Shopping for a new 24' class C

[janegraves]

Any advice would be welcome. I will be a first time motorhome owner. I am leaning toward the Sunseeker 2300 and have best price offer from RVD. My time frame is to take delivery mid-May.

[Al Fresco]

It looks good in storage! My wife and I took delivery of our 2011 SunSeeker 2300 in early December, just in time to park it in a neighbor’s barn for the winter. Our first impressions are very favorable. The fit and finish, quality of furnishings, and drivability more than met our expectations.

Although we have not had an opportunity to test all the camping related accessories, we have driven it periodically to exercise the chassis components and the generator. Mechanically, and as far as drivability is concerned, we are favorably impressed.

You might be interested to know that our unit is built on a Ford E-350 super duty chassis. The online specs at the Forest River website indicate that the 2300’s are built on an E-450 chassis. I don’t know if this downsizing of the chassis is a new permanent change or a sporadic substitution. Although the cargo carrying capacity (CCC) is lower (by some 2,000 pounds) with the E-350 super duty chassis, it is rumored to confer some advantages as far as handling and gas mileage are concerned. If the CCC is an issue for you, you may want to check the chassis on your unit.

We ordered our SunSeeker with the following options: V-10 engine, Onan generator, U-shaped dinette, Fantastic Fan, water filter, and Bigfoot automatic jacks. After doing a bit more research, we realized it would have been advantageous to have also included the one-piece fiberglass front cap to minimize the chance of leakage. We attempted to have the front cap added while the unit was under construction but it was too far along to make the change. Looks like I will be spending a bit more time with a caulking gun to make up for this oversight.

From my relatively limited experience, I have only good things to say about the SunSeeker 2300. I suggest you give it serious consideration.

[janegraves]

Thanks, Al Fresco, for the reply. It is very helpful. I am sure you are looking forward to camping season. I also saw some postings on this forum about the 2300 being delivered with the E350 instead of the E450. I have pulled the specs for them from Ford and saw little difference, so I don't think it will be a problem for me with the lighter load. I haven't had a chance to drive one yet since there are no Forest River dealers nearby. There is a dealer in Raleigh that has a Coachman that I may go test drive since it is on the same chassis and coach dimensions, so the drive experience should be close enough. I'm also waiting until after our local camping show before I order to give them a chance to make me a better deal. However, I would rather order from the factory so that I can get exactly the options I want.

I have been looking for side by side comparisons on the generators to determine if the Onan upgrade is worth the extra. I see many people have opted for the Onan. All I can get for info is that it is quieter, however, I was wondering if it was quieter enough to make a difference. If anyone has any more details on the generator comparisons, I would appreciated it.

I pretty much chose the same options as you did except for the leveling one. Is that a must have option? Is it available as an after-market add-on if I don't get it on initial purchase but want it later?

[Al Fresco]

janegraves,

Indeed, my wife and I are looking forward to camping season with great anticipation. Here (in northern Idaho) the ground is now covered with about a foot of Mom Nature’s imitation Styrofoam (melted and refrozen snow). Unfortunately, it will probably be mid-April before we can take the SunSeeker on its shakedown cruise. There will be lots of trip and mod planning to occupy us in the meantime though.

Regarding the automatic levelers, we do most of our camping at Forest Service campgrounds which do not always have level parking areas – thus the need to have some convenient means of leveling the unit. Last year when we were breaking camp (with our Chalet popup trailer) I was out sloshing around in the rain and mud disassembling the outdoor shower enclosure, removing and stashing the Bal leveler, retracting the stabilizers, removing the awning, folding the hard-sided roof, hitching, etc. I looked over at my neighbor in his class C motorhome who simply retracted his automatic levelers and drove off. That was the last straw which prompted us to graduate up to the SunSeeker with the automatic levelers.

The levelers can be purchased and installed after-market, but, as you are probably aware, they are not cheap. Another factor in our decision had to do with the fact that we are now rapidly approaching our seventh decade of existence on the planet. Messing around with leveling blocks and backing and forthing does not hold the charm it once did. If you plan on staying primarily at sites that are reasonably level and/or if participation in the euphemistically-named “Golden Years” is not a factor, automatic levelers are probably not really a must-have item.

[MotocrossCamper]

We race Motocross and have almost never stay somewhere you can plug in, If you want my two cents, get the Onan generator. We have had a couple cheaper ones and they just don't have what it takes for us. We had a 24 foot Coachmen before we upgraded to our 31 foot Sunseeker, both with Onan's. We usually leave for a race on Friday around noon and return on Sunday around 8 p.m. We start the generator on Friday morning and it never gets shut off for anything until we get back on Sunday. That's 60 hours straight, every weekend from March until November, and I have never had to take one in for repair yet. The Onan's like to be ran.

[janegraves]

Thanks, Motocross. I guess the Onan is worth the upgrade.

Al, eventhough I'm approaching the golden years, don't think I'll go for the levelers. They are a big expense, and I may be staying at level campsites and my son's backyard. He can work the leveling there for me, lol.

[MotocrossCamper]

If you have to level with jacks and wood blocks, these little RV levels help a bunch. They are marked in inches so you at least know how much you need to raise the low points. It takes a little of the guess work out.

Rv Designer Collection - RV Levels, Set of 2 - Levels - Camping World