Today we’re reviewing the 2022 Forest River Solera 32DSK, a Class C RV that, to me, seems to cross between the feel of a modern travel trailer and a vintage Class C.
The way I see things, there are definite unique “feels” among travel trailers, Class C and Class A RVs. Further, trends seem to change over time, and things I see in today’s Class C rigs are not quite like what I saw in their grand rigs.
Page Contents
Forest River Solera 32DSK
The Forest River Solera 32DSK is a Class C RV based on the Ford E-450 cutaway chassis. It gets motivation through the company’s 7.3 liter gasoline V8. This is a simple, old-fashioned “big block” V8 that’s relatively simple and just uses its heft to move large things. Like motorhomes.
The nice thing is that the E-450 chassis tends to have higher capacities than the Transit or Mercedes Sprinter. However, this one is maxed out at 14,500 GVW and there is no information on the unladen vehicle weight. Because, you know, why would you want to put something so absolutely safety-related as that on your product information?
What’s inside
But I really like the interior floor plan on this rig, where the kitchen occupies the entire camp side up to the bathroom. That kitchen features one very long counter where there are fitments to cover the sink with the same material as is used on the counter.
Further, there is a counter extension that is actually flush with the counter. What’s more, there’s a circular hole that also has a matching cover which reveals a trash can that can be accessed from outside the rig. Nice.
The stove is a three-burner arrangement, but the space you might expect to find the oven is, instead, a convection microwave. But this is fine.
What’s also fine is a crazy number of cabinets and drawers here along with a pantry that has movable shelves. There is no shortage of storage here.
Sitting side
On the road side in a slide is a U-shaped dinette and theater seats. Those are upholstered in a woven fabric instead of the fake leather that’s so common.
The plus side is, I personally prefer cloth to vinyl or leather for comfort. I also think that while vinyl can hold up a good long while, a lot of the vinyl used in RVs seems to shed and come apart. So I suspect this material may last longer than some of the vinyls I’ve seen.
Further, there is no carpeting here whatsoever—nor are there floor vents.
Step back with me in time
What makes me think of Class C RVs of the past are the shower and toilet. The shower is on the camp side of the RV and the toilet with a sink is on the other. If you open the toilet door that serves as the door between the living area and the back of the motorhome. There’s also a sliding door to separate the toilet from the rear bedroom.
Interestingly, the sink in the toilet room has something I haven’t seen before—a cover. Well, I’ve seen them in plenty of kitchens, but not in RV bathrooms. This is a nice feature.
Sleepy time
The back bedroom in this rig features a camp-side slide in which a 60 X 74 queen bed resides. Opposite that is another large collection of drawers and cabinets.
For more sleeping there’s space above the cab which has a 450-pound weight capacity. You can also convert the U-shaped dinette to a bed, of course.
Observations
The roof on this rig is a one-piece fiberglass construction which is much like a larger and higher-end Class A rig. Nice. There’s also a decent amount of cargo space. That includes a rear compartment under the bedroom that has a drain plug, so wet stuff could go here.
However, the interior almost looks like a plain-wrap version of an RV. It’s not bad, necessarily, and there are features I like such as lumber core construction and soft-close drawer and cabinet mechanisms. But the styling suffers from what I see as I shop for a new house. Someone took the joy and color out of the world and this is finding its way to RVs.
Boondocking and travel access
This rig has relatively small holding tanks at just 44 gallons of fresh water and 39 each of gray and black. There is a 190-watt solar panel on the roof—which may be enough to compensate for the 12-volt fridge. There’s also an Onan 4000 gasoline generator. So you should be fine off the grid, providing your water doesn’t run out or tanks fill up.
Surprisingly, with the slides in for travel, everything remains fully accessible—even the bed in the back.
In summary
(Note: The title should be Solera 32DSK. Tony will fix it when he gets an internet signal.)
I like the very usable layout of this rig, along with the tremendous number of cabinets and drawers. But I only wish that Forest River would ignore the trend in the industry of not putting the cargo carrying capacity on their motorized products websites.
In fact, I was at the FMCA Convention last week and actually talked someone out of a Class C they were looking at by pointing out the minuscule cargo carrying capacity on the rig. It was truly beautiful but ridiculously under-capable.
Is that the same case here? I wish I knew. But if we all complain, our collective voices will get heard, believe me.
I would love to read your comments and suggestions over on our new forums, where you can weigh in and start or join a discussion about all things RV. Here’s a link to my RV Reviews Forum.
Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a lifelong RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. You can find his writing here and at StressLessCamping where he also has a podcast about the RV life with his wife.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
Got an RV we need to look at? Contact us today and let us know in the form below – thank you!
##RVDT1828
Tony, I’ve got a question for you to ask the next time you meet with any RV manufacturer. Why do 80-90% of RV kitchens have a propane stove top directly adjacent to a propane/AC absorption refrigerator? All RVers know from personal experience that the freezers in propane refrigerators are very difficult to keep below freezing. We all also know that propane burners are always the warmest place in an RV when preparing meals. And a 1/4″-thick (if that) piece of paneling between the stovetop and refrigerator provide effectively zero R-value. I guess RV designers aren’t required to take thermodynamics, or even basic physics, in college. That’s probably why they are designing RVs and not airplanes!
This, like almost all mh’s these days have no night stands on either side of the bed- nuts. Really dislike the interior color and furniture-regardless of upholstery…same for most rv’s these days. Can’t find anything to like here- glad we have our old Winnebago.
Me too, I’d like to know where and when “prison gray” became a popular color. I have a brother in law that has loved gray all his life, but I have never met anyone until the last few years that think gray is beautiful. Is this a generational thing where young people can’t find anything else to rebel against their parents so they pick gray in protest? Lol
I too, much prefer cloth to vinyl on seats or couches – or anything sitable. Unfortunately, my tow vehicle has vinyl seats. I bought it pre-loved and didn’t have the choice. Cloth is neither hot in summer or cold in winter.
It looks like you have to step up into the bedroom. At my age, stepping up anywhere could be problem-prone. Especially in the dark.
What is the difference between the F-450 and the E-450 platforms? I thought the “E” was for vans.
This is on a van chassis.