help need advice on buying new class c rv

[6thcav]

hi we are new to this forum but not to rving,we are looking to move up from a tt to a class c,30 t0 32 ft.we have looked at the coachmen leprechaun which we like,we just looked at the forest river forester on line.my head is spinning trying to compare the 2.i know they are made by the same manufacture but i am guessing one must be diff. from the other,as far as options,but what about construction,rubber roof ,fiberglass roof,and so on.i know they re on the same ford f450 frame.i know if i don't ask questions i will defiantly miss somethings.

[vwexpert]

They are all close on quality these days. I found the important thing is interior design. DW wanted U shape dinette with a lot of kitchen counter space and lots of inside storage. We also wanted it to look good - I think the Forester looks awesome with the full paint. It's also what options you want - need. Figure out your main wants and needs - then it will be easier to shop without spinning.
Jim

[GL1800Rider]

The Forester has a one piece fiberglass roof, padded ceiling, integrated fiberglass running boards, flat LED ceiling lights, LED front marker and tail/brake/backup lights, padded ceiling (really cuts down on the rain noise) hidden cabinet hinges, cedar lined closets and Firestone Airbags.

Forester also uses the Progressive Dynamics converter instead of the inferior WFCO and an Atwood water heater which has a quicker recovery than the Suburban and has the electric switch in the coach instead of outside at the heater and no Anode rod to replace annually which the Coachmen also has. It also comes with a battery powered Dyson vacuum cleaner and a King digital antenna instead of a crank up. Also, dual batteries are standard and not an option.

Looking at the Leprechaun features I noticed the black and grey tanks are a little smaller on the 32' and the transfer switch for the generator is manual instead of automatic like the Forester. Also, a power drivers seat appears to not be available which is on the Forester in the E450

I do see the leprechaun has available a fireplace and dual pane tinted windows which I believe are still not available on the Forester.

One factor to consider is how good your dealer is which can make a big difference in your happiness when you need warranty service as I am sure you will at some point. I don't think you can go wrong with either product. Pick the floor plan you like.

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. We are camping in it right now so any questions should be really easy.

[ilmor]

What I do when deciding what to purchase is make up my own comparison spreadsheet covering all the specs (and price) of each model I'm considering. Along with this I closely compare the floor plans and think hard about the realities of living with each one.

[6thcav]

thanks for your response seems you just got one yourself,we are now researching dealers in our area,sometime thats a bigger pain then buying the rv

[6thcav]

thanks for your help,you brought up things i did not even think about,now i have more info to read up on

[Rvrphdawg]

We did a lot of research before buying our 2016 Forester. We found that in addition to everything else mentioned here, there are 8 seat belts available ( we didn't find any others that had that many). That mattered to us only because we took a cross country trip with several family members.
Not sure about the Leprechauns etc, but the Forester has blackout shades, not the accordion style.


Forester 3011DS

[Rvrphdawg]

One minor annoyance on our Forester is the fact that the side gutters end directly above the cab doors. Any condensation/rain etc will pour down on you when you open the cab door, directly on the power window switches. No remedy that I've found. Gutter extensions didn't help


Forester 3011DS

[sgtlm17]

Took me almost a year to decide between the Coachmen Concord and the Forester GTS. . In the end I chose the Forester due to quality of accessories and interior even though I loved the look of the Concord. Couldn't be happier with the Forester. . The things GL1800rider make the difference to me.

[ilmor]

Originally Posted by Rvrphdawg

One minor annoyance on our Forester is the fact that the side gutters end directly above the cab doors. Any condensation/rain etc will pour down on you when you open the cab door, directly on the power window switches. No remedy that I've found. Gutter extensions didn't help


Forester 3011DS

Pretty typical class C issue.

[WayneLee]

And, to throw more information (and confusion) at you, the Forest River Sunseeker has the same floor plans as the Forester, but a little less 'fluff" than the Forester. However, there is a big price difference between the two. Both have the Ford E450 cutaway cab, fiberglass roof, full body paint, LED lighting, etc.

Comparing the Forester to the Sunseeker is like comparing an Itasca to a Winnebago. Same company, same floor plans, less "fluff", etc.

My story is that I was downsizing from a huge Diesel Pusher, to a Class C. I chose the Sunseeker because that's what my local dealer carried and they did not carry the Forester.

Good luck with your search.

[markb422]

Just took our third trip in our new Coachmen Freelander 27QB. I looked for a floor plan that was roomy without slides trying to make set up as quick as possible because we want to do a cross country to Nat. Parks staying a day or two at each. Ours is on the E350 SD and happy with the ride. Did not want the 450 which has a little more capacity for cargo but I did not want the stiff truck ride. The dinette, couch, driver and pass. seats have 9 belts. There is lots of storage sq footage also so you do not have to take two things out to get at something.

[kjrmhr]

My wife liked the interior of the Leprechaun the best, so that's what we went with. So far, we have loved it and had very few problems. I have not had any problems because if the wife is happy, I am happy.

[Pat Nelson]

We ordered a 2017 Coachmen Leprechaun319mb and love the large interior space, the fireplace, the u shaped dinette and the two large televisions with all the bells and whistles. The only glitch we have found so far is that in trying to automatically level it with the Big foot leveler system, then the entry door wouldn't close correctly. Guess we need to manually level it next time. I am sure it is our inexperience. We also love the true island full queen bed and the closet that is in the bedroom slide out.

No regrets yet!
Pat

[wvufan1958]

'People One thing that I did find out..is that the rear air bags are nice''....but have to add air like every 2 to 3 weeks. I bought the 2017 2861 DS by Forest River. Just love this floor plan with outside kitchen and the Bigfoot auto leveling system . Good luck.. Also welcome to the forum.

[brandon 2]

There seems to be no end to the options. Our 2014 Sun Seeker (2500TS) has 4 seat belts around the dinette. (You can park on almost any lot or easily get into any camp site) Power drivers seat and the Atwood hot water heater. Cummings Generator.Big foot leveling jacks and 3 slides. So lots of options and others..
Ours came with a 165 watt solar panel so that really saves on using the generator and maintaining the batteries.
One thing you may want to consider is the full paint. As we know everything that sits in the blazing sun soaks up heat and the full paint would be much warmer than just the normal graphics and you really pay for full paint. (although it is pretty)
One thing you may get out of the dealer is a front end alignment. We had ours done after about a year and the alignment really made a difference in steering. It was out quote a bit. I don't think there is a travel trailer sold/made that has any of the wheels balanced. And motor homes are no exception.
Just suggestions.


Brandon2
2014 2500TS
Sun Seeker

[6thcav]

thanks to everyone for your input,we like both the coachmen and the forest river,decisions,decisions, wish i could find a dealer that has both so i could look at then side by side

[Wolverine 1945]

We also have a 2500TS,,, much smaller than what you are looking for,,, but I would differently want full paint !!! The thing I dislike the most is the U shape dinette,,, It is not a very comfortable place to set for long !!! Would love to have a Sofa Bed,,, or a couple of recliners !!!

[Lazy Day]

Originally Posted by Rvrphdawg

One minor annoyance on our Forester is the fact that the side gutters end directly above the cab doors. Any condensation/rain etc will pour down on you when you open the cab door, directly on the power window switches. No remedy that I've found. Gutter extensions didn't help


Forester 3011DS

Same exact situation on our 2016 Sunseeker 3010 DS. Was a little surprised when it happened from rain but very surprised when the condensate from the A/C poured down on a clear day. Annoying for sure!

[Wolverine 1945]

Maybe we could set up with the front a little higher that the rear ???
Ours likes to drip on the drivers side mirror,,, with drip extenders !!!