2021 DX3 Review from a First Timer

[krampot]

Hello all, we are brand new owners of a 2021 DX3 37BH (Bunk model w/ cabover bed). A few weeks ago we returned home from a 2.5 week "christening" adventure, driving it from the dealer in Texas back home to Pennsylvania (the long way, about a 2500 mile trek). I wanted to share my feedback, ask a few questions and hopefully it's helpful to other owners or others considering buying a DX3.

First, I want to say overall we are really happy with the purchase. The coach is pretty awesome, and within 10 minutes of driving it off the lot I was getting hollered at sitting at a stoplight wanting to know what it was and some thumbs up. The thing sure has road presence. The first night staying at Jellystone in Dallas, the comment from the neighbor was "That's the biggest C class I've ever seen".

So for the extent of the trip, we had myself, my wife, newborn, brother in law w/ gf, and cousin + bf. So a solid 6 adults and an infant and I can tell you even 2 weeks worth of a trek, we never felt like we were on top of each other. I'll note we have the theater seats w/ fireplace options.

Driving is quite comfortable. We generally tried to break the trip into ~4-5 hour driving days to be able to hopefully enjoy some amenities at wherever we happened to camp that night. We did have a few 8+ hour driving days. Yes you're tired but I can't say the vehicle added any fatigue to what is a long day regardless.

So in the 2 or so weeks we discovered the inevitable minor flaws and areas that need improvement:

o The mounting of the TV in the master bedroom is woefully bad, compounded by crappy hinges on the door. Within 2 days of driving, the TV fell off of the cabinet and the door was sagging terribly. The TV mount is mounted to the cabinet with 4 tiny screws. A little bouncing around and that baby fell right off, breaking the plastic finger part of the latch with it. Additionally the weight of the TV causes the door of the cabinet to sag. I was able to remedy this with mounting the TV bracket to the cabinet with drilling 4 holes, solid bolts backed up with nuts and washers. The cabinet wood quality is good, so I don't think that thing will budge now. Now the cabinet door has 3 kind of articulating hinges (standard issue kind of deals) and can't support the weight. I removed those and replaced them with a piano hinge and it's much sturdier now. I have to recommend Dynamax do something similar as a standard build because there's no way that thing is holding up.

o On a similar note, the window valance was mounted similarly poorly and fell off around the same time as the TV. I'm unsure if this was just poor tightening during build. I reattached using same hardware after the trip, so we'll see how it holds up on the next extended trip.

o Finishing in the bedroom, the USB chargers on the wall towards the front of the bedroom are easy to bump. The quality of the wall panel is low. 1 bump to it and the USB ports broke. In doing some research this seems to be a standard Forest River (and other brands) item and many others have had issue with them. They are just crappy quality, I will end up replacing it with a different 3rd party one. Wishlist item: I wish there was a small floating shelf (maybe fold up on a hinge) on that front wall as the bed occupant doesn't have anything to rest a charging phone or other small items on)

o In our coach, the slide out spice rack in the kitchen was mounted poorly. Measure twice, drill once type situation. The bottom mounting is a half inch or so too far towards the front, so pulling out the spice rack causes it to rub on the cabinetry. I'm probably going to leave it as I'm afraid of loose screws if I'm only moving the screw location such a small bit.

o Slight water seal issue in the shower. Still investigating but the front corner seems not to be watertight as we had a few instances of water seeping out on the floor of the main living area. Some caulk should fix it, but still unsure exactly the spot where the issue is.

o Fuel Gauge. I had read online it's not very accurate and that seems to be the case. It seems to read very low. As in I'm showing 1/4 tank and it's probably closer to 1/2. At least it's in the safe direction, but is there any way to track what kind of gas mileage I'm getting and/or have a good idea of when I really do need to fuel up?

o Under cab storage bin locks. These locks continue to frustrate me. The quality leaves a little to be desired. I've never had to do more jiggling and finagling to get a key into a stiff lock. Additionally, the key metal quality is junk, within 5 days one of the keys snapped, leaving me with 1 usable key, which brings me to my next point. How do you get this thing copied? Maybe it's just incompetence or terrible policy at Lowe's but they can't seem to or won't copy the storage bin key. The key making computer indicates something about it not being in a database or something or other and they won't copy it. Anyone had success getting this copied somewhere?

o Lastly, on a coach if this caliber I was a little disappointed in the TVs selected. I'll call this a nitpick. "Best Buy special" Insignias are a little underwhelming. I do appreciate the 50 incher being a 4k, but the 32 inch in the bedroom and outside are 720p max. For like $50 difference 1080p's are available. Just felt like an unnecessary cost skimp for something this high end. I will note however that it seems like in 2021 they upgraded to a decent soundbar on the outdoor TV rather than the lackluster "car speaker / head unit" thing they had going in prior years.

o Sidenote: Getting the Winegard ConnecT 2.0 unit working with a Verizon SIM card has been a chore. (Still not working) Between firmware updates and Verizon technical support's general unfamiliarity with the unit, no one can seem to get the SIM to activate on 4G. Winegard tech support is trying to help but so far mostly finger pointing on both sides. I don't consider this Dynamax's fault or problem, just an anecdote.

All in all, we are really happy with the DX3 so far. We did a pretty solid breaking in for our first trip and are looking forward to many more. I'd definitely recommend the unit to others shopping in the luxury Super C segment. Tomorrow we are embarking on a pretty chilly Halloween camping weekend in Pennsylvania. Forecast has it potentially dropping into mid 20s at night... on that note... operationally is there anything I need to know with those types of temps expected?

Thanks for reading!

[tps28ss]

Thorough post. Nice. Reference RV keys: an internet search will pull up 3 or so companies that specialize in rv keys/locks, etc. Between the photos and the customer support on the sites, you should find what you need.

[Jpheifer]

Originally Posted by tps28ss

Thorough post. Nice. Reference RV keys: an internet search will pull up 3 or so companies that specialize in rv keys/locks, etc. Between the photos and the customer support on the sites, you should find what you need.

Go to a locksmith for your keys - that’s what I did

[mookieblaylock]

Get some of this, 'squirt' it into the lock cylinders on the storage bay doors, and work the key in and out a few times...night and day difference:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think it's a standard key. I don't remember the number right off, but you should be able to find replacements that don't require 'cutting'.

Our shower leaked out the front initially as well, and it was a bad crimp on one of the pex lines feeding the shower faucet. This is easily accessed by removing the mirror in the living area. Might be worth a check.

Surprised to hear that the DX3's don't have Samsung TV's any longer. I thought that was standard on the DX3's???

Congrats on the new purchase and welcome to the forum!

JT

[krampot]

Thanks all on the key advice. Upon doing some googling, it is indeed a standard key. Southco R001 - $8 on Amazon, lol.

@mookieblaylock I had read they were Samsung also, but looks like current standard is Insignia. And I'll try the graphite lubricant, thanks.

[milkman55]

I get my keys from the same source. I think every storage locker on all Dynamax models are R001, maybe the whole industry.....

[tanagnos]

Congratulations on your purchase of a Dynamax DX3! Welcome to the family....

I appreciate the feed back on the "Shakedown Cruise"

We change the TV design and the hinge bracket did not come in. Please reach out to service as we have a fix already.

For the TV’s…almost no one is broadcasting in 4K right now. The demand has been for SMART TV’s. Frankly. Toshiba builds the Insignia brand and we would have gone with the Toshiba, BUT, they did not have one size we needed.

The reason for going with those TV’s is that they are 100% smart TV’s…they have Amazon Alexa built in with voice control…so all you need to do when streaming is press the microphone button “Amazon, play Batman on Netflix”. OR…if you are wanting to shop for things on the rig…press that microphone “Alexa add RV toilet paper to the shopping list”. When you have the Amazon app on your phone…now it syncs and that shipping list is there with you (as a check list) the next time you are at the store. No more forgetting the written list.

Works that way from every TV.

I'm sorry about the window valance that's something that should of been caught before delivery.
In the bedroom the USB'S are now removed from the wall and are wireless pads on the nightstands.

All in all sounds like your family enjoyed the trip! ( that's what matters the most )

[krampot]

@tanagnos - Thanks for the quick reply!

I have already made some "mods" with the new piano hinge and am pretty happy with it. If it doesn't work so well, would I have to go back to the original dealer? Who would do the work? Obviously convenience of having to bring it somewhere is a factor. And/or is there a photo or are the parts available for self-install?

We have the wall USB and the nightstand has a push to pop-up dual USB charger. We should be fine once I replace the wall one.

Understood on the move to Insignia w/ Alexa built in. People can be picky with their brand loyalty, so I'm sure no matter what you choose someone will have an opinion on it. True almost no one is broadcasting in 4k, which absolutely the smart TV functionality is going to be the most important feature. I personally am a Roku guy so the built in apps are not as important for me, but that's just me. So 1080 in the bedroom and outside would be nice in that regard. I'll just wait till 32 inchers get much slimmer and cheaper and replace them at some point. 1 bummer I did find out was the Winegard RoadTrip T4 only pulls SD content on DirecTV. I probably won't use it much and will likely spring for a prepaid SIM w/out a speed cap since we stream 99% of the time. But these are "luxury problems".

And yes we did enjoy the trip. My nitpicks aside I'd still be quick to recommend a Dynamax to anyone who asks. Looking forward to many more.

This community w/ Dynamax reps so attentive is a selling point in itself. Thanks again.

[Shifty]

congratulation on your new coach I am interested in buying a new 3801ts xl Dynamax and also am in Pennsylvania. As you probably know the only dealer around is in New Jersey and he informed me that if I bought from another dealer like in Ohio he wouldn't do any warranty work on the coach , so I was wondering where you where going to go .

[tanagnos]

Shifty

Assuming that was a Dynamax dealer giving you that information you were missed informed. As we do encourage customers to buy local we understand with production constraints and the demand for RV’S that’s not always possible. All Dynamax Dealers will work on Dynamax products no matter where they are purchased or they wont be a Dynamax Dealer. Now I will say that you might wait in line but not refused service. Thank you for bring this to my attention.

[TrailWayz]

Originally Posted by Shifty

congratulation on your new coach I am interested in buying a new 3801ts xl Dynamax and also am in Pennsylvania. As you probably know the only dealer around is in New Jersey and he informed me that if I bought from another dealer like in Ohio he wouldn't do any warranty work on the coach , so I was wondering where you where going to go .

Don't buy from the dealer in NJ. I bought there and regret it. They won't fix you vehicle even if you buy from them. Their GM is about as crooked as they get.

[cariboo camper]

Congrats on your new purchase, and welcome to the forum, the place that offers invaluable information.

I must comment on you positive attitude, as with any new RV purchase these days many things go wrong and you seem to have handled these problems well. I am not saying it is right that these units are not built that well, that seems to be the norm. Our unit had many repairs and I repaired them and in most cases also upgraded at the same time, Three years later and many upgrades later we are very happy with our purchase.

Happy camping!.

[Shifty]

This is how the conversation went . I asked if they where gonna keep dropping me down to the bottom of the list and I was told that there so busy that I wouldn't even be put on the list , so what other options would I have to get warranty work done other then driving it all the way back to Ohio and leaving it there.

[dmctlc]

Originally Posted by Shifty

This is how the conversation went . I asked if they where gonna keep dropping me down to the bottom of the list and I was told that there so busy that I wouldn't even be put on the list , so what other options would I have to get warranty work done other then driving it all the way back to Ohio and leaving it there.

Sounds like thats refusing to work on Dynamax to me. Now it will be interesting to see if they continue to represent the brand in the future, understanding things aren't always as black and white as they seem so hopefully taganos or someone will follow-up with with an update shortly.

[TrailWayz]

Originally Posted by Shifty

This is how the conversation went . I asked if they where gonna keep dropping me down to the bottom of the list and I was told that there so busy that I wouldn't even be put on the list , so what other options would I have to get warranty work done other then driving it all the way back to Ohio and leaving it there.

I hastily posted before bed last night and I should not have said 'don't buy' but I would not recommend them however as my experience with this dealer has been at best challenging to near impossible. I have moved on. You may have a completely different experience and maybe I was just unfortunate. Best of luck with your purchase, I am hopeful yours will be better.

[TrailWayz]

Nice write-up @krampot. Thanks for taking the time and congratulations on your DX3 purchase. This forum is such an excellent resource with its outstanding knowledge-base of informed and experienced owners and Dynamax team support. There is not much that can't be resolved here with the help of its many contributors. Post like yours help many of us learn through your experiences - good and bad - and problem resolution.

[MoJoe1003]

Originally Posted by tanagnos

Shifty

Assuming that was a Dynamax dealer giving you that information you were missed informed. As we do encourage customers to buy local we understand with production constraints and the demand for RV’S that’s not always possible. All Dynamax Dealers will work on Dynamax products no matter where they are purchased or they wont be a Dynamax Dealer. Now I will say that you might wait in line but not refused service. Thank you for bring this to my attention.

I had a similar experience when I was looking 2 years ago. Was told by three different Dynamax dealers that if I purchased from Motorhome Specialists in Texas they would refuse to work on it. I ultimately did not purchase there, but every dealer I have tried to make an appointment with since has asked the same question first, “Did you buy it from us?” Too bad they haven’t developed a culture that believes, maybe if we take good care of this customer who didn’t buy from us they will buy their next one from us.

Saying that they will work on it but you may have to wait in line is just dealer speak for not working on it. Dealer service is the Achilles Heel of the RV world, regardless of brand.

I will say, that at least Dynamax Corporate goes out of their way to help their owners with service issues, which makes up for a lot of the dealer shortcomings. Personally, without the team at Dynamax I’m not sure if I would still be an owner of any RV.

[JC70]

Originally Posted by TrailWayz

I hastily posted before bed last night and I should not have said 'don't buy' but I would not recommend them however as my experience with this dealer has been at best challenging to near impossible. I have moved on. You may have a completely different experience and maybe I was just unfortunate. Best of luck with your purchase, I am hopeful yours will be better.

So sorry for your unfortunate experience. We bought our Force from them and I think they did a great with their PDI. We've had zero issues with the rig other than two small ones we created ourselves. And if I ever did need service, I have a Forest River dealer close by to do any work I could't do myself.

Happy trails.

[krampot]

@Shifty - maybe I was being naive but I didn't think too deeply about the service part. I talked to the NJ dealer but they had no inventory and only had 1 unit on order for delivery sometime in February at best. We were looking for more instant gratification

I bought at Motorhome Specialists in Alvarado, TX, mostly because they had inventory and I got lucky to snag the exact one we wanted that was about a week from arriving from the factory. The buying process was interesting I guess you could say. Kind of the opposite of high pressure. I could sense they turn inventory quick so I would say I was more the aggressor and it was challenging to get in touch with the salesman at times. I'd never worked this hard to spend that much money. haha. But it all turned out alright in the end. Boy do they have inventory down there.

So... if I need serious service I'll have to figure it out... I was under the impression that if it's drivetrain or chassis issue, I can service it anywhere that works on Freightliners, no? Beyond that, I guess I'll have to fight the good fight. Can the Dynamax folks chime in on that?

[rskeans]

Originally Posted by Shifty

This is how the conversation went . I asked if they where gonna keep dropping me down to the bottom of the list and I was told that there so busy that I wouldn't even be put on the list , so what other options would I have to get warranty work done other then driving it all the way back to Ohio and leaving it there.

I bought from MHS in TX knowing that I would never be back there for service or warranty. Our rig is kept in AZ and it is a 1200 mile drive one way. All the appliance products use their own warranty, not Dynamax. I had an Aquahot problem and Aquahot had their closest repair guy do the warranty work. I did have to pay the guy $50 for a service call. He drove to our house 30 miles away. I also had some issues that fell on the Dynamax warranty and I had two choices.

1. Get pre-approval for a mobile service to repair.

2. Go to any FR dealer for the warranty repairs.

There was an FR dealer a few blocks away that did not deal in motor homes at all. I took our rig there and they said that they would take care of all issues. And they did!!! I paid zero!



You are not stuck with the selling dealer at all! You have choices. Just take advantage of your choices.