Review of 2014 Fleetwood Jamboree Searcher 23B


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Our search for a new coach has thus far concentrated on Class B and B+ models based on the Sprinter chassis.  When the Utah RV Supershow hit town recently, we decided to head down and see if we were limiting ourselves unnecessarily.  They had none of the rigs that had previously been on our shortlist, but there were plenty of small Class C rigs to look at.

I’ve never considered myself a Class C guy.  The gas mileage, the handling, and the general boxy look of the Class Cs had always sort of turned me away.  But in spite of all that, I found myself interested in the Fleetwood Jamboree Searcher.  I think mainly, my interest in this one was driven by two things:  the incredible value from the low price, and the options for bike storage.  Yes, I had brought a bike to the RV show – in case I saw something I liked.

The RV had been brought to the show by Heinz RV in Salt Lake City.  They were nice enough to let me bring the bike in, and crawl under and through the rig.  Of course, I ran through my 47 point checklist, which I’ve attached below if you want to see my detailed notes.

So how did we like it?

So, obviously, at this price point, we don’t expect premium appointments.  There were no Corian countertops, no ducted AC, no curved cabinet doors, those kinds of features.  But the basics were there, and solid.  This rig met our must-have requirements for our next rig at a price that is about HALF of anything else we’ve looked at.  Those requirements are:

  • Dry Bath
  • Permanent, fixed bed.
  • Larger refrigerator
  • Indoor Bike Storage

Anything else, I figure I can upgrade or change if I want to (and I probably would, just because I like RV projects).  The rig, as it is sold, is not a premium rig – but after I had it for a year… it would be.  Now, if you don’t have a shop, or aren’t comfortable upgrading or changing your rig, then you would need to consider that.  But in particular, I was blown away by the storage options in this rig, and especially the options for storing my stupidly expensive bicycles.  Unless we wanted to get one of those Class A Toy Haulers, I don’t think we’re going to find anything better for storing the bikes.  All in all, the Fleetwood Jamboree Searcher 23B has potential, and we’re interested.

I do feel like I would need to drive this rig to evaluate it more fully.  I’ve not driven a Class C before, and since it is a large, moving wall, I’m a bit concerned about the crosswind and handling.  I’ve invested a lot in improving these on our sprinter, and I don’t want to go backwards.

Have a look at the video and, as always, I hope this helps.  If you have any questions, post them here and I’ll try to answer them as best as I can.  Thanks for looking!

2014 Jamboree Searcher Checklist



James is a former rocket scientist, a USA Cycling coach, and lifelong fitness buff. When he's not driving the RV, or modifying the RV (or - that one time - doing both at once), you can find him racing bicycles, or building furniture, or making music. In his spare time, he works for a large IT company.


    3 thoughts on “Review of 2014 Fleetwood Jamboree Searcher 23B

    1. Scott McBride

      Ugh! I’ve been watching your reviews and following your channel a bit because I need to make a decision. (I commented on Lance in the yellow jersey) Our 1999 25′ class C just died. We bought it as a way to get to moto and mountain bike trail heads and do some overnight adventures. Turned out we loved everything about having an RV and used it a lot more than we thought we would. I no longer race bikes but we still go to lots of events. It’s super nice to have a base station or not have to worry about hotels. Here’s my dilemma. I’ve rented a few vans and love them for the ease of maintenance and small footprint. The problem is they don’t fit my family of 4 so I go back to a small class c and have looked at some of the smaller class A’s. Everything has a compromise. Do you build out a weighting model on features you really want or how do you ever come to a decision? I landed on this page because the 2014 Fleetwood Jamboree 25k is perfect with 1 piece molded front cap, single slide out, but I was really hoping for dual sink and ducted HVAC. I also like to geek out on battery tech and these class C’s have little room to grow and expand. Have you guys already built out a spreadsheet or some way to weigh all the options and come to a decision?

      Reply
    2. rich carr sr

      normally with that much overhang past the back wheels there will be super bounce if your on the bed going down the road. vented roof air is important to have. Great review.

      Reply

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