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Old 07-13-2021, 09:04 PM   #1
CraigB in FL
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New Montana Owner, New to 5th Wheeling

Hi, my wife & I just bought a 2015 Montana 3582RL, taking delivery of in in mid-August. We are brand new to 5th wheeling, having used a Lance 1191 truck camper since the fall of 2016. We bought the Lance specifically for making a trip to Alaska, where we would regularly be on the move and planning to boondock in out-of-the-way places. We found the truck camper to be an excellent choice for that kind of travel, but now we find ourselves spending more time in one spot and want a little more room.

Eager to learn all I can about the 3582RL, outfitting it and getting my truck set up to haul it. Looking for advice on adding a generator and maybe slide toppers. Maintenance hints are welcomed.

We are full-time retired. Some bucket list traveling plans (Albuquerque Balloon Festival, exploring the southwest and Great Lakes lighthouses...) Have grandkids in the Cincinnati area, so we spend about a month there each summer.
 
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Old 07-13-2021, 09:33 PM   #2
AZ Traveler
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Craig and Sharon,

Welcome to the forum! Enjoy your new rig when you get it.

If you search the forum, you will find a lot of opinions on generators. I would lean towards a pair of 2000 watt that can be linked together to run a/c or run individually if you just need to top off batteries.

Not sure I have seen a survey but I would guess most Montana owners do not add slide toppers.
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Old 07-13-2021, 09:49 PM   #3
Marilynd
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Hello! Welcome to the forum.
Congratulations on your rig!
Safe travels.
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Old 07-14-2021, 06:20 AM   #4
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Welcome to the forum! May your new rig bring you many years of wonderful memories.
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Old 07-14-2021, 10:27 AM   #5
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Welcome and safe future travels
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Old 07-15-2021, 09:05 AM   #6
CraigB in FL
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Thanks!

I was wondering if I should relocate my 7-pin connection from under the bumper to one inside the bed of the truck?

Also, should I run a heavier duty hot wire than the standard (12 ga?) wire run for the factory installed 7-pin and trailer connections? For my TC Lance recommended an 8 ga wire directly from the battery, in order to provide enough juice to charge my batteries while driving.
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Old 07-16-2021, 08:27 AM   #7
phillyg
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Unless you're doing a lot of boondocking, I question the need for a genset, especially if you install it in the front compartment. I decided to go with a single 3400w portable, and wish I had gone with two smaller units as I'm finding it more difficult to get it in the PU bed. Putting the 7-pin connector in the PU bed makes it more convenient, but it's not a necessity.
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Old 07-16-2021, 09:22 AM   #8
432bartman
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I would definitely move your 7 pin into the bed, due to the 5th wheel harness already being in there from the trailer. Should be a very easy move. Go on etrailer.com or your local trailer shop and they will have the necessary harness that will T into the factory one. I'd imagine your Ford already has a factory hole or cover in the bed area for the 7 pin connection.
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Old 07-16-2021, 09:34 AM   #9
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For the 7 pin plug, it's not really about moving it but adding a 2nd plug in the bed and splicing into the factory harness. If you're handy you can easily do it yourself. You'll need the right sized metal-cutting hole saw. The rest is just basic wiring.
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Old 07-16-2021, 10:12 AM   #10
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Welcome to the forum and best of luck with your Montana. You will find lots of opinions, but the one that matters most is your own. First, for many years we had the plug by the bumper. It works fine there, but it is more convenient in the bed. Only you can answer if it is worth the cost and effort. Regardless of wire size, the 7 pin is really a trickle charge. When you get lithium batteries, it becomes advantageous to add DC-DC charging, as lithium charges at higher voltage and amps. I had a DC-DC charging system to my lithium batteries and should get about 40 amps/hr. My wires are 2/0 through an Anderson connector through a smart BIM. Again, decide how you will use your rig, see what your budget allows and upgrade accordingly. We live and camp in an area with lots of boondocking opportunities, so we invested in the Super Solar package, BIM and RV fridge to maximize our boondocking capability. We hope to be in Alaska for our second RV trip in 2022. Looking at 80% boondocking. We carry two Honda 2000’s in a steel cage with a 6 gallon tank between. This gives us a lot of versatility if we encounter cloudy days, hot weather, etc.
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Old 07-16-2021, 12:03 PM   #11
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Welcome to the forums and congrats on your new Montana.

Generators? Yes, everyone has their own opinion. I have two Cummings Onan P4500i Inverter Generators. I run them in parallel and they handle absolutely everything in the Montana with ease, all at the same time. They weigh in at over 100 pounds (each) dry, hold 3.4 gallons of gas that will run for 16-18 hours. If you don't mind the cost, the weight, and figure out a comfortable way to transport them, they absolutely are hard to beat, unless you go with one built inside your camper hatch. I like the portability of them, as I also use them for more than just the trailer.

About the 7 way plug. I thought about adding one in the bed, but never did. It works just fine on the bumper. Beside, I carry so much stuff in the bed of the truck, I'd be concerned about the stuff hitting the plug in the bed. For me, it's best to just use it on the bumper. No problems.

About the wire size? I don't think it will make any difference. As stated above, the charging output is near the same as a trickle charger. No need to go through all the trouble to do it and gain no true advantage.

Outfitting your new camper should be very easy for you. Everything you have in your truck camper, just put it in your new Montana and you are set. Well, you might want to get a new set of bed sheets, but pretty much, a camper is a camper when it comes to stuff like that. You'll want sewer hoses that reach, at least the length of the camper. If you do that, you are pretty good to go for just about any campsite.

Enjoy your new Montana and these really are "The good ol' days!"
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Old 07-16-2021, 03:07 PM   #12
mhs4771
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Don't know about your Truck, but depending on how it was originally ordered it may have the a second wiring harness between the Cab and Box. My 2011 Chevy had it there and I just had to install and mount the receptacle in the Bed.
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Old 07-18-2021, 01:55 PM   #13
SaraLouwho
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We have been camping for 40 years. I don't have a gen for the RV. Never have, also never dry camped for more than an overnight while traveling. We do have toppers. This is our second rig with them and I would always get them in the future. Shades the slides from the sun (we camp in Florida). While dirt and moisture can get under the topper, they remain much cleaner than without.
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Old 07-18-2021, 05:24 PM   #14
Mikelff
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CraigB in FL View Post
Hi, my wife & I just bought a 2015 Montana 3582RL, taking delivery of in in mid-August. We are brand new to 5th wheeling, having used a Lance 1191 truck camper since the fall of 2016. We bought the Lance specifically for making a trip to Alaska, where we would regularly be on the move and planning to boondock in out-of-the-way places. We found the truck camper to be an excellent choice for that kind of travel, but now we find ourselves spending more time in one spot and want a little more room.

Eager to learn all I can about the 3582RL, outfitting it and getting my truck set up to haul it. Looking for advice on adding a generator and maybe slide toppers. Maintenance hints are welcomed.

We are full-time retired. Some bucket list traveling plans (Albuquerque Balloon Festival, exploring the southwest and Great Lakes lighthouses...) Have grandkids in the Cincinnati area, so we spend about a month there each summer.
Welcome to the forum! Sounds like your camping style might be changing some. You probably need to evaluate how much boondocking you will be doing before buying generators, and figure all your power needs first. You need to make sure you have plenty of payload capacity for your truck if adding lots of weight like generators etc. I would recommend searching the files and downloading a good PDI checklist when you do your PDI for your new rig. Then get all the repairs done FIRST before signing any paperwork or taking possession. Once you sign, its on you to get everything fixed through warranty and you will be at the back of the line. They want to close the deal, so you will go to the front of the line for fixes if you make them complete your fixes first. Spend time going through all the topics on the forum that you might have questions about. Chances are they have all been covered on the forum. Research as much as you can. You will be glad you did.
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Old 07-20-2021, 09:07 AM   #15
Hit The Road
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Hi,
Have you ever had to replace your toppers? I opted not to get these because of the wind noise and possible replacement in the future. I clean the tops of the slides when I plug them in anyway.

Thanks for the reply
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Old 07-20-2021, 02:45 PM   #16
rames14
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On our first two Montana’s we had slide toppers. If we still lived there we would probably still have toppers. However, where we live now in Colorado, we do not use them because of the wind. 60-90 mph winds are common. Blew my brother-in-laws Cougar over. Besides, with solar and roof satellite we are seldom under trees.
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