Buying a 320DS...Advise?

[nuttmegg]

We are considering buying a Georgetown 320DS.....any thoughts/suggestions?

[cfsoistman]

to the Forums. I can't speak about the exact model you're asking about but will tell you the Georgetown line is a great deal. There's more for your dollar investment than any other manufacturer out there. Yes there will be an issue or two along the way, but the same holds true about much more expensive coaches. We've had ours since November 2006 and have really enjoyed it. Wish you all the best in making your decision.

[jsutherl]

I would say that a Forest River Georgetown is a great deal if you're a good do-it-youselfer. It's a fixer-uper. Even if you buy it new it'll be a bit of a fixer-uper.

The warrente isn't good for much since you loose weeks or even months with the coach at the dealership or even at the factory sometimes.

On the other hand most of the problems are minor and can be solved on the fly with a decent tool kit and some know how.

If you're the kind of person that can fix a leaking faucet, rehang a broken shelf and rewire a 12v radio then you won't find a better deal. If you're the kind of person that prefers to have things done for you then you'd be better off spending more money (maybe a lot more) and getting a coach made with better fit and finish.

Just my $0.02 and only based on what I read here (second hand) and the one and only Georgetown I've ever owned or worked on.

[F and E Damp]

We have an '02 325 that we bought from the original owner last year. So far, we're fairly happy with it. The major problem has been a water leak through the living room slide-out ceiling. Can't really blame FR for it, as the previous owner had it parked outside with the slides deployed. The LR slide was facing south and got a fair amount of sun exposure (Yeah, in Western Washington!)

What we thought was minor delamination on the front edge of the slide topper turned out to be that the whole thing was rotted out. Rain got onto the slide roof and came into the overhead cabinets through a dodgy bulb seal when we closed the slides for the winter. Paper napkins in the cabinet soaked it up and we didn't notice we had a leak.

At the start of this season, the moldy smell was overpowering. One shakedown cruise (2 nights) and we went home. Cabinets now junked, new ones under contruction.

What surprised me, when I tore it all down, was the way it appeared to have been built. It looks like the cabinets were built inside the rig from indivdual pieces. Also, despite there being square steel tubes runnng both longitudinally and transversely through the ceiling, the cabinets were screwed into the 1/8th inch lauan plywood that was glued to the styrofoam block insulation.

When I started removing the cabinets, there were only abour 4 of the 25 or so 3/8" screws that were supposed to hold the cabinets up still in decent wood. All the others had rotted out. We're lucky the whole thing didn't come crashing down.

Needless to say, the new cabinets will be much better engineered, constructed and attached.

Other than that, we're happy with the floorplan and the overall performance (V-10). Gas mileage runs around 7.8 mpg, which is a lot better than the 6 or so we got with our 1985 26' Class C. Sure it rides like the 11-ton truck it really is, but we can live with that for 5000 miles a year in exchange for being able to enjoy the lifestyle. I can't see investing another 3 or 4 grand for suspension mods, high-tech shocks, steering dampers, etc. I got other things planned for that money (maybe a toad and trips to Zion NP, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, etc.)

[tncruiser]

no issues with my gtown
brianj

[10Isola]

We just purchased a 3200 DS at the end of May. So far it has been the right model for us. Great floor plan, and the bunks work out great for our two young ones. It's our first motor home, and a great model to start out with. We have had no major issues on our 5 trips to date. It's probably a little weak on the overall quality, but for the price I've found it to be a great deal. It might not be the best MH if you will be doing a lot of miles. Most of our trips will be relatively short - Northeast/Mid Atlantic. I've noticed not many 320 owners on this forum, and I've found it tuff to get feedback from others. Feel free to contact me directly if you have specific questions.

[2Susan]

We have had ours for a year now. We have had some issues - and I encourage you to thoroughly check through your unit and address any problems promptly. We have made several long trips - most recently from Alberta Canada to Cape Cod. Last year we traveled from Alberta to Disneyland. The unit handles well on the road and handles wind better than I expected. We have 3 children and perhaps we'd have been better getting a Lexington (same floorplan - but with another bed over the cab). The options we do have (self leveling jacks, bigger generator, dual pane windows, artic pack were good choices. If a second air conditioner is available, get it. I regret having a shower and not also a tub (which is sort of a mini-tub) for the children. The Lexington with bunks has a tub shower. Ours has vinyl with carpet only near the driver/copilot. Carpet anywhere else with children would have been dumb. We have had several issues - all except most recent fixed at dealer - but with some delays. Our automatic awning refused to work - motor was replaced. Our door/screen were installed crooked - were replaced. Most recent problem was wire nut coming apart where generator connects to coach. We haven't contacted dealer yet as we had it fixed on the road. Mileage has varied with speed, wind, and road conditions - we're in the mountains. This is a good motor and I don't encounter much slowing on long steep hills. There is tons of storage space on this particular model which means we can bring all sorts of stuff (too much?) and easily access the stuff you do bring. We carry 5 bicycles (7 on the trip to Cape Cod - 3 inside storage 4 outside). You don't mention your family - how many. Besides driver/co-pilot there are only two seatbelts at the dinette and two on the couch. These belts don't adust and stay adjusted well (we use 3 carseats). Does this help? Did you have any specific questions or concerns? What options come with the particular unit you are considering? We have the dual pane windows (which yes make a considerable difference) the artic pack - (yes we camp when it's freezing) - the larger generator (yes we can run the microwave and the air conditioning at the same time). What options do I wish we had? Our water heater is gas only. Having a gas and/or electric model would mean we could save propane when connected to shore power. We replaced the shower head with an oxygenics model and yes it feels stronger / better. Does any of this help?

[F and E Damp]

We have the old (02) version of the Arctic Pack and I am amazed that anyone would have designed it like that. The heater pads are attached to the outside of the tanks (just the black and grey). The thermostats, according to the documentation, switch on at 40F and off again at 65F.

With all the contaminants in the water, I have a hard time believing it will freeze until down around 28 or so. Who needs all the black tank contents heating up to 65? Also, they're 12V DC and pull about 5A each, so they're certainly not for boondockers.

The only issue we've got (other than the water leak I mentioned earrlier) is with the bottom seal on the bedroom slide. The blade seal has dragged enough to turn it down for about 8 inches, so when the slide is out, there's room for critters to get in and it's draughty in the windy weather. Aerospace 303 to the rescue shortly. The sseal attachment to the sill needs sticking back down, as does the bottom 5" or so of the bul seal on the inner wall thst seals the vertical edge when the slide is out.

It looks like surface prep for the various "stick-um" applications was not very well done during manufacture. I suspect the water leak at the LR slide-out ceiling was caused by a similar problem. If you buy, I'd recommend regular applications of 303 to the sliding surfaces and keep an eye on the bulb seals.

[2Susan]

Originally Posted by F and E Damp

We have the old (02) version of the Arctic Pack and I am amazed that anyone would have designed it like that. The heater pads are attached to the outside of the tanks (just the black and grey). The thermostats, according to the documentation, switch on at 40F and off again at 65F.

That's weird. Our artic pack documentation says they turn on when the switch is in the on position and the temperature drops to 40 degrees. They turn off when it's warmer than 40 degrees - you don't need to keep anything from freezing above that.

You might want to check (multimeter) and see if they are actually heating between 40 and 65 degrees which doesn't make a lick of sense.