Hello! A few questions, please.

TerapinandBear · 10-19-2010, 07:06 AM

Hi there! We are new to Rving (have had a pop-up since 2005 that has seen us travel a few longer 5000km trips and around Ontario).

We are considering taking the plunge on a 2011 Georgetown 350DS with bunks. We have 3 youngish kids and my mom often travels with us. We were originally considering a bunk model class c but that plan was pretty quashed when we sat in the cockpit and realized that it was a pretty tight fit in the knee area with the configuration on those. We decided to save our pennies and consider upgrading to a class A.

We've been reading so much information on here and it is tremendously helpful!

We test drove a 350 yesterday and wow, wow, wow. How fantastic a unit. We fell in love and had we had a spare 100k lying around we would have been tempted sorely to drive it home yesterday. Luckily, we still have a bit of sense left in us, even after 3 kids, and are still restraining ourselves.

I have two silly questions, but that we need answered before we can figure out our options and offer to the dealer.

When the options list refers to "front mount tv" is that the tv mounted over the driver's head up front, or the one beside the dinette? In other words, which tv is the standard one, and which one is the option? I know the bedroom is an optional tv and *one* of the upfront ones is the optional one, but which one? We don't want to have a tv over our head while driving, but do want the one mounted on the wall by the dinette (we'd actually consider no tvs but they are helpful when the kids are squirrely while driving).

Also, I can't find a picture of the standard barrel chair. I think even the brochure shows only the Euro chair. The euro chair does not have a seatbelt but does the standard barrel chair?

Anyone have the driver's door option? Our dealer says it lets in a lot of road noise and cautioned us against it.

Anyone have the double paned windows? We know perhaps they keep the coach cooler/warmer and help with road noise, but has anyone had any problem with the seals leaking down the road?

On the rig we tested there were no fantastic fans but the standard teeny fan in the bathroom and a wide clear-bladed fan in kitchen. I'm just confirming that the clear-bladed fan was not a Fantastic fan, right? Why not use the bigger fan in the bathroom rather than the dinky 5" fan?

We're used to not having any air conditioner while we camp, but wondering if we should get the second a/c unit in the bedroom? If we are camping in Florida in April, would we really need it? How hot would the back get on a 90 degree day if we only had the main unit going? Is it a difficult/expensive thing to add aftermarket?

We saw the new power sunshades - they look great. It also eliminates the side curtains in favour of side blinds. Nice change and a cleaner look. They are now a forced option in Canada. The convection microwave is also a forced option in Canada. The unit we drove had the new fabric and countertop colour (the fabric was a black and brown geometric print that almost looked abstractly african/animal print - not my taste though I liked the colours) and the countertop was a black with silver-y chips in it. Very nice. With kids we are going for a dark colour scheme with black&tan so the black countertops will look great. The backsplash behind the cooktop has also changed from beveled mirrors to mirror with a design on it - much less likely to look dirty.

We found the side camera helpful and liked that it turned on when you engaged a turn signal. As newbie drivers I can see that as helpful but didn't need it often.

Thanks for responding! I know none of these questions are very interesting but are helpful in us putting together a price.

Terapin

TerapinandBear · 10-19-2010, 07:47 AM

Also, does anyone know if the washer/dryer or washer/dryer prep is an option on the 350? On the 2010 brochure it is only listed for other models, but on the 2011 brochure it doesn't show model beside the option. Thanks!

ronhanson · 10-19-2010, 09:37 AM

A second TV up front was not an option on my 2009 so i don't know where its located, but if the second tv is on the inside wall by the dinette it would be covered when the slide is in and useless while in motion.

The barrel chair does have a seat belt in it.

Get the second AC. A single one will not keep in cool enough when it's in the 90s.

Washer and dryer is not an option on the 350.

TerapinandBear · 10-19-2010, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronhanson

A second TV up front was not an option on my 2009 so i don't know where its located, but if the second tv is on the inside wall by the dinette it would be covered when the slide is in and useless while in motion.

The barrel chair does have a seat belt in it.

Get the second AC. A single one will not keep in cool enough when it's in the 90s.

Washer and dryer is not an option on the 350.

Thank you for your response! Of course the tv on that wall would be hidden during driving - duh!

Too bad the w/d isn't an option - great convenience for this mom, but I suppose there is already a lot crammed in a 350 and there simply isn't the room on a wall without a slide.

ronhanson · 10-19-2010, 11:09 AM

I've banged my head on the overhead TV a few times and it rattles when going down the road. But there is no way I would give it up traveling with kids!

The washer and dryer would be nice but they are so small there is no way you could keep up with a family of 5. You're supposed to be relaxing, not doing laundry!

cfsoistman · 10-19-2010, 11:48 AM

Driver's area - My Photo Gallery
The barrel chair is shown in this picture. It does have a seat belt and is adjustable to turn but that's all.
We have the driver's door. Our unit was built to be like the one we saw at the show. I wouldn't waste my money on one. It's not very easy to get in and the seal allows quite a bit of air to come through when a truck passes by. Thank goodness it doesn't leak when it's raining. We have the washer/dryer prep but no appliances. It's a nice feature if it's only two of you traveling but we use the closet space for hanging clothes etc.

davespataro · 10-19-2010, 02:04 PM

One option I would recommend with 3 kids (we have 3 as well) is the linoleum floor through out, it's a little more but worth it in the long run. We had carpets in our last motorhome and it was a nightmare to keep clean. Also the second A/C unit is a must.

MikeA · 10-19-2010, 08:01 PM

The TV option up front replaces the one on the bathroom wall. You are paying the cost to move the tv. It is not an additional tv. If you do not pay for the option you will still have a TV on the bathroom wall by the dinette.

ronhanson · 10-19-2010, 09:23 PM

That's interesting they changed the position of the standard location. Maybe they get beat up more up there and they got tired of replacing TVs.

MikeA · 10-19-2010, 09:54 PM

We have a 350TS on order and had many of the same questions as you regarding options and such. The posts that the members of this forum made were invaluable in making many of our decisions. The link to this post is

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...-get-8086.html

One of the things that was important to us is the number of seat belts. US regulations prevent the installation of more than 6 belts in this unit. If you request it you can get one more in Canada due to the different regulations. We actually wanted 8 belts and I am trying to figure out a way to make it happen.

I also had questions about the drivers door. Most of the units ship without it and the FR rep did not even have a picture of one. Many of the people who had the door were not enthusiastic about it and felt it difficult to use and perhaps even a safety hazard. In the end I did not order the door.

The opinions I got about double pane windows were almost all positive. I am hoping to take ours on few ski weekends and felt they would make the unit more comfortable and easier to heat especially if we end up north of Quebec city at Le Masif in February.

Apparently the kitchen exhaust fan is a recirculating type (which IMHO is not an exhaust fan) so I would recommend the fantastic fan options.

Best of luck with your choices. This is a new experience for us as well and we are quite excited about it. Keep in mind that my opinions are based on other opinions and not my own experience with the 350TS.

Mike

F and E Damp · 10-20-2010, 01:51 PM

We have a driver's door on the rig in our signature. It is actually placarded as an emergency exit. I find that a bit odd, as you can't unlock the door from inside. I had a nasty experience with that door on our last trip and am still recovering from badly over-extended leg muscles. My doctor said it is still a lot better than quadraplegia or a wooden box. Had I not beat myself up trying to stay on board, I'd have fallen backwards onto my head on a concrete pad.

We have the barrel chair, just ahead of the house door. It moves along a short track across the floor behind the front passenger seat and it swivels. It is fitted with a seat belt. The big snag with ours is that it has cloth upholstery, and the back of the chair is the thing you grab when boarding. Whichever chair you get, see if you can get leather. At 8+ years old, ours looks very grubby.

kvtaylor · 10-20-2010, 03:19 PM

I know most of the items that you had questions about have been answered. Since there are many changes in the Georgetowns since we bought ours in 2008, some i can't comment on. The dual pane windows, a must in cold and hot weather. Two A/cs if you plan on coming south in April. In fact, upgrade the front one to 15000 btu. The washer/dryer is a good option but with the bunks there isn't room. Most campgrounds have clean laundrys. The convection Oven is a good item. We opted on the gas oven too. The new three way camera would be confusing to me. But we have towed for a long time and i use the mirrors. I use the backup camera to watch the car we tow to Florida.
What hasn't been addressed here is the Coach's Frame and manufacture. Because Ford makes it, all of the parts are Ford and thats a plus when being repaired. Ford Truck dealers have all of the parts. You might find that aftermarket items such as stearing stablizers and air bags are needed to steady the coach on a winding road. All of this is discussed on this web page. I think you will enjoy the Georgetown. I know we have....

starburst2 · 10-20-2010, 09:33 PM

I had drivers doors on my last two motorhomes. The first one was a 1991 Southwind on the old Chevy chassis witn19 inch wheels. I found the door quite helpful and convenient. When I bought my next rig, a diesel pusher with larger basement and 22 1/2 inch wheels I insisted on a drivers door based on my previous experience. It was so hard to get in due to the additional height that I very seldom used it. I now have the 2010 Georgetown 350 TS and it does not have a drivers door and I am just as thankful that it does not. They are too hard to crawl into. I would pass on that option.
We have a fantastic fan in the bathroom. those little mickey mouse things may suffice to clear odour but they will not help much with the ventilation and removal of heat from your coach. My wife is irritated by a lot of noise as you get from the air conditioner so the fantastic fan in the bathroom along with the "wannabe fantastic fan" in the living room do a pretty good job of keeping the rig cool. Not like the AC of course but helpful.
I would get the two A/C's. These Carrier A/C's are operated by remote control and can be turned on and off with the timer function built into the remote. This is a nice feature as you can have it come on a half hour before you are due to return home and you come home to a nice cool rig. I believe you can also set it at a specific temperature but I am not certain about this as I have not used the A/C that often. The furnace operates on the same remote.
I only had the rig 5 days before some drunk ran a stop sign with his 3/4 ton pickup and wiped out 20+ feet of the side of our new coach. It is still in the repair shop 2 1/2 months later. Forest river 'dropped the ball" when the parts were ordered and sent somme wrong pieces and omitted some. It's very exasperating.
As others have said, if you have driven for years using mirrors, the side cameras will be overlooked as you will automatically check the mirrors instead. The side mirrors are a help in backing up into parking or camping spaces.
See if you can get FR to terminate the sewer/grey water terminal inside the compartment. Mine, on the 2010, teminates under the comparment and you have to get down on your knees to watch while you try to connect the hose on the fitting which is out of view. They may have changed this in 2011 but it is worth checking to see if you will be happy with this obnoxious arrangement.
Unless you plan on putting in an inverter, I would recommend the Jensen TV in the bedroom. It will operate on 12VDC or 120VAC which is a nice feature when boondocking or dry camping on those overnight stops when you are not connected to all the utilities.
When you order, see if you can get compartment lighting put in. Mine does not have it and it is such a common feature that many people, like me, fail to check that there is lighting in these compartments. It is especially nice to have lights in those comparments where your water, sewer and power hook ups are located to assist when you check in late and it is dark outside.
The Georgetown has a lote of nice standard features and some great options that will enhance your camping enjoyment.
Happy Camping,
Lloyd

TerapinandBear · 10-20-2010, 11:04 PM

Thank you, thank you for all your kind responses and opinions which are all so helpful. Just a quick response tonight to say thanks,

johnnypal · 10-22-2010, 04:35 PM

2nd ac is a must. Dual payne you will be glad you got.Heat strips are A low priced item that will pay for themselves in no time. Skip the side cameras , you cant see much in them anyway. Good luck and welcome aboard you are purchasing A lifestyle that cannot be matched.

JDickson · 11-01-2010, 05:33 PM

About the driver's door, I wouldn't do without one. Frist of all if you ever find yourself is a situation where you might be going over a clif, no need for everyone to go...just kidding...I don't use it to get in and out of the rv, but it sure comes in handy if you have to get to the fuses under your dash...they are a long way back and hard to get to without that door.As for the washer and dryer, imho a big waste of money.
I also don't think seat belts do a very good job in a motorhome, they are there for false security for the most part, ( Think, how many on your Public Bus service?) the whole motorhome is wood, fiberglass and not much else. Driving one is like playing Russian roulette every time you go out. I know so why do I do it, because life itself is a big game of Russian Roulette.
Jusy my 2 cents worth, nothing else...

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