buying a new class c motorhome

[mikev]

im interested in buying a new class c motorhome im looking at three possibilities based on price gulfstream 31 foot independence on ford chasis, forest river 31 foot sunseeker on a ford chasis, and four winds chateau sport on a ford chasis any experience with these models or commets regarding quality would be appreciated

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

For a 31 footer makes sure you get the E450 chassis rather than the the lighter E350 chassis. The E450 has a greater carrying and towing capacity, something you need on a large C.  The E450 models will have an E450 emblem on the side.

I would seriously consider a Class A if you want a 31 footer. The price is the same and you generally get more interior room, a stronger chassis, more exterior storage (storage bays) and a superor driving position. There are many Class A's offered in the 26-32 foot range, some from the same manufactures as those C's you are looking at.  For example, ForestRiver has the Georgetown SE in 30 & 31 foot lengths and Four Winds has the Hurricane in those sizes.

 

[mikev]

thank you for your reply, my real concern is with the quality of these 3 units. they are all priced lower than a lot of similiar class c motorhomes so im concerned about the quality especially the gulfstream independence as it seems priced low any opinions as to the quality of this coach as compared to four winds chateau sport or forest river sun seeker

 

[Groundhog]

Mike, we just picked up our 2006 FR Sunseeker 2860DS on Saturday. We went right to the camground from the dealer, and so far we love it. So far we like the quality of the unit. We opened every door, draws, and windows, and haven't found anything wrong yet.  We had the A/C (it has the 15.0 btu unit) on the whole time we were there, and it ran great. The only thing we didn't try is the furnace, just because it was so darn hot out. The generater (4.0 Onan) was running from the time we got to the dealers until I shut it off at the campground, and again we had no problems with it.

Ours has the E450SD Ford chassis under it, and it ran great.

We traded in a FR Wildcat 27RL 5th wheel, that we bought new in 2003. That's one of the reasons we went with FR again. We were very happy with the quality of the Wildcat, but we didn't have the truck to tow it anymore.

 

[viggen]

We just bought a new '06 FR Sunseeker, built on a '05 Ford E450 chassis. I put over 2500 miles on it in July, and my eyeballs are still vibrating. I have driven dump trucks that ride better than this coach.  I am, to put it mildly, very unhappy with the quality of the ride. Has anyone had a similar experience? Can you give me some ideas on how to smooth things out a little bit? For the record, the tire pressures were checked frequently, and were always at mfr's recommended psi.
Help!

 

[D2]

When we test drove our MH (2000 model purchased in 2004), it was a rough ride.  The dealer had the tires balanced and it made a world of difference.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Get the rig weighed, axle by axle.  Then check the wheel loads (weights) against the tire manufactuers tire load tables and inflate accordingly.  The tire pressure you are using may be higher than necessary, causing a rough ride.  But be warned: you are driving a truck, not a passenger car.  You won't get a really good ride until you get into more upscale motorhomes with air suspensions.