Newbie looking for help on Brand

[LDMC]

I don't wantt to start a brand war here, I know all brands have there issues.

I'm making the move from a tag to a 5ver. Two brands keep coming to the top of my list, the Keystone Montana and Heartland Big Horn/Big Country.

The floor models, weights and features are close to the same.

I'm looking for your honest reason you chose Montana/Keystone over another brand.

Is there a feature that help you make your decision?

Thanks in advance.

[bsmith0404]

I wsa in the exact same boat as you. I had it set in my mind that I wanted a Montana, then we went to an RV show and the DW and I were SOLD on the Big Country. Absolutely no doubt in our mind that was what we were getting, just couldn't decide between 2 floor plans. We decided to take a day and hit several dealerships just to make sure there wasn't something we were missing. After looking at/sitting in many, many different models/brands and spending nearly 6 hours we made a trip to the Big Country dealer for one last comparison...still pretty much set on the BC based on our memory. After spending 5 minutes in it and noticing the "little" things, we walked away. What little things? The closet door latches were the first thing that jumped out at me. They had the cheap plastic clips. Never much noticed that before until I saw the nice metal latches on the Alpine. The basement storage was nice, but nothing compared to the Alpine. The color of the decor wasn't bad, but not as nice as the Alpine, counter space was pretty nice, but not as nice as the Alpine.....the little things. The more I looked, the more it seemed like Heartland was cutting corners that I wasn't willing to accept. As you can tell we decided to buy an Alpine. What happened with the Montana you ask???? I couldn't see much difference between it and the Alpine and they wanted over $30k more. BTW, WE LOVE OUR ALPINE. Hope this helps! Happy hunting.

[x96mnn]

Both are made by the same parent company, Thor, so no real brand war. You need to go with what suits you the best as you will most likely find the nuts and bolts all come from the same place.

[kellydog98]

As you've read...it's the little things that matter. Except for the DW...if momma aint happy....nobody's happy! And thats a BIG deal.

[howard]

Like one of the other reviewers, you may want to look at an Alpine. It seems to have a lot of little touches that someone though about. I particularly like the standard heat pump that would automatically change to propane if it got below 32, or air conditioning if the temperature got hot during the day when we were away. We liked our Montana however I was not happy with the pealing decals or having to add hydraulic fluid for a persistent leak. We've had none of these issues with the Alpine. The customer support folks at the factory were great when I called about re-programing the keyless entry. They immediately sent me a very detailed PDF that was just what I needed. Unfortunately, both the Montana and Alpine came with the Towmax brand tires. Read the tire section of this forum and just plan on replacing them as soon as possible with a reliable brand.

[gearhead]

Take a look at these. We were back and forth between the Reflection and the Montana High Country. They have a forum as well. When I was looking 6 months ago a company rep monitored the forum and would respond, for what that's worth.
They are a smaller company formed by ex-Thor (Keystone) execs.

http://www.granddesignrv.com/

http://www.granddesignowners.com/forum/forum.php

[pedalindoc]

I'm looking at a new 2013 Keystone High Country 338db. Not used. Dealer seems to have kept it up well. I like what I see but wonder what problems folks have encountered with same or similar units, if any. I've been towing a 33ft Surveyor TT and look forward to the change. Any words of wisdom are welcome.

[JRTJH]

I'm looking at a new 2013 Keystone High Country 338db. Not used. Dealer seems to have kept it up well. I like what I see but wonder what problems folks have encountered with same or similar units, if any. I've been towing a 33ft Surveyor TT and look forward to the change. Any words of wisdom are welcome.

By now, a 2013 model is a two, possibly 3 year old trailer. It could have been delivered to the dealership as early as March/April of 2012 and have been sitting on his lot since then. That, in itself, is nothing to be "afraid of" but rather how he and his service department have used it to remove parts to repair other trailers, and then reinstalled when the new parts came in, how many people have been in and out of it, "just looking" and pulling on things, slamming things, twisting things that don't twist, etc..... How many RV shows did it get "dragged to" where people were in and out of it? How fast and how far did the "set up guy" drag it on tires that weren't properly inflated, etc.....

Sometimes, possibly not in this instance, a "new model" that's been sitting on a dealer's lot for 2 years has seen "more abuse" and "more use" than a similar model that was sitting in an owner's side yard and dragged to the lake a couple of weeks every summer.

I'd urge you to look it over very VERY carefully, having a "new pricetag" on it doesn't necessarily mean that it hasn't been mistreated in ways that you won't notice until after you get it out to a campground and use the systems. Check it over carefully !!!

Good Luck,

[pedalindoc]

Thanks. I totally agree, especially rough in the SW FL sun. I will look it over carefully.

[LDMC]

I get more confused the more I look into these. Now DW did find the Grand Design and now I need to add that to my list. :banghead:

[chuckster57]

We sell the Grand design. I will say that they PDI VERY CLEAN.

[bsmith0404]

I'm looking at a new 2013 Keystone High Country 338db. Not used. Dealer seems to have kept it up well. I like what I see but wonder what problems folks have encountered with same or similar units, if any. I've been towing a 33ft Surveyor TT and look forward to the change. Any words of wisdom are welcome.

When you are looking at buying a holdover unit, check NADA used prices as well as the same used units on sites such as RV trader. It may seem like a great deal when the dealer knocks off a couple thousand, but remember as soon as you drive your new/never used RV off the lot, it is now a 3 year old USED RV. Typically when you get a holdover like that there are dealer as well as manufacturer incentives to move it. We bought our "new" 2013 Alpine in the spring, paid several thousand less than the NADA used value. We also looked it over very closely and even got them to swap some items we wanted from another unit that were not included. They are usually pretty motivated to sell, so if you like it.....see how far you can push, how many upgrades/add-ons can you get thrown in. Don't be afraid to take a walk through the parts store and make a wish list.

I get more confused the more I look into these. Now DW did find the Grand Design and now I need to add that to my list. :banghead:

The more you look the more confused you will get. I really recommend doing what we did. Go to several dealers, look at and sit in several..no many, RVs. Take notes of what you like and dislike about each. You will quickly realize that something you dislike about one you never even noticed in another that has the same thing. After that, go back and look at the ones you liked the best. Ask to have them plugged in, run through everything like how the landing gear works, double check storage and make sure you have a spot for ALL of your "STUFF". Think about how you will use it and where everything will go. If you can narrow it down to a couple, start working deals. The one you get the best deal from is the one you go with. Remember, the best deal may not necessarily be the cheapest deal. It's all about value, and by value I mean what each thing is worth to you. We narrowed our search down to 2 units, one was $10k cheaper than the other, but IMO the other was worth $15-20k more, we went with the more expensive 5er. Have never looked back or regretted our decision.

[LDMC]

Thanks for all the replies. I did go to a dealer on Saturday and spent 3 hours going over multiple units. Took your advise and took notes. Already started to eliminate some do to thing we found that didn't work for us. Still have months before we are going to make the decision.

[chuckster57]

Take your time. Your doing it the right way, we took 3 years to decide.

[Festus2]

In addition to the valuable advice you've received from others, also keep in mind that, while price is a very important part of the buying equation, it isn't everything. As mentioned previously in other threads, the dealer and the customer service that you should get both before and after the sale is completed are equally crucial.

[Bar-OneRanch]

Sometimes it's the little things you don't catch even though you are looking at everything. First trip out in the new to us Laredo I found that the bath sink is back so far you need to turn your head sideways and duck under the mirror to rinse when brushing your teeth. Had the same issue in our travel trailer that we owned 6 years ago, I really should have noticed that since it bothered me then. Guess even with almost 30 years RV experience things can get past you, hope you can find one with the most features that you do like.

[JRTJH]

Unfortunately, with a "one size fits most" model lineup, every Cougar 27RKS will be like every other one, the same with every Laredo 335TG. They are all built the same except for maybe a dinette/table and chairs option, or a color choice, etc.

With the cost savings at the factory, as much as they can standardize, they will, so if one brand and model of RV has a "too close sink" then chances are that will be a problem in a lot more of the same brand and/or floorplan even in competing brands.

Sometimes it's a challenge to find an RV that really has "all the good" and "none of the bad" on a buyer's personal list. Often it's more a matter of finding one with the fewest "bad issues" and accepting that at least it has "most of what we were looking for".....

Seems like "the lesser of two evils" runs true even in buying an RV. :eek: