Feedback on a Georgetown 378XL

[Chuck Allan]

We are going to purchase a new Georgetown 378XL in the near future. We are not Full Timers and will camp locally or in nearby states. Only an occasional long trip. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this unit or any Georgetown unit for that matter? What would you recommend for a toad for this unit? Any feedback is welcomed concerning any Georgetown unit. Pro or Con.

[borba]

Hi we have a 2015 378xl its 1 year and 6 months old very happy with this thing very minor issues fix them my self cant deal with bad dealers love the motorhome
frank

[Iggy]

Is it a 2016 with the 6 speed Ford transmission?


We have a 2012 378TS and my wife and I use it more each year.
I have over 42,000 miles and bought it new.

The good is that you will have more living space than most with the 2 living room slides. For 2 people the bathroom and bedroom is good but not great. Only wish I had a king size bed.

Now some of the mods I did was to remove the glass bedroom door as it just got in the way. You still have the toilet closet door open to separate the bathroom from the living area.
Hopefully you are getting the XL version of the Georgetown. It comes with many nice extra features that the standard Georgetown doesn't have.

Being taller rig 12' 6" you have to climb the 5 steps up but the XL gives you extra headroom inside and also more storage height below.

I tow a small Fiat 500 5 speed but many pull Jeeps and such without any issues. Max hitch weight is 5,000 lbs fully loaded so watch it.

Enjoy it and have fun.

[Mickeystamper]

We have a 2013 378TS and overall we enjoy it. We have had numerous issues and the purchasing dealer was pathetic. So that made things harder to get repaired. One issue was the main heater would shut down and the thermostat would have to cycle off then back on. The fix was to add a third heater outlet. The heat could not get out of the furnace, so it would get too hot in the furnace and the safety would shut it down.
The main and right slide outs, under on the
edges were getting damaged from riding in and out on the guides. The fix was to install plastic strips for the slide out to ride on. After the fix one of the plastic strips broke and hung up the slide. I took it to the factory to get fixed the 2nd time. I also took the unit to the factory for new kwicky steps. We also had numerous other problems, but most were small issues. A good dealer is a must for good service. I think all motorhomes will have some issues. We enhanced the drivability, for my comfort in driving. So now we are happy with the unit.

[BillMFl]

Any of the larger Georgetowns are a good value for the money. One thing you should check before buying is climb up on the roof and check for cracks in the fiberglass, large wrinkles in the fiberglass, and gaps in the sealant at both corners of both the front and rear caps. Almost nobody checks their roof until they discover a leak which plenty have. Also check out and operate every system and device before your acceptance is final, including a test drive. There are MANY systems and some are confusing for a new owner even if you have owned other RVs. I have a 360 model which has a king bed and a double sink vanity in the full bath that my wife wanted. I of course get the half bath. You can have the queen bed replaced with a king but I think the change is over one thousand and the mattress is jambed against the slideout walls which makes it difficult to change bedding. We are soon leaving on our 5th season and our main issues were a roof leak and crumbling upholstery which I think is no longer used in new coaches. Our coach is a few inches longer than the 378 and drives very nicely with zero mods required. Others have made quite a few mods to their handling/suspensions that you can read about on here. Also have your front end alignment checked right away. Many coaches are out of alignment either from the Ford factory or from the construction process at Forest River. Mine was perfect but others had really coaches that were way off. Not a big deal but you will have poor tire wear if it is off and tires are very pricy to replace.

[wrapperman]

We too have the XL 378. Alignment was a must on our coach. Drives much better. No other chassis mod. Several upgrades on the inside though. Like home theater system, central vac and lights in all the cabinets, outside lights under the body, a few extra fold up cup holders and a rearview camera so we can see all of the toad. Just made it a nicer coach. We also had the dealer install a combo washer dryer. The unit really had everything we needed.
The only big issue we had was under the slide-outs were wearing through the wood. Dealer never fixed them right so we are going to the Forest River Rally this August to have them fix it properly.
We tow a Honda CR-V and you really don't know it's back there.
You'll love the coach.

[Chuck Allan]

Thank you all for such helpful information . I have been looking at this unit for about three maybe four years and your feedback is confirming that this is the unit that we want to purchase in the near future - thank you again for taking time to reply to our inquiry - as a new camping season begins we hope that you have many wonderful experiences in the great outdoors! RVing is incredible!

[daddio]

I have a 2012 378 and every year we go to the rv shows. For 4 years we haven't found one we like better, except of course the ones north of 300,000. For the money there's nothing better!! Hope you get one, good luck

[Chuck Allan]

Thank you again for your input. What dealer would you purchase a Georgetown from?

[Chuck Allan]

Thank u!

[daddio]

Get good referrals. Bad dealer will be a nitemare make sure they have very good mechanics.

[Mickeystamper]

Originally Posted by daddio

I have a 2012 378 and every year we go to the rv shows. For 4 years we haven't found one we like better, except of course the ones north of 300,000. For the money there's nothing better!! Hope you get one, good luck

Daddio, I also look at other motorhomes,and you are correct. IMO the floor plan, layout, and quality just can not be beat for the money. We have had 3 5th wheels over the years, and each one was a learning curve. The 378TS is the result of all the likes and dislikes of those 5th wheels. For the wife and I it fits our needs and wants very well.

[wrapperman]

Don't let distance stop you from buying out of state.
Finding a good dealer is hard to do.
We are from Texas and found ours in Grand Rapids Michigan. Still saved mega bucks including flying there and driving it back. Our local dealer's motto was "we treat everyone one the same whether they buy it from us or not". So they serviced the unit on things that needed them.
Forest River will even let most RV service centers do warranty work.
We bought ours on EBay.

[Mickeystamper]

Stay away from Chelsea, mi.
Wish we had gone to Grand Rapids, Mi. All the service we got over the years in Chelsea was good until we got the 378.

[fbconsults]

Originally Posted by Chuck Allan

We are going to purchase a new Georgetown 378XL in the near future. We are not Full Timers and will camp locally or in nearby states. Only an occasional long trip. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this unit or any Georgetown unit for that matter? What would you recommend for a toad for this unit? Any feedback is welcomed concerning any Georgetown unit. Pro or Con.

I am going to x2 on Iggy's post. He may be the most knowledgeable guy on this forum about the 378. Along with others, we have had problems which are common with all motorhomes, and I have had six. I purchased mine at Mike Thompson RV in Colton, CA, and are generally very pleased with the sale and service. I flat tow a 2011 Ford Escape, and love it. I also have looked at many RVS and cannot find one I like better without paying a lot more for it.

Happy Trails, Forrest

[Darrens02]

I must agree with everything that has been said. We bought ours on vacation, and then drove it up to Alaska. So far "knock on wood" we have been fairy trouble free. I am adding solar panels this weekend to help with the residential fridge. I was impressed with the power that the motor has, I don't really get into too much of a hurry. Enjoy!

[AquaMan]

Chuck, sent you a PM


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[LindaFrank]

We have a 2014 377XL, and we'll be needing new tires on the front in the near future with less than 8000 miles. My dealer is trying to get Forest River to pay for the alignment at least, because I mentioned this to our dealer after our first trip, but it was never done.
Check the forum discussions about needing an alignment. It seems that Ford doesn't do an alignment because they don't know what the final motorhome will be. This is not a normal warranty issue, but many owners mentioned that Forest River would pay for an alignment within the first 90 days.

We're going fulltime once we sell the house, and may get a 5th wheel some day, but we love our Georgetown and plan to keep it for a few more years at least.

Frank

[ramair]

We have a 2012 378XL and love it, yes we have had some minor issues, but nothing big. The floor plan and layout are great and agree with everyone here a good dealer will make you RV experience great or can be night mares. If you have questions just ask and you will probably get the answer on this site before the dealer calls you back. FR is a great company to be with and I would definitely buy another product.

[Gohawks]

Can the dealer fix an alignment issue or does it have to go to the ford dealership?