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Old 02-09-2017, 05:45 PM   #1
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Help with 2400W and 2401W

As I look at pictures of 2017's (Sunseeker 2400W and Forester 2401W) I see some differences. I know they make changes along the way, but I'm not sure which changes are new. Does anyone have any info on the questions below? (assuming I order a new until sometime after today)

1) Is the soft touch ceiling really gone for the Forester 2401W?

2) Will the unit have steering wheel controls? (looks like bluetooth, volume and maybe cruise control. I have seen 2017 Sunseeker and Forester units with and without)

3) Will the unit have magnetic cab area blackout shades?

4) Will it have driver/passenger seat boosters?

5) Will it have the exterior door to the left of the entrance door for the exterior TV? Even if I don't order with the exterior TV?

6) Are the heavy duty stabilizers gone and replaced with the lighter camper style stabilizers and are they electric?

7) I read that they no longer have remote/heated side mirrors. Did they just get rid of the heated mirrors? Does it still have remote side mirrors?

8) Will it include the Waste Master® RV sewer management system?

My dealer said if I order now I will actually be getting a 2018. Seems early for that but are there any 2018 changes that anyone is aware of?

Some of these may seem minor, but I have read several threads where people got something different from what they ordered and I don't want to be surprised. And I want to time my order correctly.

If I can wait a month for soft touch ceilings to return to the Forester, then I'll wait. Otherwise I'll order the Sunseeker. I know there are other upgrades to the Forester but they don't seem worth it without the soft touch ceiling.
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Old 02-09-2017, 11:54 PM   #2
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We ordered a SunSeeker 2400W on January 6th of 2016, and took delivery about March 24th... we expected a 2016, but instead received a 2017, with a 2016 chassis. The dealer said it was the first they had received. Based on this, it would seem that you would get a 2018. The chassis is likely to be a 2017. For the purposes of registration whatever Forest River calls it will be what goes on the title.

Regarding all the other questions, what did you see in the lot where you are ordering the unit? Can't the dealer answer these questions?
FYI, the 2017 MBS 2400 W that we have
- has the soft touch headliner, which I have read has been dropped
- does not have the steering wheel controls... Adding this feature would add a fair amount of cost to the chassis side of the equation
- I have read that the magnetic shades were added in 2017, after our unit.
- booster seats were not available from SunSeeker when we took delivery of ours. I have read that they are now as an option
- no exterior tv was offered
- ours came with the Big Foot Hydraulic stabilizers in the rear, and they are only moderately effective. They steady the unit with the slide out, but it still shakes and rocks a bit.
- no heated mirrors on ours... The large upper mirrors are remote adjustable, but the convex bottom sections are manual... I must say that once the mirrors are adjusted, you will never touch them again.
- heard that the Waste Master has been added.

Good luck with your new adventure! We have covered about 16000 miles in ours since new, and reallooò
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Old 02-11-2017, 07:20 AM   #3
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The amount is HUGE

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rkloud9 View Post
We ordered a SunSeeker 2400W on January 6th of 2016, and took delivery about March 24th... we expected a 2016, but instead received a 2017, with a 2016 chassis. The dealer said it was the first they had received. Based on this, it would seem that you would get a 2018. The chassis is likely to be a 2017. For the purposes of registration whatever Forest River calls it will be what goes on the title.

Regarding all the other questions, what did you see in the lot where you are ordering the unit? Can't the dealer answer these questions?
FYI, the 2017 MBS 2400 W that we have
- has the soft touch headliner, which I have read has been dropped
- does not have the steering wheel controls... Adding this feature would add a fair amount of cost to the chassis side of the equation
- I have read that the magnetic shades were added in 2017, after our unit.
- booster seats were not available from SunSeeker when we took delivery of ours. I have read that they are now as an option
- no exterior tv was offered
- ours came with the Big Foot Hydraulic stabilizers in the rear, and they are only moderately effective. They steady the unit with the slide out, but it still shakes and rocks a bit.
- no heated mirrors on ours... The large upper mirrors are remote adjustable, but the convex bottom sections are manual... I must say that once the mirrors are adjusted, you will never touch them again.
- heard that the Waste Master has been added.

Good luck with your new adventure! We have covered about 16000 miles in ours since new, and reallooò
Steering wheel controls (Multi-Function Wheel/Display Package in MB parlance) is all of $335 at full list price. Probably a good bit less in the quantities FR buys. Bi-Xenon headlights are under $1000.

We're spending over $80K (street price) on these vehicles. Another $1000 or so in quality upgrades for better usability or functionality would be worthwhile. I've asked before for a "platinum" package, but I guess that's what the Isata 3 is supposed to be in the FR line.
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Old 02-11-2017, 01:19 PM   #4
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I have already seen the steering wheel controls on several units, in person and online. I assume these are new and that any new orders will have them. That is what I am trying to confirm.

We have owned a camper of some sort for the last 20 years and we hit the RV shows every year, so I am familiar with the RV industry. I have met some really nice sales people, but they never have in depth knowledge of what they sell. I ask the sales people questions, but always confirm the answer.
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Old 02-11-2017, 10:43 PM   #5
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Regarding the multi-function steering wheel on the Sprinter, these are typically part of what is called the Active Safety Plus package, which includes the following:

Multifunction Steering Wheel
Road Hazard Light
Windshield Glass with Shade Band
Light and Rain Sensor
I/P Cluster Pixel Matrix
First-Aid Kit
Exterior Mirror - Power/Heated
Lane Keeping Assist
Collision Prevention Assist
High Beam Assist
Overhead Control Panel with Reading Lights (2)
Blind Spot Monitoring

This is an $1800 upgrade. I am sure that Forest River could buy a quantity of Cab Chassis and get just the $350 steering wheel for a small up-charge, but the higher end class C's, like Leisure Travel Vans, add the above package as a standard feature (and baby, they charge for it!). Although I would love to have all the whistles and bells, you really do get what you pay for with these things, and our SunSeeker offered an attractive feature set at a great value. Changing the steering wheel also necessitates changing the instrumentation (IP Cluster Matrix). How much more is the cost of a 2018 versus a 2017? If the pricing is the same, what did they remove to add the steering wheel upgrade.

The bottom line of this thread is that the OP wants to know what he will get when he places his order... I am amazed that he cannot get a straight answer from the dealer, who only has to pick up the phone and ask FR. Surely no one on this forum can have any idea what he will get 2 months from now unless they just got one today, and that is no guarantee. Last year we saw the 2400w on the lot, and liked what we saw. We did not want the unit for 2 months, so we ordered one, with the addition of the heat pump option (BTW, we have used that option more than the AC, as most of our travels have been in the Fall, Winter, and Spring). What we got 2 months later was exactly what we saw, except they had upgraded the windows from "sliding" to "awning" style openings.

Please let us know what you end up getting. Best of luck!
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Old 02-16-2017, 03:44 PM   #6
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Speaking of help

It was a warm sunny day here in middle Tennessee, so I decided to do some exploring, under the new 2400W. I had already installed front and rear Sumo Springs and was pleased with what I saw. HOWEVER, today I started at the rear driver side, and what I found, looked like the seven year old twin grandsons had been left to do wiring on the couch. Would you please look at the pictures and explain how any craftsman could take credit for this mess. I found several empty, dangling wire ties but they can't account for this mess. Informed solutions will be appreciated.

I also found lots of wires from tank heat pads and guessing, level indicator wires, flopping around on the rear passenger side. I took care of these with gorilla tape.


**** Follow up to my own post; I just got off the phone with the manufacturer of this Hopkins device, and was told this equipment needs to be installed inside away from the elements. Is this another screw up like the Curt controller ?? How about a chime in from the factory people !!
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Old 02-16-2017, 06:35 PM   #7
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PDI check

Thanks Mtnman64, I guess I will be crawling under my 2400W when I do my PDI.
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Old 02-16-2017, 09:13 PM   #8
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Craftsman? Seriously?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mtnman64 View Post
It was a warm sunny day here in middle Tennessee, so I decided to do some exploring, under the new 2400W. I had already installed front and rear Sumo Springs and was pleased with what I saw. HOWEVER, today I started at the rear driver side, and what I found, looked like the seven year old twin grandsons had been left to do wiring on the couch. Would you please look at the pictures and explain how any craftsman could take credit for this mess. I found several empty, dangling wire ties but they can't account for this mess. Informed solutions will be appreciated.

I also found lots of wires from tank heat pads and guessing, level indicator wires, flopping around on the rear passenger side. I took care of these with gorilla tape.


**** Follow up to my own post; I just got off the phone with the manufacturer of this Hopkins device, and was told this equipment needs to be installed inside away from the elements. Is this another screw up like the Curt controller ?? How about a chime in from the factory people !!
If you were expecting a well built coach, you bought the wrong make. They throw these things together at the factory and since we continue to buy them in record numbers - there is absolutely no reason for them to do anything any different.

You should expect some on this forum to answer you with "it's your fault you didn't do a thorough PDI", "half the fun of owning an RV is getting to fix it yourself", "it's the dealers fault", "you bought an entry level RV" and on and on.

I've spent almost two years trying to fix the messes left by the FR "craftsman", replace cheap components with better quality ones and come up with reasonable backups for other components/systems that might fail when on the road.

As to the Curt Controller (and probably Hopkins too), I read the installation instructions and came to the same conclusion about the location. The answer from one of the FR reps was that the rear bumper was a perfectly acceptable location, getting wet was not the cause of the failures - overheating was. That being said, I have not heard of any failures from those of us who protected the controller in a watertight enclosure.
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Old 02-17-2017, 10:43 AM   #9
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Well I broke out some NASCAR engineering and fashioned a box out of a milk jug, to cover the controller. I then used my unlimited budget of wire ties to fashion the spaghetti wires into a neat package to fit inside my "box". With some "craftsmanship" use of Gorilla Tape, I finished the package. I hope I don't need back inside, as I'm sure it will take a lot more time to get back inside. As an addendum, this RV cost more than my first two homes combined, and the second I had built from the ground up !! LOL
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Old 02-18-2017, 12:37 PM   #10
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I relocated the entire plate with the controller to inside the nearby long storage box that holds the Dyson vacuum on my early 2017 2401W. Away from any spray and possible moisture from the rear tires. Drilled a 2 inch hole to feed the wiring and connectors first then filled with black exterior foam afterwards. Had. To get the "new" Hopkins controller first.
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Old 02-18-2017, 03:48 PM   #11
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Recall?

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I relocated the entire plate with the controller to inside the nearby long storage box that holds the Dyson vacuum on my early 2017 2401W. Away from any spray and possible moisture from the rear tires. Drilled a 2 inch hole to feed the wiring and connectors first then filled with black exterior foam afterwards. Had. To get the "new" Hopkins controller first.
I assume you had the recall performed first, then you moved the Hopkins controller from the rear bumper to a protected area. If not, how did you get the Hopkins controller? I know you can buy a generic one, but I would prefer to purchase one with the pin ends already installed.
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Old 02-21-2017, 03:56 PM   #12
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I called FR Service for the Curt controller...

I called FR Service several months ago because I had never received a notice for my 2015 24R. We went back-and-forth about it for nearly a day. FR claimed my RV did not have the Curt. I sent them pictures showing them that I had the Curt. FR finally decided that my unit was part of their 'beta program' for the Curt (boo). They sent me the new Hopkins controller and I sent them the Curt back. Someone did a very professional job wiring the connectors - it had to be Hopkins.
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Old 02-22-2017, 11:17 AM   #13
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What's your secret?

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Originally Posted by nusslejj View Post
I called FR Service several months ago because I had never received a notice for my 2015 24R. We went back-and-forth about it for nearly a day. FR claimed my RV did not have the Curt. I sent them pictures showing them that I had the Curt. FR finally decided that my unit was part of their 'beta program' for the Curt (boo). They sent me the new Hopkins controller and I sent them the Curt back. Someone did a very professional job wiring the connectors - it had to be Hopkins.
I called my dealer with the part number of the kit for the recall. I asked to order the kit at my expense. She called FR and they refused to sell the kit.

Given that my Curt controller has been moved from the "approved" location on the back bumper into a weatherproof enclosure, I expect a dealer would refuse to perform the recall anyway.

So how did you manage to get the parts?
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Old 02-22-2017, 12:30 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KatanaPilot View Post
I called my dealer with the part number of the kit for the recall. I asked to order the kit at my expense. She called FR and they refused to sell the kit.

Given that my Curt controller has been moved from the "approved" location on the back bumper into a weatherproof enclosure, I expect a dealer would refuse to perform the recall anyway.

So how did you manage to get the parts?
I think you can order the controller from e-trailer:
https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Hopkins/HM46370.html
Would have to wire (buy / attach connectors) yourself.

I'd suggest try to get FR/dealer to do the recall.
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Old 02-22-2017, 12:56 PM   #15
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Doubtful

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I think you can order the controller from e-trailer:
https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Hopkins/HM46370.html
Would have to wire (buy / attach connectors) yourself.

I'd suggest try to get FR/dealer to do the recall.
Don't think any FR dealer would touch this given the mods I did.

Was trying to avoid purchasing the expensive Daniels crimp tool for the Deutsch connectors - which is why I wanted to buy the pre-configured controller through FR.
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Old 02-22-2017, 03:07 PM   #16
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Looks like you did an outstanding job - better than what the recall reads like! If your dealer won't do anything for you, I would probably buy the Hopkins module and splice it to the existing connectors (solder and shrink wrap) and call it good...
Sure wouldn't undo your excellent mod - or let the dealer undo it.
Maybe add the in-line fuse under the driver's seat - I guess that is protection against a short to ground from there to the module in the power wire supplying the module.
Just my impression - YMMV.
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Old 02-22-2017, 07:50 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KatanaPilot View Post
So how did you manage to get the parts?
I think it was a combination of FR denying my RV had the Curt controller, then once I proved it did, the fact they missed my VIN in the recall. At that point they offered to send me one right away - long before they started shipping to anyone else.

BTW - that installation you did is masterful !
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Old 02-22-2017, 08:27 PM   #18
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Someone posted this link to the recall notice which includes repair instructions:
https://dealers.forestriverinc.com/d...lerCentral.pdf
KatanaPilot, your fix sure looks better wrt protecting the module...
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