need reviews on coach finding to purchase

[main ranch]

Looking to purchase a Forest River 2021 FR3 34 DS with 8000 miles, never owned anything other than diesel pushers in past, trying to down size and have concerned about the Ford engine, mileage and power

[Donskiman]

You should have no problem towing your Wrangler, provided it weighs less than your hitch rating. Generally, that will be 5000 pounds on a Class A gasser on the F53 chassis. We travel mostly in the western states, so lots of mountain driving, and see lots of Class A gassers towing Jeeps. You may go a little slower on the uphills and downhills, but you'll get there. Mileage is more a factor of proper tire pressure and speed.

[High Road Travelers]

I have had a Class A with the Ford V-10 engine and had no issues with the engine nor the power. I drove it all thru Colorado and the Appalachian Mountains from Texas to Maine and back.
Maintenance is much simpler and cheaper than a DP.
It was very rough on bad roads and jarred my teeth out but I never worried about getting anywhere.

[NXR]

You'll likely get more and better answers on this dedicated FR3 forum: https://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f232/

It's owned by the same company as iRV2 so create your account there using the same email address as here. Their software will find your account here and streamline some of the process. You'll use the same email and password as you use here.


Here is the 2021 FR3 brochure with chassis specs: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...cF7mpB4Barset5

26,000 GCWR and 20,500 GVWR chassis so a Jeep Wrangler could be fine. But maybe not because the details matter. The curb weight on an Unlimited (four-door) Rubicon we looked at was over 5,000 lbs. The details matter.


Power will not be a problem. Mileage will be about 7 maybe 8 MPG. The only effective tip to increase mileage is to slow the heck down.


That VIN likely will have a 2020 V8 chassis and there have been some TSBs accomplished under the 5-year warranty to fix certain problems.

The 5-year Ford drivetrain warranty is transferable and starts when the first owner titled it. You need to know that date because yours could be very close to going out of the drivetrain warranty.


Check the VIN for recalls also. These three NHTSA links may be of interest:

NHTSA recalls: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/F...ER/FR3#recalls

Owner complaints: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/F...FR3#complaints

Manufacturer TSBs: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/F...Communications


More importantly, what is the OCCC, the Occupant and Cargo Carrying Capacity? That will be on a yellow sticker attached to the door frame. Coming from a DP the OCCC on an FR3 may be way less than you're used to.

Good luck,

Ray

[OldBaldFat]

A couple thorns to consider.

The FR3 was/is the 'entry' level of the Forest River line of gasoline powered Class A coaches. The Georgetown in the Forest River 'brand' is a higher-level coach.

Second item - 2021

Personally, I'd prefer a 2019 over a 2021 of any RV. The chassis might well be a 2020 or even 2019. Most manufacturers seem to have a lot of chassis on their lots waiting for the assembly process. Not unusual to see a motorhome of one year model, and the data on the chassis is one or two years older.

However, 2021 was right in the worst of the rebuilding after the COVID shutdowns. A lot of the manufacturing corporate knowledge in the assembly plants had retired, or found other jobs during the shutdowns, and many 2021 and 2022 coaches were built mostly with people with very little experience. And the parts supply chain had not recovered. Something of a certain specification was planned for the assembly of the house of the coach. And not available, substitutions were made, and not always with the same level of quality, or even size to fit into tight spaces.

Now, every 2021 / 2022 coach is not a piece of junk, but you need a very thorough inspection.

I would not expect the operating cost of an FR3 to be much lower than your DP. The number of gallons of fuel used often is much higher than a DP. The lower cost of gasoline will usually be enough to offset the better mileage of a diesel, unless you plan of a high mileage, 5,000 per year or more.

Last point - your choice. Have you test driven the RV? You will find it a significant disappointment after driving a DP. Both you and your partner will be very unhappy with a level of engine noise which prevents normal conversation while driving down the road for most folks.

[Donskiman]

Originally Posted by OldBaldFat

Both you and your partner will be very unhappy with a level of engine noise which prevents normal conversation while driving down the road for most folks.

Maybe that's true in an entry level coach like the FR3, but we've never had an issue with this in our Tiffin gasser.

[RVfixit]

Originally Posted by main ranch

Looking to purchase a Forest River 2021 FR3 34 DS with 8000 miles, never owned anything other than diesel pushers in past, trying to down size and have concerned about the Ford engine, mileage and power

Hi! Most of the gas Ford engines used in the H/D chassis are the V10 and 460 cu in V8. Having worked for Ford as a Driveline mechanic I can tell you that both are great engines and will last a long time with proper maintenance. With the newer engines across all brands, regular oil changes are critical.

Do you know what engine/drivetrain comes in that RV?

[NXR]

Originally Posted by RVfixit

Hi! Most of the gas Ford engines used in the H/D chassis are the V10 and 460 cu in V8. Having worked for Ford as a Driveline mechanic I can tell you that both are great engines and will last a long time with proper maintenance. With the newer engines across all brands, regular oil changes are critical.

Do you know what engine/drivetrain comes in that RV?

Ford introduced the new V8 with their F53 chassis model year of 2020. Forest River adopted it for their motorhome model year of 2021 so that one will be the V8 "Godzilla".

It spins about a thousand RPM lower for the same power as the V10 so it's naturally quieter. It's also reliably reported as getting one to two MPG more than the V10, more being with the lighter chassis variations.

The front and rear sway bars also were increased to 2" diameter and that has helped the native handling characteristics.

Ray

[OldBaldFat]

Originally Posted by RVfixit

Do you know what engine/drivetrain comes in that RV?

The information on RV USA guide web site is a Ford V8.

https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2021-...-specs-tr50482

As is the information in the brochure for that year model.

https://library.rvusa.com/brochure/2...-River-FR3.pdf

Though nothing beats actually looking under the doghouse of that actual RV in question.

[RVfixit]

Originally Posted by OldBaldFat

The information on RV USA guide web site is a Ford V8.

https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2021-...-specs-tr50482

As is the information in the brochure for that year model.

https://library.rvusa.com/brochure/2...-River-FR3.pdf

Though nothing beats actually looking under the doghouse of that actual RV in question.

So, the 460 V8 never produced that kind of hp and torque in a commercial chassis so as mentioned earlier, that must be the Godzilla 7.3 liter V8. But still a very competent drivetrain.

[main ranch]

I stated to respond to all of your info but it seemed to disappear. I appreciated your information. there seemed to be some questions about the laminate coming off of the baseboard that hey are supposed to be repairing, Is it worth $800 to have an inspector?

[Cudntherd]

My friend had a FR3, His adult son said it was very rough riding and no one could sleep during their long drives.
I suggest you take one for long test drive and have someone go the the back and lay down to check the ride.

[Donskiman]

Originally Posted by Cudntherd

My friend had a FR3, His adult son said it was very rough riding and no one could sleep during their long drives.
I suggest you take one for long test drive and have someone go the the back and lay down to check the ride.

Sleeping in a moving vehicle without being strapped in is not recommended.

Many motorhomes on the Ford F53 chassis have a rough ride and there are a multitude of discussions on how to mitigate that found in the Ford chassis section on irv2.

[GCSuper]

Originally Posted by main ranch

I stated to respond to all of your info but it seemed to disappear. I appreciated your information. there seemed to be some questions about the laminate coming off of the baseboard that hey are supposed to be repairing, Is it worth $800 to have an inspector?

Yes, the inspection fee, if done by a qualified inspector could save you a lot of money in the long run. Laminate coming loose could be a sign of excessive water/moisture intrusion.