Entegra Esteem vs Forest River Forester/Sunseeker

[chunker]

I'm posting this here also to hopefully get comments from Esteem owners. In my C search and research there are certain ones that pique our interest. On the E-450 chassis the FR Sunseeker/Forester Classic 3010DS and an Entegra Esteem 29V. As stated both on the E-450 chassis and nearly identical floor plans. Basic similar construction as best I can tell. MDF cabinet framing, porcelain toilets, simulated solid surface counters, RV queen beds, 2 slides each, split bath features, etc. Similar options such as body paint, theater seating IPO couch. basic solar setup. The Forest River has the 10.7 cuft 12V fridge as standard and the Entegra has the 8cuft gas/electric with an optional 12cuft. gas/electric. Both fiberglass roofs. Optioned out FR around $130K, Esteem $150K

Anyone else done some research between these 2. Is there 20K improvement in the house part on the Esteem over the Sunseeker/Forester? Any subjective or objective comments appreciated.
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[Jopopsy]

I had a Sunseeker, I would never own another Forest River class C. Ever. It leaked at the cap and the slideout. The cabinetry was junk compared to a Jayco product. The coach wasn't sealed well from the outside as we smelled every campfire as if the firepit was in the galley. The AC unit up top had a terrible heat pump implementation. I had to take apart the grey tank dump piping b/c the assembly crew swept the wood scraps into the tank at some point.

The list goes on. I'd never buy another one; in fact my experience was so poor I don't think I'd like at their Class A's either, even though I know different plants/assembly lines. FWIW, the FR3s that I've seen look and feel a lot like the Sunseeker I had.

[Trapper2020]

We looked at everything prior to going with the Esteem. In the end we felt the Jayco product was better built with better suspension. Also for us having second AC was a requirement. Frig size is a non issue since we wanted the pantry. Two years and 12k miles later no regrets. We also loved that the floor was flat from front to back. Price was no ware near $150k when we purchased. Discount was around 37% off msrp. Good luck with your purchase. Safe travels

Enjoy the journey

[Jopopsy]

37% would be the dream nowadays. W/ dealers not being able to hold onto inventory - folks are going to be paying a lot more than you did !

[MI_Skibum]

Just picked up an Esteem 29v two weeks ago. One of the biggest factors for me was the wider shower. In the FR my shoulders were touching the walls. Extra couple inches in Esteem are great. Got lucky, ordered on December 23 and it showed up March 15 a month early.

Build quality seems very good except for a bubble in the flooring in front of the fridge. They did a partial repair by loosening the fridge, but still noticeably. Don't know if I want them to remove all the cabinets to fix it perfectly.

One surprice is that it came with a Girard on demand water heater. Always used electric for my old water heater. Suspect I'll be using more propane.