Enlighten me about Surveyor

[PHS79]

We are about to pull the trigger on a new 2019 Surveyor 323BHLE. What can you tell me about Surveyor in general? How about the 323BHLE specifically?

We are not new to camping, but we have never had a Surveyor before, this is also the first time that we have thought about purchasing a brand new camper.

TIA,
Paul

[coachjeff1]

My parents have owned 2 of them and were very satisfied with them. The second one was a 2016 265 RLDS that was gifted to me and my wife. We have had it for 2 years now and have had no issues at all with it. It seems to be a quality build.

[UGACamper]

We have a 2018 243RBS which we modified removing the dinette and replacing it with a sofa. We love it, but really want to upgrade to the 33krlok.

[bob213]

We have the SV264RK. It is 7 years old and has been an excellent trailer. Replacing the foam in the dinette cushions was probably the biggest change we have made. Nothing else seemed necessary. It's not a high dollar trailer compared to some but in my opinion you get a lot of nice features for the price. If I had to replace it tomorrow I would probably buy another as the only other two I like (Lance and Artic Fox) are way more money.

[clarkbre]

Originally Posted by PHS79

....What can you tell me about Surveyor in general? How about the 323BHLE specifically?......

As a brand, Surveyor seems to be a very good value for the money. Ours is a 2017 and we've had it out for 69 nights so far not including the countless "driveway campouts" and guest bedroom for the in laws. The trailer has held up very well and had many features that were not included in most trailers at the time of purchase.

- Stainless sink
- Wrap over bullnose countertops
- Nice wood finish cabetry
- LED lighting
- All metal outdoor kitchen
- Actual BBQ in outdoor kitchen
- Plumbed drain sink in outdoor kitchen
- 70 gallons of gray water storage, competitors had 40
- Awesome layout - I was very hesitant about 2 opposing slides but now absolutely love the island with the sink....this also provides 2 pathways front to back in the trailer so that you're not tripping over people
- Tons of counterspace
- Ladder w/ walkable roof
-

We've had 2 issues with the frame and suspension. These 2 issues were NOT Surveyor related.

1. A self inflicted bolt break caused by me flexing the suspension (front tire stuffed, rear all the way down) WAY too much. It was a $7.00 repair for the hardware but showed me that trailers have small offroad capabilities.

2. 14 months after purchase, a spring hanger disconnected from the chassis. Lippert (LCI1) was the manufacture of the frame (along with probably 90% of all trailers on the road) and paid $6,000 to have the all 6 spring hangers taken off the chassis, the frame reinforced and new suspension installed. Again, not surveyor related.

The other issues were minor cosmetic issues and a minor leak in the kitchen faucet.

We love our trailer. My best advice for purchasing a brand new unit:
1. Whatever the dealer tells you about their stellar service department and how much they care....they suck...and they don't care.
2. Be handy and know that part of "making it your own" is figuring out some of the minor qwerks and how to overcome them. Learn to change fuses, put in a longer screw, glue, readjust something, etc.

Overall, I would really recommend the Surveyor for their quality and value. You'll be hard pressed to find a nicer, feature packed trailer for the money. Specifically to the layout, the 2 opposing slides and center island make the trailer feel huge. The arched ceilings help with that too that many other manufacturers don't do.

Let us know how it goes.

[rwhit]

We purchased a 241RBLE last April and the first time we took it out there was a bad hail storm on the first night. We were one of four new trailers there that night but the only one with a non metal trailer. The other three metal trailers were headed back for insurance claims while we were still having a great time. We had two minor issues with the trailer which I took care of myself. Compared to trailer experiences that we have talked with other owner about the Surveyor is great just wish it came with tank heaters that I am adding now before we head north during the winter.

[jrmartin67]

We just returned from 6 weeks & 3,000 miles on our 2018 266RLDS. It was our first long trip with it and we like it! We especially like the opposing slides in the living room and the island in the kitchen, and I like the comparative ease of emptying the tanks (compared to our 2011 Flagstaff V-Lite). The bedroom is small and the mattress we will replace. The vote is still out on the electric-only fridge; not sure how we'd boon-dock with that! The "build" is okay - FR cheap materials evident. Pocket door on bathroom came loose - screws pulled out of door hanger; shower handle backing needs re-gluing and shower needs calking. The grey water tank is too small for us; have to empty after 2 days. All-in-all, we are pleased. This is our fifth travel trailer in 14 years. Favorite was the 2013 Windjammer.

[bob213]

Originally Posted by rwhit

just wish it came with tank heaters that I am adding now before we head north during the winter.

The Artic Package should give you tank heaters.

[mannagills]

We have owned a 287BHSS two years now (about 30 nights of use). Overall very pleased with the trailer. Only one issue. The hot water tank sprung a leak on our first trip and had to be replaced. This was a HW tank manufacturing issue not an assembly issue. Other than that, smooth sailing and we have been very pleased with it.

[gbaldwin]

200 MBLE. Good size for the two of us. First purchase 3 years ago. Minimal issues. Only been to a shop once to weld a spring hanger that I THINK was probably broken the day I pulled it home.??

[upflying]

Do a PDI on everything and don't sign anything until it's right.
Hook it up to your TV and make sure the brakes, lights and charge circuit work.
Make sure the dealer knows how to properly adjust a WDH.
Bring a multimeter.
Bring a 120v circuit tester.
Bring a flashlight and explore the hidden spaces of the Surveyor.
Once you buy it, it's your problem.
When choosing a RV, ask for a tour of the service department. What you see may be the deal breaker.
My Surveyor is a victim of mass production, expect issues and problems from rushed construction techniques..
Plan on being handy with a lot of DIY fixes.

[lmeilleur]

We too, wife and I bought a new 2018 200MBLE and have had it out 5 times thus far. Love it, but some of the small trim/finishing items leave something to be desired. Getting a couple of items fixed on warrant, poor "Surveyor" decal installation, two rims that have flat spots in them, some loose moulding. I had to put the doors about the entertainment/bar unit in as they were forgotten during the building of the trailer, also replaced the Furrion Solar panel plug due to poor decal installation, couldn't read what it was. One last thing is the counter-top has an opening for a Gage can/laundry and the piece cutout for that is has a split in the moulding. That's about it and I hope this helps. Nothing serious, all appliances work great.

[slipf18]

FR Surveyors are cheaply made and poorly assembled. I had one. Crummy quality control...don’t believe me?.... when you take delivery of yours pull out the drawers and look behind them...examine the messy wiring runs and notice the substandard connections...check out your minimal weight rated axles and cheap Chinese tires...notice how things are screwed together (or not)...cheap plumbing and fixtures and even cheaper ductwork...I could go on, but it’s an industry wide problem...oh, by the way...FR will not stand by there product if you have a serious problem...If your fiberglass starts to delaminate...it’ll be your fault as far as they’re concerned...enough ranting....buyer beware.

[clarkbre]

Originally Posted by slipf18

FR Surveyors are cheaply made and poorly assembled. I had one. Crummy quality control...don’t believe me?.... when you take delivery of yours pull out the drawers and look behind them...examine the messy wiring runs and notice the substandard connections...check out your minimal weight rated axles and cheap Chinese tires...notice how things are screwed together (or not)...cheap plumbing and fixtures and even cheaper ductwork...I could go on, but it’s an industry wide problem...oh, by the way...FR will not stand by there product if you have a serious problem...If your fiberglass starts to delaminate...it’ll be your fault as far as they’re concerned...enough ranting....buyer beware.

Not seeing anything Surveyor specific above. And, this pretty much sums up why all of us Forest River owners have a forum like this.....

We're here to help.

[PHS79]

We ended up making a deal on the Surveyor, it ended up being a little bit of back and forth figuring out price but we finally got thru it. We pick it on Saturday, I happen to go past today and they had it in front of the shop going thru it. We cleaned everything out of our current Passport last night, you don’t realize how much crap you take with until it is sitting in the garage and the pile occupies more space than the side x side that is usually in that garage stall.

Right now we are just trying to find a spot to go camping Aug 16-18 as a shake down before our long weekend trip the 21-25. Thanks all for the responses!

Paul

[clarkbre]

Originally Posted by PHS79

We ended up making a deal on the Surveyor, it ended up being a little bit of back and forth figuring out price but we finally got thru it. We pick it on Saturday, I happen to go past today and they had it in front of the shop going thru it. We cleaned everything out of our current Passport last night, you don’t realize how much crap you take with until it is sitting in the garage and the pile occupies more space than the side x side that is usually in that garage stall.

Right now we are just trying to find a spot to go camping Aug 16-18 as a shake down before our long weekend trip the 21-25. Thanks all for the responses!

Paul

Congrats. Let us know how it goes and if you have any questions.