Question about ordering.

[Six Pack]

Can any of the factory reps or anyone else tell me what is the earliest time of the year to order a Sunseeker to be assured of getting a 2014? I've also been trying to find out the difference in base price between a Sunseeker and a Forrester,anyone have any idea? Thanks in advance for any information.

[ATVer]

You can find base and option prices at RV direct for the Sunseeker. Not sure where you can find Forester info.

RV Direct® - Nothing Beats Direct Pricing | Shop and Buy RV's Online

[Six Pack]

Thanks ATVer, I've been in contact with RV Direct in the past,I was hoping bclemens would be able to help me out.I think it's great to have his input on this site,he's helped quite a few people and I think it says a lot about Forest River.

[ATVer]

Brian C is the factory rep for the north west area, last I knew, and supports this forum on his own, it's not part of his assigned duties. He's really appreciated and I hope Forest River will sometime officially authorize him to support this forum.

[paulmlac]

I was assuming all of the FR participants on the forum did so "on their own". Is that not true? Regardless I am incredibly impressed and thankful that they are SO helpful.

[MKM]

I can tell you this year we ordered our Sunseeker the second week of July and it was the the start of the 2013 models. We were also looking at Foresters originally but did not find a wholesale dealer. That being said, we are very happy with our Sunseeker. There are not that many differences between the two.

[jamiller45]

Yes Paul, you are correct. Any and all of us FR employees on here are here on our own accord.

[bclemens]

Six Pack,

MSRP difference will vary between floor plans, but the Forester is around $3500.

As for 2014, that should start hitting dealers around June.

My boss does know that I am on the forum and is fine with it and encourages it. I have sent him links to the site when there are helpful topics or product suggestions that I think are good.

[Terier]

Originally Posted by jamiller45

Yes Paul, you are correct. Any and all of us FR employees on here are here on our own accord.

I'm impressed by the number of FR employees here on this forum. I personally find it helpful to get answers or feedback from a FR representative while also providing you guys a glimpse into the world of a FR owner, the good and the not so good.

[Chas69]

My wife and I took delivery of a 2013 DS 3010 this year and we really like it. We live 3 miles from Hershey so of course we always go to the show, The dealer that we purchased our unit from had a Forrester on display and it seems to me that the main difference is that the Forrester had the soft touch ceiling and recessed lighting and a few other minor upgrades, but other then that the 2 units seemed very similar.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Terier

I'm impressed by the number of FR employees here on this forum. I personally find it helpful to get answers or feedback from a FR representative while also providing you guys a glimpse into the world of a FR owner, the good and the not so good.

Agreed - pretty amazing and awesome and huge kudos to these folks. I'd gladly raise a glass (or send a glass, if it were possible).

[Six Pack]

jamiller45 and bclemens,your input and information on this site is much appreciated,especially to a rookie like me.I also would like to thank all the other folks that have posted,I've learned a lot.

[bclemens]

I'd gladly drink a glass if it were possible.

[Joseph Carozzoni]

The LE floor plan suits us fine. However, MPG is a major concern of ours. Is the LE based on the F350 or F450 Ford chassis? Is there an engine option? The Ford Commercial Truck site states both the 5.4L V8 and 6.8L V10 are available. Can the LE be ordered with either? Lastly, the LE UVW is about 9,500 - any experiences with MPG taking it easy (i.e. 55-60MPH). Thanks in advanced.

[bclemens]

2250/51 LE is either on the E350 (V10) or 4500 Series Chevy (V8) No other options, we have to forecast months in advance for chassis and its not practical to buy them in multiple version cause you'll never have what you need.

[ATVer]

Originally Posted by Joseph Carozzoni

The LE floor plan suits us fine. However, MPG is a major concern of ours. Is the LE based on the F350 or F450 Ford chassis? Is there an engine option? The Ford Commercial Truck site states both the 5.4L V8 and 6.8L V10 are available. Can the LE be ordered with either? Lastly, the LE UVW is about 9,500 - any experiences with MPG taking it easy (i.e. 55-60MPH). Thanks in advanced.

If MPG is a major concern for you, maybe you should consider a Solera 24R. I have a 3120 and can get at best about 10mpg if I'm careful. I would expect the smaller 2250 would maybe get 12. From what I have read the Chevy V8 is a little better than the Ford v10. You will likely be in the upper teens with a Solera. However you will have to weight the benefits against the extra cost to buy the unit and the hassle of a diesel.

[Joseph Carozzoni]

bclemens and ATVer, thanks for the reply. We've been settled on the Solera 24R since bclemens posted the first look back in Aug/Sep. However, we saw a post that the "paper limit" for tow is 4,200. Our package is going to be 4,400 (we pull a race car occassionally). The only reason we began to question the Solera 24R is we'd be over the tow limit, and the Ford V10 has a lot of towing and cargo overhead. We'd be pulling the race car only about 6-7 times per year on trips no greater than 100 miles one way. And the trips would all be over-night only. If we pack light, we could still be under the GCVW. And we'd keep the speed between 55-60MPH. Is this possible?

Note: On other trips without the race car, it would be longer, week-long trips where MPG is of a concern (possibly 1000 miles). In that case the tow would be a 2,500 Ford Fiesta, well under the limit.

There are some companies out there stating the shorter, lighter E350 (V10) can achieve 11-12MPG. The UVW of 2250/1 LE are almost exactly what the Solera are (9,500-600). Thoughts on 11-12MPG?

Thanks in advance. Either way, there'll be a Forest River Class C in the driveway this spring!

[RvBill3]

I consistently get 10-11 mpg with the 2300 Chevy. 55-60 mph and no toad. Chevy seems by most accounts to be just a little better in mpg than the Ford. I doubt if either could get 12+ mpg.

When you consider the higher purchase price of a diesel, it takes a lot of miles at the slightly better mpg to get your payback. Pick the floor plan, cargo and towing capacity you need and go for it.

[RamblerGuy]

We have a Sunseeker 3100 on the Ford E450 V-10 chassis. We always tow a Nissan Pathfinder, which weighs about 4000 pounds. I keep the speed at 55 mph when traffic allows and 60 mph on interstates. We almost always get between 7.5 and 8.5 mpg. The only times we calculated above 9 mpg I suspected we didn't get the tank full. We averaged less than 7.5 mpg on a trip when I ran 65 mph a lot because of heavy fast traffic.
A friend with a 3071 was getting about 1 mpg better but never towed anything. From his experience and the difference in acceleration during short drives without towing I think towing our car takes enough additional power to lower the mileage by about 1 mpg.

[ATVer]

I think RvBill3 makes some good points. The performance of the Rv while towing and climbing hills will be quite different since the weights are about the same and the diesel Solera is about 180hp and the V10 is over 300. Occasional towing of the race car and not pulling a toad on the long trips might favor the Solera. The benefit of a Solera IMO is it is small enough to easily go anywhere with good fuel mileage so bringing a car along may not offer much benefit. If you are set on always pulling a toad then I would go for the Sunseeker.