Equivalent Keystone models to Montana for full time use

[jafud1]

I have a lot of Keystone Montana models available for in-person review in my area. I have been looking at some Alpine models online only. As we are looking for a fifth wheel for full time use I am working to determine what other Keystone models are equivalent to the Montana. We want to purchase something that the manufacturer considers certified for full time use and not run into warranty issues due to full time use. The Montana 3950BR is our favorite so far. I found the Alpine 3901RE layout at the Keystone website and that may be a good choice for us. We plan to look at this model at a Cincinnati dealer soon on a short trip back to Ohio. My wife is still working and would like to have a dedicated space for an office. As long as we have a good Verizon signal for our MiFi she can work from anywhere.

[schmeg]

I wouldn't be so concerned about warrantee issue as I would overall livability, quality, and general features you are looking for. I really don't know how a manufacturer can prove weather you were living in a unit full time or not nor is it any of their business. You are best off getting the unit that fits your requirements and a good dealer. As far as equivalency to the Montana, the Alpine certainly is its equal and then some. Also don't leave out the Raptor and Fuzion if you are looking for office space. A toy hauler would provide an excellent office area that would double as a spare bedroom. The Fuzion and Raptor also come with a nice on board generator, large water capacities, and good insulation packages for colder weather. It also comes with a much better G rated tire package which is a big deal to me. This would give you a lot of flexibility with dry camping situations. We just pulled the trigger on a Fuzion 414 and couldn't be happier. The furniture, trim, and cabinets seem to be pulled right from the Montana series. We use the back of the camper for a dining room when we have company over. The ramp gets used as a deck also. On the flip side of the equation, I would certainly consider either an Alpine or a Montana for full time use. There are certainly more luxurious choices out there, and even better choices, but I personally like what Keystone has done with keeping slide mechanisms simple, (cable operated) and the construction straightforward. My wife was the driving force behind the toy hauler thing. I was skeptical. I had my heart set on a Montana. I needed a very comfortable, relatively luxurious living environment that the Montana provides. The Fuzion 414 gives me that. I really like the "standalone" capability with no hookups needed. I hope this gets you a little insight on some perspective of the Keystone options. Long story short, I would full time in ours in a heartbeat.

[bsmith0404]

What schmeg said is definitely something to look at for office space. I don't necessarily like THs for living space, the garage takes up too much are for my taste. Of course, the 3900/3901RE is a single garage space that would provide the office space without taking up too much of the living space.

One thing I have to correct him on is that slide mechanism. Alpine uses a hydraulic ram system not cables. I believe the Montana is the same. Both Montana and Alpine are very nice units. When we started looking for ours, I thought Montana was the way to go as well, but was so impressed by the Alpine that I quickly changed my thoughts.

I don't know that there is anything in the warranty of any brand that limits the amount of use or prevents full timing. So definitely look for what you like. I've mentioned this before and I'm not trying to steer you away from Keystone, but Grand Design makes some very nice units and are definitely worth a look for anyone full timing. Some other brands I would look at (even though I think they are overpriced) are Redwood and Mobile Suites.Even though they are technically a step down from Montana and Alpine, you may want to look at Avalanche and High Country. They are in the premium class with the Fuzion and Raptor and will be close to what you will find in the Alpine and Montana. Whatever you buy, if you can order it or work a deal for G rated tires, I would recommend it. But don't pay too much, you can buy G rated tires and wheels for around $1,000. When we were shopping, it was an $1,800 upgrade because they install Goodyear G614s which are an extremely overpriced tire IMO.

Enjoy the shopping process and spend a lot of time in each unit you are considering. Our salesman was great and sat in each unit with us for some time. Even ran the cord out and plugged them in so we could experience what it was really like. Turned on the heat pump, fire place etc. It was nice to just sit in the living room and talk, almost like we had company over. Gave us a great opportunity to really look around and get a feel for the unit. 30 minutes or more to just sit and relax and look from where you would normally be sitting is worth every minute of your time.

[schmeg]

I guess I stand corrected on the slide mech. on the Montana line. The Keystone TH's use cable. I also do not like sacrificing space for the garage because to me it always seemed to be too much emphasis on the garage length which makes for a really crappy living area. The Fusion 414 seems to go against this philosophy. It has a relatively small garage for a 43' trailer. We didn't need that much space back there. Here is a picture of the main living area looking aft.

[schmeg]

Here is breakfast in the garage area. There is carpet that can be rolled out. This is the 3rd night in the rig, so things aren't organized yet.

[Tbos]

Looks nice. Enjoy and have fun.

[mikell]

We lived in Michigan in an Alpine 3640 RL ???for 5 years with no issues. Just make sure you get the AC Heat Pump to save hauling propane. When we moved to a different campground the owner wanted to check to make sure people weren't using electric heaters. never figured out the heat pump.

Did get cool at -40 with 40 MPH winds but didn't freeze.

mikell

[Alpine]

I will chime in with the others as well. We have been "fulltime" in our Alpine going on 4 years. We have yet to have anything come apart (except the "blowmax" tires) or fall off the walls if you will and we have put in some road miles for sure... approximately 70,000 miles!!!

[m&m]

IMO the avalanche 365mb with the spare room provides ample space at 40' The tires are g-rated, pin wt about 2800lbs, and with the upgrades is a full time camper. Next year will be 6-7 months out and a few at home. This 5th wheel is home away from home.

[gnirwin]

DW and I purchased our 2015 34ft. Alpine earlier this year. Happy so far. Had a couple minor issues that dealer and keystones corrected no problem. We retire a lil over a year and plan on long winter stays. Things we wanted: full time rating, dual a/c, full body paint, king bed and residential fridge. We think we did good.

[jameswbarton]

I bought a 2016 Montana High Country 375 FL for Full Time living and 4 Seasons tested and approved. Do not believe the literature nor claims, mine is Junk and the HVAC Systems cannot support any temperature extremes.

Also You need warranty as they have poor quality but Keystone is bad on warranty service. Mine has been in the shop 3.5 out of 6 months of ownership.

[gnirwin]

What has been the warranty issues/claims? Do you have 1 or 2 a/c units?...neve rmind, I went back and read a couple earlier posts you had. Sorry about the issues. I hope now everything goes well with the trailer.

[jafud1]

We lived in Michigan in an Alpine 3640 RL ???for 5 years with no issues. Just make sure you get the AC Heat Pump to save hauling propane. When we moved to a different campground the owner wanted to check to make sure people weren't using electric heaters. never figured out the heat pump.

Did get cool at -40 with 40 MPH winds but didn't freeze.

mikell

The AC Heat Pump option is an excellent suggestion. Will keep that in mind.

[bsmith0404]

The AC Heat Pump option is an excellent suggestion. Will keep that in mind.

Standard on Alpine, not sure if it's available on other brands. We love the heat pump. Between that and the fireplace, we don't need to use LP until the temps drop below 40ish.

[Colorado]

We purchases a 2015 Alpine (big mistake), to many warranty issues. We are still dealing with them. Keystone sucks

[nesparky]

May want to look at the Avalanche also. Not as many bells and whistles as the Alpine, but similar in layout.

[rclark]

Purchased our 2013 Alpine 3555rl new in Jan of 2013. Never been back to the dealer except for maintenance. We spend 3-4 months living full time in the Alpine during the winter months on the Oregon Coast. We looked at Montanans and other units but the Alpine was the winner hands down. Heat Pump, Auto Levelers and many other conveniences were standard for the most part and prices were comparable. This unit fits our needs to a T. I did replace the tires which always seem be a problem. If your looking for a new unit negotiate with the dealer to put on decent tires .

[Clays390]

My wife and I went through almost the same decision making process. We wanted a Toy Hauler to occasionally carry a motorcycle while we are full timing. We had narrowed our choices down to several. The one at the top of the list was the Fuzion 371. During one of our many (three years worth) RV dealer stops we came across a left over Montana Mountaineer 347THT. After some long discussions we decided it fit all our needs. Is it perfect for full timing? No, it does not have the insulation the newer units have. We have been in temps as low as +9 and as high as 100. We are trying to stay in more reasonable climates as we full time, sometimes we fail. The trade offs are there if you look for them. On the positive side we have haven't had any problems with the unit, it has never been back to any dealer. It has the hydraulic slides which I like as well as a loaded weight of 14,000 lbs. We have plenty of room, especially when the bike is on the ground. Bottom line, any unit can be used for full time, you just have to get what will work for you. Then just adjust your expectations accordingly.
Enjoy the search and good luck on retirement.

P.S. The Montana High Country has some info on a new model - 380/381THT. You might be interested in.

[bsmith0404]

We purchases a 2015 Alpine (big mistake), to many warranty issues. We are still dealing with them. Keystone sucks

Sorry to hear that you're having problems with your Alpine. There are many Alpine owners on here that will disagree with you. Any RV built has potential for problems, it's too bad you seem to have gotten the rotten apple.

[Ddubya]

We just purchased an Alpine 3401RS after looking at comparable units from several manufacturers. While not meeting all of our desires it came the closest. The 12 inch frame versus 10 inch on similar units helped.

[gnirwin]

Purchased a new 2015 leftover Alpine 3010RE earlier this year,. We weanted a full time rv without mortgaging off the farm. DW and I looked for over 2 years. We had a list of "must haves" and this trailer hit on all. 12" frame, dual a/c, king bed, hydraulic opposing slides, hydraulic auto level, residential fridge, wet suspension, fireplace, 4 season and full time rating were all on our list. We also have the bonus of full body paint and heat pump on our new trailer, we are very happy, the few "new trailer ' issues have been taken care of efficiently by both Keystone and our dealer,

[Ddubya]

Was supposed to take delivery of our new Alpine 3401RS today but have an issue with W/D install.
See my post under fifth wheels for details