Forest River Coachmen Prism_Mercedes Diesel Engine

Summary This RV is a great choice for a keen DIY enthusiast who enjoys snagging problems. Not so great for others. A poor choice for those seeking quiet trouble-free off-grid camping away from amenities. I paid $258 per night, plus $150 cleaning fee, and $xxx for insurance. It is not a choice I would repeat. The same money can get you more elsewhere. Please don't this review put you off. We had a great trip despite the problems; they almost became part of the 'adventure.' All four of us (Grandad, Grandad's brother, 17 yo grandson, and grandson's friend) went full-on 'MacGiver.' But that experience would not suit others. Hopefully the detailed points below will help the owner and users in future. The owner accepted the points and has undertaken to correct the faults. It would be prudent to check them before departure. Detailed Points - Late handover by owner (70 mins, delayed to 4:10 PM), so hit rush hour traffic leaving Portland. - A long handover but missing some useful details. Likewise, the stained and shabby printed handout. Be prepared to take an active role during the handover and seek out the answers you need. - Fridge could have been cleaner. Decor a bit tired, with worktops delaminating. Sheets, towels, and pillows all clean and good. The mattress above the cab is dipped in the middle, there is also a metal bar underneath the length of the bed, so OK only for small people. - Three sets of wheel chocks (one withdrawn), but no levelling ramps. - The auxiliary batteries were hopeless, fully drained by less than 6 hours of light use. We had to run the generator just to charge batteries for 4-5 hours daily. When off mains electricity, the batteries were too flat to start the generator in the morning (despite light use and running the generator until 9 PM). - Faint smell of gas initially. Disappeared after first refill. (See below for probable cause) - Vehicle engine does not charge aux batteries, need to use the generator or mains hook-up. Would have been helpful to have this pointed out at handover. We should have run the generator when driving, rather that arriving with flat aux batteries and a warm fridge. The jump starter provided does help flat aux batteries start the generator, but it is too weak for the vehicle battery. We left running lights on to save the aux battery, but forget to turn them off at bedtime and so drained the vehicle battery. A neighbour helped with his jump starter. - Control panel hopelessly inaccurate. All the readings (LPG, Batt, Fresh, Black, Grey) cannot be trusted. LPG in particular showed 2 lights (of 4) continuously - full or empty. Had to fill 16.7 gals of LPG on second day having run dry. There is no way to check this at the start of your trip, other than by filling tanks (LPG and fresh water) and draining the others. Do it again two days later and you can then work out how long they might last. Don't trust the lights! - Sensor on door for activating step out/in fell off. We were really lucky to find and re-attached the sensor with sticking plaster. No means of manual override, so we would have had to dismantle the step if the work-around did not work (the step stayed sticking out). The adhesive holding the sensor was not sticky - so possibly a poor previous repair? - The air con did not work. We ran through the manual several times without luck. We did not need (or test) the heating, but suspect it will not work as the same thermostat controls both heating and air con. The owner believed a circuit breaker must have tripped - but that detail escaped us. - The oven did not work. There was no obvious problem, but as we could do without our efforts to find a solution were limited. There was no ovenware either (baking trays), so perhaps this problem with the oven is not new? - LPG did not work running the fridge/freezer. That may explain the faint smell of gas when the fridge attempted to run off LPG unsuccessfully (when batteries drained). - Four of the side panels open upwards, but without any means of securing them in that position. An irritating design flaw, easily remedied. - Best to bring the cutlery, crockery, glassware, and cooking utensils you prefer. A very basic set is provided, just two metal forks and one knife, the rest are budget plastic. - The USB outlets do not charge. Best to bring a power bank.

The Host canceled the booking 1 day before departure. This is an automated posting.