1st time Forest River buyer

[navypoppop]

Good afternoon everybody and Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there. My wife Jill and I are 10 year travel trailer owners that were seasonal campers at best. I retired from truckdriving after 42 years and we are ready to buy a Forest River 5th wheel for full time rving and are having a hard time trying to decide which model to buy.
Our local Foresy River dealer here in Delaware is really no help and almost turned us off to a sale but we decided to buy from someone else. We are currently looking for Wildcat 353LS or Sterling 35LS to see and decide which is the one for us. I know that forest River is a reputable brand and either one would be fine. We are having no luck trying to get brochures too.
We are planning on moving the coach to Ozark, Al. and park it as permanent living with an occasional trip to Florida and back. Our daughter and son in law are military and a Blackhawk pilot that will be coming to Fort Rucker in the Dothan, Al. area next year to be stationed.
Any help on either of these units would be helpful and we will be pulling this with a 2012 Siverado Extended Cab 2500 with full HD towing capabilities. Once again thank you for your time and welcome mat and we look forward to talking to other members.
Sincerely, Navypoppop[Harry & Jill Hindley

[Forbes]

Hello and welcome to the forum, first of all you will enjoy Forest River 5th wheeling. My wife and I got our frist FR this year, 36RE CC and really enjoy it. As for the dealer not wanting to talk to you or help find another one. If you where in the NC area I would tell you to try Tom Johnsons, they seam to have a very good name and bend over backwards to help. I am sure someone here knows of a good place up your way, again welcome and enjoy it.

[Terier]

Hello Harry & Jill

to the Forest River Forums!

Dealerships are like shoes ... some are comfortable and some need kicking to the curb. Keep on searching for the right unit.

Take care.

[bikendan]

you can download the Wildcat/Sterling brochure, on their website.

read through the Wildcat section, for lots of info and feedback from owners of both, since the Sterling is just a fancier Wildcat.

there are a couple of Wildcat reps that post here and answer questions.

since you're in Delaware, get some quotes from RVW. since you're moving to the South, no need to buy from a local dealer, especially since RVW has a national service network.
i doubt that any other dealer will beat their prices.

[navypoppop]

Thanks, We have gotten different quotes from RVW and you're right no one comes close to their prices. I would pick up the coach there and bring it south with the new pickup. I know that Camping World is in Dothan so I would have a source of repair work as needed.
Our local dealer was very pushy to his recommendations not our needs or wants and with our sale being cash he was not receptive so bye bye to him. I was hoping to find a dealer within a days drive of us so we could try and look at either of the units we would like to have but might have to settle on a trip to factory.
Thanks for the replies
navypoppop

[Terier]

You would think that a dealer would welcome a cash sale with open arms especially in todays world of finances but like you I was surprised too.

The good news is that you did not give your money to the wrong guy.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by navypoppop

I was hoping to find a dealer within a days drive of us so we could try and look at either of the units we would like to have but might have to settle on a trip to factory.
Thanks for the replies navypoppop

RVW is about a 10hr. drive from Delaware. if you decide to buy from them, you could go there, do your PDI and overnite in it, at the local state park. many RVW customers do this, to make sure everything works before heading home with their new rig.

and RVW is not the factory, they are just the #1 FR dealer in the country.
unless you're talking about doing a tour of the Wildcat factory.
got to be some dealers, close by, with the models you want to look at.
have you done the dealer search, on FR's website?
also, the Wildcat reps that post in the Wildcat section, could help you if you send them a PM.

we recently looked at the Sterling 32RK and were very impressed.
when we retire in couple of years, a similar floorplan will be perfect for us.

[navypoppop]

Bikendan,
We have exhausted the websites for any local ,or 1 day drive of here to see the models we are interested in, the Sterling 35LS or the Wildcat 353LS. No one seems to have one for viewing so we will probably just take a long weekend to Elkhart and visit the factory tour and then go straight to RVW to make an order and sale.
Thanks for all your input. It really helps tobe able to talk with FR owners. Navypoppop

[campnqueen]

WELCOME! Check out the august rally in Goshen! Hope to see you there.