How much should I look to NADA on pricing?

Then why are they the #1 selling brand??

Lots of reasons. Good dealer network. For the price they offer a lot of amenities especially for those that want to live in it full time or live in it for months at a time. Montana's have eye appeal and are well laid out inside. There is an active Montana owners group to belong to. They have a social network at rallys. They are not overly heavy to tow.

To get quality in a fifth wheel adds to the costs and weight. The higher quality units are well in excess of $100,000 new.

travelnutz wrote:
Montanas are know for peeling decals, flexible frames, and leaks. Not all have the problems but more than others per the sales numbers in their price level. Not bashing Montanas as they are quite popular but the facts are facts and just driving thru CG's or looking at dealer's lots confirm the early decal peeling on Montanas.

Flexible frames meaning frame flex? Leaks? Then why are they the #1 selling brand??

Montanas are know for peeling decals, flexible frames, and leaks. Not all have the problems but more than others per the sales numbers in their price level. Not bashing Montanas as they are quite popular but the facts are facts and just driving thru CG's or looking at dealer's lots confirm the early decal peeling on Montanas.

Me Again wrote:
Or it is a Keystone product from the late from 7 or 8 years ago. They had a pretty bad record with their decals. Chris

Yep! Montana 2002. I have seen 2008 Montanas with peeling decals too. You would think that since they are up there in price, they would use better decals.

I don't recall seeing other brands with peeling decals...just faded. Is this a Montana phenomenon?

Or it is a Keystone product from the late from 7 or 8 years ago. They had a pretty bad record with their decals. Chris

janegowest wrote:

SabreCanuck wrote:

janegowest wrote:


Definitely!! So...what about peeling decals?

Sorry, was trying to keep the topic on track. There are many things that will cause peeling decals. Heat, Quality of decals, what do you wash with, etc.

Peeling or not peeling decals would be on my list of "it happens" and would be dealt with at the time. We had peeling decals on a previous trailer. Removed the decals, liked the look and left it that way. If I cared, I would have hired a local paint shop or decal place and replaced with painted or locally sourced. But, it wasn't on the top of my list.

So peeling decals is not a sign of neglect?

Not at all. Could very well be old age, cheap material, etc. If you read between the lines of most of the 'how to wax' posts there are people that wax there RV 2-3 (or more) times per year that still get peeling decals. But they are probably taking better care than most with the rest of the RV.

If you are waxing improperly you could actually be causing the damage to the decals that caused the peeling. example: Wax with power brush and too much pressure could heat up or catch the edge of the decal.. Cleaning the bugs off of the front decal with scouring pad can scratch the finish off.

Too many variables to specifically say peeling decals are neglect.

So peeling decals is not a sign of neglect?

The issue is bigger than simply peeling decals. They can peel from the sun without any damage beneath them. Or and this is a big OR, they can be peeling because there is delamination behind them. That is expensive to fix, indicates water damage, and the extent is usually much larger than what is seen from the outside. If you find delamination keep looking for another coach. Climb on the roof, if the seams around the vents, etc have not been re-caulked recently (like in the last year or so) move on to another coach. Water damage is huge and can cost thousands if it has had time to rot the wood beneath it. Roofs are expensive also. If the roof has any soft spots it is not for you. Check it over very carefully. A 2002 unit is now about 14-15 years old. You have to expect some wear, scratches, fading of paint, etc. But, you don't have to expect delamination or a rotting roof. There is a huge difference. Press behind the peeling decals and see if it is soft or still a very hard surface. Soft is bad, very bad.

Another way to tell if a coach has had proper attention is to check the detectors to see if they have been replaced per the manufacturers schedule. Most have an expiration date. Are the tires less than five or six years old regardless of tread left? There are clues as to how well somebody has taken care of a coach. Or if they just let it sit. If the owner won't let you look it over carefully, that is a huge clue to it's condition. Do they still have the manuals? Is it one owner? How many times did they use it? Did they keep repair and maintenance records? Lots of clues as to how important the coach was to them.

Check for delamination beneath the clearance lights, around vents, near the slides, and if you see any anywhere move on to another coach or get an estimate to fix it by a qualified shop and deduct that from the price.

SabreCanuck wrote:

janegowest wrote:


Definitely!! So...what about peeling decals?

Sorry, was trying to keep the topic on track. There are many things that will cause peeling decals. Heat, Quality of decals, what do you wash with, etc.

Peeling or not peeling decals would be on my list of "it happens" and would be dealt with at the time. We had peeling decals on a previous trailer. Removed the decals, liked the look and left it that way. If I cared, I would have hired a local paint shop or decal place and replaced with painted or locally sourced. But, it wasn't on the top of my list.

So peeling decals is not a sign of neglect?

One reason sellers price so high is they're upside down and have to pay off the bank.

janegowest wrote:


Definitely!! So...what about peeling decals?

Sorry, was trying to keep the topic on track. There are many things that will cause peeling decals. Heat, Quality of decals, what do you wash with, etc.

Peeling or not peeling decals would be on my list of "it happens" and would be dealt with at the time. We had peeling decals on a previous trailer. Removed the decals, liked the look and left it that way. If I cared, I would have hired a local paint shop or decal place and replaced with painted or locally sourced. But, it wasn't on the top of my list.