Would you buy a Montana again?

[fatcatzzz]

We are in the market and are considering a different Brand.

[R Bran]

We haven’t owned a full Montana. We bought a 13 Mountaineer new and loved it. No issues but wanted to upgrade to a new high country so we did in spring of 22. Our experience hasn’t been good and the constant thought of “what next” ruins our trips. I don’t think we will buy another. From a lot of posts here I don’t think there is much difference in quality right now between the high country and full montanas

[Jay & Bobbie]

We purchased our Montana a year ago from the original owner. We looked at several other Montanas as well as other brands.
Deciding factors:
(no in any particular order)
Price
Floor plan
Age (pre covid)
Condition
Amenities/extras

We have been very pleased, have had no major issues(a few concerns).
I have upgraded a few things to suit our travel needs.
End of day, we would definitely buy another Montana.

[dave22554]

I have a 2022 High Country 331RL. I would buy another but you have to have realistic expectations. These expectations are not unique to Montana or any specific brand, it applies to ALL RVs.

1. They are built by hand by well intentioned humans but not perfect. Don compare them to cars which many millions more of are made by robots.
2. The dealer is not your friend, they are there to sell you something. You must take responsibility for ensuring everything works BEFORE you leave the dealer. Again most are good people but they don't represent you.
3. Have/pay for an independent inspection done by a certified inspector. Will likely be in the 500-1000 range maybe more.
4. Do Not sign before all things on the inspection report are fixed to your satisfaction.
5. Don't buy anything from the dealer except your camper. EVERYTHING else is marked up and available from other sources at a lower cost.
6. When there are issues work with the manufacturer to have a mobile tech fix it. This gives you control over who does it and to what level of service. Many are verified and very experienced. Might cost a little more but you are in control.
7. Learn how your camper works and be able to do minor repairs yourself. YouTube is your friend.

[dfb]

We bought "pre covid" 2015 Legacy. No, we won't but another Montana. WE are looking for a Pre Thor k-z escalade.No issues on our previous KZ NEW VISION.

[jsb5717]

We're funny creatures. We think that because we had a good experience with a particular brand that we would automatically have another good experience. Or that because we got a lemon in a particular brand that we would automatically get another lemon.

The reality is that there are lovers and haters of every brand out there. In every brand, the much higher percentage of owners like and are enjoying their purchase. The much lower percentage have had enough problems to make them say "never again...".

For whatever brand that you think right now is better than Montana there will be a band of haters of that brand who have dealt with multiple, ongoing issues...and are saying "never again...". None of them are perfect and all of them will have problems.

We knew that walking into our Montana purchase. Our decision was helped in discovering that the percentage of Montana haters seemed to be lower than haters of other brands. We rolled the dice and came out OK.

The odds are in everyone's favor that any new buyer in this general category of price range and "quality" will draw into a decent rig...in any brand. Yet someone will get the short straw. We all hope it's not us.

So buy floorplan, features, and reputation, do your due diligence, and hope for the best. In a landscape of new players, new innovations, and good build practices there's got to be a reason that Montana is still the most sold 5er.

When sales drop, and manufacturing slows, competition will rise. Who will step up with the 5er with the lowest percentage of problems?

[Wisconsin Retiree]

Jeff, I agree with a lot of what you stated. My true feeling is this brand is or will be at that point of dropping sales soon due to the last 4 -5 years of diminishing quality. Seriously, compare an older 2008 to 2017 year Montana trailer quality to 2019 or later models and yes there is a noticeable difference in quality materials and workmanship. I understand your points on all brands & cannot disagree. I just feel this brand that I have been a long time fan of has lessoned the care and concern for their customer base hence it leaves a bad taste after being so loyal.

[jsb5717]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Retiree

...I just feel this brand that I have been a long time fan of has lessoned the care and concern for their customer base hence it leaves a bad taste after being so loyal.

It's entirely possible. That's the beauty of competition in a free enterprise society...People vote with their pocketbooks. If Montana is declining in quality and others are doing it better, then their sales will be impacted.

I was in sales and sales management for many years. We knew that we didn't have to be perfect...we just had to be better than the competition.

[mhs4771]

Our unit is a very early 2016, MFR'd March of 2015, and has been an excellent rig, but you couldn't give me a new unit from any brand.
We're thinking of down sizing in the near future and if I could find an older Montana 2955RL (our first 5th Wheel) it would be a perfect short trip/weekend unit.

[dfb]

Originally Posted by jsb5717

We're funny creatures. We think that because we had a good experience with a particular brand that we would automatically have another good experience. Or that because we got a lemon in a particular brand that we would automatically get another lemon.

The reality is that there are lovers and haters of every brand out there. In every brand, the much higher percentage of owners like and are enjoying their purchase. The much lower percentage have had enough problems to make them say "never again...".

For whatever brand that you think right now is better than Montana there will be a band of haters of that brand who have dealt with multiple, ongoing issues...and are saying "never again...". None of them are perfect and all of them will have problems.

We knew that walking into our Montana purchase. Our decision was helped in discovering that the percentage of Montana haters seemed to be lower than haters of other brands. We rolled the dice and came out OK.

The odds are in everyone's favor that any new buyer in this general category of price range and "quality" will draw into a decent rig...in any brand. Yet someone will get the short straw. We all hope it's not us.

So buy floorplan, features, and reputation, do your due diligence, and hope for the best. In a landscape of new players, new innovations, and good build practices there's got to be a reason that Montana is still the most sold 5er.

When sales drop, and manufacturing slows, competition will rise. Who will step up with the 5er with the lowest percentage of problems?

Here is the Problem, Thor owns over 50 percent of the RV Market... Now even KZ... Jayco, Tahoe, Keystone and more..There is very Little competition ... If you tell Montana you will buy SOB, they don't care. ...

[mhs4771]

And what share Thor doesn't own is under Forest River, leaving only a few Independents which probably will be absorbed by one or the other.

[jsb5717]

It's an ever-changing industry. Pick any industry with any widget and someone will say "they sure don't make them like they used to". Craftsmanship too often takes a back seat to profit...which shouldn't be surprising. But we already know that all of the brands know how to make a good rig...because they all do. Some percentage of all of their builds are decent rigs with reasonably happy customers. I suppose one downfall of a systemic decline in quality is that the consumers are stuck with choosing the better of the evils. The bar just gets lowered and consumers are stuck with the results. They all have failures so which high priced rig will I take a chance on this time?

But of course there's still competition. Thor owns a lot of brands but doesn't have hands on in their day to day. Thor is a for-profit company and each brand under their control will have its own P&L. They will all have their own management teams and line workers. Thor will not continue to invest resources in a brand that isn't performing well. Declining profits would result in replacing management so the boots-on-the-ground folks leading those brands will all have a motivation to perform. That's competition. If a brand stops selling they will stop making it. I'm sure that the General Managers of each brand want the inherent bonuses that come with performing better than the pack, or increasing profitability, or whatever the bonus metrics are. But again it's profitability that can often drive poor quality. Vicious cycle.

Maybe Thor doesn’t care if Montana loses sales and market share, although I bet they do. However, you can also bet that the Montana Team cares…their livelihoods depend on it. Count on it…there’s competition.

And we're still seeing innovation. New start-ups, like Brinkley, come along and promise better results. At first they deliver, but time, expansion, and profitability eventually take their toll. Alliance was the new kid on the block just 3 years ago. They were going to change the game. Guess what...they have problems too. There are good building practices in all of these brands, but as long as people are building them there will be failures, angry customers, and "never agains".

It's a far from perfect system and it's certainly not regulated as well as many of us feel it should be. But it's still competitive and new things are happening all the time. Us consumers just can't be ignorant. The better informed a buyer is the better chance they have of a good result. Buyer beware and vote with your money. Thor, Forest River, and the rest are all keeping score.

[Foldbak]

It just dawned on me, one reason I'd buy another Montana is because of this group. Every question answered with no judgement or attitude, unlike other forums! Just here to help. That said, thank you all!

[Montana Man]

This our second one. The first was good, this one not nearly the quality of the first. No new montys for us.

[Mikendebbie]

Originally Posted by Foldbak

It just dawned on me, one reason I'd buy another Montana is because of this group. Every question answered with no judgement or attitude, unlike other forums! Just here to help. That said, thank you all!

I was thinking the same thing!
I’m pretty sure there is a forum for most brands on the market and anyone considering another brand can go read about the experiences from those owners.

I regularly read the Keystone RV Owners forum and IRV2. Help and advice shared in the Montana forum is incredible and it is offered with unsaid encouragement…”you can fix this yourself”.

A search for the perfect RV could prove to be long and frustrating. The forums for Prevost conversions, Newmar and Foretravel are not filled with topics like “Everything works perfect on my rig” or “Still waiting for a malfunction” or “I have TOO much storage”. They have problems too!

Our search for the perfect RV ended with this floor plan. We hope to go the distance with this unit - so I need to maintain it, improve it as I can, and fix whatever issue comes our way. This forum helps me reach that goal.

[rames14]

This is a hot topic depending on your personal experience. As I have stated numerous times, your dealer will determine your experience. We have been MOC members since 2004 and this group has helped us grow as RVers along the way. Our 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2021 Montana’s have been fairly trouble free. But our last two, purchased at Leach Camper in Council Bluffs, Iowa (500 miles away) have been very reliable. Before our PDI, they filled/dumped all tanks, fixed cosmetics, checked all lights, and also the HVAC. Things like the furnace 15 amp self resetting fuse are replaced automatically. All the little issues that irritate new owners. If I do have an issue, I make an appointment, they get the parts, I pull in at 8:30 and they fix it same day. We took our 2010 and 2021 Montana’s to Alaska and the 2010 did break a spring. But almost every type/brand has issues on those roads. This year with IS, no issues. Would I buy another Montana - definitely. But, this group is definitely one of the features of owning a Montana. You will see even prior owners hang around because of the MOC. Plus, the model specific Facebook Groups help maximize the experience by floor plan. Just my experience. YMMV.

[R.S.O'Donnell]

Had I been asked this question before my spring hangars broke I would probably have said yes. But I didn’t discover them until we were three days from having to vacate a Florida state park. I had one hell of a time finding a mobile welder to do the repair so it hit my last raw nerve. We really do love our Montana and are pretty sure we’ve got all the bugs worked out.

Still wouldn’t buy another because Keysone/Lippert has known about the frail spring hangars for years and has chosen to ignore the issue.

Note the date on this thread:

https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...66#post1046366

[FL Cajun Camper]

RV show is November. 9-12. I am looking forward to seeing the newer RV's even though I just bought my first one. I am hoping to get some remodeling ideas from the newer ones. You never know, I might trade in the old girl for new one! LOL

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by FL Cajun Camper

RV show is November. 9-12. I am looking forward to seeing the newer RV's even though I just bought my first one. I am hoping to get some remodeling ideas from the newer ones. You never know, I might trade in the old girl for new one! LOL

Welcome to the MOC and congrats on the new rig!

[jsb5717]

Originally Posted by FL Cajun Camper

RV show is November. 9-12. I am looking forward to seeing the newer RV's even though I just bought my first one. I am hoping to get some remodeling ideas from the newer ones. You never know, I might trade in the old girl for new one! LOL

Originally Posted by Foldbak

Welcome to the MOC and congrats on the new rig!

Or the next new one from the show this weekend...