Are fr3's a good motorhome?

[alikair]

Originally Posted by Lfresin1

2020 FR3 has the 4 door fridge and you can use the bunk for storage and drive. No closets near the door. Only closets are in the bedroom.

That's what I thought.

[TLAK]

Alikair, since you've never owned a motorhome before, I suggest you rent a similar size and type and try it out for a weekend. You could try a C and then an A. They might not be the same brands or exact layouts, and will almost certainly be older models but it should give you a basis to say "I like this feature" or "I hate this feature" when you go to purchase.

[alikair]

Originally Posted by TLAK

Alikair, since you've never owned a motorhome before, I suggest you rent a similar size and type and try it out for a weekend. You could try a C and then an A. They might not be the same brands or exact layouts, and will almost certainly be older models but it should give you a basis to say "I like this feature" or "I hate this feature" when you go to purchase.

Believe it or not, that thought did occur to me...

I am more than a year away from buying my 1st MH.
Sometimes it's hard just to get a salesman to show me the inside of one if they think your just a looky loo.

If they think your ready to buy one, then they are VERY interested in showing you around the inside.
when I am ready to put down the cash I will then test drive a few of them. For now I am in the research phase.

When I sat in the class C 3010DS from Forest River the floor plan just felt perfect. The power recliners across from the TV made me feel like I was at home in my S&B. Then when I sat in the dining area, it felt like I walked into a different room of a house. I dont know why, but it does for me.

The only thing I did not like about the class C 3010DS was the giant beak it has for a bunk over cab. IMHO, its butt ugly. I have heard they make a mini bunk over cap called a trekker. Not enough of them out there to buy a used one when it's my time to buy one.

If you look at the inside of the FR3 30DS it is almost identical to the 3010DS.
The main difference is it has much less inside storage for food and weighs 4000 pounds more.
Also, being that I never driven a MH, looking out the front window of a class A is kinda intimidating.
So, for the money (70k-80k used) and the floor plan that I really like, it's down to these 2 choices.

Trying one out for a weekend really won't do much for me. Love it or hate it, will change over a short amount of time.
I am looking to traverse the states looking for a new state to call home.
Once I found it, I will probably have to sell the MH to buy a house. I am guessing it will take a year or two on the road.

LOL, my biggest fear is that I will love the MH and not want to sell it. That would be really bad for me.

[Hogq]

Originally Posted by alikair

Hogg, will need to look more closely at your photos when I get home.

It looks like your layout may have been changed a bit on the newer models.
There is no closet by the door, unless your talking about the bedroom door.
Also, how do you like using the bunk over cab for storage? does it make driving awkward?

Have you been in a newer FR3 30DS to compare to yours? Be curious what has changed. I know they now have a 4 door refer. Think the older models were only 2 door.

I would not recommend lowering the bunk and driving with stuff up there, though it is possible to drive with the bunk down. We have never had to use the area in front of the bunk for storage. The bunk is rated for 500 lbs, but we have not needed that much room. The under seat area in the dinette is where we carry most of our dry groceries and bulk foodstuffs. Some people have removed the bunk, and others have put shelves in the closet by the entry door. I guess the trade-off for the larger refrigerator in the newer models is to give up the closet by the door. Honestly, given a chance, I would take the larger refrigerator as well. We don't make super good use of the closet. We also carry pop in an ice chest in the right rear pass-through, and use an empty basement bay if needed (that is pretty rare). I think the newer FR3, is a better buy, with a fiberglass roof, and the dual a/c units. I installed a 2nd AC (heat pump actually) in the bedroom roof opening, and we love it. The FR3 needs 2 AC units. I also installed the Wacko AC Silencer on the front Domestic AC, and it makes a huge difference in quietness. We put fans in all the vents.

[Red Wolf]

Late response to an older thread...

We're looking at a used 2016 FR3 30DS, and going to see it at the dealership this weekend. Wife and I like the layout, and from the sound of it the interior quality is about the same as our Rockwood 8280WS - thin wood for weight reduction.

I've driven my parents big 40' Dutchstar, and coming from 20 years of towing with a pickup, that was kind of intimidating. Holymoly, I'm driving a bus!

I can see a few mods in the pics of this used FR3, so I'm hoping the previous owners have already down the CDF. I will certainly give it a test drive.

My issue with Class C's are the cabs - they're too cramped. The engine box is huge in every one I've tried, resulting in the peddles being mounted further to the left than in my truck. This, combined with a seat that won't back up as far as I need it because there is -always- a slide out behind it, means my old knees are going to be screaming in less than 30 minutes. The C's we've looked at also seem cramped, since the cab takes up a good chunk of the space.

I'd love to have an Isata Super-C with the Ram diesel cab, but that would mean waiting about five years until a used one costs what I'm willing to shell out.

[Blallen58]

I recently purchased an FR3 32DS 2017 used. Before I was towing a 31 foot 5th wheel. Driving the class A at first was a bit intimidating but I had 2 hours of 4 lane country roads to drive it on while coming home from the dealer. I have since taken 3 trips with it and love it. The space I have as the driver is plenty of room to remain comfortable for a long time.

[Jim1234]

Actually, if you drop the bed over the cab, there are a couple of "cubbies" on the "bow", plus the two on either side that are available with the bed raised. For a while, we dropped the bed while parked and used it as a shelf.

There is some storage behind the TV (over the sink), but I used that for the entertainment equipment.

The kitchen storage sucks, we used the cabinets over the couch and the fridge. The drawers are fairly shallow. The recent model year seems to have addressed that issue, I believe by shrinking the bedroom and perhaps the shower a bit.

Originally Posted by alikair

I am looking at a picture of the 30DS.
There is no closest by the door.
No storage above the cab
There are 3 decent size cabinets above the recliners.
If you dont count the double door below the sink that most folks would use to put trash and other none food items, there ain't much left, only drawers.

On the side that has the sink, where could you put a box of cereal?
Take a look at the 3010DS made by the same company. It has the same floor plan but is a class C. it has 2x as much food storage. here is a link to it.

https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/class...ic/3010DS/1152