2304DS

[McRabbet]

TxLightkeeper, No need to apologize; manufacturers are making changes all the time. In addition to the pass thru, they also have that large ottoman on casters with built-in storage that sits in front of the sofa. I am looking forward to relaxing with my feet up on that baby! I'd like to hear how well your 2304DS has held up and if you've had any issues with it. E.g., Tire wear?

[TxLightkeeper]

Mine has the Ottoman that they show and I replaced it with a smaller one that has no casters. Got tired of having to either wedge it in place or turn on it's side during transport. Always moved around so much I was concerned it would slam into something and damage it or what it hit.

One change noted in the dinette area is the over head cabinet only has two door on it. Mine has three.

The shower is changed to the rounded front with the sliding doors. Mine is three panes with swinging door. Does make it difficult to use if bathroom door is closed. By myself so that is no real issue for me.

Also looks like the redesigned the tank drain system. Pipes are lower than mine and black flush gate is located slightly different.

As video mentioned, the kitchen sink cover is redesigned. Mine was very thin and cheap and warped in no time. My son had mentioned that they new ones are much thicker. Could not tell for sure, looked like a single sink instead of two sides like mine is.

If they have not redesigned the drawers in the kitchen, might want to reinforce them from the start. Bottoms fell out of mine within weeks and I really did not have that much in them.

I do like the addition of the 12 volt charging moved to next to the bed with the USB outlets also there. Mine is just a 110 volt plug in there.

I said sorry because I like to put out correct information, I was not aware of the pass thru change, even though I see it as pretty useless as small as it is. I can't imagine it being more than 10 inches high and about 14 - 16 inches wide. Fold up chairs or much of anything are not going to fit in there. Long poles maybe.

I have also heard they started using a thicker flooring on these new models. I did not have issues with my Murphy bed , but went ahead and put extra pads on the legs to help. Was hoping they would have put something on the legs, so when they swing out into place, a hinge kind of brace to hold them. I have had my legs on my Murphy bed almost fold up while down.

I do love my 2304, perfect size for me and my pups.

[TxLightkeeper]

DOH, got into other things and really did not answer questions.

My 2304 has held up great. Only warranty issues I had was 1) with a window in my kitchen that was leaking due to bad weep holes in it. They replaced it no questions under warranty. 2) On the dinette slide, just under the edge of the carpet, there is a metal edge strip that is screwed down. The screws came loose and when the slide went in or out, it gouged the floor. Again, my dealer fixed it perfect under warranty.

Still running original tires and no issues there either. I know I will get blasted for running the China bombs on it, but I will not fix what is not broken. I put about 300 miles per month on the camper and have had it for almost 2 yrs. I do check air pressure every trip and keep after the wheel bearings twice a year. To me, tires still look newish.

Only thing I have had an oops on is running the dinette slide out. I do not like where the control panel is. I forgot to close the power pedestal down and it punched a bent into my storage door on the dinette. Can't see the slides or awning when deploying from next to the kitchen sink and no one to watch outside. I tried my dogs one time and they were of no help.

I use my camper every month for at least one week to ten days. I still have not had to replace the anode rod in my water heater. I check it about every 6 camping trips and regularly use my water heater camping.

So all in all, no issues with my unit. I highly recommend the model and Forest River and my dealer.

[rockfordroo]

The Mini Lite 2503S had the same change made in that the under sofa plastic container thing that slid out from under the front of the sofa was removed. That created the pass-through. ASSUMING your sofa is the same size as mine and the other supports are the same, my pass-through is 22-1/2" wide and 10-3/4" high.

[McRabbet]

Good info from both of you which I really appreciate. I've read several horror stories about the stock tires and am considering a TPMS to keep track of their inflation during travel. Costly investment but may save me from some damage.

[61cubby]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Campers are the best! Really good information and concerns from all of you. Thanks again and Happy Camping!

[HoundsAbounds]

Have any of you murphy bed owners come up with a way to cover the sofa to keep it clean? I have tried a king size sheet, bit it is too short to cover both arms and tuck in. Would a traditional couch cover work?

[McRabbet]

I have the vinyl covered sofa in my 2304DS and have not had any reason to add a covering -- I do not travel with pets and could clean up any spills easily.

I also want to amplify on my findings for storage containers to use in both the pass-through compartment and the storage area under the dinette. I purchased several Hefty brand 40-Quart storage boxes that fit well into both of these compartments for less than $10 each -- They are large enough to hold items like hoses and electrical cables and adapters as well as other supplies. While I cannot store folding chairs in the pass through, I keep a pair stored behind the sofa where they fit nicely (I purchased a pair of folding aluminum sports chairs from Harbor Freight with a coupon that are sturdy and comfortable and take only a few inches of depth when folded). They stand against the wall opposite the door by the Murphy bed when it is lowered.

[fella10]

Originally Posted by HoundsAbounds

Have any of you murphy bed owners come up with a way to cover the sofa to keep it clean? I have tried a king size sheet, bit it is too short to cover both arms and tuck in. Would a traditional couch cover work?

the link below is the style of cover we use and it works great, ..... I can not remember who we got if from, it is NOT the one shown, just that STYLE, ours was less than $25 for the sofa size ......

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Furniture...d=actual_color

[immecor]

The wife and I went from a 1979 Apache Roamer pop-up to a new 2304DS. We absolutely love her. There is a ton of floor space with the slide outs for that size camper. I had never bought a new trailer before so I wasn't aware of the different options (my fault) but there are a few things that I wish it had that I see most others do and I guess just assumed were standard. It has the Saphire package but it does not have the step light, scare lights or the slam latches. Really though you don't miss what you never had but those things would have been nice.

[McRabbet]

Those options are really key for my 2304DS, plus I have power stabilizers, night shades and a Furrion Backup/observation camera. Since purchasing it, I've added a Progressive Industries HW30C energy management system behind my fuse panel and I am about to install a Blue Streak toilet sanitizer kit. I've logged 23 nights in six states since picking it up in mid March. I really enjoy it and find it is easy to pull with my Tundra.

[tuckr2]

Originally Posted by immecor

The wife and I went from a 1979 Apache Roamer pop-up to a new 2304DS. We absolutely love her. There is a ton of floor space with the slide outs for that size camper. I had never bought a new trailer before so I wasn't aware of the different options (my fault) but there are a few things that I wish it had that I see most others do and I guess just assumed were standard. It has the Saphire package but it does not have the step light, scare lights or the slam latches. Really though you don't miss what you never had but those things would have been nice.

Love my new 2304ds as well. Downsized from a Forest River - Salem Cruise Lite 30 ft to this rig. While slightly shorter the other has bunks in the back. Great for the grand kids but in truth they haven't been with us till we got this. The additional upgrades to this were significant and we couldn't be happier. My 2011 F150 likes pulling this a bit better than the other TT as well. Only a few trips out so far but the added floor space for the two of us and dogs just makes it much more comfortable.

[blamerp]

Can you provide feedback on space available under awning when slide is out? It seems there would be little room for chairs, table. I love the interior in the 2304DS floor plan but am concerned about outside space in this model.

Originally Posted by rebeltown

Wife and I fell in love with the 2304DS floor plan as soon as we saw it. She wanted the larger kitchen space offered that similar sized trailers lacked. We thought the murphy bed was a good idea and we also get the sofa with excellent TV viewing from both the bed and sofa. Ordered ours in Oct/2016 and was delivered to RV Wholesalers a week ago. We pick it up in first week of April. Can't wait. Plan on staying at Indian Lake State Park for the first few nights to make sure everything works OK and then camp on our way back to NJ. Hope it is everything it's cracked up to be.

[blamerp]

Can you speak to the space taken up by the slide under the awning? I'm concerned that we will not have room for our chairs, table, etc. outside.
What do you put under awning?

Originally Posted by immecor

The wife and I went from a 1979 Apache Roamer pop-up to a new 2304DS. We absolutely love her. There is a ton of floor space with the slide outs for that size camper. I had never bought a new trailer before so I wasn't aware of the different options (my fault) but there are a few things that I wish it had that I see most others do and I guess just assumed were standard. It has the Saphire package but it does not have the step light, scare lights or the slam latches. Really though you don't miss what you never had but those things would have been nice.

[McRabbet]

The kitchen slide only extends a few feet and doesn't really compromise the area under the extended awning. There is plenty of room for a mat, chairs and a table. I often set my Camp Chef stove up toward the rear of the awning space and still have plenty of shaded area to enjoy. I would recommend getting a Camco Awning Roller Ball for the top of the door to protect the awning from the top corner of the trailer door.

[tuckr2]

Originally Posted by blamerp

Can you provide feedback on space available under awning when slide is out? It seems there would be little room for chairs, table. I love the interior in the 2304DS floor plan but am concerned about outside space in this model.

The kitchen slide which is on the side with the awning doesn’t slide out that far, you do lose a bit of covered space. I think about 16-20 inches. We always have a 9x12 mat and 6x9 mat on the ground underneath. The awning is plenty big, I think 10x17. We typically have a couple chairs for sitting next to the slide under the awning as well as a recliner lounge chair. Still plenty of room it walk around everything.
Having owned a couple other travel trailers over the year we have come to live the space inside the 2304ds. Just feels so open, even with our two springers with us.

[immecor]

Originally Posted by tuckr2

The kitchen slide which is on the side with the awning doesn’t slide out that far, you do lose a bit of covered space. I think about 16-20 inches. We always have a 9x12 mat and 6x9 mat on the ground underneath. The awning is plenty big, I think 10x17. We typically have a couple chairs for sitting next to the slide under the awning as well as a recliner lounge chair. Still plenty of room it walk around everything.
Having owned a couple other travel trailers over the year we have come to live the space inside the 2304ds. Just feels so open, even with our two springers with us.

X2

We have never felt that we are lacking space under the awning. That was a concern for us as well but the living space sold us and the awning concern turned out to not be an issue. It's a great camper. Good luck.