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way2roll's avatar
way2roll
Navigator II
Dec 13, 2022

Forest River Forester opinions

I think we have narrowed our search down for our next RV. The Forest river forester 2401T on the Mercedes chassis seems to have the floorplan we are looking for. The Murphy bed option and the recliners with overhead bunk. Many other brands and models come close (Tiffin Wayfarer, Winnie View and Leisure Travel, we didn't look at Thor) But none of the others had an option for the Murphy bed/sofa AND the recliners. They all either had a fixed bed and recliners or murphy bed and dinette, and the LTV didn't have the overhead bunk which we need when our son will travel with us. I guess I could settle for a dinette model and replace it with recliners but rather not if I didn't have to. Does anyone have any experience with the Forester MBS models? Our FR Cedar Creek has been fairly trouble free and while not the best built brand out there it's certainly not the worst. There's also a Sprinter chassis recall ( a software update) that renders units unsellable until the fix (possibly January) but we aren't in a rush.

Any opinions are appreciated.
Class C
  • ernie1's avatar
    ernie1
    Explorer
    Dec 17, 2022
    klutchdust: Good point. The answer essentially is good luck in finding someone to service your MB. Not all MB dealers will service Sprinters and the very few that do, usually gives you a two to three week out appointment. Try to figure out how you can handle that to fit into your travels. Ask me how I know this? I have my last MB product ever and will definitely move on to some other brand once I'm through with this Sprinter.
  • klutchdust's avatar
    klutchdust
    Explorer II
    Dec 16, 2022
    How has it been to get those Sprinter chassis drivetrains serviced? The Ford V-10 is fairly easy as any mechanic can help out, but on the road where would you take the Mercedes?
  • way2roll's avatar
    way2roll
    Navigator II
    Dec 13, 2022
    MDKMDK wrote:
    The usual drawback with the Sprinter based builds are limited OCCC capacity, particularly when there's the Murphy bed option involved. It requires a heavier, often full wall, slide, and that can chew up most of the remaining OCCC.
    If OCCC on these models is acceptable for your purposes, then enjoy.
    But you might want to crunch some weights and measures numbers first, if you can get them. I'd ask FR for their numbers, don't use dealership provided numbers as they may be "adjusted" slightly to make a sale.


    Good points. I have gone over the numbers in pretty good detail. We plan to travel light in this unit. That's really one of the main reasons for downsizing, to travel lighter, more nimble. Our FW is great for short travel and long stays. Now we want to do the opposite, travel longer with shorter stays.
  • MDKMDK's avatar
    MDKMDK
    Explorer
    Dec 13, 2022
    The usual drawback with the Sprinter based builds are limited OCCC capacity, particularly when there's the Murphy bed option involved. It requires a heavier, often full wall, slide, and that can chew up most of the remaining OCCC.
    If OCCC on these models is acceptable for your purposes, then enjoy.
    But you might want to crunch some weights and measures numbers first, if you can get them. I'd ask FR for their numbers, don't use dealership provided numbers as they may be "adjusted" slightly to make a sale.
  • bobndot's avatar
    bobndot
    Explorer II
    Dec 13, 2022
    I have the FR Sunseeker 2350 non slide. As you said, its a mid line rv but it works well. All the plumbing lines and water pump are heated by the furnace duct system. The cabinets that house the sinks are heated. Its well insulated with the arctic package. That offers 110v heat pads on the tanks and extra insulation on the roof and floor . All the wiring is neat. Everything is easy to reach and work on.
    FR has been vg to work with regarding warranty work. I had a few minor things during the warranty period.

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