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DickWells
04-24-2006, 19:46
Just went up to Tampa from Sarasota on Sunday and made a trade for an 04 Keystone - Montana - Mountaineer TT. Thirty-two feet, with two slides. We're trading our 2000 Sunline 25 foot lightweight for it.
We've been mostly full-time for 4 years now, and since we sold our place last August, we've been sort-of looking to up-grade.
We had a neighbor in the park out in Del Rio last month that had a trailer just like the one I described above. We both had the same impression. "This is the one"! Front kitchen - two hard doors on the bathroom, for privacy - all the ammenities you can think of - and all that room! Trouble is, for 2005, Keystone deleted the rear entry door, the rear bathroom door, and the front kitchen window. We checked around, and the only affordabe alternative is a Holiday Rambler - Savoy. We wanted that floor plan with no compromises.
Just had to talk about it. Can't wait to go and see it. Oh yes! It was up in Atlanta. They need to bring it down. Should be there by Wed. Hope all goes well with the deal. Wish us luck.
Dick Wells

tanker
04-25-2006, 02:24
Hi Dick, hope you found the floor plan you wanted. You mentioned the Savoy by Holiday Rambler, did you also check the floor plans to the Holiday Presidential TT ? They have two nice dual slide travel trailers, a front kitchen 32FKD and a rear kitchen 34SKD. We also like the front kitchen and two slides, plenty of room with lots of inside storage. These are one step from a 5th wheel. Wish you well in your new coach.

chipper
04-25-2006, 15:02
Hi Dick,
Be careful with Savoy. A friend of mine bought one about 9 months ago & it has been a P O S & the warranty service has left a lot to be desired.

DickWells
04-25-2006, 20:06
Chipper: Not to worry. We think we have found the one that got our blood pumping and it's not a Savoy.
Based on our experience with our 00 Advancer Lite, you can have some issues, even with a high-line trailer. I had to fix a roof leak, finish the oak counter edges, glue on some interior trim, fix a water leak, plus other things I can't remember, all on a brand new trailer! Since then, I've walked onto a great many new high-line trailers at RV shows, and been appalled at the shoddy workmanship, as well as poor design and engineering. Airstream comes to mind, here. And, as I mentioned in my first post, I can't believe that Keystone was dumb enough to delete the rear entrance door, the rear bathroom door, and the front kitchen window from a top selling trailer floorplan. They may have been able to sell it a little cheaper, but if it turns off a bunch of potential customers, where is the pay-off? Neil, at a dealership up on Long Island called me, and tried to talk me into a brand new Mountaineer. Couldn't understand why I'd look for an 04, when I could have a new one for nearly the same money. Well, that was before he sent me the floor plans by e-mail, and I found out how they threw away some good stuff.
Thanks for come-backs.
Dick Wells

JeffsTowTruck
04-27-2006, 04:22
That sounds like the same TT we were going to get except it had bunks. The Montana Mountaineer was very impressive. We came home and just happened to find the one we have now. It was bigger! If I were looking they would be on my list.
Hope everything works your way!!

DickWells
05-01-2006, 02:47
Made the swap on Saterday. We're loving it so far. Twenty-three-hundred pounds of carrying capacity! There are cabinets and drawers all over this thing.
There are a couple of issues. The micro-wave doesn't work. The dealer had no way of knowing. The carousel turns. The timer works. The digital display works. But, the actual heating turns on for about one second then off, and the time cycle that you have set completes. Do it over again, and you can actually heat something, one second at a time. We know we're setting it right, because it's identical with the one in our old trailer.
One small plastic corner moulding is missing off the rear slide. Not much of a problem, really.
I was towing back down here to Sarasota when my wife said, " Boy those brackets were expensive." "What." Turns out, the kid who helped me change the dual cam hitch over had told me that we could just leave the old chain tension brackets on the old trailer and he would get me some new ones from the shop. I (ASSUMED) that he meant we were just going to exchange for time savings. Why would I want to spend $125 for something that I already had? Anyway, I called the sales lady yesterday, and it sounds like we'll be OK, when everything gets settled. I'm taking the micro-wave and the brackets back up there today.
There are some things about the old Sunline that were actually superior to the Mountaineer. And vice-versa, of course. That little 25 foot Sunline had a bigger power distribution panel, for instance. As of now, I can't find a way to check the clear water tank in this thing. I've never seen a tank level display panel in any trailer that was any good. The battery charge indicator usually works, but isn't very accurate.
Couldn't sleep after 3:30, so I'm sitting here killing time until breakfast.
Have a good day, all.
Dick Wells