Columbus 320RS vs. Silverback 33RL

The service out of Forest River is EXCELLENT. We have a few Silverbacks in our Cedar Creek RV owners club and don't recall any problems reported. Can not comment on Columbus, just haven't seen one.

You would be hard pressed to find any better after sales support than from Cedar Creek.

I looked at both and ended up buying a 2014 Columbus 295RL. A little shorter than the Columbus 320RS in the back area. The bath and bedroom are identical to the 320. Wife and I went back and forth from 295 to 320 many times before finally making a decision. We love ours and have only had a few very minor issues. I also liked the Silverbacks a lot.

While Columbus is a Palomino product, Palomino is owned by Forest River. Both products are Forest River and covered by the FR warranty. I extended the factory warranty an additional year for $150. I think you have 2 good FW and there is not a bad choice. Pick your favorite floorplan.

Our rving partners bought a 2013 Columbus 320RS last year. We liked the quality so much we bought a 2014 Columbus 365RL a few months later. Our final 2 choices were the Columbus we bought and a Keystone Montana. Our friends were trying to decide between the Columbus they bought and a Silverback. If you really check out the fit & finish (things like the inside of drawers, crown molding, etc) I think you will see why we both went with the Columbus.

fairhaven wrote:
Our rving partners bought a 2013 Columbus 320RS last year. We liked the quality so much we bought a 2014 Columbus 365RL a few months later. Our final 2 choices were the Columbus we bought and a Keystone Montana. Our friends were trying to decide between the Columbus they bought and a Silverback. If you really check out the fit & finish (things like the inside of drawers, crown molding, etc) I think you will see why we both went with the Columbus.

Funny you should mention the 365RL. Our neighbor just parked his brand new 365 this afternoon in his spot. In three minutes I found out that it has to go back to Camping World for repairs as soon as all the parts come in.

Happy with out 320RS. Moveable island, openness, and theater seats directly in front of 42" TV sold us. A couple of minor issues fixed by dealer. Extra year warranty a plus.

We are also looking at upgrading our 5er and the Columbus 320 and Silverback 33 are 2 of our top choices. Going to Minneapolis RV show this weekend and hope to see them live. Avalanche 343 has also made our short list, love the dropped frame with the huge basement storage.
DW likes the decor on the Columbus and I think it has a few more features than the Silverback but may also be a bit more money. I think the Columbus line is only 3 yrs old and had some quality control issues the first couple years but seems to be getting better. I haven't been able to find many complaints about the Silverback. The Silverback has different wall construction, not laminated, and it's supposed to be better, however that also seems to be a matter of opinion.
For us it's a coin flip but will probably come down to money and once we get to see them live hopefully one will speak to us. YOU ARE HOME

IMHO the Columbus line is a little more higher end. But you gotta love the cathedral ceilings in the Silverback slides. Both are very nice 5ers at their respective price points. We looked at Silverback a couple years ago but lack of a pantry in the 29RE unit we were considering was a deal breaker for DW. She found a floorplan in the Palomino Sabre line that met our needs/wants list so that's what we got and have been extremely happy with it. Seeing as both are owned by Forest River you might want to visit the Forest River Forums. Link to the Palomino thread that covers Columbus: http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f96/ and the Cedar Creek thread that covers Silverback: http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f23/

One difference is that the Columbus is also a wide body.

You wouldn't think that the extra 4 inches makes much of a difference, but we all know better... ;)

I love our full size sofa in the rear, and still have side tables.

We looked at both of those this last go around. The Columbus looked a little nicer from our walk through, but they are very close. I do like the Bronze exterior on the Columbus better, that is one good looking Fifth Wheel.