RE: Keystone crack in side wall....
We developed the "frame flex" problem in our 2003 Montana in September of 2007. We're fulltimers and we were on the road at the time far from the dealer we bought from. We contacted Keystone and they directed us to a dealer we were close to. They were instructed by Keystone to remove the front cap and take pictures of what they found. It turned out to be 7 broken welds on one side as well as a broken weld around the pin box. After viewing the pictures,Keystone sent the dealer a packet of instructions as to how to repair the damage. They did it in 3 days and we have had no further problems with it. We were fully 3 years past our warranty and fulltimers on top of that. Keystone authorized and paid for the whole deal. Didn't cost us a cent and we were on our way again.
I, as well as many others, have said many times, there isn't an RV brand out there that doesn't have problems. I feel for people who do have major problems, but, for every unit that does have problems there are thousands that don't. I really hate to see brand bashing and don't understand how this is supposed to fix the problem but I guess it works for some. I personally have not had a problem with Keystone. They also replaced our AC unit at no cost after 18 months of use. If and when we decide to buy another trailer, it will most likely be another Montana.
RE: Black water tank
We've been using Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (sodium carbonate) for about 4 years with excellent results. It's a water softner like Calgon, but a different chemical. In the southeastern states you can find it in Publix supermarkets and up north we find it in Price Chopper supermarkets. Runs around $ 3.40 a box and a box will last you about a month.
RE: Stopover on I81 near PA/NY border?
We lived in that area for 32 years. Like others have said, not much in the way of campgrounds in the area. There are a couple on the NYS side near Binghamton but certainly not "easy off/on" type. Your best bet for just an overnight would be the Flying J at New Milford,Pa. There is a PA Welcome Center on the southbound side a few miles from the state line and a NYS Welcome Center on the northbound side a few miles north of the state line. Not sure about whether they allow overnighting or not.
RE: Why Montana?
In answer to your question, we've been living full-time in our Montana since Feb. of '03. We've pulled it about 30,000 miles since then. We have for the past several years spent our winters in Florida and our summers in the Adirondacks. Have we had problems? A few. The AC developed a problem after the warranty ran out, but was replaced by Keystone with no charge to us. Two years ago we developed the dreaded "frame flex" problem. This was repaired by a dealer other then the one we made the original purchase from because we were a 1000 miles away. Authorized and paid for by Keystone. I personnaly spoke with Keystone about that one and they know we're full-timers. Didn't seem to matter. Last year the main control board for the reefer gave out and we had to replace the board. Also last year we developed a crack in one of our grey water tanks and had to replace that. So, have we had some problems? Sure, we have, but I don't think what we've had is bad for just about 6 years of full-time use. We owned a stick built for 32 years and if my memory serves me correctly we were always fixing or replacing something with that too. No different. Nothing is going to be without problems. If your going to use it, it's going to wear out. Bottom line is, would we buy another Montana? Yes, we would and probably will at some point but right now this one continues to serve us well. I think the reason you see so many attests to the fact that they have been the number one selling 5th wheel for quite a few years, so I would expect to see a lot of them on the road. They offer many different floor plans and last year made some significant changes which, although they remain in the mid range category, bumped them up a few pegs within that range.
