Will I be sorry, FR3 by Forrest River 30 DS

[Dan_B]

My wife and I are looking at the FR3. I know it is a entry level motorhome just wondering if anyone has experience with the FR3 By forrest river,we are on a tight budget . We need the king size bed,we are big size people and had one in our 5th wheel that we loved before we sold it. It has the ford chassis18,000 GVWR and GCWR OF 23,000 I don't know what the cargo capabilities are, any input on that would be great. It also does not have a rear cap on the motorhome and I really need input on the advantages of a rear cap verse's not having one. Also it has Grey gel - coat sidewalls with clear coat and graphics with no paint is that bad I have no idea. My wife and I do like the floor plan on the motorhome but do not want to buy it and regret it in a few months. Any constructive criticism or owners that are happy with the units would be great because as you can tell I don't know @##@ about motorhomes but trying to learn.

[vjstangelo]

Go look at www.forestriverforums.com

Plenty written about the FR3 there, lovers and haters both!!

[Thunder_Mountai]

We looked at some of the FR entry level units last winter at an RV show. Thought the fit and finish was horrible, seating was uncomfortable and the materials used in the unit didn't look like they would hold up.

I personally would suggest that you take what you would spend on a new FR and buy a nice, better built MH that is a few years old. The depreciation on the used one will be much easier to swallow that what happens when you drive a new RV out the door.

I can speak from experience on this. We bought our MH that was only 7 months old with 2,300 miles. The couple bought it new and drove it to FL. He dropped dead and she had it driven back to the selling dealer. We basically got a new MH at 40% off the sticker. We got a lot more MH for the money than if we bought new.

[hanko]

larry barnhart wrote:
My rv neighbor last winter will tell you Camping world and Forest River suck big time. His new fifthwheel is a mess of problems. I did not think he was telling the truth but I did get a look and he was correct. It will be interesting if he comes back to our street with any results form CW and FR.

chevman

Ya but warren Buffett owns it,

[hanko]

SooperDaddy wrote:
Forest River is a solid Company...owned by Berkshire Hathaway which is known for its control by investor Warren Buffett, who is the company's chairman and president also who owns GEICO, BNSF, Lubrizol, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom, Helzberg and the company is also known for Diamonds, FlightSafety International, NetJets, half of Heinz and an undisclosed percentage of Mars, Incorporated, and has significant minority holdings in American Express, The Coca-Cola Company, Wells Fargo, and IBM.

Berkshire Hathaway averaged an annual growth in book value of 19.7% to its shareholders for the last 49 years (compared to 9.8% from the S&P 500 with dividends for the same period), while employing large amounts of capital, and minimal debt.

The unit you are looking at is very much an entry level unit, so be aware that it won't quite be as great as a higher end unit, but should meet your needs quite well!

He doesn't cut corners on his RV holdings, hires the best talent to run his businesses and his tremendous buying power means he can build and equip his line of RV's with quality components at a reasonable cost. Plus he is a real "hands on" kind of guy.

Even tho his holdings total $484.931 billion!

I usually buy Jayco products, but seriously looked at some Forest River RV's this time around when I was looking to buy my 8th RV. And I'm a really picky, tough customer!

Oh Please,

[tmmar]

Take a look at forestriverforums.com for some additional info on the camper you are looking at. I will say that Forest River really stands behind their product providing excellent customer service.

[larry_barnhart]

My rv neighbor last winter will tell you Camping world and Forest River suck big time. His new fifthwheel is a mess of problems. I did not think he was telling the truth but I did get a look and he was correct. It will be interesting if he comes back to our street with any results form CW and FR.

chevman

[SooperDaddy]

Forest River is a solid Company...owned by Berkshire Hathaway which is known for its control by investor Warren Buffett, who is the company's chairman and president also who owns GEICO, BNSF, Lubrizol, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom, Helzberg and the company is also known for Diamonds, FlightSafety International, NetJets, half of Heinz and an undisclosed percentage of Mars, Incorporated, and has significant minority holdings in American Express, The Coca-Cola Company, Wells Fargo, and IBM.

Berkshire Hathaway averaged an annual growth in book value of 19.7% to its shareholders for the last 49 years (compared to 9.8% from the S&P 500 with dividends for the same period), while employing large amounts of capital, and minimal debt.

The unit you are looking at is very much an entry level unit, so be aware that it won't quite be as great as a higher end unit, but should meet your needs quite well!

He doesn't cut corners on his RV holdings, hires the best talent to run his businesses and his tremendous buying power means he can build and equip his line of RV's with quality components at a reasonable cost. Plus he is a real "hands on" kind of guy.

Even tho his holdings total $484.931 billion!

I usually buy Jayco products, but seriously looked at some Forest River RV's this time around when I was looking to buy my 8th RV. And I'm a really picky, tough customer!

[Bumpyroad]

I assume that the Radius Alpha SuperFlex Roof (Grey) is a TPO material and not rubber?
bumpy

[tjfogelberg]

Look carefully at the fit and finish inside the proposed MH. Are the drawers stapled together? Does the fabric look cheap on the furniture? Look inside the cabinets and under the unit in the storage compartments. Consider a mattress topper to enhance the comfort of the bed. And look for a previously owned unit for the lower risk way to get into RVing. Buying new is very risky. Big investment and you will take a bath if it doesn't work out and have to sell/trade.

[ed6713]

The RV Consumer Group is a great resource. Just might save you from making a big mistake. $$$$$$

RV Consumer Group

It does cost money, much like Consumers Report does, but it's chump change compared to what you're about to spend.

Enjoy your new RV, whatever it might be.

[bsinmich]

On an entry level MH you can expect entry level mattresses also. You may be getting a new mattress quick. Some people hate the FR and some have no problems with them. It appears you take a chance and hope. I would suggest a used MH so you won't take a big $$$ bath if you don't like it. You may have to look a while for the king bed. I would suggest Larry Klunder @ General RV in Wayland for a good guy to do a search for you. We have gotten our last 2 MHs from General RV. 1 in Wixom and 1 in Wayland and gotten great service at both.