2015+ Chaparral Reviews Please

aggie camper · 03-03-2017, 09:31 AM

This time in 2016, We bought a Coachmen Catalina. 3 months later, we totaled it to hail damage. For the couple 4 uses we got out of it, it was great. More operator error than anything else. Then come summer 2016, we bought a new 2017 Crossroads Zinger Bunkhouse. This thing has been nothing but problems.

We are thinking about going back to FR products, specifically a Chaparral 5er. Should have done this last summer.....

I have read about 8-10 problems by picking out searches on here.

Please share experiences, good or bad on 2015+ Chaparral only please.

Thanks.

DaveandSue · 03-03-2017, 09:42 AM

Welcome.We had a '14 Chappy and traded it last year for a bigger Chappy.Ours,if it was built a week later ,it would've been a '17.

We have had hardley any problems with either one. We did just get it back Wednesday from the dealer.Had a few little issues that they took care of as the warranty was ending in a few weeks.The biggest was the gear packs on the kitchen slide.It was making a heck of a noise.It's quieter now than when new.They replaced the packs.All of the other issues,I could've fixed,but decided to let them while it was there.Our dealer is in Sapulpa,Ok. and we live 2 1/2 hrs from there near Wichita,Ks.Cheers to you

and

.I think the Chaparral is the best bang for the buck you can get.

shorthorn · 03-03-2017, 10:01 PM

We love our 2016 Chaparral 360IBL! We had a few small issues... mainly because our unit sat on the lot too long, but the dealer has been great about fixing everything!

aggie camper · 03-03-2017, 10:18 PM

Exactly the model we are thinking of Shorthorn!

Would you share what problems you had from your unit sitting? We have the option of a "new" 2016 but I think it only has one AC. Couple upgrades on the "2017"s that are really appealing.

What is the consensus on the electric heater in the living room???

Thanks all for the replies.

shorthorn · 03-03-2017, 11:20 PM

Hey Aggie... the issues we had were some rust on the bike rack, we have had to have the slides readjusted. We had several drawers in the kitchen which had to be adjusted or have the slidIes replaced. We had a piece of trim back by the couch which needed replaced... linked like someone broke it while looking at the unit. That's really about it... like I said, just alot of little things.

We have just 1 AC... it does ok, but we wish we had the second AC for sure.

We love the fireplace / heater in the living room! The living room doesn't tend to get as much heat from the furnace so it really helps to use the fireplace! We did have to put adjustable registers on the heat ducts in the bedroom and the bunkhouse... we got too much heat there.

I will also add that the JT strongarms are needed! We added them at Christmas time and the difference is amazing!

jhcalverley · 03-04-2017, 01:58 PM

We have a 2015 chaparral 324TSRK. Like all new RV'S the break in period as I call it always have several problems. Are dealer repaired all under warranty, some repairs took a couple of times to repair, like the power cord for the the microwave being cut by the slide, hot water heater, and air conditioning unit, all done under warranty, but since last spring all is good.
Enjoy

lazyjj · 03-04-2017, 07:45 PM

I owned a 2012 Palomino Puma for 2 years prior to purchasing a 2016 Coachmen Chaparral. Both are 5th wheels. I took the Puma back to dealet twice for warranty work and the Coachmrn 28bhs has been back to dealer 7 times. I have often wished I had not traded. I still find this and that to correct on the Coachmen after a year and a half. Very shotty craftsmanship in my opinion.

morrnr · 03-05-2017, 03:45 AM

We have the Chaparral lite 5th wheel and have had only one problem, a torn slide seal that was quickly replaced under warranty by dealer. We have been traveling 9 months per year for two years and find the fiver an excellent buy. Only one ac unit but cools the whole unit on 96 degree days. When we upgrade it will definitely be a chappy 5th wheel.

blwnsmoke · 03-05-2017, 06:53 PM

We love our 360IBL.. there were a TON of issues we had with build quality but we were not able to do a PDI due to buying 1,200 miles away and I believe they rushed it out of the factory due to a time limitation (received it a few days before we needed it).

One my local dealer worked out all the issues, we have enjoyed every minute of it and would not hesitate to buy another one.

You can do a search in this forum if you want to read up on everything I had to deal with.. and love showing my pile of work orders lol. But again, don't let it scare you away.. I was the exception to the rule I believe in the amount of issues.

davel1971 · 03-05-2017, 06:57 PM

I have a 2014 327 RKS 5th wheel we got in Jan 2014. The AC went bad (just like most all Dometics in that time frame did) Other than that, has been very good to us. Just some minor trim and fit issues I fixed myself.

VizJedi · 03-05-2017, 08:51 PM

I have a 2016 390QSMB. Love it. We came from 13 years in a CrossRoads product (Cruiser, not Zinger). We camped 40 nights least year, including a week+ in Gulf Shores and a week in Gatlinburg (right before the fires).

We have had 2 issues. The 4 way splitter for the coax was bad and the pull cable for the black tank pulled loose at the valve. I fixed both. The dealer I bought from is 100 miles away and I don't have much confidence in their service department after our PDI.

I would certainly buy another Chapparal and would recommend.

j

aggie camper · 03-06-2017, 08:34 AM

Blownsmoke, that's what my Zinger ppwk looks like. Granted I could have done some of the work here and there. Then there were a couple times where I had to fix something just be able to finish out the weekend.

Thanks for the replies and continuing confirmation that I am on the right track.

Rollingthunder · 03-07-2017, 12:36 AM

We have a 2016 Chappy 29BHS, bought it in May 2015. For reference, we're a family of 5, kiddos 10, 7, and 5, and last year spent 46 nights and put a lot of miles on it doing a California, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, then home to California loop. Just got back from snow boondocking in the Sierra Nevada, so we've been from desert to beach to snow. All that just to say, we have used and abused it and put it through its paces (or our kids have at least).

Reading horror stories have really made me nervous about all brands because every brand has its issues. So I'm not sure if our experience is unique or what but we haven't had any problems, except a piece of molding came off and I had to reattach it, no biggie. On our last trip, we noticed the slide has left imprints in the floor, denting the flooring but not tearing, and I need to figure out what that's all about. Hopefully it's just a minor adjustment that I can do.

Bottom line is we are very happy with our purchase. It gets a lot of use and we've made a ton of great family memories in it. I really think the Chapparal is the best value for the money and would recommend it to anyone considering a 5er.

-Dennis

Kenz · 03-09-2017, 08:35 AM

I've had 5 coachmen 5'ers over the last 20 years, with the current one being a '17 390qsmb. Picked up last July and used it roughly 30 days and 1500-2000 miles before we put it up for winter. Love this thing! Had a couple minor things that could wait until the season was done to address. Of all 5, never had any serious issues. Would not hesitate to buy another.
Couple things I will throw in; my last unit, a 34' northridge had a lot of movement so I added steadyfast stabilizers. Worked great. The Chappy is 42' but has the 6 point levelers, and I get very little to no wiggle. Highly recommend. I have the second air. It's not ducted, and pretty noisy. I think it should be colder, but being cold outside I'll have to wait until warm weather to check. In my opinion the leather like furnishings, is not the way to go with grandkids or pets. My cat ran across the couch and left a few little white dots on it. The leather (I use the term loosely) is very thin. Wife is making slip covers. We bought this unit of the lot, and if we were to order it and change anything it would be fabric furniture and a fantastic fan instead of the second air. But that's me.
Quality control sucks throughout the RV industry. Every manufacturer has they're pile of lemons so to speak, and the best thing to do with any purchase is a very thorough walk thru and a very good dealer. A problematic unit is a easier experience with a great dealer to work with. And coachmen factory service is great to work with.
All in all the chaparral is a great unit and a great deal.

sstaubs · 03-15-2017, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aggie camper

This time in 2016, We bought a Coachmen Catalina. 3 months later, we totaled it to hail damage. For the couple 4 uses we got out of it, it was great. More operator error than anything else. Then come summer 2016, we bought a new 2017 Crossroads Zinger Bunkhouse. This thing has been nothing but problems.

We are thinking about going back to FR products, specifically a Chaparral 5er. Should have done this last summer.....

I have read about 8-10 problems by picking out searches on here.

Please share experiences, good or bad on 2015+ Chaparral only please.

Thanks.

We have a 360ibl WE LOVE IT!!! That being said, the bunkroom door cannot be opened when the slide is in. It may be no problem ,but that is where the fuse box is. Still love my 5er but the door bothers me.

VizJedi · 03-15-2017, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sstaubs

the bunkroom door cannot be opened when the slide is in.

That's odd. The bunk room door on my 390QSMB opens in from the hall and we have enough room to get inside.

j

scootingranny · 03-16-2017, 08:57 PM

If you have reviewed this forum under Coachnmen you have probably seen my threads (most start with "Houston, we have a problem....). We've had some issues but DH could fix them all without a whole lot of expense. We DID NOT want to take it back to the dealer where we purchased as buying from them was trauma enough. Our latest issue was that the vents weren't taped properly and you can see his thread on that issue at http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ac-127385.html . That was another fairly simple redo project and DH already had the aluminum tape so it was a no expense project, also. And what a HUGE difference in delivery of air to the rv.

And despite these issues, yes I would recommend the Chaparral 360IBL. We were told in the beginning of starting to rv, by someone who's done it for years, that each and every rv sold today is a "kit" project. You have to be prepared for some redos, some repairs, possibly a return to the dealer for those. So we expected it. Maybe not our exact issues, but we were forewarned that there is no perfect rv.

The price was right for us, the floor plan was right for us, the timing was right for us and we are happy with it. DH cooking breakfast for us (I was sitting on the couch and the shot was aimed up so it makes the kitchen/living area look HUGE...well it kinda sorta is.) We know it's a mid-range priced RV but even those costing much, much more can also have issues.

scootingranny · 07-02-2017, 07:28 PM

Aggie Camper...what rv did you end up getting? Sure hope it's a Chappy and that you're happy (hey, that rhymes...totally inadvertent)

swmelton · 07-03-2017, 08:38 PM

DW and I just finished a 13 day shakedown trip in our 2018 360IBL and love it. Minor issues that I was able to fix. I agreed the door to the bunk house is odd. We have the second AC and the Ground Control 3 leveling system. AC units are very quiet. Highly recommend it.

aggie camper · 07-04-2017, 02:01 PM

Scootin granny, well we are happy but not with a chappy... A couple weeks after this thread, we learned that we are having another kid, so happy about that. 2019 or maybe 2020, maybe we can get into a coachmen. Just hope they still have that model and maybe they will switch rear slides and put a kitchen on the IBL!!! Just going to keep ol "trusty". Thanks for all the replies.

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