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Old 02-12-2014, 08:54 AM   #1
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Sunseeker 3170 DS - Looking for reviews, please.

I came across a good deal on a 2014 Sunseeker 3170 DS, Bunk model. It was a rental and has 16K miles on it. Looking for reviews on this model, pros and cons. Has anyone had experience with buying an ex-rental unit from a dealer, he had it since new. Thanks for your input.
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Old 02-12-2014, 02:05 PM   #2
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Sorry about that, 26K miles.
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Old 02-13-2014, 10:34 PM   #3
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26k as in 26,000 miles for a unit model less than a year old?

Not from personal experience but one thing of neglect is the use and washing of the waste tanks. The black tank is easy to check with just a flashlight at the toilet port. The gray tank can be a bit harder to inspect and typically has a smaller tank outlet drain. Everything seems to go in the sink; grease, left over food scraps, parts off the plastic tub toy the kids play with in the tub - you name it.

What about the generator hours? If the hours are way up there it may need some scheduled maintenance.
The only other item I can think of is to inspect the undercarriage for signs of dragging. Check the leveler pads and rear hitch drag bar.

Most of the other stuff would be the obvious.

For this model also inspect around the living room slide on the main sidewall. Some units have experienced a crack in the fiberglass on the bottom right corner (near the water heater).
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Old 02-14-2014, 07:32 AM   #4
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We bought a 2011 3170 that was a rental unit with 28000 miles on it. We have had no problems with it and with the price difference between it and new I feel it is one of the best purchases we have made let the rental dealer work out all the bugs in the first year and i have a low mileage class c for less than half the list price of new.
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Old 02-14-2014, 10:16 AM   #5
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Thanks for the replies. Yes, its a lot of miles for the year of the RV and it showed. I went and looked at it, not good. It was in bad shape inside and out, should have known it was to good to be true. I think buying a rental unit would be fine but it all depends on who has used it and how picky the dealer is about his units/renters...etc...We get all kinds of people renting RV's here in Florida all year around.

On another note, I did notice the crack by the front left slide, lower right corner. I have read numerous post on this forum about it. I believe its a manufacturer defect, support strength? Weak weld/joint? (A lot of weight right there in the middle of the wall (water heater/oven/kitchen/slide). I also wonder if it will happen over time with the "bigger" slide on the back right. This issue alone would be enough for me to NOT buy the RV, even if it was in perfect condition. I wonder what FR is doing to correct this, has there been a recall issued? It seems to be happening on all 3170 DS models. I hope they stand behind their product and also fix the RV's without any warranty left.

It's a shame about the defect/crack because we really like the floor plan and so many other things about the 3170. This forum is awesome, thanks again.!!!
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Old 02-14-2014, 10:44 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cooper12 View Post
On another note, I did notice the crack by the front left slide, lower right corner. I have read numerous post on this forum about it. I believe its a manufacturer defect, support strength? Weak weld/joint? (A lot of weight right there in the middle of the wall (water heater/oven/kitchen/slide). I also wonder if it will happen over time with the "bigger" slide on the back right. This issue alone would be enough for me to NOT buy the RV, even if it was in perfect condition. I wonder what FR is doing to correct this, has there been a recall issued? It seems to be happening on all 3170 DS models. I hope they stand behind their product and also fix the RV's without any warranty left.

It's a shame about the defect/crack because we really like the floor plan and so many other things about the 3170. This forum is awesome, thanks again.!!!
I won't go into details about the side wall crack but FR is aware and has corrected the problem in production. They are also applying the proper fix to claims made post production.
A 3170 or Forester 3171 made today should not have this problem.
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Old 02-14-2014, 12:20 PM   #7
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I am wondering how you know that FR is correcting the problem?. I talked to a dealer and there have been zero recalls, FR is only fixing the units being brought in by customers who notice it (not sure if it has to be under warranty or not). There are many 3170's out there with this crack going unnoticed, which should warrant a recall to ALL owners of the 3170.

Are you assuming they are fixing the problem in new production? Or do you know for a fact.? If they are correcting it, they must know what caused it, so they should definitely issue a recall, much like they do on cars with known defects.

I am not trying to be harsh with anyone or FR, just would like to understand this problem better. We truly love the 3170 and would consider buying one, based on the outcome of this "serious" issue. I appreciate everybody's input on this. Together we can understand things much better...thanks again for this forum.
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Old 02-14-2014, 01:04 PM   #8
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Are you assuming they are fixing the problem in new production? Or do you know for a fact.?
I am not trying to be harsh with anyone or FR, just would like to understand this problem better. We truly love the 3170 and would consider buying one, based on the outcome of this "serious" issue. I appreciate everybody's input on this. Together we can understand things much better...thanks again for this forum.
I know that they discovered the problem and it sort of ran random, not every unit had the same exact build.
Recalls are typically used when there is a safety issue.
I've been told by my FR agent the problem is fixed. A claim (in warranty or out of warranty) is the first step.
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Old 02-14-2014, 05:02 PM   #9
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Well, it could be a potential safety issue if the crack is not addressed with time. A recall is in order if you ask me.

FR will of course tell you its fixed, if they admit it's not, well you know the rest My thoughts are the "randomness" of the issue is that; some units are used more than others and not all have shown signs yet or people have not looked for it. I believe this crack appears over time as the frame starts to move when the slide is operated. Anyway, I certainly hope they are making corrections for future units.
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Old 02-16-2014, 01:28 AM   #10
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I won't go into details about the side wall crack but FR is aware and has corrected the problem in production. They are also applying the proper fix to claims made post production.
A 3170 or Forester 3171 made today should not have this problem.
Kudos to you bgilly, that was well written and exactly correct. No assumptions made, simply passing on what you have been told by Forester River directly with no opinion or wild accusations. I truly appreciate that.

To further add to this. The crack is not a safety issue, simply cosmetic. A weld was to be moved from one side of a member to another and in some cases it looks like the weld may have been missed, allowing more flex than we would like. However, it is a vacuum bond laminated wall (so basically one big piece)...so nothing else is going anywhere.
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Old 02-16-2014, 08:22 AM   #11
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I am not trying to get in an argument here or make "wild accusations" or get "kudos" from anyone, just presenting the facts so we can all discuss the issue as adults with various opinions. This will be my last post on the issue to avoid confrontations.

It is a safety issue, period. There is a crack in the wall, being caused by a weak weld pushing out on the wall and a thin 2" structure will NOT withstand that pressure over time. There should be a recall notice send out to all owners of the 3170. They will probably not look for the crack unless they read this forum or regularly inspect their RV. They deserve to know about it and have it fixed whether in warranty or not. It's the right thing to do and I am sure if you were the customer, it's what you would want.

Glad to hear that it's being fixed in production and FR is recognizing there is/was a problem. I really like 3170 and it offers so many options for such a good price, appears to be a great RV.
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Old 02-16-2014, 10:55 AM   #12
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Who's arguing? I'm simply pointing out that uninformed speculation is being stated as "fact". "It is a safety issue, period". And you know this how?

"FR will of course tell you its fixed, if they admit it's not, well you know the rest" This is wild accusation with no factual support.

In the wall over my stairs, there is a header covered in drywall, in the corner running verticaly there is a crack about 12" long. Am I to assume this is safety issue? Or that the structural material below has settled and the drywall could not flex with it.

Please do not take my comments as condescending. Simply trying to point out that I have responded to your comments with facts and they have been refuted as being wrong based on your perception of the issue.

Please let me point to example A:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ure-51393.html

This was a person who claimed Forest River was "Not only negligent, but grossly so" because we failed to properly secure a structural fiberglass beam. If you read the post you'll clearly see it was simply a molded plastic box out of alignment. Having no true knowledge of the actually construction process, she made assumptions.

If there was a safety issue, we would issue a recall. We have in the past and will in the future for any issue that is a safety concern. Fiberglass is only about 1/8" thick (consider this like drywall), the underlying structure has settled and although fiberglass can flex (in a bending motion) it cannot in a "shear" motion. If you could see the underlying structure you would realize the wall has no where to go. There is a main beam running the length, fastened into the side of the floor. That beam is not moving. It is the vertical beam...and that beam will not move any further because it is filled in solid between the beams.
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Old 02-19-2014, 02:43 PM   #13
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My model is a 2013, I have been checking for the crack and don't see one. But maybe it's there and I don't see it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cooper12 View Post
I am wondering how you know that FR is correcting the problem?. I talked to a dealer and there have been zero recalls, FR is only fixing the units being brought in by customers who notice it (not sure if it has to be under warranty or not). There are many 3170's out there with this crack going unnoticed, which should warrant a recall to ALL owners of the 3170.

Are you assuming they are fixing the problem in new production? Or do you know for a fact.? If they are correcting it, they must know what caused it, so they should definitely issue a recall, much like they do on cars with known defects.

I am not trying to be harsh with anyone or FR, just would like to understand this problem better. We truly love the 3170 and would consider buying one, based on the outcome of this "serious" issue. I appreciate everybody's input on this. Together we can understand things much better...thanks again for this forum.
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