Cedar Creek Champagne 38EL

[smurf]

We are considering buying this trailer to go full time in. I would love to hear from anyone with this trailer and any experiences (good or bad) they may have had. Perhaps even another trailer to consider?
Thank you.
P.S. We are not familiar with Forest River Products.

[ttanous]

We don’t have a 38EL but we have a 2015 38RD it will s going on 4 years we have been very pleased. We spent 8 months looking at everything from Mobile Suites to the Montana. This was our 3rd fifth wheel. We have been very pleased. Do a search for forest river factory and you will find some you tube videos that help you see the build process. There will be those that have had many problems and will not go back to forest river. For us we will in a couple of years trade for another CC. Good luck in your search.

[Indymule]

We moved into our Champagne 38EL at the end of May this year and closed on the house earlier this month. We love it. We have only had one minor issue (broken bracket on the pocket door). I was able to replace it myself. This floorpan is perfect for the wife and I. It pulls well with my 1 ton dually. We did get the dishwasher, originally thinking we would never use it but we are glad we did. We use it often. We did not get the washer and dryer, it would be nice but thought that it took too much closet space. The bathroom on this floorpan is great. The 2 AC units have had no problem keeping the camper cool in the 95 degree days we have been having lately.
We have no regrets and would recommend full-timing to anyone thinking about it.

[dblr]

The Cedar Creek Champagne is a very nice trailer and the factory support is also good, this was one of our choices but then we saw the River Stone Legacy line and liked that even more. If still looking I would add the River Stone and their Legacy line as another choice. Good luck and feel free to ask lots of questions.

[mecd]

We have from new a 2015 Hathaway 36CKTS. This was our 2nd fiver. We had issues that were compounded by buying in one end of the country and moving to the other and getting warranty work was trying. To replace faded front and back caps we went to Amish Family RV near the factory and finally got satisfaction on many of the outstanding issues and repairs to items we did not know were issues. Been to the factory and not unimpressed with what we saw. Should we replace the CC chances are that we will go for another Hathaway but will make a trip to Amish Family at an early date. Had long list of issues with other product (not CC).

As for full-timing suitability we really like the layout.

Happy shopping!

[Fifth Wheelers]

We have lived full time in our 38EL for going on two years, been very happy so far. If you would like to talk in detail please send me a PM.

Randy and Myungjoo

[brusso]

DW and I will be full time in our 38EL for 2 years in Sept. We love the floor plan. Have had a few minor issues that they sent me parts and I fixed them, works out fine for me.
We got 3rd ac with power management system, heat pump, dishwasher, washer and dryer, 2nd awning.
We are in a colder climate in the winter so I added a skirting around ours.
We looked at all the big names in this level, and the champagne worked out best for our needs. When you look at what is standard on the 38EL, it is an option on others.

[tcrossan]

Is your TV an F250? What axle ratio? And mods to the truck to carry the payload ?

[sh1pper]

Originally Posted by tcrossan

Is your TV an F250? What axle ratio? And mods to the truck to carry the payload ?

Too much RV for a F250 and I'm not even a member of the weight police fraternity.

[tcrossan]

Ok. So is it a 350?
Looks to be a SRW though.

[Fifth Wheelers]

We use a 2016 Ram 3500 DWR with the Cummins Turbo. Has the 373 rear-end. Wish I had the Aisin upgraded transmission, other seems to tow with no problems. Recommend tow package and exhaust brake.

Good luck and best....

[tcrossan]

Planning on towing a 34rl2 or 36ck2 with our F350 SRW. Pulling a 36' Cameo now with no issues so don't expect any with either of the Hathaway models. May even have a lower payload tax as the Cameos are built like tanks-very heavy.

[mwdilday]

We got our 2018 38EL last October. We love it. We got the gas/electric RV fridge and it is great, the induction stove top and the DW likes it, the Girard tankless hot water heater is useless we had to swap ours out and put in a 6 gallon. No manufacturer support, no repair places and no help from Forest River. Had to put the 6 gallon in ourselves at our expense. Our Girard broke with an error E5 and no way to get warranty repair or replacement.

[Gsykora]

Originally Posted by tcrossan

Planning on towing a 34rl2 or 36ck2 with our F350 SRW. Pulling a 36' Cameo now with no issues so don't expect any with either of the Hathaway models. May even have a lower payload tax as the Cameos are built like tanks-very heavy.

We tow a 2018 CC 36ck2 with a 2014 F350 SRW,CC,SB Powerstroke. It has the 3.55 rear end. I use a Pullrite Superglide hitch and also added a Titan 50 gallon underbed fuel tank. When fully loaded and fueled, our rig is slightly overweight (297lbs above capacity). Our trailer has the stacked washer dryer option and we never travel with anything but a few gallons of fresh water in the tanks. Total "rig" weight is way under capacity, but there's really no way to rebalance the trailer, as all the storage is up front. My guess is that if I had a lighter hitch and no extra fuel, I'd be fine as far as the cargo capacity goes.

We completed a 6500 mile trip this spring/summer from Dallas up through Glacier, Yellowstone, Rushmore, etc. Pulled numerous grades (8% was the steepest if I remember right) with absolutely no issues. Truck had no problems starting or stopping or slowing down the load. I believe the 34RL is slightly shorter, so should weigh slightly less also. F350 SRW is a great truck....

[spock123]

Originally Posted by mwdilday

We got our 2018 38EL last October. We love it. We got the gas/electric RV fridge and it is great, the induction stove top and the DW likes it, the Girard tankless hot water heater is useless we had to swap ours out and put in a 6 gallon. No manufacturer support, no repair places and no help from Forest River. Had to put the 6 gallon in ourselves at our expense. Our Girard broke with an error E5 and no way to get warranty repair or replacement.

Are you going to the rally in Goshen?

[wmtire]

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[mwdilday]

Originally Posted by spock123

Are you going to the rally in Goshen?

We sure are Spock. You?

[tcrossan]

Thanks gsykora
The F350 we have has either a 331 or 373 gear. In either case the truck has no issues with the load. Weight of Cameo is 12.5k empty. So either model will be a cakewalk for the truck. Hoping to leave this week for a 2.5mo road trip. One planned stop is at CC in Topeka.
Hurt my back so there may be delay in departure date.
Getting older isn't for the faint of heart!

[spock123]

Originally Posted by mwdilday

We sure are Spock. You?

Yes

[Fud]

We picked up our 2020 Champagne 38 EL in late August. We only got to us it weekends for 2 months, but loved everything about it. We got the induction cooktop, washer and dryer and the gas electric water heater. (We have a tankless at home)but decide on the camper it may use too much of our propane and campground furnish electricity. I grieved when we put it in storage. It’s inside so I can visit it often. We plugged it in and left sides out. Are we supposed to put something under the tires, they are on concrete? We need help with that and I’m sure a lot more as time goes on. Thanks in advance.