About to purchase a 2011 Forester 3121DS

[Appleguy1991]

Hello Forest River RV enthusiasts,

I am about 3 to 4 days away from signing a sales contract for a brand new 2011 Forest River RV Forester 3121DS.

http://www.normsrv.com/inventory/130...er-3121DS.aspx

Before I take the plunge, I am hoping to get input from all of you with regards to this rig. I have agreed to pay $63,000 for the rig. Do you think that is too much to pay? It appears to have many of the bells & whistles that are offered with this year and model.

It does not have the top of the line paint on the exterior nor does it have the media wall in the front end of the unit. Flatscreen TV is there, but no wood work. I love the floor plan.

Questions:

I heard that the 1997-2008 Ford V10 engines can blow spark plugs, is that still an issue with the 2011 V10?

How does the 2011 Ford V10 and chassis perform overall? Are there any links that anyone could provide to assist me?

I plan to pull my Jeep Wrangler behind the Rig, it has oversized tires and a slight lift on it, would that be a problem?

How well do these units do when pulling a vehicle from behind? Can it move quick enough while going uphill on the Interstate freeways? Could it be too much when going on a long trip (1500 to 3000 miles)?

I have read that the rear axle weight could become an issue when loading my personal gear, is that correct?

Any and all information on anyone's thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
John

[Hummer]

Today my wife and I really enjoy our motorhome. It has 4800 miles on it and we went about 100 miles from home overnight, and we took a two week trip to the East coast from Michigan. However, prior to the trips and then afterwards, we have taken to RV to the Elkhart factory 4 times for major issues that should have been done right when it was built. 1400 of the 4800 miles have been for warranty work. we would loose our 12v power. The batteries were not fastened and the controller had to be replaced. One of the big foot levelers would not go done with the control box. It was wired wrong. The bins underneath separated from the side body and you could see the ground. They had to remove, epoxy, and put metal strips to hold them in. The backup camera would not work or upside down or in Chinese. It also was wired wrong. The rubber seal under the dinette slide was not fastened and torn. You could see outside if you got on the floor. They had to send a new box for the satellite dome and then we had to take it back for removal and fix. The heater switch would not turn and the Ford dealer locally replaced it. The sofa was worthless. I asked the salesman if it could be replaced with a swivel rocker lazy boy recliner. He said no. My wife and I took it out and Lazy Boy delivered one and put it in the rv. I had to bolt it to the floor or it was like bumper cars. The dinette is too small for an adult also to sleep on. I bought a 30x60 height adjustable table that goes down to 22" from Competitive Edge for $120 delivered and set it up at the side of the dinette. If you remove the cushions and put 2 on the sides, then drop in a 60x80 queen size inflatable mattress, and we added a 2" memory foam topper, you get a great queen size bed that an adult can sleep on. Then we store it underneath and it seconds as an outside table. I might add that I bought a seven year extended warranty for around $1500 bumper to bumper and a $100 deductible. Fortunately the factory service center covered the issues that we had in addition the the bills the I gave them for mileage and food for the trips there. A bit of advice, if you want action or for warranty to take you serious or simply just to respond to your calls, then go to the head boss, Mr Evans. He was fantastic and is the only reason I can speak positive about Forest River's poor excuse for quality control. Hopefully, you will not have problems, but if you do feel free to contact me. I'm sure I left something out but that was enough. What we have been doing this summer so far is to go out and watch tv and eat popcorn in it in the parking area near our barn. We plan to take it to the Gulf of Mexico in October. Wish us well!