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D_E_Bishop's avatar
D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Oct 15, 2018

Looking for 27 to 30 foot

We decided that the Winnie is a little big and want a smaller rig. We do a lot of sightseeing in many areas and tow a Sidekick, looking to change to Ford Ranger w/manual trans too.

We were at the Pomona Show last week and discounts from "MSRP" was running about 30 to 35 percent. We looked at several rigs and fell for the Prism 2200. Tow would be a strain of the MB chassis IMHO.

Sort of settled on the FR3 29DS, or going smaller the Winnie Vista 26H. We really liked the 29DS and got a price of 85K and trade in of 17.5K on the 2018 end of run in stock. We were told the biggest complaint was the 18 cu foot, four door fridge was cumbersome and the biggest complaint. Factory Rep and Sales guy both said that is why they stopped production, I think it is because the full wall is more popular that double slides on the same side.

Anyway, going to look again and look closer at the fit and finish that we did at the show. We really wanted a rig with twin beds but they are like hen's teeth in a midsize rig. In 2013 when the FR3 first came out, we looked at them and ran screaming from the dealership. The one we saw looked like it had been ut together while being transported to the dealer. The one at the show was pretty nice.

Anyone with experience with a 29DS have any comments?
Class A

3 Replies

  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Oct 16, 2018
    If I lived fairly close I’d move it for you ...maybe you know of someone who would. We leave ours fairly well stocked so everything else needed to travel would easily fit in the back of the car.
  • D_E_Bishop's avatar
    D_E_Bishop
    Explorer
    Oct 16, 2018
    Ivy, We are in our late 70's and we live in an area of Los Angeles where it is hilly and the streets leading to our home are narrow and have some very sharp curves. Coupled with parking on one side of the street it makes it very difficult to maneuver up and down the hill to load and unload. That and the wider houses, our bounder was 96", is making it difficult for those tasks. That is our primary reason for going smaller.

    It seems that lately there has been a rash of big ticket items that have gone south and I'm really finding it hard to repair stuff. I know, I know, new means fixing and fixing the little stuff but I hope not so much the big stuff.

    We did take a few days off from pretty much even thinking about a new rig and went to a big quilt show in the Bay area, that break in pondering what to do has softened the desire to do anything.

    My Granddaughter has been looking at Teardrops for years and she took a couple of semesters of woodshop to alleviate the stress of the heavy stuff she has been taking in preparation for college. I suggested if she and her boyfriend/fiance want, I've got access to an old Starcraft trailer that we could use for a chassis for a teardrop. Maybe that will slow me down on buying a new rig.

    Thanks for the comments, we do love the space and convenience of the Winnie.

    Dave
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Oct 15, 2018
    OP, I looked at several pages of your posts and other than dinging the basement door (since fixed) not sure what you think you will gain going a little smaller...smaller tanks, smaller generator....... By my standards 32' is very small.:B Sounds like you know this rig very well and the learning curve gets harder each year.

    As you can see below, I recently went the other way when my son wanted my Dynasty. Had not planned of ever upgrading but the things we do for out kids and I have to admit the "new" rig is much nicer.

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