2018 Forest River Sabre 36BHQ Review
The 2018 Forest River Sabre is a spacious, comfortable fifth wheel with all of the comforts of home. Of the six floorplans available, the Forest River Sabre 36BHQ is one of the larger ones with its four slides, and one of the three with a bunk room.
The Forest River Sabre 36BHQ has a hitch weight of 2075 lbs, unloaded vehicle weight of 11,378 lbs, and a cargo carrying capacity of 3017 lbs. It has an exterior length of 40’ 8”, height of 12’7”, and a width of 96”. The fresh water tank has a 49-gallon capacity, the gray water tank can hold up to 84 gallons, and the waste water tank can hold 42 gallons. The unit comes with two 20-pound propane tanks, but the compartments are large enough to replace them with 30-pound tanks if you like.
The 16’ awning essentially adds an exterior room to your space. In one of the outside storage areas, there’s a really nice touch; a small bar-size refrigerator – perfect for your outdoor refreshments.
The front cap is angled to make maneuvering a little easier, and the unit is also prepped for a back-up camera. There’s a storage compartment that you can access from under the cap and from each side with an LED light strip. The electric auto-leveling system makes campsite set-up a breeze.
COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Keystone Springdale 253FWRE
Inside the Sabre 36BHQ is open and spacious, thanks to its four slides. The living area has opposing slides, which gives space for a center kitchen island with sink and high rise industrial-style faucet, and plenty of storage. The entire kitchen has a true home-like feel because of this. Keeping a large family in mind, a full-size residential refrigerator and large pantry with inside light means you can stock up on everyone’s favorite snacks and meals. Across from the island, in the cooking zone, there’s a residential microwave, three-burner cooktop with a bit of counter space beside it and a hood with fan and light above, as well as an oven, and decorative glass backsplash.
The opposing slides also really open up the living area at the back of this fifth wheel. There’s theater seating directly facing the entertainment center as well as a trifold sofa bed along the back wall, with side tables on each side. You’ll have to flip a coin or arm wrestle for the two theater seats, though, because not only do they have cup holders, they also have heat and massage features and will definitely be the favorite spots to be.
COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Grand Design Solitude 344GK
In the entertainment center, there’s nice deep storage above the television, and the television itself swings out so you can access shelving behind it. You can also angle the television to face the sofa at the back or towards the kitchen so you can watch while you cook. The multimedia center – radio, CV/DVD player – is just below the television and controls both inside and outside speakers. It’s Bluetooth capable as well, so you can control your tunes from your smartphone or tablet.
The 30” fireplace below the television not only boosts up a cozy atmosphere, but it’s actually functional too; it kicks out plenty of heat to really warm up the space and you can use land power to do so, which really cuts down on your costs.
A huge picture window along the back wall behind the sofa bed and windows above each side table make the whole space visually airy, and also give overnight guests a lovely cross breeze and view. Even with the large window, there’s still space for a row of overhead cabinets with undermounted LED lights.
Just off the kitchen, the bunk room is one of the best selling features of the Forest River Sabre36BHQ. It’s separated with a sliding door and is a great space for the kids or guests. It has a jackknife sofa that opens up into a bed for two, a bunk above that can be flipped out of the way when not in use, and a space across from the sofa that’s prepped for television hook-up. There’s also plenty of storage; cubby space, drawers, cupboard with a hanging rod and another with shelves.
COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Crusader Lite 26RE
Stepping up towards the front of the fifth wheel, the bathroom has a foot-flush toilet with great linen closet storage beside it, including open shelves as well as a closed cabinet. A nice large, glass-doored shower has great height, large skylight, built-in shelves and seat, and hand wand. The vanity has a good-sized sink and under sink storage, as well as a mirrored vanity above.
In the bedroom, the queen bed is in another slide with windows on each side for a cross-breeze, as well as a night stand for each person. The closet has mirrored barn-style sliding doors, and there is a washer/dryer hook-up. Across from the foot of the bed you’ll find a set of drawers for additional storage.
The 2018 Forest River Sabre 36BHQ starts at $60,246. For more information, visit http://www.forestriverinc.com/.
