BBdawg
Apopka, Fl
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Joined: 09/25/2009
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Does anyone own or have owned this 2003 Forest River Salem 27FKSS? I'm looking for any and all user experience info I can find.
Thanks in Advance!
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Wills250psd
on the road
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Joined: 08/13/2011
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FKSS (front kitchen super slide) ? if it is our jayco has the front kitchen but no slide and we love it.ours is a 302FK. we have had 5ers with 2 slides when the kids were little but my wife for whatever reason loves this one best.
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buzzard616
Medicine Hat, Ab, Canada
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Joined: 04/11/2001
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We have a 2000. Bought it last year. It seems reasonably built but also has a fair bit of "What were they thinking?!" The water pump looked like it was screwed to the floor wherever it hit when they threw it under the bed. The power panel is (was) 20 ft from the battery. I have to crawl underneath to reach the galley grey tank drain. Back to my initial statement What they did seems alright but there are more than a few Whys.
The Mrs liked it right off because it had a table and chairs vs. a dinette. I liked it because it had set on a seasonal lot for ten years and including delivery and recovery by the dealer, it had about 75 miles on it.
So far so good
Stu
Stu & Jackie Metcalfe
2000 Salem 27FKSS
2008 Sierra 2500 HD gasser
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PA5er
Centre County, PA
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Joined: 04/16/2011
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BBdawg, I owned that unit from 2003 thru 2007. To be honest, we really liked the unit. It served us well without any real issues. Upgraded to a 5er in 2008. Ours had large deep drawers in the booth benches that worked out real well. We stored all the cooking utensels in one and dish rags and tea towels in the other. If there was one thing that I felt Forest River could have done better was the drawers in the kitchen counter area. They only pulled out about half the depth or lenth of the drawer. Our unit also had a water filter in the cupboard inside the door where the entertainment center is located. Was a pain in the butt to change the filter and winterize without making some mess.
Soon after buying I built shelves in the large rear storage compartment. Was able then to organize and stow so much more.
We towed that camper from central PA to Boston Mass, Williamsburg Virgina, Outer Banks NC, Hamptons NY and all points in between. We used it 2 to 3 weekends per month from April through Oct.
Good luck if your looking to purchase.
* This post was
edited 01/29/12 09:23pm by PA5er *
2007 Montana Mountaineer 336RLT. TV-2003 Dodge,2500 SLT,5.9L SO Cummins,SMARTY TNT-NR,Wicked Eliminator LP,A-Pillar Gages,4" Straight w/5" Tip,4 SPD 48RE Auto Trans w/Goerend Triple Disk & Valve Body,3.73 Ratio,4X4,Crew Cab,LWB,Prodigy Brake Controler
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BBdawg
Apopka, Fl
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Joined: 09/25/2009
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Great and Thank You all for replying. Your posts make me feel a little better about our purchase. We pick up this TT on Tuesday. I have scoured the internet for information but have found nothing. There were a couple of this exact model listed for sale on a couple of dealer lots but they were already sold.
My DW loved the unit the minute she walked through. The cabinetry around the complete interior is outstanding along with the huge under bed and under the kitchen table seats. We are moving up from a pop-up and this is our first TT.
Can any of you tell me about the towing of this TT. With the front kitchen, this one is listed with a tongue weight of 1200lbs. I am pulling it with a Yukon the 5.x v8 as well, I am having a 1500/15000 WDH combo sway bar installed as part of the deal. The dealer says I will be fine, the weight charts are very close and a separate TT dealer says I will be fine with a good WDH/Sway bar.
What do you all think?
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PA5er
Centre County, PA
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Joined: 04/16/2011
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I towed ours with a 1996 4 door Chev Tahoe without issue. I did install a set of Super Springs just because of the hitch weight being so close.
Congrats and have fun.
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BBdawg
Apopka, Fl
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PA5er, did you use a WDH/sway bar?
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dblackburn2367
indiana
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Joined: 10/28/2010
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check the corners of the floor and the corner uprights for rot.
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Jbird25
West virginia
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Joined: 02/08/2012
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I have an 02 27fkss and have been really pleased with it! I would recommend that you buy some lap sealant (self leveling) and check all the seams on the roof. Especially the front seam. It is something I have had some minor issues with. The seam on the front runs the width of the camper and can be a path for water in a decent rain storm! And the water filter under the entertainment center is kind of a mess to deal with. Otherwise love the camper! Good choice! I pull mine with a F350 7.3 power stroke 3.73 rearend and 5 speed automatic
I started pulling mine with an F150 and it was a little bit of a struggle but it was also a 99 model with the 5.4 and wasn't really set up to tow. But it sufficed for awhile.
The WDH helped tremendously tho.
Idk if yours has the ignitor switch for the water heater in the kitchen but there is another switch outside where the drain is that will use electric to heat the water. Saves propane during the summer time.
* This post was
edited 02/08/12 06:53pm by Jbird25 *
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