# 1st Time Buyers



## Lund1700 (Jan 24, 2007)

Hello Everyone. My wife and I cannot decide on an Outback 32BHDS or a Montana Mountaineer 32PHD. We never owned a camper before so it is hard to choose one from the other. The dealers all say theirs are the best. look at this look at that. it making us crasy. So we thought maybe you can give us some of your thoughts. on these units.We just became members today. THANKYOU Greg & Kathleen


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Welcome...Welcome...Welcome.

Glad you found us.









Nothing like getting the BIGGEST Outback out there...for your first trailer.









What are you going to be towing the trailer with?

Where do you live (do you have mountain or mainly flatland)

I'm not too familiar with the Montana Mountaineer 32PHD. Can you tell us what you like about that model over the Outback?


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## Lund1700 (Jan 24, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Welcome...Welcome...Welcome.
> 
> Glad you found us.
> 
> ...


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## Lund1700 (Jan 24, 2007)

We have a 99 GMC SAVANA van. W live in Emwood Park IL we are going to keep it in Galena IL and it is hilly. Both units are keystone products The Mountaineer interior is very rich looking.and the quality seems to be very good. We have not been in the Outback 32bhds We were thought they would have one at the Chicago Boat & Rv show but the did not. We have been in Outbacks and they are very nice We found one on ebay at Lakeshore Rv in Muskegon MI About 2 HRS from us.That is the closest place that has one


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

Lund1700,

My vote is for the Outback!!! of course.

BTW, what are the specs on your van? 3/4 ton or 1 ton? I sure hope so if you're considering pulling one of those two monsters.

Mark


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## Not Yet (Dec 13, 2004)

Lund1700 said:


> Hello Everyone. My wife and I cannot decide on an Outback 32BHDS or a Montana Mountaineer 32PHD. We never owned a camper before so it is hard to choose one from the other. The dealers all say theirs are the best. look at this look at that. it making us crasy. So we thought maybe you can give us some of your thoughts. on these units.We just became members today. THANKYOU Greg & Kathleen


Very similar TTs. The Mountaineer weighs more 11000 pounds vs 9700 pounds. They are both the same length. The major interior difference is the extra set of fold down bunks in the Mountaineer, otherwise the floorplans are nearly the same. The Mountaineer has a bigger fresh tank 67gal vs 50 gal, but the other two are the same. If you can tow that much weight then it comes down to interior preference. Most around here like the white interior because it has the effect of opening up the interior. Since the layouts are similar spending time inside any Sydney should give you an idea. Both are massive trailers so please ensure you have the vehicle to handle them.
Lakeshore is great place to go especially being so close. Many members here have ordered TT from them for delivery all over the country. 
Looking at a later post - GMC Savana maxes out at 10000 pounds most are well under that. Check your van specs. Keep asking questions.

http://www.trailerlife.com/downloads/99towingguide.pdf

Jared


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

I am going to say Outback as well.







Because you get us with your Outback purchase & we are SO Much Fun!!









Good Luck,
Tami


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

*Welcome to Outbackers, Greg & Kathleen!*








I'm glad you found us!









Both are nice trailers, but I must say I am partial to the Outback. Big surprise, eh? My advise...
Spent some time poking around the forum. Not only will you learn a lot (the good and the bad), you will also meet some of the greatest people you can imagine.

Then try to find the same thing for the Montana (or any other brand for that matter!)...

It may seem silly, but more than one family has decided on the Outback because of this great community. And I have not heard of one of them that was sorry they made the choice they did!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

Hey there!

Welcome! Boy you have a conundrum!! We have seen the 32BHDS and do like it a lot. We have been eyeing it since it came out.

I am not sure if anyone of us can help you make a decision one way or the other. Keystone makes a good product, most all of us can all agree on that. Keystone has been pretty good by us in fixing issues that come up.

There are a few here that have already got one of the new Outback Flagships and love them. My family loves our 31RQS (all most as much as it loves us I think







)

Any way if you have the vehicle for it ( I assume you do, but I am not familiar with towing with vans) I personally would take the 32BHDS. the main reasons are.....

1. Previous experience with Keystone products. (Springdale 29BHS and Outback 31RQS)
2. Light interior
3. Outside appearance
4. Functionality
5. Versatility
6. Storage capacity
7. UVW
8. Overall Comfort
9. Price vs Quality (ie: bang for the buck)
10. And last but not least Outbackers.com.

I got the 31RQS prior to finding Outbackers. Once I had the unit I was beside myself, happy. In searching the net to find info to show a friend at work I found this sight. The rest is history.

It's been like the icing on the cake. Got a great unit that we nearly live in during the camping season and an online forum of people that feel the same way we do about our rig. We have made some new and Really Great friends.

If there are problems or questions that you have, in most cases all you need to do is post a question and you'll get answers, suggestions and humor too!

I think the Outback TT is the way to go for the package you get! Oh did I mention the online extended family!?









Good luck!


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Welcome

The pictures on Ebay of the 32bhds do not give that trailer justice. The trailer is awsom and with both slides out its huuuuge inside.For the best price around call Lakeshore

John


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

My vote is to camp in Montana in the Outback


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

Welcome, to the site.

We looked at trailers for a number of years at RV shows until we were ready to buy.

Make sure that your van can safely pull either of these, unless you are planning to upgrade your TV.

Be safe!


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## Lund1700 (Jan 24, 2007)

Thank you everyone who replied to my husbands questions. We are impressed with this website and have (with your help) made our decision to get an Outback. Our question is with our tow vehical. It is a gmc 1500. We knew we would have a time trying to tow with it ,so had planned on beefing it up with a 4.11 rear end and trans cooler. Will that be enough? We probably wouldn't need to haul to far from our site.. It will be on a year round spot. But it would be nice to know if we get the 32 bhds we could take it when we like. We didn't want to get the the two foot syndrome, but will consider going smaller if recommended. We are only able to get one toy at a time so the Outback is it. Thanks again Kathleen.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Hi Lund1700
















to Outbackers! 

Great choice to go with the Outback...Once you go Outback, you never look back!









Please keep us posted,
Dawn


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

Lund1700 said:


> Thank you everyone who replied to my husbands questions. We are impressed with this website and have (with your help) made our decision to get an Outback. Our question is with our tow vehical. It is a gmc 1500. We knew we would have a time trying to tow with it ,so had planned on beefing it up with a 4.11 rear end and trans cooler. Will that be enough? We probably wouldn't need to haul to far from our site.. It will be on a year round spot. But it would be nice to know if we get the 32 bhds we could take it when we like. We didn't want to get the the two foot syndrome, but will consider going smaller if recommended. We are only able to get one toy at a time so the Outback is it. Thanks again Kathleen.


Hi Kathleen,

I'm not sure about your TV, so Ill let the experts answer that one for you.
Good Luck & So Glad you decided on the Outback









Tami


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Welcome to the Clan!!

We, too, were 1st time TT buyers when we (finally) decided on the Outback. Its a scaaaaaary decision ... but we have never - not once - looked back with regret. Not even a single - "gee, what if". Pat yourselves on the back - you've made another great choice in life!

Wolfie/Judi


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

Kathleen,

Saw that you would tow from Elwood Park to Galena. I used to live in Des Plaines and Schaumburg so I'm familiar with the route you are taking. Around Galena will be a little rough. If you have to take the trailer there only once a year and back then you might get away with your Savana but you likely will be overweight and hence at risk.

To see if you are overweight I suggest the following.

Go to a scale and get your van weighed. Also look inside the drivers door and see the GVWR. I would suspect it is says either 7000 or 7300 lbs. So you take the GVWR - (van's weight) = how much tongue weight + passengers and gear you can handle.

The tongue weight I suspect would be every bit of 1200 lbs. I also suspect the van would weight in the vicinity of 5500 lbs. So 7000 -5500= 1500 lbs therefore you and your family and all of your gear plus gas would have to weigh under 300 lbs. For instance 1500-1200=300. Doubtful at best, gas alone is about 140 lbs.

So to be conservative I would say get somebody to tow it for you if it is only up and back to Galena twice a year. If you choose to tow it yourselves then I still suggest only twice a year because that 32' will eat that van up in a heartbeat.


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## Fire44 (Mar 6, 2005)

Kathleen,

I work at a GM dealership and might be able to offer some help in your questions. But I need a little more information first.

I understand that you have a 99 GMC Savana 1500 van, but what engine does it have...V-6 or V-8 and what displacement is it?

I think you maybe really pushing the limits of your van. The trailer has a gross vehicle rating of 9700 pounds. A 2005 GMC Savana passenger van (the factory 8 passenger window van) has a max trailer rating of 6,400 pound and a max tongue weight of 640 pounds, I can't imagine that the 1999 model would be rated for lot more than that.

The 2005 van that I worked out (that is as oldest model year that our computer keeps) is a 5.3 liter V-8 with 3.73 ratio rear. The 4.10 rear was not offered in the 1500 in 2005. Can you pull the trailer...sure...............SHOULD you pull the trailer......I don't think so.

We would love to see you get the trailer that you want and love but we also want you to be around to enjoy it for a LONG time....

Hope this helps.

Gary


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## mike (Dec 17, 2006)

good luck with the trailer, my old house was just north of mother guerin in chicago. I too am familar with the galena route. The best thing u can do is ask alot of questions prior to your purchase. We just but our first tt, a 23rs and i am glad i found this site in time. The people are great. It seems that alot of these people have rallies where u can put a name with a face. We are already scheduled to go to starved rock in may. If meeting some of these great people interests you, you definately would want to go smaller. I know its not what you may want to hear; but when we started looking for our first tt, we had dealers try to tell us that we could pull a 32' with our durango. We now know that we are close to our limits and plan to upgrade our tv(tow vehicle) next year.

On another note, We found an outback dealer in Mokena. The salesman was named paul. I spoke to him about the used one we were interested in, he invited us to take a look at his models. We told him we were already pretty set, but we went to see him. He explained alot about outback as the dealer we bought our slightly used one from did not know much about outbacks. It was a great tutorial and he was great. If we were to buy another one we would definately talk to him. The dealership is Timberview. If anything its worth the stop. Also The Rosemont rv show is coming up. It might be to your advantage to go there and meet some of the other dealers. Good luck and Welcome to outbackers.


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## Eric&Lesley (Jul 26, 2006)

Welcome to Outbackers! Sounds like you are making the right decision. Our OB is the first camper we've ever owned as well. Had it not been for the wonderful support system at this website, our first few trips would have been much harder. Every question that ever comes up, we rush to this website and within minutes usually we have a wide variety of opinions.

Lesley


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## Lund1700 (Jan 24, 2007)

NJMikeC and Gary,

We have taken your info to heart and realize we would rather have a smaller unit and be safe then try to push it. From what we have been reading no matter what size Outback we get I believe we will be happy with it.

Thanks everyone!!!

Greg and Kathleen


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Lund1700 said:


> NJMikeC and Gary,
> 
> We have taken your info to heart and realize we would rather have a smaller unit and be safe then try to push it. From what we have been reading no matter what size Outback we get I believe we will be happy with it.
> 
> ...


Glad to help out. Please feel free to ask more questions. Better to be over informed when you go in to make the deal with the dealer.


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## Lund1700 (Jan 24, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> NJMikeC and Gary,
> 
> We have taken your info to heart and realize we would rather have a smaller unit and be safe then try to push it. From what we have been reading no matter what size Outback we get I believe we will be happy with it.
> 
> ...


Glad to help out. Please feel free to ask more questions. Better to be over informed when you go in to make the deal with the dealer.
[/quote]

We think we found the one 27 RSDS.ALOT LIGHTER any Pros or Cons on this unit? Not as much room as the 32 but we can make do.


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

We have the 27 and love it! we were torn between the 25rss, the 27rsds, and the 28rsds. We are very happy we chose the 27. The Queen bedroom is great for the adults and the rear queen is great for the kids. The big plus is you can take some adult friends / family along and they can sleep comfortably in the rear queen. Bunks aren't the most comfortable beds for adults so that is why we chose the 27.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Lund1700 said:


> We think we found the one 27 RSDS.ALOT LIGHTER any Pros or Cons on this unit? Not as much room as the 32 but we can make do.


Not sure...do you have kids? Reason I ask, is our 28RSS (now called a 28RDSDS) is great if you have kids, as they get their own room up front. Downside is we don't have a walk around bed. No big deal for us...so we love it.

If you don't have kids or perhaps only 1 child, then I think the 27 is a great model. We ended up taking along a friend for each of our sons this past summer and having all 4 boys up in their Bunk House was great!


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

I loved the floor plan in the 27 and would be keeping it if I didn't see the new 32 this year. It tows great and you can still use the table if you want to stop for a food break on the road (some models the rear slide blocks the table and sofa when closed.)Its also 2000lbs lighter than the 32.

I also have a 27rsds for sale









Good luck with your search

John


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

johnp2000 said:


> I loved the floor plan in the 27 and would be keeping it if I didn't see the new 32 this year. It tows great and you can still use the table if you want to stop for a food break on the road (some models the rear slide blocks the table and sofa when closed.)Its also 2000lbs lighter than the 32.
> 
> I also have a 27rsds for sale
> 
> ...


Niiiiiiice John you are such a helpful Fellow Outbacker









Tami


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## Lund1700 (Jan 24, 2007)

RizFam said:


> I loved the floor plan in the 27 and would be keeping it if I didn't see the new 32 this year. It tows great and you can still use the table if you want to stop for a food break on the road (some models the rear slide blocks the table and sofa when closed.)Its also 2000lbs lighter than the 32.
> 
> I also have a 27rsds for sale
> 
> ...


Niiiiiiice John you are such a helpful Fellow Outbacker









Tamiakes a bi
[/quote]
kATH & I want to thank everyone again for their imput on the TTs. We bought a 27RSDS with the Jasmine color this morning from Lakeshore.The new design with the u-shape dinette makes a big diffrence. We can now be considered a true outbacker


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## Darj (Oct 10, 2004)

Congrats on your new purchase and welcome to the site.

Happy camping


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Congrats on the new 27 and you bought it at the best priced dealer around







.

Good luck

John


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Lund1700 said:


> kATH & I want to thank everyone again for their imput on the TTs. We bought a 27RSDS with the Jasmine color this morning from Lakeshore.The new design with the u-shape dinette makes a big diffrence. We can now be considered a true outbacker


Congrats on the new Outback. Did you already take deliver or just place an order?


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## Lund1700 (Jan 24, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> kATH & I want to thank everyone again for their imput on the TTs. We bought a 27RSDS with the Jasmine color this morning from Lakeshore.The new design with the u-shape dinette makes a big diffrence. We can now be considered a true outbacker


Congrats on the new Outback. Did you already take deliver or just place an order?















[/quote]
Lakeshore is going to store it until spring


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

Lund1700,

Congrats on your new Outback! I"m sure you will enjoy many, many wonderful trips.

Mark


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