Community Forums

SoCalAngler · 03-06-2014, 10:36 AM

Well, after much conversation, debate, back and forth about pros and cons of a 5er vs a MH, it appears that the MH may be the way to go. We like 5ers, but think the ease of jumping into a MH and taking off will cause us to use it more often than a 5er. Our purchase needs to be a 2008 and later models for financing reasons.

We are family of 4 (Me, DW, and two boys (9 and 14). We mainly travel local within 300-400 miles of our home (CA, AZ, NV), but will try and do one major cross country trip every summer (14 days). All other trips during the year range between weekend getaways to 7 days in Dec. and 4-5 day trips in Nov., Feb., and April. May tow our pontoon boat on occasion.

Details on these two rigs

Winne: 11,000 miles, 2 owners, clean. Has the NEW Ford front end with the large chrome grill. Has very good CCC due to the one small slide (dinette only). Not as large in the living area as other large single slide units we have seen. Fiberglass roof. $37K

FR: Double slides face to face) in living area, one owner, 6500 miles. Older Ford front end style even though it is a 2008 like Winnie. Slides are dinette on one side and couch on opposite side. Larger open area vs Winnie, but not sure on build quality vs Winnie. Not sure if it has a fiberglass or TPM roof. $35K

Thoughts/opinions on these rigs?

Perhaps we should concentrate on rigs with one large slide?

Our budget is $40K

Thanks!

G.T. · 03-06-2014, 08:25 PM

For over eight years we have a 2001 Itasca 29N build on FORD E 450 chassis with V10 engine.
Our MH came with a hydraulic leveling system (previeus owner installed it) and no slide outs.
This is what we want - no headaches, raised floors, rattles, leaks and other problems associated with slides. As you mentioned, the most important - fiberglass roof.
In my opinion, quality of Winnebago surpassess Forest River products - regardless of floor plans or number of slide outs.
Good luck with your choice.

Knagy2688 · 03-06-2014, 10:21 PM

Last summer we purchased our 2007 winnebago outlook 31c. We love it. We too were originally told that the winnebago quality was superior to most mass produced RVs. After spending six months of looking and research, we concluded that the quality and finishes of a winnebago are in fact superior. If you want plug and play without any hassles, pay extra for quality.

wanderso · 03-06-2014, 10:48 PM

I suggest checking out the forest river forums (separate site) to see folks' perception of the year you are looking at. A factory rep frequents the site and provides input on what is different based on model years. More recent FR's have composite (azdel) walls instead of Luan so if there is a leak, delamination has the potential to be less of a reality (not to say you absolutely need to be vigilant in fixing leaks). Most FRs have fiberglass roofs as well and the holding tanks are in an enclosed heated area. Cargo Carrying capacity is important - I've been amazed at the # of C's I looked at that had very little net carrying capacity left after the factory options were installed. Slides are indeed nice for room, but I agree that sticking to one or none has some advantages in terms of less to be concerned about. Take a look at what the room is like when the slides are IN, especially as you will be riding for many hours with the rig in that scenario on your summer trips. For us, we had a 2001 Jamboree 24D (no slides) with the rear corner bed and now have a 2005 Chinook (Class B) due to a family member's health reasons and wanting to do lots of day trips in addition to camping. I looked at a Tioga (2006) 29 foot (no slides) rig at beavercoachsales.com in person that is a nice rig with the 4 bunk setup in the back. (still for sale and you can get the pencil sharpened on the price). Wonderful, honest dealer. What I liked about it that idea is that you could have the back bedroom for the kids, let them bring a couple of friends on an outing, keep their stuff out of sight, send them to bed early, enjoy some time as a couple in the front area, and entertain visitors. If we didn't need an under 22 foot rig for day trips, this is what I would have moved to for our rig. (They offered a version with a walkaround rear bed as well). This was the last year that was in a 29/30 foot length, no slides and nice cargo carrying capacity. Of the 3 discussed here, I agree that Winnebago is perhaps the better quality.

SoCalAngler · 03-08-2014, 09:33 PM

interesting to note....

Checked NADA values and found that for the same year, and same length, and roughly the same floor plan, the FR books at about $7K MORE than the Winnie. One additional slide can't add that much difference, could it??

Dmiles · 03-08-2014, 09:52 PM

We originally had a 2001 Brave. Went to a 2007 FR Lexington 283GS. I wanted a smaller coach with 10 slides if they made that many. It's been a great 4 years in our FR, we have loved it. But, we need more space.

Just months after buying the FR, we saw a Vista at a big RV show. DW and I both agreed that while we loved the FR, there was a Vista in our future, we loved it.

Just this past week, we put a deposit on a Vista 30W. We're in Virginia and it is in Florida, so the wait is killing us. It appears to be our dream coach. While we enjoyed the FR, to me there is no question that the fit and finish of Winnebago is superior.

As much as we have looked at RVs, 7K does not shock me for an additional slide, but unless they have improved their fit and finish, I just don't believe a comparable FR should list anywhere near what a Winne in the same class should bring.

Best of luck to you.