Community Forums

James Macfet · 09-17-2013, 08:20 AM

At the Dallas RV Show last week we saw a FR Charleston 430BH. WE are very interested in the floor plan, but there were no salespeople or brochures in the area. We would appreciate any input, good or bad, about that coach. I do not know many details about it...engine?...side radiator?...length?..., but most of all maintenance and quality reputation.
Thanks for all input!

JB Dude · 09-18-2013, 05:37 PM

Stay away from any forest River units! If I could get rid of mine I would.

wnytaxman · 09-20-2013, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Macfet

At the Dallas RV Show last week we saw a FR Charleston 430BH. WE are very interested in the floor plan, but there were no salespeople or brochures in the area. We would appreciate any input, good or bad, about that coach. I do not know many details about it...engine?...side radiator?...length?..., but most of all maintenance and quality reputation.
Thanks for all input!

Most of the Forest River motorhomes that are out there are Berkshires which are built on the same line as the Charlestons. The Charleston 430BH is basically a stepped up version of the Berkshire 390bh. It's a bit nicer and has the tag and a bigger engine. We watched them build a Charleston when we were at the factory a year ago. They are a very nice looking rig and I think probably one of the few tag axle bunk models out there.

As to the reputation of Forest River and their motorhomes, we have had very good luck with ours and have found Forest River to be a great company. We had some weight issues with our rig and Forest River stepped up and made things right even though we are over two years out of warranty. Others have mentioned about FR fixing things way out of warranty at the Forest River Owners Group (FROG) get together in Elkhart.

Sometimes it is hard to judge the quality of Forest River because each division operates somewhat autonomously and the quality can vary between divisions. The Berkshire has been a great unit for us and I have no reason to believe the Charleston would be any different.

62_inrightlane · 10-06-2013, 08:39 PM

I have a Berkshire, made by Forest River, and I would not hesitate to purchase another! Their customer service is some of the best around.

I had a few problems, when new, and got the run around from the dealer, but when I involved Forest River the dealer problems just went away. Since my summer home is a couple of hours north of Elkhart, each spring, I take my coach to the factory for maintenance and inspection.

Last April they found an issue with our power management system. They replaced everything at no charge even though our coach was a few months out of warranty! Who does that now day's?

ie2special · 01-24-2014, 03:55 PM

I am looking at one too, loved it in person, it is on our short list. We need bunks, residential fridge, Vac, W/D, and the freezer.

wnytaxman · 01-27-2014, 08:26 AM

I looked at the Charleston at the Tampa show. It was the bunk model. Nice looking rig and pretty reasonable on the pricing. I'm not sure if RVOne handles the Charleston, but if they do you might want to get a price from them.

ie2special · 02-18-2014, 12:47 PM

Remember, this is just my observations of 2 units at the same dealership.

The tile floors were not straight. There were pieces of wood trim misaligned. It had large gaps in doorways, loose door hardware, and a lot of caulk/grout all over the place.

I was horrified considering the price tag.