2401W ownership experience

[namusmc]

I have ordered a new 2401W and wondered what current owners think about their likes and dislikes.

[sgtlm17]

Super popular rig. You will get tons of info here. Good luck with your new unit.

[kysunseekermbs]

I have had my 2401w for a few months. 6600 miles. For the most part I am happy with everything.

My likes -
- LEDs through out
- Helwig sway bar
- dyson vac - I keep finding it in our house!
- driving comfort
- gas mileage
- comfortable beds and seats all over
- overall appearance
- coach battery life - haven't seen a limit yet
- propane tank life - will run fridge for a very long time!
- bathroom and shower size




My dislikes-
- cheap plastic faucet in the bath which I replaced/cheap shower head replaced with oxygenics.
- no visual notification and the big foot stabilizer jacks are down, you have to remember before pulling off.
- you have to reference the mercedes manual to learn what the dash heating and air icons mean
- water supply line just inside is cheap plastic breaks easily, I replaced with brass, it is in the "nightstand" next to the bed in the back.
- the lack of documentation on things, the forrest river rv manual they give you is on a 1980 ford or chevy rv it appears.
- front bumper looks a little dull with the full paint option because they don't touch it, I may change it out with a fiberglass painted one with fog lights.
- full paint option - they painted the rubber boots on the inside of the doors started flaking off after first few times opening the door. I am going to try to remove it to get back to bare rubber.
- the number of safety stickers is crazy I had a pile of over 30 of them, I removed as soon as I took ownership of it.

I am sure there is more but that is what stands out currently, Overall very happy and can't wait to take it on our big out west trip this summer!l

[namusmc]

Thank you for your thoughtful comments. They will give me some items to be aware of when the rig arrives. Mentioning the stabilizing jacks has probably saved me from a lot of embarrassment and heartache.

I ordered the 2401W with the trekker front cap because I liked the appearance a little better even though storage space will suffer.

I'm glad you like your new rig and very much appreciate posting your thoughts about it. As you know, this model is pretty new and there is not a lot of information about them regarding owner experience.

[ericlakin]

Faucet replacements are on my list, also. And I'd like to find a drop-in stainless replacement for the cheapo plastic bathroom sink.

[nilinternet]

We have the Jensen In-Dash with GPS that has latest map updates. The unit is not very confident when it comes to changes on the fly, it thinks for a long time if you pinch and zoom or make changes after a route is set. I have to consistently reboot it due to "unexpected error" messages. Only happens while using GPS, works fine otherwise.

I would not use it as a main/only gps.

You should also get the map updates within 90 days of first use or you will have to pay for it.


The 12th State

2016 Forester MBS 2401w

[namusmc]

Good point about getting gps map updates early on. Thanks.

[HomeOnWheels]

Likes:
Full body paint
Perfect size for two with capacity for four
Spacious living area
Comfortable bed with memory foam mattress
HDTV and antenna for excellent reception
HDTV in bedroom
Surround sound for both TV and bluetooth devices
Bluetooth connectivity
Easy to drive and in and out of small space
USB charge station
Swivel front seats

Dislikes
Small storage space
All except the smallest one outside storage spaces are on driver side
Room divider to separate bedroom from living area is poor quality
The bathroom is on the same side of divider as bedroom, making it difficult to use for people sleeping on the other side
Grey tank is the same size as black and is too small.
Fresh water tank could be larger
Sway at turns or on uneven road, even with Helwig sway bar.

The biggest dislike is the build quality with many components rather than the features listed above.

Overall, we love our W.

[Sandiegodoug]

Sumo helper springs really helped with that swaying. Bilstiens on order


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[HomeOnWheels]

Originally Posted by Sandiegodoug

Sumo helper springs really helped with that swaying. Bilstiens on order


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On my to-do list, Doug. Thanks!

[Sandiegodoug]

If u need help installing let me know
Pretty easy


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[namusmc]

More informative comments. Thank you!

[nusslejj]

Originally Posted by Sandiegodoug

If u need help installing let me know
Pretty easy


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About how long does it take, and do you supposed if I put a couple 2" rubber mats under the rear stabilizers and had them lift the unit up I could do the switch without having to jack up the RV by the frame ?

Thanks !

[Sandiegodoug]

I have a cheap floor jack I bought at harbor freight . The bump stops were easy to remove. But I didn't have strength to push in sumo. Jacked up using rear jack points in front of wheels,just enough and sumo slipped right in. I'd say 5 min per side. There is a front and back, so make sure to put them in correctly , they look symmetrical but are not. Wheels stay on ground, so don't have to jack very high. Once in place you just have to work rear of sumo into housing. It was pretty easy.





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[normtre]

I used an Irwin Quick Grip clamp to squeeze the bumpstops, they literally fall out. Then squeeze the sumo and insert. Slips right in. Takes about 2 mins for drivers side, double that for passenger side - exhaust pipe gets in the way.

[MNtraveler]

Originally Posted by nusslejj

About how long does it take, and do you supposed if I put a couple 2" rubber mats under the rear stabilizers and had them lift the unit up I could do the switch without having to jack up the RV by the frame ?

Thanks !

That's a disaster waiting to happen unless you place stationary jacks under the chassis after it's lifted up. The jacks must be rated to support the full rear axle weight, at least. If need be, you can probably rent those at a local tool rental shop. The life you save could be your own.

PS: just saw sandiegodoug's post, and if you keep the wheels on the ground that would help. But if you have to jack it up to get working space, then there may be insufficient space to save your body if the vehicle comes down, especially if it comes down hard and bottoms out the springs. Safety first.


Land of 10,000 Lakes
2016 Forester MBS 2401R

[Sandiegodoug]

Wheels never left ground
Jack rated at 3 tons
Used wheel chocks
Felt safe
One side at a time


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[Rich.M]

Agree with Sandiegodoug, easy install. May get enough height from stabilizers up all the way. If you need a extra 1/2 inch wiggle room then use your tire changing hydraulic jack in passenger floor compartment or just use jack as a safety support at jack point. Never felt unsafe. wheels are on the ground

[MNtraveler]

Those jacks are adequate to raise the chassis, but before a human goes under there needs to be a stationary jack that can hold the weight. If you read the directions for the Bigfoot or any hydraulic pump jack, you will see that they specifically earn about this. Glad no one was hurt. That's because a bad event like a pump jack letting go did not happen.

To quote one site:

SAFETY RULE #1: NEVER trust a jack, and NEVER crawl under a vehicle supported by a jack alone. Always position a pair of sturdy jack stands under the frame, subframe, axle or control arm(s) to prevent the vehicle from falling on you.

And one other:

Trusting a jack with your life is a death-wish…

NEVER get under a vehicle which is only supported by a jack, even if you think that it might save you some time. It’s just not worth the high risk involved. The vehicle could easily slip off the jack (especially when you’re applying force to a bolt or nut) or the jack could fail and the vehicle could fall on top of you. This would result in you being crushed and probably dying an extremely painful death or being very seriously injured at the bare minimum. Nobody wants this kind of thing to happen to anybody.





Land of 10,000 Lakes
2016 Forester MBS 2401R

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by namusmc

I have ordered a new 2401W and wondered what current owners think about their likes and dislikes.

The MBS Chassis

Dislikes: Our "W" has been a mixed bag to say the least. We have had some fairly serious issues.

The biggest problems have been Mercedes-Benz Sprinter issues. The DEF system has been problematic since Day One to say the least. When our "W" was delivered it had a Check Engine light. Our dealer took it to the local M-B dealer where it sat for three weeks awaiting parts from Germany. Part of the DEF system had failed and required replacement. In December while we were attending the Charleston, SC FROG event the Check Engine light came on again. This time I had my Scan Gauge installed and was able to provide M-B the Error Code. I was told not to "worry" and to go ahead and drive the unit home and take it to my local M-B dealership. Just outside Charleston the DEF Light also illuminated, an alarm beeped and I went in to "count down" mode on the display. Basically that means you have a combination of 16 starts or 1,600 miles before the unit shuts down. I went ahead and drove it home and took it to the local M-B dealer the following Monday. This time the DEF injector had failed. I'm not impressed with the DEF system on the Sprinter at this point... Nor do I believe that a manufacture should be allowed to disable a vehicle for an emissions issue.

We also had the power door locks replaced and the windshield had a deep scratch that required replacing the windshield. I think our chassis is proof the German's can screw up as well as any American manufacture! The good news is our local M-B dealer has offered outstanding support. I am very happy with the way they have quickly, and very professionally, handled every issue. My biggest concern is that M-B Sprinter dealers can be very far apart out West and we bought the "W" to tour the US and Canada.

The tire valve valve extenders FR installed on the chassis were a total PITA. Since I wanted to install a TPMS anyway we had those replaced with solid steel valve stems. See Here for the set we used. I also added the 15˚ "bent" option to the front wheel stems. An easy fix but it does mean you cannot rotate your tires easily.

Likes:

When the MBS is running right it is a pleasure to drive. It handles well, for it size, and is very comfortable. Ours had the Hellwig sway bar installed at FR so I didn't need to do that upgrade. Our fuel mileage has been as high as 15.5MPG with the cruise control set at around 65MPH. Overall it is pleasant to drive and isn't unduly upset by trucks passing or other traffic issues.

The "W" Floor Plan per FR

Dislikes:

Carrying Capacity

The "W" is a very heavy rig and doesn't have a lot of load capacity. With our "W" loaded, and fully fueled, the CAT Scale showed 11,040 pounds without any water. Since we don't boon dock water isn't an issue but that is still 40 pounds overweight! Since then I removed some stuff but there isn't a lot of payload. The same issue applies to pulling a TOAD, I need to be under 4,000 pounds to not exceed the GCWR. My C-Max and dolly just barely fit... I knew it would be tight when we ordered our unit but I thought it would be a little better... The disadvantage of being an early adopter!


Slide Out

We have had intermittent slide out issues were the slide needed to be "helped" to deploy or retract. "Helped" meaning I manually pushed on the slide to get it to move. Every thing looked right, there wasn't any strange sounds or obvious issues. Tuesday we got our "W" back from our dealer and they found the front slide motor wasn't performing correctly. No errors on the Schwintek controller but it wasn't "right" so they replaced the motor. Now the slide out works fine...

Stabilizer Jacks

An expensive option that doesn't do very much in my opinion. The jacks are located so far inboard, near the axle, that the do not stabilize the unit like corner jacks on a trailer. When taking a shower the unit still rocks and rolls since that puts me on the far rear edge of the unit well past the "stabilizers". If Bigfoot does come out with an "upgrade" to make the existing system in to true four corner "Levelers", as I was told they are working on, it may be worth it. But for now I'm unimpressed...

Likes

The "W" floor plan is the most spacious small Class C floor plan I've seen and its perfect for us! We were at the Atlanta RV Show today and no other MBS based, or small Class C, came close to the space in a "W". While our slide out has had some issues it is what makes the "W" worth the price.

We ordered our unit and added a couple options. The new smaller cap wasn't offered at the time so we went with the Entertainment Center instead of the over the cab bunk. It added a lot of storage and a nice large TV. As a "No Cost" option that is well worth it if you don't need the bunk. I would have gone with the smaller cap had it been available when we ordered our unit.

We also ordered the optional diesel generator. There are several threads here about how quickly you can run through as tank of LP using the genset to power the A/C. Twelve to fourteen hours is way too short of time for me. The diesel genset pulls its fuel from the main fuel tank and uses around a half gallon per hour. Diesel is a lot cheaper, and easier to find, than LP so you may want to consider this option.

Hopefully we are getting close to having our "W" debugged. While it has been annoying at times, especially the M-B DEF issues , overall we are happy with our "W".