New Forest River owners

[frankdamp]

We've been looking for an RV for about 8 months. We started out 9 years ago with a totally unprepared purchase of an '85 26' Jamboree Spirit Class C. We had no idea what we were getting into. It was a Ford 460 with a caburator. A season and a half was more than enough and we managed to dump it through a local dealer's consignment program. With an $1800 rework of the exhaust manifolds and an $800 brake job caused by the incredible under-hood heat from that engine, we figured each night's camping cost us about $400. Our gas mileage was about 7 at sea level and less than 5 in the mountains (there are a lot of mountains in Washington!).

It's taken 7 years to get our breath back, but we're finally taking the plunge. We found a private sale 2002 Forest River Georgetown 325, only about 30 mileas away. The owners (from new) are having to give up RVing for health reasons. Their asking price for the rig was significantly less than the NADA value, and although it's a little longer than we'd planned on, it's in such superb shape that we couldn't pass it up. I drove transit for a while, so 32.5' isn't that big a deal. DW has another opinion, but I pointed out that older women drive 40' school buses through our neighborhood every day - if they can do it, so can she. We'll be getting one of those ladies to give lessons, I think.

If all goes according to plan, we'll be taking delivery next weekend, then we officially become Forest River owners. We look forward to some get-togethers.

We're in Anacortes, a place where my sister reckons God spends his vacations. Many people wonder why we even want an RV. Most of them have boats. My argument is that one rock sticking out of the water coverd in fir trees looks a lot like all the others and you can't go to Bryce or the Grand Canyon in a boat!

Cliamtically, we've had a year so far that would try the patience of a saint. The first day the high reached 75F at SeaTac airport was last week. It was the first time since 23 September last year! When it's nice here, there's no better place, but 5 months of 900' overcast, rain and fog, visibility 1/4 mile gets old.

We're looking forward to getting out there and maybe meeting other members of th iRV2 fraternity, particularly those in the Forest River Owners group. Look for a 2002 32.5 with Washington plates, two Brits and two Labradors (one yellow, one choclolate).

[subford]

My first one was an 28 foot 1982 E350 Class "C" with a 460 & C6.
It had leaking exhaust manifolds. So I pulled the engine out and put it on the engine stand. About three bolts broke off on each side where the exhaust manifolds bolt onto the heads when I took the manifolds off.
Pulled the heads off and took them to a shop and they charge me $80.00 to remove the broken bolts and do a valve job on each head.
I also stuck a new timing chain and water pump on it just because it was out of the MH. About $150.00 total. Then I did a brake job on it for about $75.00.
I also replaced the radiator with a 4 pass radiator and rebuilt the caburator.

Sometimes I wish I still had it, It gave me no problems at all the 10 years I had it but yes it did get about 6 miles per gallon. But we saved on motels and had a lot of fun it it so it was a very low cost way to go.

No body else ever worked on it but me all the time I had it. I did enjoy working on it very much.

But I had to see what the class "A" side was like so I now have a 34 foot one. I hope I like it as well.

I hope you have better luck with your new one then your did with your old one.

[Free Bird]

Originally Posted by frankdamp

We've been looking for an RV for about 8 months. We started out 9 years ago with a totally unprepared purchase of an '85 26' Jamboree Spirit Class C. We had no idea what we were getting into. It was a Ford 460 with a caburator. A season and a half was more than enough and we managed to dump it through a local dealer's consignment program. With an $1800 rework of the exhaust manifolds and an $800 brake job caused by the incredible under-hood heat from that engine, we figured each night's camping cost us about $400. Our gas mileage was about 7 at sea level and less than 5 in the mountains (there are a lot of mountains in Washington!).

It's taken 7 years to get our breath back, but we're finally taking the plunge. We found a private sale 2002 Forest River Georgetown 325, only about 30 mileas away. The owners (from new) are having to give up RVing for health reasons. Their asking price for the rig was significantly less than the NADA value, and although it's a little longer than we'd planned on, it's in such superb shape that we couldn't pass it up. I drove transit for a while, so 32.5' isn't that big a deal. DW has another opinion, but I pointed out that older women drive 40' school buses through our neighborhood every day - if they can do it, so can she. We'll be getting one of those ladies to give lessons, I think.

If all goes according to plan, we'll be taking delivery next weekend, then we officially become Forest River owners. We look forward to some get-togethers.

We're in Anacortes, a place where my sister reckons God spends his vacations. Many people wonder why we even want an RV. Most of them have boats. My argument is that one rock sticking out of the water coverd in fir trees looks a lot like all the others and you can't go to Bryce or the Grand Canyon in a boat!

Cliamtically, we've had a year so far that would try the patience of a saint. The first day the high reached 75F at SeaTac airport was last week. It was the first time since 23 September last year! When it's nice here, there's no better place, but 5 months of 900' overcast, rain and fog, visibility 1/4 mile gets old.

We're looking forward to getting out there and maybe meeting other members of th iRV2 fraternity, particularly those in the Forest River Owners group. Look for a 2002 32.5 with Washington plates, two Brits and two Labradors (one yellow, one choclolate).

I also have a 20001 Georgetown 32 since October 2009. Am a perfectionist, so have been thru every inch and found many repairs which I never thought to look for s it is my first MH. Very happy with it, except for the construction of baggage doors. Georgetown never thought about water intrusion and subsequent rot to inside of baggage doors. They are made up of Luan plywood (not waterproof) with Filon glued to exterior. BUT, inside is cheap wood frame, 1x2 and 1x4 with styrafoam between. Interior liner is sheet of aluminum. Water gets inside, and due to sealed? structure, everything inside door rots. Unfortunately, when I first got it, a semi truck driver while texting, tore out the whole right side below the belt line. Repair gave me all new doors on that side. Now am rebuilding other side doors. Not difficult, just time consuming. Also, check for bubbling on filon side panels because of water intrusion. Am pulling all windows and resealing. But now I love it.