Forester 2501 vs 3011 vs 3051 (27 vs 32 foot motorhome)

[jackhal49]

We have a Coachmen Leprechaun 260DS w/ the Ford E-450 and the 6 speed transmission. It is 27’ 5” with 2 slideouts and we really love it. The floor plan is nice, the living area has 2 recliners on the drivers side and a wide U dinette on the passenger side and when the slide is out there’s plenty of living space. The kitchen is small but very usable but can only be acceptable when the slide is out. The bedroom has a slide as well but the queen size bed has s folding mattress so can only be used when the slide is out. The bathroom is small but very usable. It has a 15k btu A/C ducted unit that is more than adequate to cool the rig and has a heat pump and LP heater as well. 6 gal water hear that has both LP and electric and 50 gal fresh water tank. One feature I really like is the auto leveling system which few class C’s have. Our previous rig was a 40’ diesel pusher and we like this RV better than our Itasca Horizon. The Ford E450 will tow up to 7,500 lbs and in tow mode you hardly few the toad is there, we tow a 2015 Subaru Forester. Good luck in your RV search!

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by firemech2

Where did you get and which garleick pedestal for the table? Any Pics?

It sounded really interesting to me as well. I searched around and found the manufactures info on them Here.

[denverkarin]

Frankly, I would stay away from Forester all together. I bought the 2017 3011D ( I think that's right) - it is 32 ft. Nice layout but had a lot of problems. AC was replaced cause Styrofoam got into the blower so it didn't blow out air strong enough through the vents. And it seems that the AC is now doing the same thing. Navigation system was replaced; ice maker; leak in freezer, solar connector fuse blown, water heater had to get cleaned; tire valves were incorrectly installed so I could not inflate tires; cables were missing so tv sound not going through speakers - etc.. the list went on. I am selling mine for 90k if you want the hassles.

[GL1800Rider]

Denverkarin, First of all, welcome to the forum

Sorry to hear you are unhappy with your 3011. They all have issues that take about a year to get the bugs out. We all have had them. My AC was replaced twice due to defective units and I had a few other things. None of these were the fault of Forest River other than a leaking ice maker line which probably came loose in transport. Everything was handled quickly either by my dealer or in the case of the 2nd air conditioner, a mobile RV tech in Mt. Airy, NC.

Good luck with your sale. However, you can purchase a new 2019 loaded including full body paint for $93,000 so you will be hard pressed to get $90,000 for a 2 year old unit.

[chevytrkr]

Originally Posted by dinkhauler

for those that have the 2501 or the 3011, is there storage under the bed?

Yes, but very limited in size since our bed in the 3011 slides out. Also, bed is very heavy to lift.

Rich

[essentialbill]

We have a 2018 2681ds. Added a reflex steering stabilizer and it improved the handling. But I’m interested in getting it aligned to hopefully a little better. Would you recomend taking it to ford garage and have them check factory specs ?

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by essentialbill

We have a 2018 2681ds. Added a reflex steering stabilizer and it improved the handling. But I’m interested in getting it aligned to hopefully a little better. Would you recomend taking it to ford garage and have them check factory specs ?

Absolutly not. And you should consider starting a new thread or search the forum for info on the subject. I have a write up on it in the Sunseeker section.

[jbrosecity]

Originally Posted by firemech2

Where did you get and which garleick pedestal for the table? Any Pics? We have the 2421msf, basically on the same chassis, just different floor plan. I actually hate the height of the table. I was going to cut it down but I do like the adjustable idea. Thanks for sharing.

Got it on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002IQX38K/
It doesn't drop down low enough out of the box, but I have a metal chop saw and cut it down so when collapsed the table sits on the rails, it raises up perfect height for eating and I can lock it off just a little higher than sitting on the rails for a comfortable footrest t put a wedge on for comfy lounging. works well. easy mount to floor and table with the OEM self tapping screws nothing else needed

[GL1800Rider]

essentialbill, here are the alignment specs that were provided by Forest River.

[dinkhauler]

more questions for you Forester E-series chassis experts...

I have done a lot of reading over the last few weeks. This will be our first motorhome coming from a FW. It will also be our first vehicle with dually wheels. I checked out the wheels/tires the other day at the dealer and it looks like there are already metal valve stem extensions installed that protrude where the holes in the outer wheel are. However, they do not seem to be attached in any way on the outer wheel.

I put a little pressure on them to see how much play they had and it wasn't bad but I like to run with Tire Minder TPMS sensors, and i'm not sure if that will cause problems. Seems like some folks have issues running sensors on extensions.

Thoughts?

[Duckogram]

If the duallys have a “hammer on” wheel simulator, there is no good valve stem extender to get your inner valve out far enough to be able to use your TM sensors (I use them too). If you have “bolt on” wheel simulators, you can use the steel braided hoses and bolt mount brackets. Those will support your sensors. I used them on my Class A without issue.

Minutia: There is a bracket that attaches to the wheel lip, goes behind the simulator then bends inward to go through the hand hole in the simulator. It does not not work for the E-450 dually.

There are metal valve stem extensions that are 7” long. They need to have springs or rubber plugs in the hand hold to work.

There are steel braided hoses that will go through the hand hold and screw or rivit to the simulator center hub. They will work unless you lose a hammer on which will result in a catastrophic dually failure.

If you use a braided hose dont waste your money on airless types. When you put yours sensors on, they are no longer airless anyway. YMMV

As for me. My tires dont lose air while Im traveling so I dont use any leak creators. TM sensors are on the Ford OEM valve stems. I only need to remove the rear hammer ons to service the inners. The other 4 are easily accessible.

[dinkhauler]

so it sounds like the best solution if I have the "bolt on" simulators is to use all metal extensions that can attach somewhere on the simulators?

and if i have hammer on simulators to not use extensions!

[RedLdr1]

The "best" solution for the valve extenders I've found is DuallyValves. Their kit replaces all the valve stems with one piece stainless steel valve stems. Any extender, metal or plastic, can leak. The crap FR installs in just plain junk, I had a stainless extender mounted on an plastic extender...mounted on the Ford valve stem.

I just ordered a set for our new 2500TSF. The kit for the E-450 is the DL1FC Chrome Duallyvalve Kit, 16". That will replace the OEM valves and and FR "stuff" on all four rear wheels.

I like to have angled valves on the front wheels to make it easier to attach TPMS sensors. For that you'll need the VHVS8225B20 2.25" CHROME SM BASE VALVE 20 DEG BEND. You can use the Ford valves stems on the front wheels these just make it a lot easier.

Once you install a DullyValve kit you won't have any extenders to mess with and everything will be one solid piece. Plus the rear inner duals come with a rubber stabilizer to help keep the valve stem centered, and solid, for a TPMS sensor.

I've found them to be an excellent product and the company provides great customer service...

[Hailey]

We ordered a 2018 DS 3011 from the factory. We did a decent amount of shopping and tire kicking to find the features we wanted and the DS3011 fit our wishes the best.
I’ll say we wish the bathroom room was larger,, but we function ok with it and the separate shower is better than those terrible(to us) corner showers. We chose to remove the over cab bunk and are installing cabinets in that space. We plan to use this area for storage of extra bedding and bulky items.
The dinette is large and it converts into a full size bed that fits two adults easily. It’s rare that we need the extra beds.
We ordered the large refrigerator and it’s GREAT. Works as well as our home frig. Counter space is great and the trash chute is very handy and saves space inside the coach. We have the swivel passenger seat and with the large open space it’s easy to entertain guests.
We had another brand class c and a couple class A’s and two fifth wheels.
This configuration is working well for us. We recently returned from three months in Florida and had no serious problems. I Love the Ford engine and chassis, it handles well in cross winds and our toad is easy to tow (it weighs 4300 lbs).
We are very happy with our rig.

[essentialbill]

Awesome thank you

[goldenbetty]

We've decided to go with the Jayco Greyhawk because they do offer two A/C's. Case closed. Model 29MVP is the one for us. We love the Forester, but the A/C option wins, hands down.

[dinkhauler]

Originally Posted by goldenbetty

We've decided to go with the Jayco Greyhawk because they do offer two A/C's. Case closed. Model 29MVP is the one for us. We love the Forester, but the A/C option wins, hands down.

We looked at one of those as well, coming from 50A service we didn't feel that the load sharing solution for two AC's on a 30A was the way to go for us. But the beauty of RV'ing is that you can get what works best for you and your situation and not care what anyone else thinks

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by RedLdr1

The "best" solution for the valve extenders I've found is DuallyValves. Their kit replaces all the valve stems with one piece stainless steel valve stems. Any extender, metal or plastic, can leak. The crap FR installs in just plain junk, I had a stainless extender mounted on an plastic extender...mounted on the Ford valve stem.

Once you install a DullyValve kit you won't have any extenders to mess with and everything will be one solid piece. Plus the rear inner duals come with a rubber stabilizer to help keep the valve stem centered, and solid, for a TPMS sensor...

X2 on the above. IMHO this is the best plan of attack if you do not want to pull the simulators. Expect a much lighter wallet though.

[l.halkias]

Hi, I have a 26’ 2430 GTS. I’ve had two 40’ diesel pushers, so I intentionally downsized to a small class C so I didn’t have to tow a toad.

I suggest you go to to a two a/c unit if possible. With 26’ and a one large slide, I find one 15K unit a little wimpy in real heat.

As for floor plan & length, I suggest narrowing it down to two possibilities and spending a lot of time in each one, thinking about your needs, while simulating taking a shower, etc. Think about your counter space, storage needs (both in and out), etc. Then drive the unit in traffic and on the highway, especially in the hills.

I love my 2430 GTS, but am single with two small dogs. Incidentally, my GTS handles great and is pretty much unaffected by winds and passing semis, so definitely drive before you buy. Good luck.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by Duckogram

X2 on the above. IMHO this is the best plan of attack if you do not want to pull the simulators. Expect a much lighter wallet though.

It isn't that bad... This is around a $200 mod, if you do all 6 wheels, once you pay DuallyValves and a local tire shop to do the install and re-balance. For me it's worth it for the piece of mind as I have had two flats, both inner duals , caused by valve extenders leaking.