2004 Sunseeker 2900 towing capacity

[AndyW]

I'm about to pull the trigger on purchasing a 2004 Forest River Sunseeker 2900 on a Ford E450. My first RV of any kind. It will primarily be used for going camping with the local horse club, which brings me to my question...

What was the tow rating of this unit as manufactured? My horse trailer with two horses is just shy of 5000 lbs fully loaded.

The RV currently has a 500/5000 lb receiver hitch on the back, which looks to be aftermarket. The chassis should be more than capable based on GVWR and GCWR, but I have not found a definitive answer anywhere indicating that the motorhome itself - specifically the frame extensions - are rated for towing 5000 lbs.

The user manual is non-specific. Basically it says not to exceed the rated towing capacity (3500 or 5000), but doesn't specify which applies to specific models.

I called two current Forest River dealers, one had no idea, and the other said he knew all units 2007 and newer were ok, and suspected 2004 would be as well, but couldn't say for certain. I called Forest River customer service, and after getting passed around to a couple different departments ended up leaving a voice mail for someone who hasn't called back yet.

Anyone know what the original specs were on this unit or where I could find this information? Or is GVWR - GCWR and hitch rating the only consideration? In that case could I put a higher rated hitch on and pull heavier than 5000lbs?

[B D HOWie]

Andy
You might want to get the vin number from the unit you are looking at and email it to FR. This would enable them to lookup the specs for the unit you are considering. I have had success doing this for my Freelander when contacting Coachmen.


Paul
Big Dog House On Wheels
2013 Coachmen Freelander 28QB
on 2012 Chevrolet 4500
Using FR app

[biznsa]

For some reason I remember reading that the Chevy chassis was rated at 3500 and Ford at 5000.

[Kevin & Judy]

The E450 Fords were rated at 5000 lbs, In 2014 Fords , Changed the rating to 7500 lbs, When i was at the factory with my 2013 Sunseeker 3010DSF they switched out the old 5000lb hitch for the newer 7500lbs hitch, So it may be able to use the higher rated hitch. Not sure on that old of a chassis. FR should be able to tell you for sure.

[Scootdawg]

Hello, I just recently sold my 2014 Sunseeker 2900. My wife and I discussed towing a vehicle with it, but after getting 8 mpg without a tow. We decided to sell it for a 5th wheel.