I am considering purchasing an Isata 3 but had some questions that hopefully others can shed some light on. What changes are they making to the 2017 model year? Is it worth it to get the 2017 verses an in stock 2016?
How do the Isata's compare in quality to the Navion/View motorhomes? I love the full wall slide on the Isata. Tons of room! I was cross shopping with the Navion G. It's nice but not nearly as much room inside, although it does have more storage space.
What is the carrying capacity of the Isata? I can't seem to locate it on Dynamax's website.
Are the Isata 3's made in the same plant at the Forest River Foresters?
1. No changes for 2017. We just rolled these out, late 2016.
2. Depends on who you ask. We're both aluminum framed construction throughout. Fiberglass Roof. Our exterior is Gel Coat fiberglass over Azdel Superlight, the View used to be wood backer (I know they were looking at changing). We have the MaxxAir vent fan WITH the rain cover built in at all locations. This means living room, bedroom and even the bathroom. Soft closing, self latching drawer guides, glass vessel sink (no plastic), 1000W inverter, Helwig Sway Bar standard.
3. The Isata 3's are built at Dynamax, not in the plant where Foresters are built. We also paint our units in house...so they never leave the facility to be painted. We paint the slides before they are installed so no tape on the interior to cover the area an outside paint shop could not get to.
As for carrying capacity...depends. Each model is weighed and its exact figures are posted on a yellow sticker on the door. That way you know what that exact unit weighs, with all selected options.
Generally there is about 1,000 lbs available. Depending on options....everything you select will add weight.
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Great thank you. That helps a lot! What are the key differences between the Isata verses the Forester? Is it just more standard features? Is the construction and build materials the same?
On the Dynamax/Forester do I need to plug in the power cord in order for the generator to provide power? I heard that you had to do that with the Navions.
1. Sort of...construction is pretty similar. We do have the soft closing drawers, Deluxe fans in all locations, glass vessel bowl sink which is larger, Group 31 AGM batteries (versus 27 flooded), solar option, we paint in-house, which means more layers of clear, all the jambs and doors are painted along with the bumper, All LED interior and exterior, 2 year warranty, Dual pitch armless awning with wind sensor (motion retraction really),frames windows (even in the door), lighted entry handle, quick change valances, 7 cu ft refer (versus 6), iCool mattress, 15k BTU A/C with heat pump is standard, 1000W inverter, tankless on demand water heater.
2. No. What you're talking about is an "auto transfer" switch. Both the Forester and the Isata have this...just run the generator and it takes care of everything, no need to plug in.
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Another one most people don't pay attention to is that we use ductwork. A lot of mfg's use molded A/C ducts...which means they mold it into the styrofoam. If you have to cut over then the foam gets cut and no matter how many times you blow it out I have seen styrofoam pellets coming out for years. We use a foil faced ductwork which means no styrofoam. Little things most people don't even notice until they're on a forum complaining about it
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When we had our Thor, before the Force we had that issue with the styrofoam pellets blowing out constantly. After even a year of using the a/c and heat it was still blowing the white pellets out.
My Isata 3 question is the width of the booth dinette (part against the wall). Neither my husband or I like the dinette (have one in our Class A) would love to see another option (ie recliners or sofa). That is one thing holding us back from the Isata 3 FW. I say we remove it and find a small sofa/recliners. I am not sure what we would do about the floor directly under the dinette but I am sure it cant be that hard to fix. I cannot find this info (dinette width) online. bclemens, I am hoping you have this information. Thanks!
We just proto-typed a dual recliner option that looks like it would work also.
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Good to know. Is the prototype being built so it can be switched out for the dinette in the 2016/17 models? If so, will it have a kit to address any flooring issues caused by the switch?
DH is in love with the Leisure Travel Van/Murphy Bed model. He thinks that the 2016 leisure lounges will be very comfortable and of course loves the big tv. We both like the fact that you can move the Isata bedroom tv outside but find it funny that the bedroom tv is bigger than the front one.
I like the recliners (which is really a small sofa with separate recliners) in the Thor Citation. Although I prefer would the cup holders on the wall side of the recliners so one could lay flat on the sofa. He is 6'1" and I am 5' so it is hard to find something that fits both of us.
Also, is it possible to move the dining room table to the front of the cab to create a "work space"? Again the LTV has this as well as a few other sprinter models I have seen. My guess is it something we could do by adding a 2nd floor anchor.
Thanks for your help!
1. Not really. We are actually making the slide floor a little deeper so your feet can sit there. If you're talking modifying an existing unit, two recliners would take up the entire slide floor so there would be no damage to repair. In the middle we have a cabinet with table top, which you could make any depth to cover the whole floor. I'll see if I can get a picture.
We could fit a 32" TV up front, but the 28" we use has a metal cabinet and is not as deep. So it makes it fit really well up there and if you want to use the swing arm to move the TV around, you are grabbing a metal frame, not a plastic one. A 32" would fit however.
Yes. We have backer in the floor for a table pedestal. You would just need to cut the hole and add a leg. I can certainly get you a print of the location.
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My issue with a reclining sofa is that its not really a reclining sofa. The legs kick up, but the back does not recline. So it really is not all that comfortable. Our dual theater seats, the legs kick up and the back actually reclines almost all the way back...so you could take a nap there. Mouth open and snoring, but a nap none-the-less (or maybe that's just me)
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Here is the print for the hole location. The front to back is the crucial part, as it fits right in between two aluminum tubes.
We use a Springfield recessed floor plate. Fits the exact same tube from the dinette table.
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Thanks so much for the info. I would love a pic of the prototype to show DH. Sounds like he would be very comfortable there also. Is it a sure thing that the dinette can be swapped for the recliners or are you still working thru the details? And in the 2016/17 would we still have room for the table in front of the recliners or would that have to move/made smaller? Just want to let DH know the right info. Btw, we were both impressed with the niceness of the Isata 3 FW. Didn't expect to be but we think it is a great option for those who are downsizing from a Class A.
I'll get a picture.
The recliners can be swapped, since that basically what we did for the photo, but they will sit high. For orders, we will extend the slide floor about 5" to give a platform.
As for a table, we don't have a good solution there. We could go in the floor, but then it is not functional when the slide is "IN". If we can, we'll look at a small table that sits in an arm. Soooo, I guess that means we're still tweaking things.
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Those look beautiful. I guess another solution is to eat from the front swivel chairs using the table there. Do you by chance have a pic of the table between the front chairs?
Unfortunately I do not. But really, TV trays would work for that application. It would also allow you to get up and down from the chairs.
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Agreed. Just showed DH prototype pics. He liked them also. So timing wise, etc this may work out.
Two quick questions. How much outdoor storage (cu ft) is there in the FW model? And underneath the bed (2 shoe boxes, milk crates, etc). We did not look behind that door.
The exterior is storage is not our best, but it is inline with all the other floor plans similar to this one. The bed has a decent amount of storage.
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