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[Cherilanet]

Holiday Rambler or Forester. Both class C. Any thoughts??

[tatest]

Cherilanet wrote:
I really appreciate all the great information and your time. One is a 2016 FR Forster 3011DS with 32,600 miles on it. The second is a 2011 HR Alumalite 31SFD with 12,500 miles. They are asking $79,700 for each.....

I think both of those prices are way too high. But I haven't been shopping since 2011, so maybe there has been some drastic drop in the value of the dollar that we've not been told about, since official measures claim almost zero inflation since 2008 (my social security inflation adjustment for the whole period has been less than a third of a percentage point).

[Cherilanet]

Snowman 9000, I can't thank you enough . I will do it and let you know what happens. Thank you again.
Cheri

[Snowman9000]

Go to rvdirect.com and fill out the options sheet for a 2017 Forester or its sister Sunseeker. I bet you the price will be lower for a new one than the price you were given. (There is a LOT of negotiating room on used RVs.)

Then with the rvdirect price, you can either buy from them, or call up dealers in your region who sell the same line. Tell them the price you have from rvdirect. Some/most of them will lower their price immediately, and a couple of them will meet it. That is what I did. Could not have been happier. I should have sent rvdirect a Christmas card that year. 🙂

In our case, the rvdirect price was more than 35 percent off the phony-baloney MSRP.

PS: A 2016 might be built on a 2015 chassis. A 2017 is built with the newest Ford transmission, which doesn't sound like much, but it's reported to be a very nice change in driveability and engine noise in certain situations.

[Cherilanet]

As far as I know it's not a rental, so what I'm getting, is that the more miles on newer is a safer bet than less miles on older.can you tell me what you think is a good price to offer n the forester?

[j-d]

Prices sound high, even for the 2016. I think you should investigate other dealers and/or a new Sunseeker/Forester.

The Holiday, based on what Tom said, and the little I saw from the 2011 brochures, there's nothing all that special about Alumalite. There used to be: The low-line Ambassador Class C had the same basic construction as the high-line Imperial and of course the mid-line Presidential. But the Alumalite seems to be a lesser build type than Augusta.

I think others here will bear me out, my opinion is that more RV's are crippled by dis-use than worn out from over-use. I'd rather more miles on the 2011 than what it has.

The 2016? That 32600 is high... Was it a Rental? Even if it was, that's not fatal. Many of us have ex-rentals and are very pleased with them. Those rental companies don't want their vehicles breaking down on customers, replacing units, sending road service, etc. etc.

[Cherilanet]

I really appreciate all the great information and your time. One is a 2016 FR Forster 3011DS with 32,600 miles on it. The second is a 2011 HR Alumalite 31SFD with 12,500 miles. They are asking $79,700 for each.....

[tatest]

Cherilanet wrote:
2011 rambler 2016 forester

In that case, I can't choose because I haven't seen a Holiday Rambler of that era. Prior to Monaco Corp shutting down the H-R plant and moving production, the H-R, Monaco and Safari C's were special, built up with framed walls. From then until the Monaco bankruptcy, with H-R brands being built by R-Vision, they were assembled from laminated panels, nothing special and not particularly better than Forest River C's.

Whatever is being built with that brand by the re-emerged Monaco, I've not yet seen. They've reopened the Holiday Rambler plant, but that doesn't mean they've gone back to H-R construction methods. 2011 brochures don't discuss construction, the Alumalite line looks like laminated panel construction, but it is hard to tell from photos.

[j-d]

Found the HR Brochures for 2011!

Historically, the Alumalite was their entry level brand. They used various names for the higher line(s). Alumalite shows a "rubber" roof, where Augusta shows "one piece" which could well be fiberglass. ROOF STILL REQUIRES MAINTENANCE, but Fiberglass (or Aluminum) is the more durable choice.

[j-d]

When you look at any RV: FLOOR PLAN RULES!!!

It can be technologically exquisite, but if the flow doesn't go your way, you won't be happy with it.

I wish I could find the construction details on the HR coach. I found the floor plan for the 2011 HR Augusta 29PBD and there was a lot to like. I saw full front and rear fiberglass end caps and that's a premium feature. Why? Less parts is less seams so less leaks. An aluminum or fiberglass roof would round that out. PBD was listed as "B+" which doesn't officially exist. It's really a C, but without the cabover bed, and B+ units are often 8-ft wide instead of 8-1/2 ft, sometimes also lower.

They seem to be on Ford E450, and comparing the 2011 to 2016 chassis, you don't get much on a 2016 that the 2011 doesn't have. In 2007, Ford made big changes, so THAT chassis is nicer than 2006.

Holiday (as Tom tactfully pointed out) at least WAS a premium brand. The Forester is an upgraded version of Sunseeker, an entry level brand, both from Forest River. That does NOT make them a bad machine! We have many many members here with Sunseekers and Foresters. HR is a much lower volume outfit, but every once in awhile, one shows up, and the pictures/features are really nice.

I'd like to know the Length and Wheelbase of coaches you consider. If wheelbase is too short relative to length, rear axle can be overloaded with inadequate weight on the front axle.

If you get to the tire-kicking stage, look at the Weight Sticker (usually inside a cabinet) and see if it'll allow you to carry Who and What you want to take on your trips. Coaches with slides are inherently heavier than those without or one slide vs. three.

But DRIVE it! Ideally in a variety of conditions. Go far enough to get to a Travel Center (politically correct for Truck Stop). Pay the $10 to have it WEIGHED. Bring Michelin's RV Tire Pressure Chart with you. Adjust Tire Pressure to the numbers on the Chart. See how it handles and tracks on the road. Obviously you want the two or four tires front and rear inflated to the same pressure. But Ford chassis is sensitive to FRONT tire pressure. It'll drive far better within a few PSI of the chart.

That 29PBD I found, has "opposing" front slides. That'll make the coach feel like it has a "great room" forward, but brings weight forward. The wheelbase has to allow for that. Coach is beautiful, but watch the weight factor. Winnebago has a 29B, design I love, but it's as heavy as most 31-footers. The empty weight of the coach from the CAT Scale, plus everything/everybody traveling, has to come out to less than 14500-lb. 5000-front and 9500-rear, max.

[Cherilanet]

2011 rambler 2016 forester

[tatest]

Are you asking about new, or back a decade when Holiday Rambler was still something other than ordinary?