Forest River FR3

[Tkotis5]

We are thinking of buying a new one it's the 30DS looking for advice good or
Bad we are open to any advice.

[jlud]

I got the dealer we bought from to actually beat RV direct by adding a washer dryer and giving me 3k more for my truck I traded. Made me feel like I did well.....got all options I wanted and a fresh off the line machine.

[nma33]

We looked at many of the models mentioned above, I ended up buying a 2015 Jayco Precept 35UN from RV direct, only and I mean ONLY reason I bought it at RV Direct is the price I got, my coach listed for 134k I paid 79k. Currently I have at Jayco for a few upgrades and a warranty repair, I am having a sliding bedroom door installed instead of the accordion door that it came with. We love the space of the 35UN, the drivability is outstanding, we are very happy with the quality of the coach.

Good luck in your search for a coach that will meet your needs!
We have friends who just ordered a Jayco 5th wheel from our local dealer, They came within a few hundred for RV Directs price, No one came close to the price I paid for our 35UN or I would have bought it locally.

[garyemunson]

Just my 2 cents. Buying a new RV has the advantage of being able to get just what you want rather than having to settle for whatever used unit is out there. My wife and I have found one feature we value above most others...a 'side' hallway just seems to make the rear bedroom so much more removed and private especially when one partner goes to bed before the other. Kind of minimizes the 'railroad' car feeling. Not a big thing but it's important to us. (2015 Winnebago 36Y). We previously had a Jamboree 31M floorplan coach that was the same way.

[jlud]

If you find one you like PM me...I found a Midwest dealer that beat RVDirect price and gave me substantially more for my truck that I traded. Very happy overall with all I got from this dealer, was worth a 5 hour drive to me.

[Effy]

jlud wrote:
Fiberglass roof. FR3 has rubber. Try getting a quote from a Georgetown layout you like from RVDirect...takes just a few minutes. They will have a very competitive price that you can use, but they don't carry FR3. Just my 2 cents and i know the just a bit more game can lead down a bad path sometimes.

X2 - this is good advice. RVDIRECT will give you a price point close to where you want to try and land. If you can get a dealer close to that price, you know you have a good deal. It's also a good way to get prices on comparable models and take about 5 mins. Excellent way to cut through the weeds. I really like Georgetown and looked hard that them when we bought ours. Couldn't get past all the carpet, but that's just my personal preference. They make a nice rig for the price. But I wouldn't let a FG vs TPO roof stop me from making a deal. TPO is an excellent roof material, lasts decades, easier and cheaper to repair and FG roofs can have their issues too. Tons of RV's out there with TPO roofs. Comparable models to the FR3 are - Winnie Vista, Newmar Bay start sport, Thor ACE, Jayco Precept, Coachmen Mirada, etc.

[jlud]

Fiberglass roof. FR3 has rubber. Try getting a quote from a Georgetown layout you like from RVDirect...takes just a few minutes. They will have a very competitive price that you can use, but they don't carry FR3. Just my 2 cents and i know the just a bit more game can lead down a bad path sometimes.

[Tkotis5]

We are so new at this what is a full FG roof. This dealer wants 84 for the FR3

[jlud]

My only issue with the FR3 was how close the price point was from the 32DS i looked at to the Georgetown series. It seemed they were negotiating less on that particular model, think low 80s was the best I found. For just a bit more you can get the nicer amenities of the GT series like the full FG roof.

I looked at 3170DS, 351DS, FR3, and some winnebago vista models. Once we drove the 364TS it was done, and all told it was only 12k more than lowest price i found on 32DS. I realize you may not need the bunks, but just sharing some of the units and my line of thinking.

The FR3 did not feel as nicely built as the GT...not to say bad, but just saw and felt a few things going through it.

[janstey58]

They have only put 50miles on it so far LOL, just practicing for camping weather here that is a few weeks away. Hopeful it will get 8-9 MPG.

[Tkotis5]

Did your in laws say how it is on gas we have a 26 ft Forest river Lexington now that is diesel and it's great up its 10 years old

[janstey58]

My inlaws just bought one and they love it. We looked at the ACE after they made a deal on the FR3, and the ACE was cramped compared to the 30DS. The 30DS has a slide that opens the front area up by an extra 3 feet in depth! Plus the floor is flat all the way up front by the driver/passenger seats. The ACE had a step up and barely enough room to squeeze into the seats. So far no issues with the FR3 30DS.

[Kaz]

Tkotis5 wrote:
We are thinking of buying a new one it's the 30DS looking for advice good or
Bad we are open to any advice.

Can't help with that model, but I can say (1) the floor plan looks identical to our ACE 30.1, and we love the layout--very livable, even for extended trips; (2) we've owned Forest River trailers in the past and loved them, both in terms of build quality and manufacturer support. We're happy with our ACE, but if we were in the market again, we'd definitely look at the FR3.

Good luck,
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