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Old 03-17-2013, 11:29 AM   #1
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 398
Took the plunge 3011DSF questions

We cross shopped Jayco, Winnebago and Forester and it came down to a 3011 and a 3171. The 3011 won out because of more dog sleeping space / floor space and of all things the garbage hole... Yup that's right, trash was one of the deciding factors. This forum was instrumental in the decision. We had seen the Jaycos and Winnies in person but not the Forester. The info contained in these posts really helped fill in the blanks.

We put down a deposit to hold the unit since I'm out of the country currently and we'll be picking it up shortly after I get back. In the mean time I have a few questions..

1. Is it true that I can extend the Forest River warranty to two years for an extra 150.00? If so, can I get some documentation on that to take with me? The dealer hasn't denied the existence of such an extension but I like to be prepared.

2. Does Forest River offer an extended warranty of their own beyond 2 years? I've been burned by dealer and third party warranties in the past and will not touch them again.

3. Is there anything I should check for or a service bulletin I should know about on this unit before pickup to be sure that it's taken care of?

4. Which TV's run off the generator? I know there is at least one 12V TV in the rig. I just can't figure out which one. The dang thing has 4... (The kids are happy but I could care less as long as at least one works while rolling down the road with the AC running).

5. That crank up antenna is not my favorite. Mainly because I constantly forget to crank it down. Was / is there an optional antenna/dish for this unit that I could get swapped in by the dealer and still have it covered under warranty?

6. If I swap the antenna, new holes might be added and old ones covered. How do you recommend this be done to maintain the fiberglass roof integrity? This is my first unit with a fiberglass roof so it's new territory for me. If making the change, even if it is prior to delivery, voids the warranty then forget I mentioned it.

7. Can I order aluminum wheels from the factory to be installed on the unit? Looking to hedge my bets on CCC. If not, who supplies them to you?

8. The dry weight of the 3011 is listed as 12,412. I assume that's without fuel but what about the options? Is that number a standard number for all 3011s before options or specific to the unit?

Sorry for all the questions. I was blind sided on my last RV purchase with extras that the dealer really should have warned me about needing (and could have made a pretty penny on if they had). Trying to avoid that this time and get the rig exactly as I want it before it rolls out the door.

Want pics? Well here they are as supplied by the dealer website
Carolina Coach | 2013 Class C Forest River Forester 3011DSF

CAN"T WAIT TO GET HOME!!!!
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Old 03-17-2013, 02:32 PM   #2
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ok forget #5. answered that one reading the options sheet. That sat dome is pricey. I'll see how the stock antenna works and leave a sticky note on the steering wheel to crank the darn thing down for now. I'm guessing the stock antenna won't work rolling down the road but I guess I'll find out.
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Old 03-17-2013, 02:33 PM   #3
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The FR second year warranty applies only to the towable division. The generator will run all outlets in the coach and hence the TV. Why add complexity with aluminum wheels? The stainless steel liners are actually well made. After the fact, any added equipment is warrantied only by the company and by your dealer. Holes in the fiberglass should be covered with Dicor self leveling sealant. My preference would be Eternabond patch since it'll stick forever with proper application. Look for the yellow sticker on the door, that'll give you the remaining CCC.
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Old 03-17-2013, 04:12 PM   #4
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Well I looked at the difference between stock steel and Alcoa wheels. The difference is approximately 5 lbs and subtracting the liners would save about 5 lbs as well so 10 lbs a wheel which only ads up to 160 lbs added to CCC. I guess that's why the manufacturers don't bother with the aluminum upgrade except on the A's. Taking off the liners will get me half way there and cost me nothing
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Old 03-17-2013, 11:43 PM   #5
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Location: Bristol, IN
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyGuy View Post
We cross shopped Jayco, Winnebago and Forester and it came down to a 3011 and a 3171. The 3011 won out because of more dog sleeping space / floor space and of all things the garbage hole... Yup that's right, trash was one of the deciding factors. This forum was instrumental in the decision. We had seen the Jaycos and Winnies in person but not the Forester. The info contained in these posts really helped fill in the blanks.

We put down a deposit to hold the unit since I'm out of the country currently and we'll be picking it up shortly after I get back. In the mean time I have a few questions..

1. Is it true that I can extend the Forest River warranty to two years for an extra 150.00? If so, can I get some documentation on that to take with me? The dealer hasn't denied the existence of such an extension but I like to be prepared.

No, Only for trailer

2. Does Forest River offer an extended warranty of their own beyond 2 years? I've been burned by dealer and third party warranties in the past and will not touch them again.

No

3. Is there anything I should check for or a service bulletin I should know about on this unit before pickup to be sure that it's taken care of?
Not that I am aware of

4. Which TV's run off the generator? I know there is at least one 12V TV in the rig. I just can't figure out which one. The dang thing has 4... (The kids are happy but I could care less as long as at least one works while rolling down the road with the AC running).
All the TV's are 12v unless you get the front entertainment center. That 40" TV is the only one that is 110v

5. That crank up antenna is not my favorite. Mainly because I constantly forget to crank it down. Was / is there an optional antenna/dish for this unit that I could get swapped in by the dealer and still have it covered under warranty?
Look at the "Jack" digital antenna. See if that can be installed in the same hole

6. If I swap the antenna, new holes might be added and old ones covered. How do you recommend this be done to maintain the fiberglass roof integrity? This is my first unit with a fiberglass roof so it's new territory for me. If making the change, even if it is prior to delivery, voids the warranty then forget I mentioned it.
see above

7. Can I order aluminum wheels from the factory to be installed on the unit? Looking to hedge my bets on CCC. If not, who supplies them to you?
I would only recommend the Alcoa ones, which we don't offer from the factory

8. The dry weight of the 3011 is listed as 12,412. I assume that's without fuel but what about the options? Is that number a standard number for all 3011s before options or specific to the unit?
typical options. We weigh every unit and put the weight on a yellow sticker on the door.

Sorry for all the questions. I was blind sided on my last RV purchase with extras that the dealer really should have warned me about needing (and could have made a pretty penny on if they had). Trying to avoid that this time and get the rig exactly as I want it before it rolls out the door.

Want pics? Well here they are as supplied by the dealer website
Carolina Coach | 2013 Class C Forest River Forester 3011DSF

CAN"T WAIT TO GET HOME!!!!
..
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Old 03-18-2013, 01:03 AM   #6
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Thank you for the responses. Just one more curiosity question. Why not offer a one year warranty extension on motorized RVs?
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Old 03-18-2013, 08:56 AM   #7
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Each division is run separately. Not sure we none of the motorized divisions have offered it. We have asked about it and talked about it. If we did it, we would probably make the 2nd year standard.
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Old 03-18-2013, 09:23 AM   #8
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I have the Sunseeker 3010 DS. I think they are sister units with a few differences.

Mine weighs 13500lbs fully loaded. Tare weight was about the same as you indicated.
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Old 03-18-2013, 02:57 PM   #9
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They do indeed appear to be the same floor plan. Thank you for sharing your loaded weight.
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Old 03-25-2013, 12:55 AM   #10
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HappyGuy,

Congrats on your new rig, its very nice. I've been looking at getting one too. Do you mind if I ask how much you negotiated the price down from MSRP? Thank you.
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Old 03-25-2013, 01:00 PM   #11
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The unit has some additional incentives on it so the price ended up being 30% below MSRP. Other units we looked at were typically discounted at least 20% below MSRP with the exception of the Winnebagos.
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Old 03-26-2013, 10:10 AM   #12
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That's great! We just purchased one, but I was only able to negotiate 26% off MSRP here in the Los Angeles area. Can't wait! Did you get any type of extended warranty?
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Old 03-28-2013, 01:16 PM   #13
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No extended warranty. I'm a tinker and putter so for me a warranty is more of a pain than piece of mind. The $$$ saved will go into a savings account for repairs if they are needed. However, I've found that over the years an attention to detail tends to keep most nasty problems at bay. If I didn;t have access to my tools etc then I would have most certainly gone for the warranty
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Old 03-28-2013, 09:01 PM   #14
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With reference to an extended (two year) warranty, check the manuals for your appliances. Most have a two year warranty from the appliance manufacturer. The Onan generator has a two year warranty on everything and three years on major components. Our Ford chassis has three years on everything, five years on the powertrain. The extended warranty that has been discussed would be covering the coach components and labor to troubleshoot, remove and replace appliances. I assume that Forest River passes component warranty costs through to the vendor. I don't think you are losing much by not getting an extra year like the travel trailers. When an extended warranty was offered to us for our Sunseeker, the cost would have been more than any one major appliance. As long as no more than one fails during the would-be warranty period, I'm ahead. I can replace any of them myself.
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