Visionary Sofa

[Rudie]

Hello everyone,

Just signed up on the forum, but have been reading it lately to help decide which Forester to purchase upon retirement later this year. Not new to RVing, though. On my third travel trailer in 10 years, the last two units being Forest River products. I have been very satisfied with them.

I have questions for Brian regarding the visionary sofa. The lead up- I took measurements in the Sunseeker 3010, then took measurements in the GTS 2800. (As mentioned, I'm interested in the Foresters, but didn't have any to look at locally so I went to a Sunseeker dealer for the following information). The visionary in the 3010 is approximately 2 inches narrower then the jacknife in the 2800. The visionary's back is 27 inches high, same as the jacknife so it will clear the cupholder shelf mounted under the slide's window. The visionary opens to 72 inches. There is enough floor space in the 2800 to accomodate it.

I emailed Paul Genovese, the sales rep in the east, whom I met at the Atlanta RV show in January. He thought it was a great idea to put the visionary sofa in the 2800/2801 in place of the jacknife, but said the design engineers told him it won't fit. I then called Mr. Genovese to discuss it further. He was very gracious when taking my call and provided me all the information he had. He said it involved more than tape measurements, having to take into account slide dimensions, overhang, floor clearance, government regulations, and so on.

He could not give me technical details not being an engineer and I didn't know what further questions to ask. He did say there was always a possibility that a visionary sofa could somehow be made to fit in the 2800/2801, but he had no way of knowing if or when.

So, my questions, Brian, are what would be the technical limitations of fitting a visionary sofa into the 2800/2801? Would it require considerable modifications to the sofa or slide? Would it be cost prohibitive? Would it adhere to government safety regulations?

I really like the 3010/3011 floorplan for its roominess, but I prefer the 2800/2801 for its more aerodynamic design. A visionary sofa in the 2800/2801 would be perfect for our adult nephew who would travel with us occasionally (the jacknife being too small). Any information will be greatly appreciated and will go a long way in helping me make an informed decision.

[bclemens]

The bulk of it comes down to time. We have several projects working right now and we are limited on time. So when looking for new opportunities, we look at what provide the greatest impact to sales.

Technically speaking the slide on the 2800 is an In-wall slide, the 3010 is a below floor slides. The 2800 overall is narrower than the 3010. So slide height and slide depth is different which means we would need a brand new piece of furniture that (so far) would not be used in any other floor plan.

So the ultimate question is...do we dedicate engineering time and supplier time to redesign a visionary to fit this space and if we did, do we think it would positively impact sales?

At the end of the day, we are still a volume builder. That is what helps us keep our costs down and provide (what I think) is that absolute best value for the dollar. In attempting to create a balance of efficiency with meeting consumer demands we try and reduce the number os sku's and odd parts. For anything we design we would love for it to be usable across multiple floor plans.

So while I would not rule it out I can tell you it is not on our agenda at this time. Now that we have the request, we'll certainly put it on the radar, but our plate is pretty full for the next 6-12 months.

[Rudie]

Thanks for your timely reply, Brian. Your information adds clarification. I have some time to decide on which model I'll utimately purchase. I'll continue my research and schedule some test drives in the coming months.

By the way, in reference to another post, I love the the TV being mounted above the dinette in the GTS.

[bclemens]

Glad to hear it. It's still funny that we move it to where everyone asks for it and then they are taken back how different it is from what they have always seen.

We will continue to look for locations that make sense for optimal viewing instead of "well, that's where we've always put it"