Are fr3's a good motorhome?

[Flying Dutchmen]

Originally Posted by alikair

I will be in the market in a year for my first motorhome and the FR3 30DS caught my eye.
Originally I was interested in the 3011 Sun seeker with the power recliners but was told the FR3 would be a better fit for a single person.
I've never driven a motorhome before so I wouldn't know if it drives good or not. I just like the floorplan.

All input welcome!

Bought a 2018 FR3 0 Ds this year and have had it out every month and love it.
Have the upgraded 50 Amp pakage with Dual air and larger Fridgw, Traded in a 2006 Dutchman 31p class c that had the same lay out as the 30Ds wich i love.

The Living room slide is much deeper than the class c and dinnette booth i would have to say is twice as large. The front seats turn around for extra seating and giving more space to work with. Even though the class C and the 30 Ds were the same lenth the, 30 Ds feels more Spacouse in side. Driving it is a little diffrent but I find not as bad as some post have stated.. Love ours and glad i made the choice.

[MaltnHops]

NO! I do not believe that it’s a good motorhome. I have a 2015 30DS, and bought it new. It has been nothing but trouble from the day we got it.

I just put $5,300 into new Koni shocks, sumo springs and a second AC unit. I get it back next week and I’m hoping that the ride is smoother and that we can keep the indoor temperature under 84 in the middle of SoCal summer.

My advice: Spend a little more and get a better coach!

[Honest Abe]

I traded a 2008 Coachmen Freelander 26SO for a 2014 FR3 25DS in 2015. I lost storage space in the deal. Also lost the main slideout three-days into our maiden voyage from Los Angeles to the Outer Banks of NC. Lost the bed slideout about six months later. I bought the smaller FR3-class MH because the FR3's all have the same power & tranny, leading me to believe I would get better gas mileage by dragging less weight. I found that the FR3 and Freelander used the same Ford V-10 and produced the same average 8-MPG across the country. The fabric used for the dinette and driver/navigator seats to be very poor material, each showing severe wear after only a couple of years. The entry level price is the main attraction towards the purchase of the FR3 family of motor homes. And, read all of the fine print on your maintenance & extended service contracts to ensure the sales person's promises are reflected in print. Good Luck and Happy Trails!

[alikair]

Originally Posted by Honest Abe

I traded a 2008 Coachmen Freelander 26SO for a 2014 FR3 25DS in 2015. I lost storage space in the deal. Also lost the main slideout three-days into our maiden voyage from Los Angeles to the Outer Banks of NC. Lost the bed slideout about six months later. I bought the smaller FR3-class MH because the FR3's all have the same power & tranny, leading me to believe I would get better gas mileage by dragging less weight. I found that the FR3 and Freelander used the same Ford V-10 and produced the same average 8-MPG across the country. The fabric used for the dinette and driver/navigator seats to be very poor material, each showing severe wear after only a couple of years. The entry level price is the main attraction towards the purchase of the FR3 family of motor homes. And, read all of the fine print on your maintenance & extended service contracts to ensure the sales person's promises are reflected in print. Good Luck and Happy Trails!

I like the floor plan of the sunseeker 3010 DS and the FR3 30 ds they are almost the same except one is a class A the other a class C.

For me, the 3010DS is butt ugly on the outside and the FR3 has half as many cabinets and weighs 4000 lbs more. Plus who wants to drive a entry level class A?

[Hogq]

Who wants to drive an FR3, well... me I guess��. I’ve driven our 2014 30DS over 20k miles, my wife and have stayed many enjoyable nights in it. We didn’t pay a lot for it, well... comparatively, since we bought it used, so it isn’t a problem to upgrade as we see fit, which we do often. We could replace it several times for the cost of a “mid level” coach. Things we like:
1. Performance is great, it will accelerate uphill on steep grades.
2. King size bed with upgraded mattress is as comfortable as it is hard to make (not everything is great)
3. It is cheap and easy to maintain. I can change oil every 3k Miles with the generator with full synthetic for under 100 bucks.
4. Anything we don’t like we change, for the most part.
We have added 2 a/c units, new furniture, air ride seats, Konis, handling bits, upgraded mattress, pepwave router.
So I guess the FR3 isn’t for everyone. I don’t like the rubber roof (the new ones fix that), I wish it had body paint instead of gel coat. Yeah it has some sawdust in closed spaces, like the space behind the DVD player and under the lavatory sink space. Overall we love it, and we don’t look to change. If that helps anyone.

[alikair]

Originally Posted by Hogq

Who wants to drive an FR3, well... me I guess��. I’ve driven our 2014 30DS over 20k miles, my wife and have stayed many enjoyable nights in it. We didn’t pay a lot for it, well... comparatively, since we bought it used, so it isn’t a problem to upgrade as we see fit, which we do often. We could replace it several times for the cost of a “mid level” coach. Things we like:
1. Performance is great, it will accelerate uphill on steep grades.
2. King size bed with upgraded mattress is as comfortable as it is hard to make (not everything is great)
3. It is cheap and easy to maintain. I can change oil every 3k Miles with the generator with full synthetic for under 100 bucks.
4. Anything we don’t like we change, for the most part.
We have added 2 a/c units, new furniture, air ride seats, Konis, handling bits, upgraded mattress, pepwave router.
So I guess the FR3 isn’t for everyone. I don’t like the rubber roof (the new ones fix that), I wish it had body paint instead of gel coat. Yeah it has some sawdust in closed spaces, like the space behind the DVD player and under the lavatory sink space. Overall we love it, and we don’t look to change. If that helps anyone.

how do you like driving it compared to a class C motorhome? Also have you find ways to store food with the limited storage?

[Hogq]

I have driven Class C Motorhomes, and agree that they are a driving experience much more like a conventional delivery truck. I really like driving the Super C motorhomes, they drive quite well, as they are basically over the road tractors, and can be quite comfortable. I think the experience of a Class A with the large windshield and unrestricted field of view has its own attraction. Class A motorhomes have the feel of a large box which fills the lane, and can be affected by cross winds, other vehicles and so on. With Class C motorhomes those effects are reduced in some situations. As far as storage, we use an auxiliary Dometic freezer/refrigerator, (our FR3 has the small RV Refrigerator), we use the larger basement areas, and under the dinette benches for storage, it seems enough. If we run out of something we stop at WalMart. Our FR3 when fully loaded gives us about 950 lbs capacity to spare in the large rear pass through compartments.

[Iankerr]

I would buy our 30ds 2019 again

[alikair]

Originally Posted by Iankerr

I would buy our 30ds 2019 again

There is a lot to like about the FR3 30DS, but if you compare it to the Sunseeker 3010DS the FR3 will come up short.

The Class C 3010DS has almost 2 times as many cabinets for food, and the floor plan is almost Identical. Plus, the class A FR3 30DS is harder to drive, and as far as I can tell, has almost the same engine yet weighs 4000 pounds more.

The only pluses I can see that makes the FR3 30DS better than the 3010DS is the shower is bigger, the bedroom has that cool little desk with the window, and the exterior and dash are better looking than the 3010DS.

If it wasn't for the extra 4000 pounds more the FR3 carries, I would say buy an FR3, add all the suspension mods to make it drive better (hopefully as good as a class C), and put cabinets above the dinette.

What I dont know is what it's like to own either one.
I have only looked at them in RV lot for sale.
Could someone weigh in on anything I may have missed please.

[DobiesDaddy]

Going to test drive a FR3 30DS today.

We've been saving up for years to buy a motorhome.
I signed up on this forum years ago and things didn't work for us at this time.
I relative passed and left us a home in Arizona. We live in Seattle and dislike leaving our two Dobes home with a sitter while we fly down to stay at the home for a week or so.
We are getting at unit so we can take the kids and enjoy the ride!

[alikair]

Originally Posted by DobiesDaddy

Going to test drive a FR3 30DS today.

We've been saving up for years to buy a motorhome.
I signed up on this forum years ago and things didn't work for us at this time.
I relative passed and left us a home in Arizona. We live in Seattle and dislike leaving our two Dobes home with a sitter while we fly down to stay at the home for a week or so.
We are getting at unit so we can take the kids and enjoy the ride!

Sounds exciting! Let us know how the test drive went. And dont forget to look at the Sunseeker 3010DS!

[alikair]

Originally Posted by MaltnHops

NO! I do not believe that it’s a good motorhome. I have a 2015 30DS, and bought it new. It has been nothing but trouble from the day we got it.

I just put $5,300 into new Koni shocks, sumo springs and a second AC unit. I get it back next week and I’m hoping that the ride is smoother and that we can keep the indoor temperature under 84 in the middle of SoCal summer.

My advice: Spend a little more and get a better coach!

What was the ride like after you did all those suspension modifications? it is something that I would do if I owned one.

[Lfresin1]

Originally Posted by Flying Dutchmen

Bought a 2018 FR3 0 Ds this year and have had it out every month and love it.

Have the upgraded 50 Amp pakage with Dual air and larger Fridgw, Traded in a 2006 Dutchman 31p class c that had the same lay out as the 30Ds wich i love.



The Living room slide is much deeper than the class c and dinnette booth i would have to say is twice as large. The front seats turn around for extra seating and giving more space to work with. Even though the class C and the 30 Ds were the same lenth the, 30 Ds feels more Spacouse in side. Driving it is a little diffrent but I find not as bad as some post have stated.. Love ours and glad i made the choice.

2020 FR3s are pretty nice. Plastic toilet replaced with ceramic and added roof vents and we’re good to go.

[BatesMotel2]

Buy Your Second RV First, WHAT?
That was the advice we got from a Doctor we met at the Hershey PA RV Show in 2017 when we were doing our research for a Motorhome. Best advice we every got! He was trading in a Class B Sprinter for a Class A. Ever notice how many people on RV forums talk about upgrading? Do the research and buy the one that has everything you really want in an RV. Don't buy it if you haven't driven it!



We researched Class A vs. Class C and manufacturers for about a year before we choose the FR3 30DS. There is no comparison driving a Class A motorhome. Visibility, ride, amenities, storage, resale value, etc.. No matter what RV you buy, your experience will be like flipping a coin, be ready for that. People who have paid $400K or more drive home from the dealer with issues, it is a crap shoot! Once you decide on the make and model, allow a whole day to do your Pre-Delivery Inspection and make the dealer SHOW you HOW everything works, don't let them rush you. Take a notebook and make notes, trust me, you will need this later because the manuals are very general. Make sure everything works and anything that needs fixed is completed BEFORE delivery if possible!



We logged over 10K miles on our FR3 the first year and love it! We had a few issues, but they were minor and FR took care of them quickly. You need to use the heck out of your RV the first year to break anything that may be substandard so the manufacturer has to fix it! The FR3 has features you can't get on may ENTRY level Class A's like, 2 A/C's, HUGE double door refrigerator, large shower, King size bed (you can still use with the slide in), 5500 Generator, large fresh water and dump water tanks, reclining sofa with queen bed, stainless sinks, one piece fiberglass roof, etc, etc, etc.



We are starting our second year with the FR3 30DS and we are very happy with our choice, good luck in your search!

[64pmw]

I have the 2015 FR3 30 DS. Chose it because of the floor plan. Have also added 2nd A/C to bedroom. Starting to have some problems. Last year had issue with Generator. Bedroom slide motor acts up. Now have an issue with stabilizing jacks. Not trying to talk you out of it, because I still like my camper overall even with the issues.

[Sobeit]

In my experience, somewhat limited, the Class A is easier to drive. You sit over the front tires which shortens your turning axis. The view is much better than a class C and moving from front to back is easier.

[lacrawgator]

We test drove both and we went with the 3011DS Forester FBP. I did not like the big windshield, it made me nervous. My husband didn't mind though. My husband likes the way the class c drives. We did do some upgrades on the class C. We added a steering stabilizer, which made it much easier to steer. I love the full body paint. I do wish I had 2 AC's, but we did make some adjustments to help. We added sun insulators to skylights and added fans to help with cooling. I do think the FR3 has a larger shower and a larger bed.

[alikair]

Originally Posted by lacrawgator

We test drove both and we went with the 3011DS Forester FBP. I did not like the big windshield, it made me nervous. My husband didn't mind though. My husband likes the way the class c drives. We did do some upgrades on the class C. We added a steering stabilizer, which made it much easier to steer. I love the full body paint. I do wish I had 2 AC's, but we did make some adjustments to help. We added sun insulators to skylights and added fans to help with cooling. I do think the FR3 has a larger shower and a larger bed.

What is FBP?
I have never test driven either.
Did you notice the F are three has very little storage inside ?

[Hogq]

Originally Posted by alikair

What is FBP?
I have never test driven either.
Did you notice the F are three has very little storage inside ?

FBP=Full Body Paint. FR3 30DS has cabinets over the couch, a closet by the door, large bins over driver and passenger space, cabinets under sink, 4 drawers, plus large drawer under the range, space over the range, a large space with shelves behind the TV (which swings up). On top of that it has a lot of storage under the dinette benches. Plus it has larger and more basement storage as opposed to class c. My coach has a full pass through in the back. It is more than enough for us.

[alikair]

Originally Posted by Hogq

FBP=Full Body Paint. FR3 30DS has cabinets over the couch, a closet by the door, large bins over driver and passenger space, cabinets under sink, 4 drawers, plus large drawer under the range, space over the range, a large space with shelves behind the TV (which swings up). On top of that it has a lot of storage under the dinette benches. Plus it has larger and more basement storage as opposed to class c. My coach has a full pass through in the back. It is more than enough for us.

Are you talking about a custom FR3 30DS?