were quite old, but also very negative.

I love some of the floor plans of the 2013 Montana and was wondering if anything has changed? Have they improved their customer service and warranty policies or is still recommended to stay away?

lindy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cheryl; Are you looking at the unit for full timing? We were, but I discounted all Keystone 5th wheels because none of them (IMO) had a strong enough frame. For me if any unit did not have a 12" "I" beam or better frame I would not consider them as feasible for full timing. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

They are still a pretty weekender or on site seasonal unit...........built for beauty not for use

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks all. Yes, it will be for full timing. My # 1 choice at the moment is one of the Mobile Suites 43' models (probably a customized version of the Phoenix, Atlanta and Lexington), but I need to find a Plan B and Plan C in case we don't have enough funds when the time comes. I'm also looking at Class A floor plans, but haven't found anything that really meets my needs that's less than 1/4 million $$$.

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Be aware there are several different levels of Keystone Montanas, with the Big Sky being at the top and the Mountaineer being closer to the bottom.

It wouldn't be my first choice, but budget is always a consideration. Like everything in life choosing a RV is a matter of figuring out what the trade offs are and what is most important to you.

bigboomer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cheryl,

We have been full timing in our Montana for almost a year now and love it. The new models all have beefer 12" frames and a lot of upgrades. The best place to check to get the scoop is the Montana Owners Forum. You would need to join (free of course) to log in and ask questions which is what we did prior to buying ours.

We have been very happy with the quality and service all around. Not sure about the comments that these are weekender type of 5th wheels, to us that is nowhere near the truth. That maybe a little truer for the Mountaineer and Cougar models but not the Montana's and even then the Cougars and Mountaineers are well built.

We go to a lot of shows and walk thru a lot of RV models and feel that Keystone/ Montana gives us the best bang for the buck in quality and design. The basement storage is huge and for full timing that is so important for us. The Big Sky package is the highest upgrade but really only adds full body paint and auto leveling (which is available on the rest of the line).

In the end unless you are willing to pay into the low to mid $100's, we feel the Montana line is well worth it and regardless of what you spend remember it is an RV and is built by human hands. Even the top end makes have their issues with QC and any of the pass thru items (appliances, electronics, etc.) will always have a chance they have problems.

Good Luck in your search.

Les

canuck · RV-Dreams Family Member

We bought a Montana Big Sky after a couple of years of looking. In a year of ownership we have had two minor problems ( cabinet door style came loose and a hose needed slight tightening on hydraulic jack, fixed by me in the time it took to get the wrench). I think at this price point it is a good unit and many people fulltime in them.

Budget was a deciding factor, along with a floor plan we thought would work for us. Ours was just over half the cost of the mid-range DRV we were considering. While I don't want to start any arguments here, frame size is the thing many point to as the big downfall with the Montana, as of this year the frames are now 12" I-beam that are in the higher end units many people push in this forum. My Big Sky has loaded weight limit of just shy of 17K with a 10" frame. Alot of the higher end units might have a larger frame but are also carrying up to 5k or 6K more weight on that 2" larger frame.

I wanted to stay in a 1-ton TV which would be pushed to the limit or over with DRV or way over with a New Horizon. If we were willing to budget higher we would love a New Horizon or even a DRV but you don't need to spend that to enjoy fulltiming. In the future these might be in cards for us but as we are just starting out I was not comfortable jumping to that as our first home on wheels.

I might have gone on a little here, but I think for the money Montana's are good product. Yes there are better out there. How much do you want to spend?

Scott

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

How much I want to spend vs. how much I'll actually be able to depends on how much we'll be able to sell the house for. If it goes according to plan, we should have a budget of about $150K which has to include the trailer and tow vehicle, the hitch, batteries, generator, and any other upgrades to make it full time-able. We would also consider a motorhome instead, but it would definitely have to be used, as there's nothing out there in that budget with the floorplan we have in mind. But we'll keep on looking. The hope is when the house sells, we'll have the list significantly narrowed down so we'll know what to look for.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will put the Montana on the list to look at when the time comes.

Alie and Jims Carrilite · RV-Dreams Family Member

Depending on what you like, Carriage is another brand you might consider. While they are out of business, they are well built units and many are very little used. This is our 2nd CarriLite and we love it. Another part of ours, was that although it was "used", the unit was in new condition. We had to remove the stickers from the shower, stove and counters. The best part is that we got it for a little less than 1/2 of retail.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cheryl - a deciding factor for us was touring used 5th wheels that were 2-5 years old. Through an Interent search, I found a dealership about an hour away from us that specialized in pre-owned 5th wheels. The day we spent there was well worth the gas money and the drive, we learned so much just looking at the pre-owned units and talking to the owner who used to sell most of the brands new but had to change after the economic downturn in 2008.

We were impressed with the pre-owned DRVs, NuWa, Alfa and LifeStyle RV. We were not impressed with the pre-owned Montanas, Landmarks and several other brands. When we looked at the pre-owned units, especially those that had previously been used as a full time rig, we just liked how some of the higher end brands seemed to really hold up well. For us that was the deciding factor, we ended up buying a pre-owned DRV for the same price we would have paid for a new Montana after we found a floor plan that we really liked. However, there was one NuWa that had us seriously considering it as well, just came down to the right floor plan and a couple of factors that we felt would be better for us and our situation.

It's a personal decision but we decided that our budget was better spent on a pre-owned (3 years old) 5th wheel than buying a lesser quality, brand new unit. We've had a couple of issues on the pre-owned unit that needed repair, but heck, on our previous 2 TT's, both of which we bought brand new, we had things that needed to be fixed in the first 2-3 months of ownership.

Lonney Wade · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi Cheryl, We have a 2010 Keystone Everest 37ft 5th wheel and we just love it; no problems here; the only difference between the Montana and the Everest what I can see is less cabinets; It is set for 0 below with full bottom sealed and very good R rating in the floor; walls; and ceiling and is pretty quiet inside; the Everest was one level down from the Big sky in 2010; when we pull it things do not move around even the little things they stay put; it pulls very nice; we do have a Airsafe 5th wheel hitch and pull with a 2010 Chevy 250 HD diesel truck with no problems with power; I have never had the 5th wheel camper move around on us on the road; it pulls very nice, I hope this helps you out. I get a little frustrated when people down the Keystones; the newer ones are built better.

Lonney

waltben · RV-Dreams Family Member

We bought a 2010 3665 RE Montana (Hickory) three months ago. I purchased the RV Consumer Group package and ratings guide beforehand and did a complete inspection of the unit before we finalized buying it. (I strongly recommend doing a thorough inspection of any unit anyone is interested in buying before signing anything!) While this model isn't all that highly rated, the one we bought sailed through the inspection and I couldn't find anything really wrong. There was an older Carriage on the lot that had leaks inside one of the slides and had heavy wear and tear. Apparently the previous owners of the one we bought had only used it a few times as the tires had over 90% of the tread left and there wasn't even any mess to be found under the cook top. We've had it out three times now and everything has worked. We're planning a trip to Michigan in July (we live in Northern Virginia).

Bottom line is that any used trailer can be abused to the point that it would be more trouble to fix up than to get something else no matter what brand or how highly rated it is. Just like no one should buy a home without having it inspected, if you don't have the experience to do it yourself, find someone who can before buying any RV, even a new one.

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

All good advice and that is exactly what we plan to do (hire a certified RV inspector, whether buying from an individual or dealer).

rclvnv · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi, You face a difficult task due to all the variables. Remarks on this forum convinced me to shy away from a Montana, primarily due to treatment of a member by Keystone, when they had major issues. Having had RV's most of my life, I knew that fixes are part of the deal, no matter what you pay. I opted to buy an Open Range 345 RLS, two years ago because of the layout, and some of the features like auto level, extra width, and general fit and feel of the unit. Another deciding factor was the two year warranty. We have towed it now close to 16K miles and lived in it two years, full time. We had two significant issues needing repair, which the factory stepped up to the plate on, offering to find us a repair facility thousands of miles from home. I can't say enough about how they stand by the product. This choice worked well for us. Everyone is different. After years of RV ownership, we knew we wanted a 5th wheel if we were going to full time. We are stationary a few months at a time, then travel for a few.What we chose works for our budget and needs. Take your time, and by all means hire an RV inspector, even if buying new. Once you fulltime and your rig is in the shop, you are effectively homeless. Having to stay in a hotel with two dogs for a week at a time (or two) is not only expensive, but very inconvenient. FWIW.

Richard