Back from the RV Show in Pleasanton, CA

[buffalohunter]

I don't know if I am posting this in the right thread or not. I am new to this forum. I have enjoyed reading for the last couple of hours. Very interesting to read others opinions of the Forest River products. The wife loves the Windjammer 3008W. I like the floor plan a lot. I was not to thrilled about the outside storage space or lack there of. The quality seems pretty good and most posts confirm the opinion. I see a pretty good spread in the prices of that model. I suppose it really pays to shop around. If any one cares to share I would love more input about the 3008W. I can't purchase mine for a few months so I will be doing a lot of research for a while. I wanted to see a few Passport models at the show but they only had one small one.

Well, I hope I posted this in the right spot on the forum. If not very sorry. Hope to read more tomorrow. Time relax and watch a little TV for now.

Regards - and happy trailering to you all,
Jim

[tncruiser]

Welcome to the site this is in my opinion one of the better sites i visit and my interest go beyond just RV ing now go buy a new unit,stimulate the economy and goforth and enjoy
brianj

[tentcamper1]

to the forum!!

[Old car]

Welcome to the forum! I sent you a private message concerning my opinion on the 3008. Enjoy!

[cherrykiss3]

Welcome to the forum. Have fun finding just what you want. When you get it it is the greatest feeling in the world. In fact when I got mine the end of Nov. it brought tears to my eyes. There isn't a better feeling in the world.

Come back often and ask any questions you need to. Everyone is very helpful here.

Cherry

[buffalohunter]

WOW, I guess I found the right place. Thank you, to everyone for responding. I will surely spend some more time here. The wife wants to run out and buy the 3008W right now but I am holding her back. I need to get the tow vehicle paid off first, or at least close to that. May or June is looking like the soonest, but it sounds like it is worth waiting for. In the mean time I will look at options and read all the suggestions here. We know we both want the Lazy Boy chairs and dining chairs. What options do you have that you think we shouldn't go without?

Thanks again,
Jim

[bikendan]

Buffalohunter, as a fellow SF Bay resident, you might want to get some prices on the 3008W from RVWholesalers and RVDirect.
the reason is, the prices out here, for RVs made in Indiana(90% of RVs), are way more than what they are in the Midwest. i think you'll be surprised how much cheaper they are there, than here.
you can use their prices to negotiate.

when we shopped back in '06, dealers in NorCal refused to even come close to Midwest prices. but they may be more willing to now, since a lot of people have driven to the Midwest to save bunches of money, us included.

we saved over $4500 on a $20K MSRP HTT by driving to Chicago. we just made it into a cross country camping trip.

[buffalohunter]

Old car (Randy and Patty), I am planning to make an offer on the 3008w Windjammer on Thursday. Today I found a thread on this forum that discussed cracks in the 3065 model above the slide and then one that showed up on 3008w after the front slide shifted from front to back while towing - enough to tear the bracket for the awning completely off the outside of the trailer. Since then the owner "glenngreen" a junior member here also noted a crack in the outside wall just above the slide similar to what he saw posted about the 3065.

Do you know any more about this problem. I am nervous now about ordering the TT.
If you would share your thoughts I would appreciate it.

Jim

[Old car]

The problem was most prominent on the 3065 model. And it was on 2011 and maybe earlier. I know there was some redesign issues addressed on the 2012 and I have yet to see anything occur on the '12. Forest River appears to have stood behind each unit but it is still something I would not want to go through. I believe they moved the axles on the 2012 and that seemed to be the biggest issue.

We had a minor issue with the roof membrane bubbling a bit right up in the V-nose area but it was handled under warranty as well by our local dealer. The roof never leaked, just some material working a bit loose. Otherwise, we have been thrilled with our unit.

As mentioned by others, we got quotes from the wholesalers and used that info to get a better price locally. We had to take into account the cost to go to Ohio and used that in our consideration. I think most will agree that you will get better service from the dealer where you purchase your unit. Living in California and buying in Ohio takes you out of the local loop. Just something to consider.

You also asked about options. We love the atrium windows. Lots of light inside and I just like the overall appearance better. We have the dark Cherry cabinets. That choice is strictly left up to personal taste. I would also make sure you get the ladder. Ours did not have one but we worked into the deal.

Don't let the crack issue scare you out of the Windjammer family. All trailers have issues and I truly believe Forest River has addressed the problem and corrected it.
Let us know what you decide and welcome to the forum. You will find a lot of valuable information here and some of the nicest people all contribute.

[trudinator]

Welcome! Here is my short list of "must-haves"

Free standing dinette
Atrium windows (didn't get them on ours, but I wish we had)
Power front jack
Raised refrigerator panels (they look really, really nice!)
Cherry interior (my DH sold me on this, and I'm really glad he did; it looks so "rich" compared to other models with lighter interior)
Ladder
Countertop extension
Power stabilizer jacks
Convenience package (oven, a/c, serta residential mattress, water heater, power awning, etc.)

I would tell you to get the outside kitchen option as well, but I don't believe Windjammer has any outside kitchen floorplans. It was the number 1 option we wanted. Plus we wanted a huge bathroom and you're got that with the 3008W; the layout is similar to ours.

Good luck with your purchase! I hope you love yours as much as we love ours. Happy camping.

[buffalohunter]

Thanks trudinator, I am not sure what atrium windows are. All the rest is there. Last year we bought a custom made mattress for our present trailer and want to swap it for the one that will be in the new trailer. I don't expect that to be a problem. One thing I don't know yet is about the transfer of hitch items. I can do all the work just don't know if I transfer the parts from the old trailer to the new. Got to check on that tomorrow.

[VTX Al]

Atrium windows are the large, floor to ceiling windows that are often installed in the super slides as a customer option. They let in significantly more light and are nice if you have selected a darker shade of cabinetry, such as cherry or dark oak. One downside is that with atrium windows you will likely loose any over-the-window cabinets.

...VTX-Al

[DAISY BOYKIN]

I live in Jacksonville, Florida. I could not get the dealers to deal with me for a 8285WS 5VER. I contacted RV-Wholesalers in Lakewood, Ohio, they beat the local dealer by $13,000.00 with all the upgrades (larger AC, Awnings over bump outs, ETC).

Was it worth the 927 mile drive one way for me to save the 13K dollars. I sure think it was. Also by ordering it in the spring, you may have to wait 6-8 weeks or longer for delivery to the dealer. So keep this info in mind as you and the DW make your final decision.

Good luck on your decision

[trudinator]

Originally Posted by VTX Al

Atrium windows are the large, floor to ceiling windows that are often installed in the super slides as a customer option. They let in significantly more light and are nice if you have selected a darker shade of cabinetry, such as cherry or dark oak. One downside is that with atrium windows you will likely loose any over-the-window cabinets.

...VTX-Al

Yup, I was just going to say the very same thing. We have over the window cabinets over our free standing dinette and our couch, and we wouldn't have them if we had the atrium windows. So there is a trade off.

[buffalohunter]

We did it the wife and I bought the Forest River Rockwood 3008W today. We have to wait a while to pick it up but we are excited and ready to head out. THANK YOU to all of you here on forum for your support and suggestions.

Jim & Sharon

[Old car]

Congrats and welcome to the Windjammer family! Did you get the atrium windows?

[buffalohunter]

Thanks Randy and Patty, we did get the atrium window. I don't think we will miss the overhead cabinets at all. We love the open feel and the ability to open up the windows. The leather Lazy-boys are a plus too. I will get the vent covers like you suggested. Also have a bracket for a second battery added because we dry camp in the Sierra's and need the extra amp hours. I have a small solar panel and a Honda 2000e generator when the sun hides or when it snows. Thinking about a larger solar panel - they have come down in price little.

[Rebel702]

Welcome to the 'Jammer family. Be sure to get the Forest River second year warranty paperwork from your dealer. Cost is only $150. Dealers tend to not share this with customers since they want to sell their extended warranties for $2K and up. Be sure your hitch can work with the WJ nose and your extra battery install.

[Celicabob]

Welcome Jim!
I'm also a Bay area native down in San Jose. We just bought our first TT after years of tent camping back in August. Great thing about living in our area is being able to camp all year long.
One suggestion that was from another post & I used, make sure to have the thru roof AC bolts checked. 3 of the 4 on our TT were loose & could have ended up with a big leak.
Good luck with the new unit and maybe we'll run into each other in the area.

[spinningbull]

Howdy! We are also in the San Jose area. Love our rockwood.