2010 lexington motorhome to buy or not to buy

[brawnson1101]

HELP, we are considering buying a 2010 Lexington by forest river 283. In your opinion are these quality motorhomes? Do they have a lot of problems? Thank you so much!

[00buck]

I have a 2007 Lexington 235 and have found it to be pretty well made. A few years ago I was looking at new units. I found cabinets falling apart and lots of poor craftsmanship. It scared me away, but in retrospect I think they are no worse than any other unit and better than some (Winnebago comes to mind). Quality control isn't what it should be in any RV company.


I think you just need to spend a few hours going over it and checking things very carefully. Whatever you buy, you will have problems. It's part of the deal. My last Motorhome was a Coach House. It had problems too.


Good Luck.

[brawnson1101]

ok, will do. thanks for the info!

[olygene]

I personally think that Lexington produces a pretty good quality MH. However, before I bought several years ago, I went to various dealerships and looked at other brands and models (and compared prices) before selecting a Lexi. You are going to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a RV so a few hours spent at different dealerships and craigslist sellers might be time well spent.

[Steve DCW]

We bought a used 2004 FR Lexington 255 RDS last August. We soon found a number of issues that cannot be laid at the foot of FR, but rather at the feet of the previous owner, who did not, it seems, understand the importance of maintenance - especially roof maintenance!
However, since I made the necessary repairs, we have become very happy with our purchase. I replaced the standard sofa with a dinette, added a 120v outlet behind the stove, made a six-inch bed/mattress extension (I'm 6' 3"), converted the over-cab area to a bookcase (we're both scholars), and made a few other modifications.
Bottom line, we think FR did a good job on our Lexington, and expect (anticipate? Hope?) that FR have made improvements to the product over the ensuing years.
After some months of reading Forest River Forums, may I make a couple of suggestions?
First, make sure everything works at delivery. Operate the slide(s) four or five times (at intervals, during the rest of the inspection), and have vendor show you (not tell you) how to operate the slides when there is no power to the motor; check lights, A/C, shore power, generator, stove, micro, TV's and remotes (including incoming cable serviced), Satellite (if installed), water pump, verify all tank capacities and status lights, check tire pressures, sound systems, leveling systems (all jacks, up and down at least a couple of times), heating systems, vent fan operation, alarms (carbon monoxide, fire), have the vendor turn on the fridge before delivery and ensure it runs cold, ditto the hw heater. Turn off power to the fridge and water heater and ensure they convert to propane (if so equipped - and you want it so equipped!). Turn on all faucets and shower head(s) and ensure water flow. Flush the toilet. Ensure drawer and closet door latching systems work. Check camper batteries and battery supply. Check tire pressures. Have vendor show you the location of all spec labels (tire pressures, loading capacities, towing capacities etc.) Locate propane tank. Don't allow yourself to be rushed at delivery. Take your time, take notes, ask for demonstrations of things you don't quite understand, push, pull, twist and operate all possible functions and satisfy yourself that you've "got" it!
Second, once you have taken delivery of your unit, take care of it! Just like a regular house, the roof is very important. Check for leaks and re-seal/ re-caulk as necessary, using appropriate roof repair materials (i.e., those designed for your particular RV's roof). Follow manufacturer instructions for slide maintenance. Flush water and waste tanks regularly. Service the generator (if equipped) according the the recommended schedule. Same goes for the chassis unit and engine.
Wash and polish the exterior and keep it looking nice. And, properly prepare the unit for winter storage! If the unit doesn't come with slide toppers, get them installed - they're well worth the money, especially if you frequently camp under trees.
Your unit will [I]never[I] increase in value, but with attention to detail, you can increase its retained value and have a handsome unit for many years to come.
Happy camping!

[dougpatz]

We have had a 2011 283 for two years, and so far, it is fine. We went from a fifth wheel down to this, so (lack of) storage space was the biggest adjustment. We installed air bags, and it made a huge difference in handling. We tow a Ford Edge. While not top of the line quality, everything works fine and seems to hold up to the bumps and bruises of being a mobile house. After you have camped a few times, you will find something that you would like to modify. Use this forum to research mods and learn from other's "experiences." I read somewhere that if you find an RV that has been kept inside (year round) - buy it. That's a pretty good indication of the care previous owner gave. Steve DCW's advice pretty much sums it up, too.
Overall, we're happy campers in our Lexi.

[Lex3000]

In March 2013 my wife and I bought a 2009 Lexington 300SS with 9k miles that had been traded to a dealer. We were the greenest of rookies. In May of 2013 we got up from the settlement table after selling our home of 30 years and went back to the Lex in which we have lived on the road as fulltimers for the past 2+ years. We love our Lexington and have been very fortunate with it. I think Steve DCW's post above just about says it all even if it sounds overwhelming. I would only add a few things. Ask to see all of the manuals.

Some things won't be working. Find out what they are before you buy. (We didn't.) Decide how important they are to you and tender your offer accordingly.

The CD player in our cab radio has never worked.

If your unit has a King Dome satellite dish--I'm sorry. A half dozen techs have never been able to get ours to work. Take off $1000 and get a TailGater or the like.

But you can put the antenna up and check to see that the converter that powers the TV (under the passenger seat) is working and that the TV is able to receive broadcast signals.

If your unit has a Concert Crap sound system, again--I'm sorry. But be advised it is not as simple as removing it and pulling out jacks in the back and plugging them into a new system. The wiring system behind the unit is the worst rat's nest of wires I have ever seen on a piece of electronics. Again, that turned out not to be very important to us as we bluetooth music from our iPhones to small, movable, wireless JBL speakers. But if I'd known.....

IF your tank gauges work bless the previous owner. My grey and black gauges work sometimes and sometimes not depending on how thoroughly I flushed them. We have never found it to be a big deal. The black tank, which I keep closed all the time, lets us know with a belch when it needs emptying.

OTOH, the battery charge level lights are important. Make sure the unit is not on shore power when you check these lights.

I absolutely love the 1/2 Time convection/microwave oven with 3 burner gas cooktop. Of course the many pronged connector supplying power to the oven vibrated loose within a couple of weeks. No big deal. Dielectric grease and a piece of tape to secure the male and female ends and all has been well for two years now. Oh, and the electric ignition for the burners went out. We now use a little butane charcoal grill lighter. I'll probably fix them the day before we sell our Lex.

I have replaced easily a dozen door and drawer latches with better, stronger ones.

But our Lexington has been a reliable, dry and warm, snug and cozy home to us for more than two years now as we have traveled from Canada to Florida and west as far as the Mississippi. I wish I'd known about the things that didn't work when I bought it. I would have offered less. (I wouldn't trust the RV people to put a bandaid on a paper cut. For everything they fixed they would break something else.) I expect things to wear out and/or break. Whenever possible I fix things myself though I am hardly mechanically inclined. But with the manuals, YouTube, experts in the parks and resorts and the forums my wife and I, both almost 70, have stayed on top of things.

One last thing. If you have zero expectations of RV dealer service departments you won't be disappointed.

[brawnson1101]

WOW! You people on here are awesome! Thank you ever so much for all of the great advice! We will be picking up our unit this Friday. I am going to print out all of your great instructions and suggestions to take with us when we pick up the RV from the dealership. I'm going to have my husband go through each item you've mentioned above before we take possession of it. Once again, thank you all for your input. Hope to see you out there in the wonderful world of RV'ing

[Lex3000]

The first link below takes you to the brochure for the Lex 2012. There are a few significant construction differences between the different models of the same unit. According to the brochure for 2012 my 2009 300SS might have a rubber roof while the 300SS GTS has a fiberglass roof. I am still confused!

The second link is a simple list of all the post on the Lexington forum-a great quick and efficient resource.

Best of luck.
http://forestriverinc.com/brochures/...2lexposter.pdf
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