A serious competitor?

[Lloyd]

RIVERSTONE Fifth Wheels by Forest River RV


From the looks of it Forest River has decided to get serious about entering the race for a 4 season unit.
It appears they have been listening to the customer, and maybe even doing some monitoring on the forums to see what people are asking for in a 4 season RV.






Just to list a few.
8k dexter axles
disc brakes
17.5" H rated tires
2 battery trays that hold 2 - 12 volt batteries each
Water manifold system
6 point auto level
3 1/4" thick side walls, which even goes into the slideouts
100 amp converter, even surge protector wired


The list goes on and on. I think CR with their Redwood, Carriage , and the Rushmore line is going to have to get their
teams together for a big conference if they are going to stay with the demand and, the competition.
Alot of this stuff comes standard on the Riverstone.

[campingcpl]

I have had the opportunity to look at the 2 floor plans that are currently being built and even though they are impressive looking they are considerably heavy and very pricey. They are pushing close to the 19,000 lbs GVWR and close to a 3,000 lbs pin weight along with $120,000.00 + price tag. Forestriver has another brand called the Trilogy that is very similar and has been built for several years now.

[Lloyd]

Yes, they are heavy, but with all the added items that come standard along with the 31/4 in walls, you have to expect additional weight. Alot of that stuff Redwood owners are shelling out for after they have purchased.
I thought it was interesting and maybe make for some good dialog.

Now it will have to wait to be seen how FR's quality control and customer service pans out.

[mark5w]

If the quality control is similar to their present line up I wouldn't expect too much from them. Personally know a few FR owners that are wits end with their product. The factory has helped them out, but the problems are still there after they roll of the line. Competitors?? Yes, but really anything different?? Not so much in my opinion, at least not anymore than they and other manufactures have been in the past.

[Lloyd]

I guess what I was looking at is all the things that come standard on the Riverstone, that the Redwood owners have to pay extra for after the fact.
Most of which they have been asking CR to do for quite some time.

[Lloyd]

I may not be correct on this, but the only options I see is

3rd AC
Trail Air Ride Pin Box
2nd 12' Power Awning

It appears everything else you see is standard equipment.

[mark5w]

Well Lloyd, maybe Crossroads will pay attention to these posts and up their game.

[Lloyd]

It might be a good idea if they did. There is a lot of good points on the Riverstone that in my opinion should make it very appealing to the full timers who as we are well aware is an aging group, and, they are the ones who buy this type of unit.

[campingcpl]

You would think that the quality would be good right now seeing how they are only running 2 floor plans and that they probably aren't running more then a couple of units out the door a day. As for all the standards at that price point you would expect to have a lot of those features. If I'm going to pay over $120,000.00 for something like that I would expect it to have a lot of those features standard. As for having all those standards at the lower $100,000.00 range you just wonder how long that will last? They are just starting out and I'm sure they are still trying to get a dealer base for them not to mention a buyers base. The other thing is I question the R factors that they have. I could see maybe an R12 at best in the walls given the wall studs are only 2-1/2" and I doubt that a 3/8" thick wall board is that high in R value or the luan and fiberglass. As for having an R value of more than 15 in the roof and floor. To get R values much higher than that the walls would have to be over 6" thick and have a floor and roof that are more than a foot thick. If they are trying to tell people that the astrofoil stuff is adding that much R value they are wrong. That astrofoil has a reflective R value and not a thermal R value.

[campingcpl]

• Attic Insulation: Houses in a cold climate should have a minimum of R-49 in the attic, which is equivalent to approximately 16″ of fiberglass insulation. Warmer climates only require an R-38 or higher, or about 12″ or more.
• Wall Insulation: While wall insulation is limited by the width of the studs, different materials provide higher or lower R-values. Fiberglass batts for standard 2×4 walls are now available in low, medium, and high density products that range from R-11 to R-15. Sprayed foam insulation in the same wall cavity can range from an R-14 to an R-28 depending on the product that is used.
• Floor Insulation: While there are additional considerations—such as venting and moisture problems—to take into account when you insulate under floors, the United States Department of Energy recommends an R-25 rating in cold climates and an R-11 in warmer parts of the country.

Comparative Insulation R-Values

The R-value per inch for different types of insulation varies depending on the brand and how it was installed, but here are some general comparisons from the Department of Energy:
Insulation Type: R-Value per Inch: Fiberglass (loose) 2.2 – 2.9 Fiberglass (batts) 2.9 – 3.8 Cellulose (loose) 3.1 – 3.8 Stone Wool (loose) 2.2 – 3.3 Stone Wool (batts) 3.3 – 4.2 Cotton (batts) 3.0 – 3.7 Cementitious (foam) 2.0 – 3.9 Polyicynene (foam) 3.6 – 4.3 Phenolic (foam) 4.4 – 8.2 Polyisocyanurate (foam) 5.6 – 8.0 Polyurethane (foam) 5.6 – 8.0

[campingcpl]

I have to correct one of my statements. They are not using an Astro Foil which does offer some R value as long as there is a proper air gap. They are just using a Thermal Foil which does not have an R value but can boost the R value of the insulation do to it's reflective nature.

Why Radiant Barriers Don't Have R-Values

Radiant barriers do not "absorb" heat like R-Value rated products. Instead, they BLOCK the transfer of radiant heat flow in two ways:

1. by REFLECTING radiant heat that hits its surface across an air space, and
2. by REDUCING the emission of heat from its surface across an air space.
3. A Tennessee Valley Authority study based on radiant barriers used in the summer found that
   • a radiant barrier combined with an R-11 insulation has the same affect as an R-19 insulation alone.
   • a radiant barrier combined with an R-19 insulation has the same affect as an R-30 insulation alone.

[Lloyd]

Phil, where did you see that they had 2 1/2 in. studs? All I'm coming up with is the 3 1/4 in. walls.

[mark5w]

Would that be the total thickness including interior and exterior sheeting???

[Lloyd]

That might be, but it sure seems like 3/4 in. would be an awful lot added

[campingcpl]

From what I seen when I looked at them the overall wall thickness was about 3-1/4" thick. Two layers of Luan and a layer of glass and then a wall board that is about 3/8" thick plus a 2-1/2" aluminum stud would equal the 3-1/4" wall.

[anaro]

Forest river has been changing some things in their manufacturing process. Many lines have begun to offer more things standard and less options. They say this simplifies the process making manufacturing easier and cheaper due to less variance. I have a friend seriously considering the Riverstone but weight is no object for him as he tows with this kenworth.

[woodwalker]

Check out their warrenty it clearly states not for full time living

[LeBo]

Add some more bling, = QUALITY, VALUE

[johnboytoo]

RE the $120k price... if that is msrp, I wouldn't use that as a benchmark as the first question your should consider is how many of us paid msrp ?!?! Not me

IIRC our RW 38gk we ordered was listed @ 130k+ and we paid in the low $80's...

[dblr]

Originally Posted by anaro

Forest river has been changing some things in their manufacturing process. Many lines have begun to offer more things standard and less options. They say this simplifies the process making manufacturing easier and cheaper due to less variance. I have a friend seriously considering the Riverstone but weight is no object for him as he tows with this kenworth.

Hey I know that guy!!!!!!!!