Negative: Forest River did NOT take care of me

[2013Patriot]

I had issues with the Forest River factory's handling of my problems so I contacted them and there's been no resolution so I need to vent and get it out in the open to let everybody know. We love our RV and use it as much as we can but I would expect better customer service from the factory.........

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I bought a Patriot edition 26BH in 2013 and just this past winter, while in storage, it was damaged. I took it to the dealership to be repaired. That was back in March. I have been waiting on it to be repaired ever since. They told me the aluminum panel for the rear is on backorder. My family and I have missed out on some really nice weekends this Spring because we have nothing to camp with. Not to mention the money we have already spent on our seasonal site and the monthly payment we make every month for the camper itself being basically wasted. Any idea when this panel will not be on backorder anymore? We are outgrowing our 26BH and looking to go bigger in the near future. If it's going to be this difficult to get parts then we probably will not go with Forest River on our next purchase.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will need the last seven of your vin and the servicing dealer to address the parts issue, thanks


Thank You,
Have a Great Day!
Mark Palmer
Cherokee Warranty Representative
Phone: 260-593-4001
Fax: 574-970-6898
Email: cherokeewarranty@forestriverinc.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I reponded with my vin and dealer info
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your product shipped to your dealer 05/27/2015


Thank You,
Have a Great Day!
Mark Palmer
Cherokee Warranty Representative
Phone: 260-593-4001
Fax: 574-970-6898
Email: cherokeewarranty@forestriverinc.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ME-
I just got off the phone with the dealer. They told me the sheet metal ordered for the rear came in the wrong color twice and they finally received the correct color yesterday. The interior panel for the bathroom has come in 3 times now the wrong color and been sent back. He said the 4th panel is on its way. If this color is wrong we are going to have to figure out something else. Why are the wrong parts being sent over and over? I need answers This is unacceptable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No response from Forest River
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ME-
4th panel was wrong again. I will avoid Forest River from now on. Thanks for attempting to resolve my issues. (insert sarcasm)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Huffman

Can you give me the last 7 of your vin#? Also the dealer name and I will look into and try to get some answers back for you


Thank You,
Have a Great Day!
Mark Palmer
Cherokee Warranty Representative
Phone: 260-593-4001
Fax: 574-970-6898
Email: cherokeewarranty@forestriverinc.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I responded AGAIN with the vin and dealer info
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you, we will follow up with a call to the dealer and see what we can do to help


Thank You,
Have a Great Day!
Mark Palmer
Cherokee Warranty Representative
Phone: 260-593-4001
Fax: 574-970-6898
Email: cherokeewarranty@forestriverinc.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No response from Forest River. Found out from the dealer making the repairs that Forest River did talk to them and let them know that, in the past 2 years since my RV was purchased new, the color of my particular interior was no longer available. I never heard another word from Forest River so I responded to them once again
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mark,

The dealer making the repairs to my RV had said the particular color of my interior panel was not available anymore according to Forest River. So since it is still under warranty and only 2 years old, how do you resolve these issues? Do you suggest having a replacement panel installed that is the wrong color? Do you completely gut the interior just to change out one panel so they all match? If the customer is always right and spends a lot of money on a product I would think the factory would want to make the customer happy to receive future business from the customer. I am happy with the repairs made to my RV because the dealer made sure I was but they had to go above and beyond and get creative in order to make me happy while the factory just sat back and said "oh well. there's nothing we can do". It doesn't seem right to me. I missed out on nearly 3 months of great weather that I could have spent using my RV and there's nothing I can do about it other than let you know I'm not happy with Forest River.

Thanks for nothing,
Rick Huffman

[MeepMeep]

Your OP stated that your rig was damaged while it was in storage and then launches into an indictment of Forest River and warranty issues. Not quite understanding how this becomes the fault of the manufacturer.....that they don't have a color-matched panel in stock for your particular rig should come as no surprise as RV builders are constantly changing layouts and color patterns. There's no way they could keep spares to cover every eventuality

I'm sure that there's a fix out there, but it may take some time and a whole lot of patience

Good luck!

[2013Patriot]

With the VIN provided, they should have known the color was not available anymore instead of dragging the whole process out for months

[Happy Vibe]

I am trying to figure out what FR warranty is still active after two years. The most you can get from the factory is the basic 1 year and if you pay you can extend it for a second year. What kind of damage happened to your trailer that it would need interior and exterior work?

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Happy Vibe

I am trying to figure out what FR warranty is still active after two years. The most you can get from the factory is the basic 1 year and if you pay you can extend it for a second year. What kind of damage happened to your trailer that it would need interior and exterior work?

And why would warranty be involved even so?


TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

[2013Patriot]

The sailboat parked behind me backed into the trailer putting the rudder through the back and through the bathroom wall

[donanddona]

I also feel your pain. You could barrow or rent another RV. Two years ago I hit a tire in the road, FR told me Lippert in stalled the rear stabilizer and I would have to replace the complete assembly (motor gear housing was busted), cost was $500 approx. This year the lead landing leg bevel gears need replaced. $30 gear, but again FR told me Lippert installed the landing gear and I will need to replace the complete leg, $250. All in all we need to stay positive, alternatives are there. A local repair shop replaced the rear motor (cost $100), I'll replace the complete leg $100 vs $30 gear. Sometime there's savings and other times not so much. I only hope FR is listening and understands the level of customer support are not yet to our expectations. Stay thirsty my friends....

[X96mnn]

To the OP

Really feel for you losing out on camping and the delay. Boat backing through the camper, while in storage, that's some hard luck there followed by the panel delay.

I will not assume but would hope the boat owners insurance is going good for your damage. Will the insurance not assist in your loss of use at all? I know this does not make the issue with Forrest River any better, nor am I attempting to divert the attention away from Forrest River but as an avid RVer who has owned multiple line, I have learned for the most part to look after myself once I drive off the lot and rely on my dealer and the people on these forms when I need help. If it is insurance I would have that conversation with them on paying you back for your lost time. Ultimately, although the insurance did not stop making a panel, their boat went through your trailer and it is their issue until fixed.

As an example of this, friend of mine was hit hard in the front of her 2015 Jeep Cerokee, bit of damage but main issues was it cracked her tranny some how. Right now dodge has a major recall on the transmissions, 8 or 9 speeds I think, 6 months for the part. It is the insurances problem that the part will be delayed and not hers. They write it off, or keep her in a loaner.

As for staying away from Forrest River, that's your right and inky real resource as a customer. I will state being a former Thor product owner, you can head over to their form and see similar experiences with parts and repair. If you stay away from Thor and Forrest River, that's 95% if not higher of the RVs in the market today.

[Briorick]

Originally Posted by MeepMeep

Your OP stated that your rig was damaged while it was in storage and then launches into an indictment of Forest River and warranty issues. Not quite understanding how this becomes the fault of the manufacturer.....

X2 ... I am trying to figure this one out as well.

What happened to the Owner of the Sailboat and their Insurance making good on your damages? Seems as though they got off the hook for repairs.
I feel the frustration is being exerted toward the wrong party, regardless of them not having your exact part / color in stock.

[rlocicero]

trim parts seem to be an issue with most rv Mfrs. When Forest river brought my Flagstaff back to the factory for repaiy, I was lucky. They got it back to me in about 5 weeks. My previous trailer, a HolidayRambler Savoy, needed interior panels and was tied up for six months. I have actually had better luck with FR than other Mfrs in the past.

[LI Guy]

It seems to me the OP has no beef with compensation for the damage but with FR unable to send correct parts/slow follow up to complete the repair to his satisfaction (due to out of production color of parts)...How is FR to come up with the color they no longer have is anyone's guess ....

[2-B-REIL]

One thing to consider on this, is Where does Patriot fall into the layout of things. Cherokee is a division of Forest River, yes. And the Cherokee Division produces the Patriot. So if this is so, where are all the Patriot Dealerships in the US? Look up Book Value on the Patriot. Why are there not values of this unit in NADA?

I feel the reason being, that Cherokee produces the Patriot for One Dealership. The dealership has cut a deal with FR/Cherokee to produce him a unit as inexpensive as possible. Traveling the interstate to Indiana, you don't see the Patriot name coming down the road to Dealerships... What you do see is a Generic Looking camper coming down the road to one dealership, and that dealership puts on the logo.

So if FR/Cherokee is producing this, and at a price structure that the Dealership wants, it would be my guess that they are building in bulk and using older shelf product to delete excess product inventory. So finding replacement paneling/metal could cause an issue.

Something to look into.....

[billb800si]

Just my 2¢..
If they have the correct part in the wrong color then have a paint shop will match the correct color & paint it. It's done all the time.

This repair is not a warranty issue it's a insurance issue.

Good luck.

[oxcamper]

BTW, The VIN # on an RV will not give you color schemes like it does on a car.

[2013Patriot]

The point I'm trying to make has nothing to do with the warranty or insurance or who is at fault. It has to do with the correct parts not being available, the time it took to get the correct parts, the wrong color parts being sent several times. Forest River never once took any blame or apologized or offered any kind of reconciliation. It was basically them saying "we just took 2 months sending you the wrong parts and we have now exhausted all of our options and you're going to just have to deal with it." That's NOT good business. They should've known from the very beginning that the parts were not available and apologized and said "well maybe we can cut out the portion of the wall where the hole is and fabricate a magazine rack in it's place." Which is exactly what the dealer decided to do when they couldn't get the right parts and my trailer was taking up space in their lot for 3 months. The dealer that completed the repairs was excellent. My hat goes off to them for sure. We love the new magazine rack. Forest River couldn't have cared any less about my problems. That's the only point I am trying to make.

[Kevin & Judy]

Might just be the dealer has ordered the wrong parts a few times and ist not a forest river problem, Dealers are the most untrustworthy group as far a getting parts orderd, At least the ones i have dealt with. They dont order the stuff or order the wrong stuff and blame it on forest river for there incompetence.
Been there and experienced it on several occasions.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Kevin & Judy

Might just be the dealer has ordered the wrong parts a few times and ist not a forest river problem, Dealers are the most untrustworthy group as far a getting parts orderd, At least the ones i have dealt with. They dont order the stuff or order the wrong stuff and blame it on forest river for there incompetence.
Been there and experienced it on several occasions.

X2


TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

[oxcamper]

Undertstood

[ependydad]

4th panel was wrong again. I will avoid Forest River from now on. Thanks for attempting to resolve my issues. (insert sarcasm)

When I had my camper back to Sabre/Forest River for repair work- there was another family who were also having issues. Sabre really screwed the pooch with my camper- like whoa bad. In the end, I was happy and as I sat and talked to the warranty manager, he ended up thanking me. In so many words he said, "We both know how badly (Sabre) screwed up, and I thank you for dealing with it the way you did. Lots of people would have done it differently."

And frankly, as a result of that- I'm now an ardent Sabre and Forest River fan. They've helped me out when I had a microwave failure during an extended camping trip. And really stepped up when I was stuck with slideout issues at a Walmart in Dillon, SC.

You reap what you sow.

NOW.. as for the dealer. We weren't there. I wasn't in their shoes. But, I do know that when my warranty process first started- the dealer said that Sabre was giving them the run around. I was finally copied on the email thread and it was clear where the problem was and it wasn't Sabre.

[mud yapster]

Frustrating thing it is and glad your dealer made you happy. Now maybe trade it off for something else bigger. Just a thought.