Our first year in the motorhome

[BBogey]

We have 21,000 miles on our 2-year old 2401w and for the most part are very happy. Our “toad” is a 2016 Honda PCX 150, (2-person scooter) that works out very well for us “most” the time) (not always of course)

[vettecrazy]

Originally Posted by ddhansen

Having attained my first-year motorhome ownership, I would like to share my experience and thoughts with our 2018 Sunseeker 2400WS. First, I would like to express my appreciation for the contributors to the Forest River community forums. I have learned a great deal from the community about what to expect and how to deal with motorhome ownership.



Let me start by saying we are completely satisfied with our Sunseeker. I have read of other motorhome owner’s bad experience and was apprehensive about when or where we will have a major breakdown. I have had to deal a few minor first-year bugs that need to be fixed (most of which I took care of myself rather than the dealer) such as sliding drawer latches, USB charging port wall plate that was not secured very well, missing grommet on the stove top grill that created quite a rattle while driving. As I said, a few minor bugs that doesn’t cause regret for our purchase. After using the motorhome for weekend camping trips and one vacation trip from Utah to Washington State we are glad to say we have not had any major issues with our Sunseeker (whew).



Things we like:

1)The full-wall slide provides exceptional living area for the two of us

2)The overall length of 25ft

3)The MBS sprinter ride is quite good although I do not have a reference point since I have only owned one motorhome

4)Gas mileage with the diesel engine is between 13 and 15 mpg

5)Queen bed is great (DW really likes the comfortable bedding)



Things we don’t like:

1)Cargo carrying capacity (CCC) This is the one failing on my part. I had no conception of CCC when shopping for our motorhome. Do I regret our purchase? No, the benefits of the MBS sprinter chassis outweigh the disadvantages. It has taught us to bring only the things we need to be comfortable without duplicating things we bring. I am still learning to downsize cargo.

2)Most of the storage bins are under the slide-out. I am 60+ years old so it is hard for me to duck walk to get things out of the bins with the slide extended. I have since learned to remove the things I need for campground setup before extending the slide.



In summary we are very pleased with our Sunseeker and would not hesitate recommending the same Class C for RV living for 2 people.

We just bought the 2018 2400WS, we had a bigger 34 ft unit but really hated driving it. We are fairly new to RVing but it’s the only way for us with three spoiled small dogs to travel freely. Our thing at first was storage from coming from one that we never filled. I have learned to just have what you can get by with. I was doing pillows for decorating and now they all are removed. I can’t stand living in clutter so I told my husband when we leave with the slide in and things are stacked on the bed, take a those items back into the house. We now live clutter free. We did make the bench into a forever bed/couch, we like to be lazy and lounge, now we can. I as a woman love driving this unit, hated driving the big one, like you my husband has learned to remove all items below before opening the slide.

[vettecrazy]

Originally Posted by BBogey

We have 21,000 miles on our 2-year old 2401w and for the most part are very happy. Our “toad” is a 2016 Honda PCX 150, (2-person scooter) that works out very well for us “most” the time) (not always of course)

Curious, why is it called a “toad”? Is it because we have a “Frog”? This is a serious question!

[stephndudb]

Originally Posted by vettecrazy

Curious, why is it called a “toad”? Is it because we have a “Frog”? This is a serious question!

Because it's "towed".

[Nancyc7]

vettecrazy, that’s Beautiful! We originally thought we would remove the entire thing and have 2 recliners. There are some very nice remodels you can see here in the forum. But those 2 big drawers and the table are invaluable since we live here.

[vettecrazy]

Thank you, my husband removed the metal ring today so I could put wood bins in that spot. We found two that fit that I will store the bedding in for the couch plus they match our wood! We are making it ours now, all the extra storage is so important. As I mentioned we are tall and sleep with three small dogs in a Kingsize bed at home, so I’m in the short queen with two dogs and he is on the couch with one dog, why it was so important to be comfortable. These are the reason we became RVers!!!

[vettecrazy]

Didn’t post the picture!

[Hoglou]

Towed On All Down, Front Rides Off Ground..... Toad no dolly, but acceptable transmission used..

[gerryb723]

Depends on whether the fridge runs off DC also. Check the manual. Our Prism 2200 has a gas/AC fridge so we have to have the gas on while driving to run the fridge.

[ronncda]

We are on our 2nd class c on the sprinter platform. We've been from Fairbanks to Key West, adding about 25000 miles to the clock (2 years) Like you, with few exceptions, the platform is awesome. Yes, the service can be a little expensive but that goes with the turf. Learn to buy your filters online and you will save mucho dinero.
Our first MB was the 154hp 3.0 turbo and we got a consistent 17+ mph, going as high as 21 at 1 point. Current ride is the 188 hp 3.0 turbo and we realistically and consistently get 15 on the hi-side and 13 towing our cargo trailer w/ 2 atvs. In 25,000 miles, we've never towed a car and only rented. Enterprise is awesome in this regard. For those "short" trips to the store, we learned to plan ahead
Yes, cargo can be an issue. As a plane owner, I learned yrs ago that weight is money and safety (at the very least). We are about to head south for the winter ( 12-25) and I'm taking 2 pairs of jeans, 2 shorts, 7 tee-shirts, 2 "dress" shirts, 1 pr of sandals and 1 pr of tennis shoes and my cowboy hat. My darling wife is about the same. We've learned that Walmart is usually right on the way so we plan accordingly
The Sprinter drives great, but like so many others, that snap crackle and pop can be a real pisser. I discarded the Continental tires on both rides for Toyo and upgraded to Koni FSD shocks. At the cost of a little smother ride, I run 70-75 lbs of air in the Toyos. This combination takes away much of the sway you get from passing trucks windstream and the inherent pop that comes with it.
Issues with the box? The rear slide controller took a healthy dump, which I replaced for about $200.00 and 20 minutes of my time. Nothing else of consequence
The biggest negative for us? We love to boondock but for some reason, we find ourselves in RV parks more and more. Possibly an age thing because unlimited hot water and power are always nice
Single best upgrade/splurge? A table top ice maker that will make enough ice for a cocktail while setting up. (usually about 8 minutes)

[oldforester1]

Originally Posted by ddhansen

Having attained my first-year motorhome ownership, I would like to share my experience and thoughts with our 2018 Sunseeker 2400WS. First, I would like to express my appreciation for the contributors to the Forest River community forums. I have learned a great deal from the community about what to expect and how to deal with motorhome ownership.

Let me start by saying we are completely satisfied with our Sunseeker. I have read of other motorhome owner’s bad experience and was apprehensive about when or where we will have a major breakdown. I have had to deal a few minor first-year bugs that need to be fixed (most of which I took care of myself rather than the dealer) such as sliding drawer latches, USB charging port wall plate that was not secured very well, missing grommet on the stove top grill that created quite a rattle while driving. As I said, a few minor bugs that doesn’t cause regret for our purchase. After using the motorhome for weekend camping trips and one vacation trip from Utah to Washington State we are glad to say we have not had any major issues with our Sunseeker (whew).

Things we like:
1) The full-wall slide provides exceptional living area for the two of us
2) The overall length of 25ft
3) The MBS sprinter ride is quite good although I do not have a reference point since I have only owned one motorhome
4) Gas mileage with the diesel engine is between 13 and 15 mpg
5) Queen bed is great (DW really likes the comfortable bedding)

Things we don’t like:
1) Cargo carrying capacity (CCC) This is the one failing on my part. I had no conception of CCC when shopping for our motorhome. Do I regret our purchase? No, the benefits of the MBS sprinter chassis outweigh the disadvantages. It has taught us to bring only the things we need to be comfortable without duplicating things we bring. I am still learning to downsize cargo.
2) Most of the storage bins are under the slide-out. I am 60+ years old so it is hard for me to duck walk to get things out of the bins with the slide extended. I have since learned to remove the things I need for campground setup before extending the slide.

In summary we are very pleased with our Sunseeker and would not hesitate recommending the same Class C for RV living for 2 people.

We have a Coachmen PRISM 2200LE 25' Motorhome on the Sprinter 3500 Chassis. We've used it for a couple of summers and I agree with your pros and cons about it 100%. It does take a little forethought before running the slide out to get what is needed from the storage bays. The more we use it, the better we get at that.

[ENGINEER]

[QUOTE=dmarlo;1986556]Hi to everyone. We r new to RVing as purchased a hardly used 2015 28 ft Sunseeker. Been on a couple shorter trips longest being 10 days. I recently retired so heading to Brownsville for a month. We replaced jackknife couch for recpro recliners (definitely gamechanger). So glad we did. My husband is older so I have to do most of physical work myself. He does the driving, I'm the navigator, trip planner and labor. I have a very stupid question though. Do I have to run generation while driving to have refrigerator on or does it work off batteries? Thank u for

You should have an inverter that provides 120 volts to the frig when you are not plugged into shore power.

[Wolverine 1945]

[QUOTE=ENGINEER;1992387]

Originally Posted by dmarlo

Hi to everyone. We r new to RVing as purchased a hardly used 2015 28 ft Sunseeker. Been on a couple shorter trips longest being 10 days. I recently retired so heading to Brownsville for a month. We replaced jackknife couch for recpro recliners (definitely gamechanger). So glad we did. My husband is older so I have to do most of physical work myself. He does the driving, I'm the navigator, trip planner and labor. I have a very stupid question though. Do I have to run generation while driving to have refrigerator on or does it work off batteries? Thank u for

You should have an inverter that provides 120 volts to the frig when you are not plugged into shore power.

Your fridge should be running off propane while you are on the road !!!

[drkaren55]

My husband and I just completed a 90 day trip back and forth across the US in our 24ft Sunseeker, purchased in March, first time RV owners.
The first leg of the trip we traveled from our home in Philadelphia, PA, across the midwest stopping to visit state parks and friends. It took about 3 weeks to reach Seattle. We then drove south to Santa Monica to visit family.
My husband climbed on his bicycle in the Pacific ocean and we headed east to Jacksonville, him on his bike and me providing back up in the RV. We traveled about 50 miles/day (bike speed), boondocking during the week after determining we could go 6 days without hookups if we were careful. We spent weekends at a campground, cleaning, emptying and refilling tanks, filling extra water bottles and resting.
2500 miles and 51 days after leaving Santa Monica we rode into Jacksonville, FL.
The RV made the trip more fun, a lot easier and less costly. We made a few modifications as we drove. For instance, it was a pain putting up the privacy panels every day. Instead I hung a wool blanket behind the front seats. It provided privacy as well as insulation and was much easier to put up and take down. The storage under the slideout is a pain so we used it for long term storage. I only had to climb under a few times. The hardest thing was having to stow everything every morning. Oh, and the drawer catches breaking!! Any suggestions on the best, longest lasting drawer catches? The slideout had problems retracting but we discovered it just needed graphite lubricant applied more often.
24 ft Mercedes diesel is the perfect size for us. Fits in 1 1/2 parking spaces. Great gas mileage. No engine trouble. We're planning trips for the spring and fall, maybe 1 or 2 this winter.

[oldforester1]

drken55 - About your broken drawer catch. I found a Grabber Catch 10 lb Cabinet Push to Close Latch - RV Boat Hardware on eBay that I used to replace a broken drawer catch in my RV. It works similar to the original, but should be a little stronger than the original 5 lb catch. Haven't had any problems with it after a season's use.

[drkaren55]

Thank you! I'll order a few of them so I have spares.

[brucebollert]

ddhanson:
We have a 2016 2400R with the two slides. Like you we are very happy with the SunSeeker. We are a little ahead of you on ownership. We are 1 1/2 years into the fun. This is our first RV also, after about 3 years of research and looking we pulled the trigger on this model and are very happy.

We had a punch list after the purchase of about 15 different fixes. I understand this is pretty normal, not like buying a car. All the fixes were completed but it takes time and patience.

We have put 14,000 miles on it, driving across Canada (W to E) and return in the USA. What a blast. The rest of the time has been closer to home in Washington and Oregon.

[NoviBill]

Originally Posted by drkaren55

My husband climbed on his bicycle in the Pacific ocean and we headed east to Jacksonville, him on his bike and me providing back up in the RV. We traveled about 50 miles/day (bike speed), boondocking during the week after determining we could go 6 days without hookups if we were careful. We spent weekends at a campground, cleaning, emptying and refilling tanks, filling extra water bottles and resting.
2500 miles and 51 days after leaving Santa Monica we rode into Jacksonville, FL.

I would love to hear more about the biking and how it went, I have been thinking about this for a few years and I am not getting younger (and it won't get any easier).

-Bill

[drkaren55]

Originally Posted by NoviBill

I would love to hear more about the biking and how it went, I have been thinking about this for a few years and I am not getting younger (and it won't get any easier).

-Bill

You can read about the trip on our trip facebook page. It's moderated so you have to request to join. Joe Beech: The Journey Continues.

If you don't use FB, most of the same information is on our website, joebeechjourney.com Since the trip was also a fundraiser you'll see links to the organization's page. Go straight to the blogs to read the posts and see some of the pictures.