fuzzball
Senior Member
Ordered in late December from RV Wholesalers in Lakeview, Ohio. I'm in the western suburbs of St. Louis so not a bad drive to get there. Locked in price of $95,000 out the door. RV Wholesalers does not pass price increases on to the customer which is nice!
Took delivery on a Friday May 7th around 12:30. The place was busy but right on schedule. I think there were about 8 deliveries that day with 17 on Saturday. Walk through and paper work very efficient and answered all questions. One of their tech guys was very helpful as well with a couple questions I had. Overall great experience...so far. I'm still in the area with a few issues I'll need resolved before heading out.
Overall the motorhome is about everything I expected it to be and should fit my needs perfectly. What are some of my initial thoughts? Let's look at the issues I'm having first that are on my list when I go back to the dealer.
1. The V8 seems to have plenty of power (flat towing a 2005 Malibu) but I am hearing a humming, whining type sound that to me sounds similar to a power steering pump having issues. Pulling the doghouse today for a closer look.
2. The brake pedal is extremely spongy...almost scary. I'm a little surprised nobody noticed this while moving it around the lot prior to or after my arrival. The engine noise and this WILL BE addressed before I leave the area.
3. The weather has been cold and wet the whole time. Boondocking first night at Wal-Mart the bedroom was extremely cold with the furnace running. I'm not sure what Forest River was thinking here with the vent layout. 4 vents total in the entire rig. 2 by the entry door pointing forward. If you're sleeping in the passenger seat up fron it would be perfect. One in the bathroom so if you're sleeping on the toilet it's nice and toasty. The final one is in the bedroom down by the floor on the wall. The airflow is really weak and any overhanging blanket or sheets will block it. Very aggravating. Looking under the shower I don't see any kinks or pinches in the ducts but could be something I can't see. Plugged into shore power now with space heater in the bedroom it's fine.
I read that the heat pump operates down to 45 degress and then the furnace takes over. You can set the system to furnace only but I can't find a way to set heat pump only. The heat pump does distribute the air more evenly through the ceiling outlets.
4. The entry door is very stiff when latching. Almost has to be slammed to insure it catches good. That may change as the seal loosens up some but I could see it leading to problems eventually with the latch and door handle.
5. Not a flaw but something to be aware of. Be ready for the "waterfall" faucet in the bathroom to spray your shirt and pants every time there's a little bit of air in the line. Stupid design in my opinion. I'll probably be changing that if I can.
6. Another small surprise with the bedroom. The side of the wardrobe area where the washer/dryer sets is not the same as the area on the left. The overhang of the washer/dryer side sticks out quite a bit further making access to the drawers underneath a little more difficult. I was expecting the overhang to be not quite that far and equal to the left side closet.
It's not all negatives....what have I really liked?
1. The split bath is great with being able to close it off from both sides.
2. Lots of windows so a good view no matter where you are (lots of shades to open and close though...LOL!)
3. The electric shade in the windshield is fantastic after years of pulling curtains closed.
4. More storage space than I was expecting inside and out.
5. Bigger fridge and large kitchen sink is really nice.
6. Solar will be a great thing to have once I'm out of an area that doesn't rain 24/7.
That's about it off the top of my head. I've only owned it 48 hours so still learning. If anyone needs specific pictures let me know and I'll try to get those for you.
Scott
Took delivery on a Friday May 7th around 12:30. The place was busy but right on schedule. I think there were about 8 deliveries that day with 17 on Saturday. Walk through and paper work very efficient and answered all questions. One of their tech guys was very helpful as well with a couple questions I had. Overall great experience...so far. I'm still in the area with a few issues I'll need resolved before heading out.
Overall the motorhome is about everything I expected it to be and should fit my needs perfectly. What are some of my initial thoughts? Let's look at the issues I'm having first that are on my list when I go back to the dealer.
1. The V8 seems to have plenty of power (flat towing a 2005 Malibu) but I am hearing a humming, whining type sound that to me sounds similar to a power steering pump having issues. Pulling the doghouse today for a closer look.
2. The brake pedal is extremely spongy...almost scary. I'm a little surprised nobody noticed this while moving it around the lot prior to or after my arrival. The engine noise and this WILL BE addressed before I leave the area.
3. The weather has been cold and wet the whole time. Boondocking first night at Wal-Mart the bedroom was extremely cold with the furnace running. I'm not sure what Forest River was thinking here with the vent layout. 4 vents total in the entire rig. 2 by the entry door pointing forward. If you're sleeping in the passenger seat up fron it would be perfect. One in the bathroom so if you're sleeping on the toilet it's nice and toasty. The final one is in the bedroom down by the floor on the wall. The airflow is really weak and any overhanging blanket or sheets will block it. Very aggravating. Looking under the shower I don't see any kinks or pinches in the ducts but could be something I can't see. Plugged into shore power now with space heater in the bedroom it's fine.
I read that the heat pump operates down to 45 degress and then the furnace takes over. You can set the system to furnace only but I can't find a way to set heat pump only. The heat pump does distribute the air more evenly through the ceiling outlets.
4. The entry door is very stiff when latching. Almost has to be slammed to insure it catches good. That may change as the seal loosens up some but I could see it leading to problems eventually with the latch and door handle.
5. Not a flaw but something to be aware of. Be ready for the "waterfall" faucet in the bathroom to spray your shirt and pants every time there's a little bit of air in the line. Stupid design in my opinion. I'll probably be changing that if I can.
6. Another small surprise with the bedroom. The side of the wardrobe area where the washer/dryer sets is not the same as the area on the left. The overhang of the washer/dryer side sticks out quite a bit further making access to the drawers underneath a little more difficult. I was expecting the overhang to be not quite that far and equal to the left side closet.
It's not all negatives....what have I really liked?
1. The split bath is great with being able to close it off from both sides.
2. Lots of windows so a good view no matter where you are (lots of shades to open and close though...LOL!)
3. The electric shade in the windshield is fantastic after years of pulling curtains closed.
4. More storage space than I was expecting inside and out.
5. Bigger fridge and large kitchen sink is really nice.
6. Solar will be a great thing to have once I'm out of an area that doesn't rain 24/7.
That's about it off the top of my head. I've only owned it 48 hours so still learning. If anyone needs specific pictures let me know and I'll try to get those for you.
Scott
Last edited:
