Looking to Purchase

[KayleysMom]

Hello,

My husband and I sold our Winnebago Class C at the end of last summer. We had purchased it new in 2001 and are now looking for a replacement. We are interested in a new Forester 2861DS or Sunseeker 2860DS. (I will post this in the Sunseeker threads also). We are located near Ithaca New York and are interested in any opinions people may have on dealers in the area (pro and con), options to consider, and any other information you would care to share. We currently plan to talk to Ballantyne RV in Rochester, Wilkins RV in Bath, The Great Outdoors in Fulton, and RVOne in Buffalo, along with RVW.

We are sure we will have to order the unit because having it on a Chevy chassis is a must.

Any input you could provide would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[sgtlm17]

Just so you know Chevy has stopped supplying chassis temporarily. I have not heard when they will resume.

[HopHed]

We just recently purchased our 2861DS on 11-13-15 and have had 3 short trips so far and love it. No issues other than some minor cosmetic things when we did the walk through. One of the main reasons we got it was due to the outdoor kitchen as we try to spend most time outside when we can. The only drawback is the fridge outside is 110v only so need to have hook ups for it to work but plan to get an inverter and solar panels to help resolve that issue. Another selling point with us is the right side dinette. We would not have it any other way. Kitchen is small with limited counterspace but that has never been an issue with us in the past so we still went with it.
We went with the Forester instead of the Sunseeker due to the upgrades for just a little more. Did not like the running boards on the Sunseeker and the Forester has hidden hinges in the cabinets. As far as options we went with as much as we could adding fully auto levelers and a swivel driver seat.
Cant help you with dealers living in SoCal. Either way, if you like the outdoor kitchen, you won't go wrong with either the Forester or Sunseeker.

[Auntielo1]

I waited and researched two years before buying my Forester/ Solera. Buyer beware. There are many issues with leaking on the new Foresters. I'm constantly finding poor workmanship with my brand new Forester ( barely two months old ). My dealer was horrible (Pan Pacific RV Centers) but Forester is backing up the repairs. That's nice but it's taken a lot of time in the shop as opposed to being out enjoying it. The ONLY good thing is the Mercedes engine and Sprinter chassis is delightful

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by sgtlm17

Just so you know Chevy has stopped supplying chassis temporarily. I have not heard when they will resume.

Probably when they are the lowest bidding supplier to the manufacturer, since that is the way this entire industry operates. Any dependability, suitability, or anything else is a secondary concern from the manufacturers point of view, if its a concern at all. Here's breaking news, they don't really care. Whatever is cheapest that increases the profit margin is what will be offered.

[sgtlm17]

I would tend to agree with that. Chevy stopped supplying to make more Colorado trucks. Supply and demand

[Brian217]

We bought from Wilkins RV in Bath. Bought a 3170 in 2013 and then. 3010 in 2015. We weren't planning on buying a new one 2 years later, but the floor plan worked much better for us in the 3010 and many upgrades from the 3170. No problems with the dealer. They are 4 hours away from us so not easy for warranty issues, but we've had very few.

[n-e-d]

We ordered from RVone Albany after going there(to see their stock units- 2 1/2 hr drive). Best price locally was 7K more than Rvone. Figured it was a good bet even if we had to pay out of pocket for a local RV repair shop for any problems or warranty issues. It worked out for us only issue that I would call a manufacturer defect was a kinked Ride Rite fill line. We have used the savings to load up on all the extras, mods, and expenses for the first year of RVing

[KayleysMom]

Thank you for your responses. We are heading to Wilkins RV tomorrow and I have been in contact with a gentleman by the name of Scott at RVOne.

[Joshua Cavitt]

Unfortunately Chevy has stopped build Cutaway chassis' across the board. No manufacturer will have them to build on.

[KayleysMom]

Thanks for this information Josh. No what we really wanted to hear though. Bummer.

[Joshua Cavitt]

Ford has been in the business for years and does a great job.

[KayleysMom]

Yes, I'm sure, but my husband refuses to purchase anything other than a GM product.

[mtnbronco]

Go with RVOne but make sure you go through the website to get a quote it will save you a lot more compared to going to their storefront.

[KayleysMom]

mtnbronco, thanks for the tip!

[mtnbronco]

Your welcome. Happy shopping!