Question from a potential buyer

[scotte303]

Good morning all,
I have owned towable RV's for the past 25 years. Currently in a 42' 5ver.
We want to downsize and are looking at the Sunseeker/Forester lines. They seem to have everything we need.
I was curious how pleased you are with the rigs and the company support.
Also, has anyone installed a on demand water heater in these?
Were looking at the Sunseeker 3010 or Forester 3011.
I appologise if this is posted in the wrong spot.
Thanks,
Scott

[Sunseeker16]

I have a 2016 3010 DS, bought it new. Overall I'm pleased with it. Two selling points for me were the long counter space and the absorption, double door fridge. Not sure what's in them today. Honestly I have no issues with the propane/electric water heater it came with. The E 450 chassis is not the best ride on rough roads just have to slow down at times. Mine handled like crap until I had an alignment done now it's much better. As for company support, I had none, very disappointing, others have great luck.

[5er_tom]

We have had two FR units in the past. Both fifth wheels. Very happy with FR. When we decided to move to a C, we first looked at the FR units. Being experienced RV’ers we knew what we did and did not want. We did want opposed seating rather than side by side seating. FR units did not have that. Their table and couch were all side by side. Should not have killed the deal, but it did.

We have a Jayco, model 27U, 30’ long and are very happy with it. We tow our Grand Cherokee and the hitch on the C is rated at 7,500#’s. We have had issues, but we have used mobile RV Techs and Jayco has not hesitated to reimburse us.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Have friends with a 2014 Sunseeker with the floorplan of the 3050s. That's the other one with a full length slide. They love it although, like most rvs, it had a few bugs at first. Right now they're turning down offers from people who drive by and want to purchase it. Not going to happen though.

[ChrisParise]

Company support? Do you mean dealer support? There are no company rv dealerships, they are all dealers.

My rv dealer is great. But they aren't perfect, neither is my car dealer who gives GM factory service and I wouldn't go anywhere else.

FR, the company, has stepped up and helped out many owners with fixes and remedies but that's rather rare - if you scour this site well enough you will find such cases.

There are FR product managers who frequent this site and they do help but they have day jobs at the plant which is their priority. Because they are passionate about their products, love rving, and are customer focused, they help out here.

Most of us do our own simple coach work and go to the dealer for the rest. Some on this site tackle their own chassis work.

My 6 gal lpg hw heater has never run out of hot water and gives warm water within 5 minutes after starting.

My motorhome has been serviceable, but you've got to do regular maintenance. Coach and it's systems. Stuff does break but it's fixable.

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[Canadian Eh]

We bought our 2018 24' C used and it has been okay. The new awning motor quit. Some of the screws on the seam cap pulled through and I had to replace. I have to say that the engineering and construction is at a very low level. Be prepared to be a handyman. We are embarking on a 5000 mile tour and will see how everything holds. I worry about the slide but other than that I can probably fix.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by ChrisParise

There are FR product managers who frequent this site and they do help but they have day jobs at the plant which is their priority. Because they are passionate about their products, love rving, and are customer focused, they help out here.

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Just to clarify, the only FR corporate managers that are members, are only from the Motorized division, thanks to their GM Brian Clemens.
No one from any of FR's Towable divisions are members here, at least for the past 10 years.

[scotte303]

[QUOTE=ChrisParise;2753685]Company support? Do you mean dealer support? There are no company rv dealerships, they are all dealers.



No, I did mean Company support. Great to hear your RV Dealer is great !
After 25 years and 7 different rigs I have found Most dealers are terrible. However the company/manufacturers have been supportive, with the exception of Keystone! When you call they have sent parts. Currently in a Grand Design Solitude and they have been OUTSTANDING!
That has been my experience and many folks I have met on the road while full timing the last 2 years.
I know things go wrong and there are issues, with all fairness every time we drive down the road your "House" is put through an earthquake.
Small stuff is expected and most can be fixed fairly easy.

[RVnewbieFl]

I purchased a Forest River Forester 2551DSLE used with less than 3K miles and am very pleased with the unit, especially with hearing all the issues with newer Class C RV's. We have not had any issues with the RV at this time and have been enjoying it since we boondock more than use a campground.

[Bob2019]

I really like my Forester - having everything, can stop most places to eat a meal, use my facilities, generator if needed for A/C or microwave. BUT, I sure am disappointed in how the models from 2019 have been so much cheapened. I have noted in previous posts all the things removed or gone from 2020 forward. Once you have the goodies that make a Cadillac, it is hard to go back to a stripped down unit. I would look elsewhere if I have to replace my Forester or probably just quit having an RV today. Removing a range hood and a microwave placed at your knees and a battery hog 12v refrigerator would be a deal breaker for me.

[SQROOT]

I purchased our 2018 3010ds in Dec of 18 and it was built I think at the beginning of 18. I have had no major problems that I could not fix, replacing door latches. My dealer has been excellent, but like so many, he is way behind in repairs with the exception of new sold units. This forum is really good to ask questions and to research any problems you might encounter. The information on suspension is really great and replacing sway bars on my unit has helped.

SQROOT (Gary)

[Hailey]

Scottee303,
Like many of the answers you have already received, I have owned many RV's in the last 20+ years - Class As, 5vers, and my second Class C. Like maybe yourself my needs and wants have changed over the years, From place on wheels to spend lots of time with G'kids, to seeing as much of this great country as possible (Been to them all but not in the rv for Alaska and Hawaii). And the last few years basically me and the bride of 57+ years slowing down and smelling the roses. In the time we've owned it we are in it on the road 5 to 6 months a year spending 4+months being snow birds in Florida.

In our present 3011 we ordered it from the factory and tried to make sure we had all the stuff we wanted and liked. Top of our list was a factory paint job, expensive but the paint is the same as your car. wax it once a year and it stays looking brand new. We loved the kitchen counter, it works perfect for us. Side by side fridge has been a champ, had a controller go but it was warranty. "U" shaped dinette we like and lots of storage under. Went with theater seating but replaced it with swivel recliners. Over the cab we gutted out ourselves and had four doors made and slide out shelves. We carry lots of bulky things plus personal items that we use every day up there.
Went with the ten gallon water heater, I personally hate on demand. Had problems with a/c in the first year. factory worked with me and authorized replacement. Walk in shower is great for us, I replaced the head and faucet.
Toilet I put in a ceramic, have had ceramic in last three RV's, only way to go.
Bedroom, what can I say, I'd love a California King with 3 feet of room on each side, but I'd never give up all the stuff above to have one so the queen works. there is storage under and I added an electric lift because the bed is sooo heavy. Cabinets are cedar lined, that's nice.
Outside storage is ok, but I'll warn you that you won't fit much of what you have in that 42 footer.
Drive train in my mind is almost bullet proof, Ford has been building this 450 model for years they have it figured out. People say to align it, i didn't for three years then saw that i had serious inside wear. OOPs my bad. I also read that they add heavy duty suspension and steering stuff. they say it helps with swaying. Hey your driving the equivalent of a billboard at 65 mph, you are going to get wind gusts trying to put you where you don't want to be. I've driven thru storms that I shouldn't have and was able to cope. Semi's passing are hardly noticeable most of the time, you just have to stay aware.

All this of course is my opinion, I am happy where I'm at. Notice in the above story I never mention going to a dealer. My dealer proved to be a complete ass starting on my day of pickup, after a month of camping I took it back to have a short list repaired. after two weeks I picked it up and had more wrong that when I took it in. I try to fix everything my self, I do it well.

End of story I am very happy with my RV.

Good luck with your search.

[ChrisParise]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Just to clarify, the only FR corporate managers that are members, are only from the Motorized division, thanks to their GM Brian Clemens.
No one from any of FR's Towable divisions are members here, at least for the past 10 years.

Thanks for clarifying [emoji106]

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[PenJoe]

We had a Sunseeker 2500TS (27' Class C). It was a good unit and most things functioned as they should-except for a very weak floor. Within 2 months of use, we noted a spongy floor. Because it was not water intrusion related, FR would not cover it. They did send me a floor blueprint. The aluminum tubing "structure" was very thin wall aluminum, approx 3 thicknesses (.045") of a beverage can. Grid spacing, as I recall was 24" to 30+". Filling between the frame spacing was Styrofoam equivalent to $8/4x8 sheet from a lumber supply. It crushes and does not recover. The floor surface was 3/8" OSB covered by vinyl. The underside was a thin non-structural weather proof laminate. Strength at the expense of saving weight. Even a more dense foam would had been a benefit.

[Shadow57]

We bought a used 2008 Sunseeker 2860 from a friend and used for 3 years, then traded for a new 2017 Forester 3051. We have been happy with both. I can't say service was great on the new one, we do have a warranty but our issues are few. We usually fix ourselves to keep from having it in the shop.

I love the RV but we showed horses out of a living quarters horse trailer for years. I would much rather ride in the RV than a truck.

[scotte303]

Hailey, Thanks for the detailed response, ! Greatly appreciated and very helpful.

[clives]

My 2018 3010DS has had no MAJOR issues so far but we did have several niggly items that I was unwilling/unable to fix and the dealer was hit or miss. Found out if you go to the International Frog rally in Goshen you can sign up for factory service on a couple of items for <3 year old units. Once the factory techs show up at your rig they are super-accommodating and will go out of their way to address issues. This worked out GREAT, everything was fixed to my satisfaction and they even threw in an extra year after the covid hiatus. If you buy a new FR (any kind) take it to Goshen for the first 2-3 years!! I also would recommend FROG in general with a shout out to Bob and Cindy who do a great job running it. In my opinion FROG tours/rallies are more fun than the (overpriced) caravan companies.

[Patten]

Hi - We've had our 2021 Forester 3051 for almost 18 months and are happy overall. We just returned from 10 days on the Oregon coast and everything went great. That being said, there have been a couple issues I've been able to take care of (I was reimbursed) and a couple we had to go to a dealer for, but nothing major. I would buy again! We had a tankless water heater installed by the dealer at the time of purchase and am pleased with it. We used to get an error early-on that required a restart of the unit but haven't had any issues since. I enjoy doing little modifications on the RV that make it the best for our use.

Safe travels and happy camping,

Mike

[scotte303]

Thank you!

[karykatz]

the 3010/11 has been our top selling floor plan for years. it has lots of storage room and a great working kitchen. Thank you for your interest and we hope we can earn your business