Winnie vs Forester, thoughts?

davidki wrote:
Mike RP I am interested in hearing more on your unit... I believe the Sunseeker is the same unit as the Forester just under a different name badge. I am wondering how they got to 7500 lbs tow capacity? The chassis is no different than the other Class C's is it that they install Airbags? (that is what one dealer told us).. The engine, hp and torque is the same as other Class C's with the Ford Chassis. The 7500lb capacity interests us as we have horses but need to do more research on how they got there!.

Hey David,

They added air bags on the rear. Handling is very good now that I've had the front end aligned by an experienced truck shop. All new Sunseekers or Foresters on the Ford chassis has the 7500 lb rating. We are very pleased with the handling.

The Coach has been largely trouble free. I actually love to,drive it and the JGC tows fine even though it is close to 5000 lbs. Actually was able to accelerate up jellico mountain on the way to Knoxville a couple of weeks ago with the Jeep. I was the bags set at 75 lbs towing the Jeep.

Dakzuki wrote:
When shopping I looked at both brands. I looked under the cabinets, furniture, etc and the Winnebago was way better. Better wiring, better attention to detail where most folks don look etc. For instance the seatbelt holes at the dinette for the FR looked like they were cut with a knife and fork on the unit I looked at.

This. We had the same findings. We went to the Hershey show this year and still felt that the quality of the fit and finish of our 2008 previous-rental Winnie was just beefier than others that we were seeing, even up to the half million dollar range...stuff like drawers and cabinetry and upholstery and stuff. Oh, and the sonar tank level system! I will say that we have been less impressed with the fit and finish of the 2014-2015 Winnebago units we've looked at, they seem to have cut corners to make a price point - smaller tanks, lesser cabinetry, regular tank sensors, etc.

Oh and another reason we chose Winnebago is their steel "superstructure" - they do drop tests with them, and we liked that better than wood construction for driving down the highway with our family inside.

Dakzuki wrote:
When shopping I looked at both brands. I looked under the cabinets, furniture, etc and the Winnebago was way better. Better wiring, better attention to detail where most folks don look etc. For instance the seatbelt holes at the dinette for the FR looked like they were cut with a knife and fork on the unit I looked at.

What Dazuki is saying we found to be true years ago when shopping for a Class C ... don't know about brand new models.

We didn't care for what we saw in Forester RVs back then ... they were less expensive and looked OK on the surface, but they didn't pass inspection up close.

I've been all above, inside, and under our Itasca (by Winnebago) and everything seems in order. The fiberglass roof has rolled over edges and excellent chalking around A/Cs, vents, etc.. Wires are bundled together and inside cable protectors ... and labeled. Drawers use steel sliders. Cabinet doors use steel clasps. Wheel wells are steel lined for blow-out protection. External wiring underneath are inside protectors and securelly fastened to the frame. Between the V10 exhausts and cab flooring there are heat deflectors to keep cab temperatures down. Etc., etc..

.... and last but not least, EVERYTHING on Winnebago products is documented in diagrams and part numbers by model year. You can get any Winnebago part for any model of their lines that isn't too ancient.

Mike RP I am interested in hearing more on your unit... I believe the Sunseeker is the same unit as the Forester just under a different name badge. I am wondering how they got to 7500 lbs tow capacity? The chassis is no different than the other Class C's is it that they install Airbags? (that is what one dealer told us).. The engine, hp and torque is the same as other Class C's with the Ford Chassis. The 7500lb capacity interests us as we have horses but need to do more research on how they got there!.

I don't think you can go wrong with either. Saying that I have a Sunseeker 3010ds 2012 model. We have been very pleased with the unit. We've had a few issues and Forest River has stepped up and fixed the issues. One was the seal on the rear window needed replaced. I also am rated to tow 7500 lbs. towing a jeep grand Cherokee now. 2014 model which is right at 5000 lbs with no issue.

Overall are happy with our purchase. We have put all led lighting in the coach which has reduced the load on the batteries a lot. Our quality has been very good. My seat belt holes look drilled out not with a knife.

Good luck!

When shopping I looked at both brands. I looked under the cabinets, furniture, etc and the Winnebago was way better. Better wiring, better attention to detail where most folks don look etc. For instance the seatbelt holes at the dinette for the FR looked like they were cut with a knife and fork on the unit I looked at.

magnusfide wrote:
Forest River owners have had a lot of problems lately. Winnebago is somewhat better. That said: we're saving for a Phoenix Cruiser. We're very impressed with the quality of the mh and their customer service. There's an entire thread on the PC in this class c forum. Just search with Phoenix Cruiser and it will pop up.

We are looking for a used unit, just don't see many PCs available used. I guess folks keep them. Test driving the forester tomorrow. The lack of customer service is bothersome. Would like to hear from some FR customers.

Forest River owners have had a lot of problems lately. Winnebago is somewhat better. That said: we're saving for a Phoenix Cruiser. We're very impressed with the quality of the mh and their customer service. There's an entire thread on the PC in this class c forum. Just search with Phoenix Cruiser and it will pop up.

We looked at both Forest River and Winnebago. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Both have the fiberglass roof and a lot of quality features. We went with Winnebago but only because my wife loved the floorplan.

We have a 2003 Minnie 29B. It is just right at 29 feet. It isn't designed to pull over 3500 lbs, but that is fine. We tow a 2012 Honda CRV. We have lots of storage inside. Outside basement is not as room as a Class A (a trade off to keeping overall height lower), but isn't terrible size storage bins).

We have an entertainment center up front. Wish we had the one bunk option up there, but we still can sleep five (six if little people) quite comfortably and still have space for the extras belongings.

Winnebago does have a great reputation. Good luck deciding.

Mike Leslie
2003 Winnebago Winnie 29B