2860DS

[Nozzel]

Looking for current owners of late model editions for pros and cons

[gmacklem]

How late model are you looking for? I have a 2014 2860DS and love it. I know the latest model has some changes though like LED lighting, Max Air fan, King Air TV antenna and such.

[Nozzel]

Thanks gmacklem! I'm looking at a 2017, but we are finding lots of bad reviews for past few years. All of the reviews seem to be consistent; trouble with auto leveling, generator, HVAC, paint, missing screws... I was hoping to get a sampling of good and bad from that time frame. It looks awesome, but I don't want to buy a lemon.

[gasgastwo]

I had a 2015 2860ds on a ford chassis, loved the camper but hated the v10 engine noise with a passion. so much so that i traded it in on a 2017 2860ds on a chevy chassis, its almost perfect. they went backwards on a couple of things where you can see they tried to save money. (quality of electric cord, television antenna, etc.) but improved a lot of things, reclining couch, repositioned awning etc. i have come to the conclusion that for loose screws etc. its better to just go over the whole camper yourself when you get it home as service from local dealer is awfull. the 2860 suits us just right. we are more than happy with ours.

[Nozzel]

Originally Posted by gasgastwo

I had a 2015 2860ds on a ford chassis, loved the camper but hated the v10 engine noise with a passion. so much so that i traded it in on a 2017 2860ds on a chevy chassis, its almost perfect. they went backwards on a couple of things where you can see they tried to save money. (quality of electric cord, television antenna, etc.) but improved a lot of things, reclining couch, repositioned awning etc. i have come to the conclusion that for loose screws etc. its better to just go over the whole camper yourself when you get it home as service from local dealer is awfull. the 2860 suits us just right. we are more than happy with ours.

Thanks gasgastwo! I appreciate the input.

[fliper74]

Originally Posted by Nozzel

Looking for current owners of late model editions for pros and cons

We have a 2017 2860DS and just love it. Great family rig, love the outside kitchen, we don’t have auto leveling but don’t miss it yet.
We do have the larger refrigerator a big plus, haven’t used the ice maker yet but plan to this year. 8+ mpg which is typical. You do have to keep checking the air bags for proper inflation which I learned after a few bumpy and noisy rides. One thing I added was a support bar to stabilize the dinning table while traveling because there is a lot of play in the up position and makes for a very noisy ride. Oh yea I did change the way the outside refrigerator door opens because you could not take out the shelves or take out the drain tray. As far as loose screws and minor things missed by the somewhat lacking quality control by FR I believe you will find that in whatever MH you decide to buy. The best advice I could give is to buy from a dealer that really cares about its customer after the sale.

[retired on a mountain]

My 2014 27000 miles Michelin Tires changed at 16000 ,slide out motor replaced,outside kitchen was a must have. Wish it came on other models

[ACJC]

We got a 2018 and only used it a couple times late last year. No major issues and dealer fixed all minor issues quickly. Looking forward to this season. We like the rear bedroom with room to walk around the bed. Pantry is a bonus.
Only downside to the couch is there no place to put your drink, will be building something to remedy that this spring. We have the Bigfoot levelers and the arctic pak.

[MizzouMan_2000]

2017 2860DS on Chevy chassis... Bought new and has about 2000 miles now. Where do I start...

Water leak during weekend of heavy rain before we even used it. They had to replace the cabinet over the dinette due to water damage.
Starter failed at 200 miles. Chevy problem, not F.R. There was a known bad batch of starters that was determined 2 months after buying ours.
Shower leaked. I suspect was leaking where the wall panel meets the shower pan. Not sure they've got it fixed well as haven't used it since they had it. Supposedly they had it sitting propped up on a ramp to force water to the suspected problem corner and checked for leakage.
Couldn't fill fresh water tank
Rear view camera sucks in bright sunlight. Dealer hasn't figured it out yet and I've changed every setting possible. The image is so washed out in bright daylight it's useless. Almost like it's stuck in night mode.
2 ceiling lights died a flickering death, one outside had the on/off center switch break
Had to have both slides adjusted. Front side scratched the floor. Rear doesn't seem to open equal amounts on both ends.
One of the 2 brackets where you hook the bunk over can ladder has had both screws pulled out of the cheap MDF board. I'll have to doctor it somehow to get them to stay. Likely drill it out, glue in dowels and screw back together.
The door that holds the bedroom TV sags. Can be tricky to close it so the latch is properly aligned.
One drawer latch fell apart.
Gas cap failed. Stopped clicking like it's supposed to so you know it's correctly tightened.

I think that's it.

[KnC]

Saw this thread and thought I 'd add another 'review' of the 2860 DS. Overall, we love our 2017 model. For us, it has the best floor plan (able to walk on both sides of bed, shower and toilet area separated, sofa that sits across from TV, sofa/dinette set-up which is nice for conversations with guests, and outdoor kitchen with propane connection for bbq). When we bought it, we didn't realize how much we'd use the outdoor kitchen (it really helps to allow you to live outside and inside). I wish more models had outdoor kitchens.

What would we improve?
Place for storage of shoes in the entrance location.
Same floor plan but with aerodynamic front end vs bed over the cab
Better side and rear-view camera set-up (they are nice but if Forest River could add functionality like that of my Honda CR-V, it would be awesome)
Probably others. However, in our comparison with other brands, we thought the Sunseeker provided the best value for the money.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by KnC

Same floor plan but with aerodynamic front end vs bed over the cab

You can order the "Trekker" style front end cap with the entertainment center. That removes the bed overhang and cleans up the front quite a bit. We ordered our 2019 2500TSF with the "Trekker" and it is a No Cost option.

There are a couple limitations on it though. It can only be ordered with a E-450 chassis. And it is not available in the LE series. And I suspect you won't see many that where not customer ordered as dealers don't want to limit the market for a new rig.


The attached FR spec sheet shows it in the second section.

[ACJC]

Went on a fishing trip and my friend slept in the cap area and thought it was great. Had his CPAP and even commented on how comfortable the mattress was. My grandson loved it too.