2018 Apex Ultra Lite 259BHSS

[53flattie]

My family of 3 are looking to make a move from our current 2015 Rockwood Mini Lite 2306 to an Apex Ultra Lite 259BHSS.
I have been 100% satisfied with the Rockwood as far as quality and performance is concerned. We ordered it in 2015 and it has never been back to the dealership for any type of repair.

Does anyone have an Apex 259BHSS who would like to share their impressions?

And I know that Coachmen is now owned by Forest River. Do you think I can expect the same quality from an Apex as I experienced with the Rockwood?

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by 53flattie

My family of 3 are looking to make a move from our current 2015 Rockwood Mini Lite 2306 to an Apex Ultra Lite 259BHSS.
I have been 100% satisfied with the Rockwood as far as quality and performance is concerned. We ordered it in 2015 and it has never been back to the dealership for any type of repair.

Does anyone have an Apex 259BHSS who would like to share their impressions?

And I know that Coachmen is now owned by Forest River. Do you think I can expect the same quality from an Apex as I experienced with the Rockwood?

I have a 2018 Apex 249rbs and did a review of it here on the Coachmen thread. Perhaps the 2 units are similar enough that it would be useful to you.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by mjones12

I have a 2018 Apex 249rbs and did a review of it here on the Coachmen thread. Perhaps the 2 units are similar enough that it would be useful to you.

Here's the link:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ew-149298.html

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Here's the link:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ew-149298.html

Thanks. The link looks right, but it takes me to an unrelated place.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by mjones12

Thanks. The link looks right, but it takes me to an unrelated place.

Weird. I have no problem with it. I've copied your post below:

Background: This is our fifth camper (the last three being FR) in the past 30 years. We are retired now and camp once a month year-round in N.C.'s temperate climate. We usually camp for 10-night spans, meaning we do this about a third of our time.

The Apex is 28 feet with two exterior doors; quite a bit different from the 25-foot Surveyor 220 we traded in.

We took delivery on Oct. 27 and a couple of days later took a 4-night trip near home to shake it down. The dealer is only 23 miles from us.

Hope this doesn't scare those who just got 249's and won't use them until spring.....but right off the bat the shower doors, toilet valve and water heater leaked. These were all addressed by the dealer the following week.

A week later, we went on a 14-day trip to the mountains for Thanksgiving. No more water leaks, but the faceplate for the cable and antenna booster fell out of the wall after we had been camping a few days. I was unable to screw it back in because it was completely stripped out in there. Shored it up with masking tape.

Then, while eating dinner one night, all the inside and outside lights that have switches on the control panel by the door, spontaneously went out. Other lights and appliances were not affected, so I attributed it to a problem in the control panel. After a while they inexplicably came back on and haven't gone out since.

Except one of the two curbside lights, which are integrated into the outside speakers, began blinking a few days later.

Back to the dealer, who fixed the faceplate but was unable to replicate the lighting problems, though the curbside light has begun blinking again since then. Will have to be addressed on our next trip for service.

Besides the curbside lights, there are step lights under both doors; an awning light that is attached to the camper and not the awning; and "eyebrow" lights on the front cap. All of the exterior lights are blue. Seems like a bit much when they are all illuminated.

The battery is in a nook in the front cap, which keeps it partially out of the rain, but will probably be a bear to remove. Love the fact that the battery is pre-wired for a solar panel charger. The connection is located forward on the starboard side

We also love the slam-latch cargo doors that are kept open by magnets. There's also a motion-sensor light in the cargo area. And the frameless windows look great and are jalousied so they open out from the bottom rather than sliding. A great improvement. Also like having the spare tire under the tongue instead of hanging off the back. Roadside assistance can worry about getting it out from under there.

The entry door near the back of the camper opens directly into the bathroom toilet area. This area can be closed off inside by a sliding wooden pocket door, which segregates the toilet area from the rest of the bathroom. So those who are modest can use the toilet while someone else is in the shower. The slideout when it is in will block the interior entry door for the bathroom, but it can always be accessed through the outside door.

Our only problem with the bathroom is that it lacks a heat duct, which seems deficient for a 28-foot camper. The bedroom, which can be closed off with wood pocket doors on either side of the entertainment system, has a heat duct, but it doesn't move as much air as the two other heat ducts in the main salon area.

We love the Jensen TV and radio, especially the Bluetooth capability of the radio, which allows me to wirelessly play the hundreds upon hundreds of songs on my phone through the stereo system, even when I am sitting outside. I love that.

We are also very happy with the kitchen, where our counter space has at least quadrupled. And the gooseneck kitchen faucet makes it very easy to refill the Keurig machine. And deep double sinks make dishwashing easier than before.

The couch and dinette are very comfortable, and above the dinette is a strip of led lights located behind crown molding, so that a nice bit of indirect lighting is provided. It is a perfect amount of light for sitting around and watching TV. Or just sitting around. It is labeled as the "galley light," and we use it more than any other interior light.

The entertainment center spins around to be viewed from the queen bed, if desired. It also includes a "charging center" with 4 USB ports. There are two more USB charging ports in the headboard area, along with a reading light, plus the regular bedroom lights.

We were quite disappointed that this is the first camper we've ever had that didn't come with a kit on the water pump that sucks antifreeze out of the bottle. We've had one installed, as we winterize and de-winterize four or five times a year. The prospect of doing it without such a kit was just too daunting.

But overall, we are very happy with this unit. Everything is going to be fixed and it will work very nicely for us. I hope this report has been helpful or at least entertaining for others. Sorry it was so long. Questions or comments are welcome.
__________________
2018 Coachmen Apex 249 RBS
2010 Silverado LT 5.3 V8

The world is a great book, of which those who never stir from home
read only a page. - St. Augustine

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Weird. I have no problem with it. I've copied your post below:

Background: This is our fifth camper (the last three being FR) in the past 30 years. We are retired now and camp once a month year-round in N.C.'s temperate climate. We usually camp for 10-night spans, meaning we do this about a third of our time.

The Apex is 28 feet with two exterior doors; quite a bit different from the 25-foot Surveyor 220 we traded in.

We took delivery on Oct. 27 and a couple of days later took a 4-night trip near home to shake it down. The dealer is only 23 miles from us.

Hope this doesn't scare those who just got 249's and won't use them until spring.....but right off the bat the shower doors, toilet valve and water heater leaked. These were all addressed by the dealer the following week.

A week later, we went on a 14-day trip to the mountains for Thanksgiving. No more water leaks, but the faceplate for the cable and antenna booster fell out of the wall after we had been camping a few days. I was unable to screw it back in because it was completely stripped out in there. Shored it up with masking tape.

Then, while eating dinner one night, all the inside and outside lights that have switches on the control panel by the door, spontaneously went out. Other lights and appliances were not affected, so I attributed it to a problem in the control panel. After a while they inexplicably came back on and haven't gone out since.

Except one of the two curbside lights, which are integrated into the outside speakers, began blinking a few days later.

Back to the dealer, who fixed the faceplate but was unable to replicate the lighting problems, though the curbside light has begun blinking again since then. Will have to be addressed on our next trip for service.

Besides the curbside lights, there are step lights under both doors; an awning light that is attached to the camper and not the awning; and "eyebrow" lights on the front cap. All of the exterior lights are blue. Seems like a bit much when they are all illuminated.

The battery is in a nook in the front cap, which keeps it partially out of the rain, but will probably be a bear to remove. Love the fact that the battery is pre-wired for a solar panel charger. The connection is located forward on the starboard side

We also love the slam-latch cargo doors that are kept open by magnets. There's also a motion-sensor light in the cargo area. And the frameless windows look great and are jalousied so they open out from the bottom rather than sliding. A great improvement. Also like having the spare tire under the tongue instead of hanging off the back. Roadside assistance can worry about getting it out from under there.

The entry door near the back of the camper opens directly into the bathroom toilet area. This area can be closed off inside by a sliding wooden pocket door, which segregates the toilet area from the rest of the bathroom. So those who are modest can use the toilet while someone else is in the shower. The slideout when it is in will block the interior entry door for the bathroom, but it can always be accessed through the outside door.

Our only problem with the bathroom is that it lacks a heat duct, which seems deficient for a 28-foot camper. The bedroom, which can be closed off with wood pocket doors on either side of the entertainment system, has a heat duct, but it doesn't move as much air as the two other heat ducts in the main salon area.

We love the Jensen TV and radio, especially the Bluetooth capability of the radio, which allows me to wirelessly play the hundreds upon hundreds of songs on my phone through the stereo system, even when I am sitting outside. I love that.

We are also very happy with the kitchen, where our counter space has at least quadrupled. And the gooseneck kitchen faucet makes it very easy to refill the Keurig machine. And deep double sinks make dishwashing easier than before.

The couch and dinette are very comfortable, and above the dinette is a strip of led lights located behind crown molding, so that a nice bit of indirect lighting is provided. It is a perfect amount of light for sitting around and watching TV. Or just sitting around. It is labeled as the "galley light," and we use it more than any other interior light.

The entertainment center spins around to be viewed from the queen bed, if desired. It also includes a "charging center" with 4 USB ports. There are two more USB charging ports in the headboard area, along with a reading light, plus the regular bedroom lights.

We were quite disappointed that this is the first camper we've ever had that didn't come with a kit on the water pump that sucks antifreeze out of the bottle. We've had one installed, as we winterize and de-winterize four or five times a year. The prospect of doing it without such a kit was just too daunting.

But overall, we are very happy with this unit. Everything is going to be fixed and it will work very nicely for us. I hope this report has been helpful or at least entertaining for others. Sorry it was so long. Questions or comments are welcome.
__________________
2018 Coachmen Apex 249 RBS
2010 Silverado LT 5.3 V8

The world is a great book, of which those who never stir from home
read only a page. - St. Augustine

Thanks for doing that. Hope it helps the OP.

[bikendan]

Even though Coachmen was acquired by FR, it still operates as an independent division.

So you can't expect that it will have the same quality as your Rockwood.

[53flattie]

Thanks for the copy/paste Roo. The link didn't work for me either (it took me to another thread). But I was able to find it via the search function.

I would prefer to stay with a RW model, but they don't have anything that fits our criteria... (Under 30ft, under 7500 GVW, double-size bunks, no Murphy bed, closable front bedroom)

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by 53flattie

Thanks for the copy/paste Roo. The link didn't work for me either (it took me to another thread). But I was able to find it via the search function.

I would prefer to stay with a RW model, but they don't have anything that fits our criteria... (Under 30ft, under 7500 GVW, double-size bunks, no Murphy bed, closable front bedroom)

Those are the length and weight limitations we were working with, too. Plus access to everything with slide in.

[rjc1024]

I have a 2015 259BHSS and overall it has been a great camper. With all of the issues I read on this forum I have been impressed with the quality of this unit. We had an issue late last season with the street side slide but that was the first real issue since we've owned it. We have 2 kids (8 and 9) and it fits us well on shorter trips but can be a bit tight on longer trips.

We are planning on taking longer trips so we are selling the 259 and moving up to a 5th wheel this year. Coachmen doesn't have a floorplan that we like but if they did I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Coachmen based on the experience we've had with the 259BHSS.

[53flattie]

Thanks so much RJ!

[slottere]

Originally Posted by 53flattie

My family of 3 are looking to make a move from our current 2015 Rockwood Mini Lite 2306 to an Apex Ultra Lite 259BHSS.
I have been 100% satisfied with the Rockwood as far as quality and performance is concerned. We ordered it in 2015 and it has never been back to the dealership for any type of repair.

Does anyone have an Apex 259BHSS who would like to share their impressions?

And I know that Coachmen is now owned by Forest River. Do you think I can expect the same quality from an Apex as I experienced with the Rockwood?

We are very pleased with the overall quality of our 2016 Apex 249RBS. We have logged about 12K miles since we purchased new in June 2016. We have had no issues other than a few minor quirks which we considered less than normally expected. In fact, just went to the opening day at the Ft Myers RV show & did not see a single TT I would have purchased over the Apex, although Coachmen's Freedom Express appeared to have similar quality.

Good luck w/ your decision & happy camping!

Cheers!
Richard