Forest River Class C quality

[Gilm2113]

My wife and I currently have a travel trailer and are seriously considering moving up to the Sunseeker 2650s. We have been unhappy with the quality of our Lance travel trailer and are curious how all of you feel with the overall quality of the Forest River Sunseeker Class C units.
We have looked for reviews on line but have not found much to base a rather large decision on. I would appreciate any thoughts or concerns.
Thanks in advance,
Alan

[GJones]

I'm sure you will get lots of varying answers , but I have a 2014 3010DS and it has been great! Been on several trips and not one single problem. I probably just jinxed myself as we are taking it out again this weekend. Anyway, like anything with this many moving pieces some things are bound to go wrong but I've been very pleased with my unit so far.


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[Kevin & Judy]

We have a 2013 3010DS also, Its been fantastic, There have been a few problems but all have been corrected. Getting ready to head back to Florida and many points in between. Have camped in it aprox 15 times. We love it. Sold our older 2004 Coachman Freedon 25ft, Wanted a bit more room, Miss some things about the old and love things about the new, Did the TT thing for many years and decided the MH was our best option. Good luck with what ever you settle on.

[DocsDad]

We just bought a 2014, 2300. Only about 8 nights in it so far but love it. Ours has the upgraded mattress which I highly recommend. It makes it like home for me and my back. We could live in it, and heck, we just might some day

[Gilm2113]

Thanks GJones, Kevin & Judy. I appreciate the feedback. I understand that each unit is an individual and things can go wrong. Those are not the things that concern me too much. It is the bigger things like the slide outs and overall systems that concern me. You read a lot of people's responses saying it the component manufacturer that is at fault but in my career if something fails frequently it is not spec'd properly, that falls on Forest River.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond. We are excited about the future traveling in our Forest River

[Gilm2113]

Thanks Docs Dad, the unit we are looking at does have the upgraded mattress.

[jst3]

We bought a new 2700DS in May. So far it's been good aside for a few problems that everyone has. All minor so far and we are very happy with the purchase. We've camped out at least a dozen weekends this summer with one more to go and enjoyed every minute.

Time will tell about quality of the major components. I too worry about slides and some of the more expensive stuff failing that I can't fix myself. Hopefully I'm worrying for nothing.

[jgahlhoff]

Well mine is not new it's 31 ft and is great. Have had to tweeeeek a few things but it is really great. Just put theatre seating in to replace the jackknife sofa..very solid and well built. Would buy another!! Love my Sunseeker

[jrwalkerpa1]

I will mostly echo what others have said. We took delivery of our 3010ds in May and have been pleased. A few minor issues (backup camera problems, one window leaked, black tank flush cracked) but all fixed easily.

In reality most of the coach components are about the same across brands. Some better some worse but all average out.

My experience with other brands is limited to a mid 90s gulfstream and several Winnebagos. The older gulfstream had a lot of wood compared to the current models. I like the way our FR used the bonded walls and aluminum frames.

The more recent comparison is to two Winnebago class c models from 2005 and 2010. Very comparable quality. There is only one thing that Winnebago does far better.... That is their manuals which are specific to each model and availability of wiring and plumbing diagrams. Forest river is poor in that area.

In the end we chose forest river over Winnebago because:

1. Similar quality and components
2. Liked the FR floor plans better
3. Better value for the price.

We remain happy with our choice

[Gilm2113]

Jst3, jgajloff, jrwalkerpa1 --

Thank you very much for your feedback, I truly appreciate it. We are leaning toward moving forward based on all the feedback we have received. It is easy to look at all the forums and read all the problems that people have had, you begin to wonder what percentage the Problems are out of the entire population of Forest Rivers sold. Thanks again for taking time to respond to my post.

[funfinder5]

Lots of replies from newer units so far. I'll add that our 2011 3170DS has been GREAT! We have over 28,000 miles on it so far. NO issues at all with power slides, leaks, generator (380+ hrs), nothing really.

We have 3 pre-teen kids that can find weak links in designs and workmanship as fast as they can make a pizza disappear! I have nothing to complain about.

[poorbuthappy]

Best advice is stay away from the internet. Buy want you like and enjoy it. The week I spent waiting to pick up my 2014 2250, made me sick. Reading all the horror stories.... About 15 nights in it over the last two months, no problems worth speaking of.

[howzball]

I know when I was at the RV show this past weekend in Dallas some of the other manufactures didn't have good things to say about Forest River but they were never specific when I pressed them as to why.

I assumed that was just a common practice in the business.

What I don't understand is how can Forest River's quality be any less than any of the other similar brands when you consider they all use the same components inside.

Like other folks on here I've had a few minor issues on our 3170 and believe me, we live hard in it. There's not been a single deal breaker yet though.

[TomG]

We have a 2012 2650. I feel the quality is much better than I expected for the price point. I have added the normal upgrades that are discussed in the Forum; more to tinker with the unit and tailor it to our likes, than because they were absolutely necessary. However, any unit requires constant upkeep. We looked at everything and don't regret our Sunseeker decision at all. Good luck.

[Markiemark]

We just upgraded from a TT, jumping into to the wonderful world of driveable.

This February, we purchased a Sunseeker 2690s.

After much research, the Forest River options won us over:

Fiberglass Roof
Adzel type walls
Fit & Finish
Descent Price point
Company standing behind their product.

We actually bought out of state (availability of the specific floor-plan) & price. Forest river has worked with us with some warranty work (back-up camera, awning adjustment), locally & it all went smoothly. No issues with having to go to selling dealer, just communicated directl with Forest River.

Also, spend a little time here, I have not seen many Forums, where actual REPS for the product, come on here and support customers. It happens here and I think says a lot.

Good luck on your search! So far 7,800 miles and over 50 nites spent in the Sunseeker, NO major issues, and super pleased with the rig.

Markiemark

[Gilm2113]

Thanks Funfinder5, Poorbuthappy, Howzball, & TomG for taking the time to respond to my post. We have decided to go ahead with 2651 Forester which we needed to order but we are looking forward to many happy miles moving forward.
Thanks again.

[Geri]

I'm suprized at all the glowing reports of Forest River quality. We found it to be awful; but that being said, no worse than the other mfgs. We've had 4 RVs over the years, and one common characteristic was, if one were to make a careful inspection, the parts installed by the base chassis maker (Ford etc) is readily apparent and by and large good; that by the RV mfg - a lot less so. Our latest is a class C Sunseeker and we found dozens of little problems; even after a very careful (I thought) inspection at the dealer.

After all of the above, I'd still think that its a worthwhile purchase that you'll have loads of fun with, but would be sure to make a very careful inspection of all parts ov the machine before taking from the dealer.

[Markiemark]

Originally Posted by Geri

I'm suprized at all the glowing reports of Forest River quality. We found it to be awful; but that being said, no worse than the other mfgs. We've had 4 RVs over the years, and one common characteristic was, if one were to make a careful inspection, the parts installed by the base chassis maker (Ford etc) is readily apparent and by and large good; that by the RV mfg - a lot less so. Our latest is a class C Sunseeker and we found dozens of little problems; even after a very careful (I thought) inspection at the dealer.

After all of the above, I'd still think that its a worthwhile purchase that you'll have loads of fun with, but would be sure to make a very careful inspection of all parts ov the machine before taking from the dealer.

Don’t be surprised, it is a Forest River forum; high percent of users here are most likely happy Forest River owners.

Interesting quotes in your post:

“We found it to be awful; but that being said, no worse than the other mfgs.”
The debate & definition of Quality in RV industry goes on & on & on.
Search long enough, you will find some “Quality” issues out there, with most to all brands, some more than others.

"Our latest is a class C Sunseeker and we found dozens of little problems; even after a very careful (I thought) inspection at the dealer.
After all of the above, I'd still think that its a worthwhile purchase."
Would it be a quality purchase, in the RV world?
Little problems in the RV world = high quality, maybe….??

“would be sure to make a very careful inspection of all parts of the machine before taking from the dealer.”
Would add to that, to use and work out the bugs (little problems), within the 1 year warranty period, I have found that Forest River will stand behind their product.
Get to know everything you can on maintenance, up-keep & storage of your unit, it will be the biggest factor of “Quality” & longevity of a RV.

Enjoy and get out there making lasting adventures!

Markiemark

[DXSMac]

I have owned the following Class C SUnseekers:

2180
3120
3170

The 2180 had a great TV nook in the bedroom (which is why I bought it, but that was back in the analog days....).

The 3120 had a HUGE bathroom and a little hallway, which I loved! The shower had a seat in it, which was great when I broke my foot and had to "back into" the shower. But I feel that the floor plan of this model is meant for a solo person. The closet space in the bedroom wasn't conducive for a couple I'm a solo anyway, so not an issue.

The reason I traded to a 3170 is because I wanted the computer desk. The 3170 has way more storage than the 3120. The 3170 has a bathtub (small, but it works)/shower combo. I love the bathtub, but miss the huge bathroom space of the 3120.

[Yorkranchgalnguy]

We just bought a sun seeker 3170 ds 2014 and one of the major reasons is the superior tow capacity. I tow a three horse trailer horse camping. I also love the 3170 floor plan, and have room for grandkids if I want! So far no problems, but had a good service person do the walk through. I think dealer service is the key, so check out your dealer's service. Have fun!