Sport Series Mods
Newby Here!
While we love our new Sport 186, there were a few shortcomings . . . and we found ways to overcome them.
When ordering our rig, we ask about all the options.
One that we missed was the double step entry. It was only another $50.
The replacement is $148. Consider it a must have.
Day/Night shades were listed and we ordered them. While they are great for controlling the sunlight and privacy, they don't breathe at all. You'll have to raise them for fresh air.
We looked at both the wood grain and white cabinets. The white cabinets costs extra and were showing wear on the in-stock models. Glad we ordered the wood grain.
There are two drawers and both are very short. The upper one is limited by plumbing. There is no excuse for the lower one being short . . . other than it's easier to make them all alike. Home Depot has similar drawer slides for making a longer one, but it's a pain that Forest River could have save us.
The cabinets are a disappointment. There is one door above the sink on a 29" wide cabinet. There are only 2 doors above the dinette on a 6 foot long cabinet.
There is also significant storage under the dinette, but you have to pull up 4 cushions and the plywood to get to them.
All of this is curable with stock doors special ordered from the dealer, but if you don't have some carpentry skills, you'll be stuck with frustrating storage.
The interesting part is that the doors are cheap at about $21 each. Why couldn't they just install them in the first place, or at least offer them as an option?
The 24" Neo shower is a joke. The shower curtain is even worse. The track is longer than the curtain and they installed the track with a tight 90 degree turn that hangs up the curtain. The shape of the track also pulls the bottom of the curtain away from the shower base so there is no way to take a shower without getting the floor wet. By simply putting a gentle curve in the track from one end to the other, the curtain travels smoothly and stays in the basin. A cup hook on the wall at each end holds the curtain strings in place. It's a lot more secure and comfortable now. The new track was just $10, but it would have been nice if FR had done it right in the first place.
Aside from the above, we love our new trailer. The 7 foot width makes for great visibilty, ease of backing up, and 13 MPG behind out Toyota Minivan.
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