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Old 03-10-2017, 01:25 PM   #1
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What do you like or hate about your Sunseeker?

Hey all,

My family of 4 is looking to jump into camping head first. We were considering a travel trailer, but came across some Class C's that have been interesting.

One of those was a 2290S, brand new 2017 on GM chassis and what seems like a sweet deal.

Another, a brand I won't mention, is a used 2016 with about 25k miles and about $10k difference.


So, the dealer with the used unit basically says the sun seekers are not durable, cabinets fall of the walls, etc.

I wish I'd remembered this forum sooner and posted the question last Friday, after finding the 2290S.

So, let me hear it. What do you like/hate about your sunseekers in general. And if you have a 2290S, I particularly want to hear what you have to say.

Thanks!
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Old 03-10-2017, 01:38 PM   #2
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I've owned 2 Sunseekers so far. A 3170 and presently a 3010. Very few problems, and never had a cabinet fall off the walls yet. We love the layout, the large fridge, auto levelers and honestly, when we've gone to recent shows my wife and I say we really didn't see anything that we liked a lot better than what we have.
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Old 03-10-2017, 02:13 PM   #3
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Thanks, Brian217.

The dealer of the used unit, of course, was really talking down the FR brand because it's not a brand they sell. Something about not using aluminum in the superstructure, so the cabinets & such don't stay attached well.

Curious thing, though,... I had heard that Forrest River rolls up to 'Thor' ownership at the top level and the dealer of the used unit does sell Thor brand RVs... So, if it's true that Thor owns the FR brand, then he's basically talking down his own products.
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Old 03-10-2017, 02:18 PM   #4
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We have a 2014 3010DS. As usual we had some problems in the beginning, As with all new units. But have not had any cabinet problems. It has been very durable with minimun small repairs, loose screws, bulbs. reseal some caulking . in 3 more years we are going to get another new one , and yes it will be a forest River. The factory took care of all our complaints and were great to work with. Went beyond what we had asked to be fixed.
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Old 03-10-2017, 02:31 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MizzouMan_2000 View Post
Thanks, Brian217.

The dealer of the used unit, of course, was really talking down the FR brand because it's not a brand they sell. Something about not using aluminum in the superstructure, so the cabinets & such don't stay attached well.

Curious thing, though,... I had heard that Forrest River rolls up to 'Thor' ownership at the top level and the dealer of the used unit does sell Thor brand RVs... So, if it's true that Thor owns the FR brand, then he's basically talking down his own products.
Nope, Thor and FR are separate entities. FR is owned by Berkshire Hathaway aka Warren Buffet. I have owned both and looked at many different units over the years. FR has been doing better than Thor on QC until fairly recently. However that is my opinion and the QC from BOTH of them could stand improvement.

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Old 03-10-2017, 02:38 PM   #6
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We've got a 2016 FR Sunseeker 2250 slec that is perfect size for the two of and one or two of our grandsons . Ours has the corner bedroom slide ,which we love as opposed to the 2301 w/ a corner bed that is tough for two people to get in & out of. Good luck !
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Old 03-10-2017, 02:43 PM   #7
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We've got a 2016 FR Sunseeker 2250 slec that is perfect size for the two of and one or two of our grandsons . Ours has the corner bedroom slide ,which we love as opposed to the 2301 w/ a corner bed that is tough for two people to get in & out of. Good luck !
Thanks. Both units we're considering have a corner bed and U-shaped dinette.

Differences:

FR has the slide, the other does not
FR is new 2017, the other is a used 2016 w/~25k miles
FR is GM chassis, the other is Ford chassis
And where I'm at right now between the dealers is about $10k difference.

Speaking of the chassis, did I understand right that the GM 2290s doesn't have remote lock/unlock?
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Old 03-10-2017, 02:44 PM   #8
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Oh, and the FR we looked at has the rear view AND side-view cameras. I like that idea! The used one only has rear view camera.
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Old 03-10-2017, 04:07 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by MizzouMan_2000 View Post
Thanks, Brian217.

The dealer of the used unit, of course, was really talking down the FR brand because it's not a brand they sell. Something about not using aluminum in the superstructure, so the cabinets & such don't stay attached well.

Curious thing, though,... I had heard that Forrest River rolls up to 'Thor' ownership at the top level and the dealer of the used unit does sell Thor brand RVs... So, if it's true that Thor owns the FR brand, then he's basically talking down his own products.
Typical sales "speak".... For whatever reason the sales person is pushing you to the other rig with misinformation. I've attached the Sunseeker Features poster that clearly shows the aluminum framing in the walls. I also watched the walls being assembled when I did a plant tour so I know it is in the wall...

As someone else already mention FR is owned by Berkshire Hathaway not Thor. FR and Thor are the two biggest brands in the RV world with dozens of brands under their names.

We've owned two Sunseekers and haven't had anything fall off the walls yet...no thanks to the roads up north. We have had typical FR issues, nothing critical, that were either addressed by our dealer or at the FROG Rally by the support teams.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf 2017sunseekerfeatureposter(4).pdf (774.5 KB, 59 views)
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Old 03-10-2017, 04:12 PM   #10
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Single camera not an issue. If you do buy new consider the heat pump, as we get over a year out of a tank of propane (frig on the road). No matter what brand you by they all use the same sub systems (heat, h/w, etc.). There are some very nice winnies, fleetwod, and born free C units out there. For us the coachman, thor, FR were of simular modest build quality, but the amount of features aka fiberglass roof, gas/ elect HW, hyd. jacks, made the difference.

For DW and I the cost benefit went to Sunseeker. But then we are not glampers (whatever they are), we are travellers who sit under the awning with a beverage and fire up the grill after a day of sightseeing. On the road a dinner party does not require hand finished maple cabinets and marble tops.

Get the layout that works for you and the type of systems you want. As all of the coaches will need repair, keep the subsystems as simple as you can. For me something like the type of pex crimps used and access to them far outways how pretty fiberglass running boards may look.

We are over three years in the "cheap" sunseeker, but the cabinets have not fell off and we are on the road monthly....

Good hunting.. but don't let another summer pass less you can't cut the funds loose...
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Old 03-10-2017, 04:21 PM   #11
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Thanks for all the responses.

I think one other comment from the guy was about delamination, maybe? I don't recall.
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Old 03-10-2017, 04:22 PM   #12
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Typical sales "speak".... For whatever reason the sales person is pushing you to the other rig with misinformation.
Of course he was because he wants me to buy from him & not the other dealer.
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Old 03-10-2017, 04:40 PM   #13
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gm vs ford

I love ford trucks, ran 250 diesel for years. But our rv chassis is a chevy 4500. The chev 4500 tracks like an arrow down the road (due to IFS). Ford front ends are tough built but lack IFS. Just one man's o'pine but straight axles in the fords have high capacity, but lack a little in the control department. Ever seen a IFS heavy (2 ton or better) truck? no. Ever seen a straight formula one car? no. If the IFS can tolerate the weight load (rating) why give up the ride quality.

Drive both, preferable used units (as your will be also used after a year in).
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Old 03-10-2017, 04:57 PM   #14
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I see in the PDF posted earlier about the tank heaters:
"The utility station protects tanks
and valves using warm air from the
furnace."

Does the Arctic package have the heat blankets around the tanks or is that what this is referring to?
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Old 03-10-2017, 04:58 PM   #15
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I love ford trucks, ran 250 diesel for years. But our rv chassis is a chevy 4500. The chev 4500 tracks like an arrow down the road (due to IFS). Ford front ends are tough built but lack IFS. Just one man's o'pine but straight axles in the fords have high capacity, but lack a little in the control department. Ever seen a IFS heavy (2 ton or better) truck? no. Ever seen a straight formula one car? no. If the IFS can tolerate the weight load (rating) why give up the ride quality.

Drive both, preferable used units (as your will be also used after a year in).
As far as the 2290s is concerned, I'm not worried about ford vs chevy because the ford chassis is a bit more expensive and we don't plan to tow anything... towing capacity isn't a concern.

Regarding "even a new one will be used in a year", yeah, true, but I'll have a full warranty to rely on and not just the bit of remaining warranty on the used one.
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Old 03-10-2017, 05:04 PM   #16
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Only issue to consider is you will require a tote if you want to leave the cg and do some sight seeing or to go to just a restaurant. Later RJD
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Old 03-10-2017, 05:26 PM   #17
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The Ford chassis was one of the reasons we wanted a replacement. A Ford can be set up to drive right, but it costs time and money - why hassle with it when you can get something that drives right to begin with?
We also fought with other Ford issues. And if you visit a Ford dealer? Be prepared to be quoted one price but the by the time you are out of the door, you pay 2-3x what you agreed on to start. I've been a victim of this, and I know a lot of others who have to play these games with most dealers.

For the price, you get a lot with a FR Sunseeker, or it's more-appointed cousin, the Forester. We paid just under $60K for our brand new 2250/GM in October of 2015, and have loved every minute of it. As others have stated, they use the same sub-systems as other manufacturers & model, so you'll see little to no difference there.
No matter what unit we buy, I spend a fair amount of time combing through & fixing & improving things.

At 24ish feet, we go places where we'd need a toad. It's convenient to park, to get into places that we enjoy going.

Our previous unit was a 2000 Four Winds 26Q by Thor; it was a decent coach all in all, but had some really stupid design & poor construction in places. I gutted the bathroom & started all over - the shower didn't have much support under the pan, and the toilet set on a box.. oh, and while parked on the toilet, the right foot was 4" higher than the left. Strange layout. I put in a new floor as well as a new subfloor under the shower pan. Fun times.

My decision would be easy: Buy the Sunseeker/GM.
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Old 03-10-2017, 05:34 PM   #18
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Only issue to consider is you will require a tote if you want to leave the cg and do some sight seeing or to go to just a restaurant. Later RJD
Plan there is to possibly use a local rental as needed rather than tow something around.
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Old 03-10-2017, 05:49 PM   #19
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artic pack

The artic pack on a sunsk is a 12 volt system that uses a heat mat under the black and gray tanks. The fresh water on ours is under the bed (cant speak to other models). The water bay behind the pass rear tire is heated from the furnace, but I use a temp sensitive brooder (utility) lamp and a 60 watt bulb. I do empty tanks and blow out lines for winterizing but as we go alot I dont service the pump and the lamp works well into the 20s (I remote moniter temps in the interior and in the bays as we park it at home under power 24/7). I ditched the whole house filter as it was too much of a threat and maintenance, now just use a hose filter that I can store in the frezzer between trips... Take a look at my pics to see the water bay...

We too have the corner bed and the curvy couch. We ditched the table after the first trip and now use a fold up table that stores behind the driver seat (made a subsitute bed platform that stores in the rear bay. On another note you will want a closet, the 2300 (our) is 46h x 23w x 18d. Maybe a 2250 can chime in..


Hope this helps , ask anything...
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Old 03-10-2017, 06:10 PM   #20
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2290s

Just looked up your 2290s. This is the same layout as a 2300 but with a slide. I bet your closet measures out the same. I think you have a space over the exit door, we have a cabinet there and have our direct tv and satt switches located there.

The 6.0 chevy will toad a jeep without problems, but there is a upfront cost of about 2500 to do it right (tow bar, tad plate, remote brake, wiring).
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