I want to hear from satisfied customers...

[Upta]

Hi all,

I've been lurking on this forum for the last month trying to get more information about Forest River MH's. My wife and I really like the floor plan of the Forester 2501TS, or the Sunseeker 2500TS. Unfortunately, the more I read through these forums, the more it looks like there is no quality control, some engineering issues, and getting warranty work done is a real PITA.

With that being said, I sent an email to Forest River detailing my concerns and telling them why I wasn't going to buy an RV from them or anyone else until the above issues were straightened out. In that email I also said that I know that unhappy customers are much more vocal than satisfied ones.

I actually got a reply, which kind of surprised me. From someone up the food chain from the two in the Forester division that I sent it to. This person agreed with my assessment that the unhappy ones are the loudest. But they also said that for every unhappy customer, there are "hundreds" of satisfied ones.

Ok, I've read the gloom and doom posts, on here and elsewhere on the internet. Forest River and other brands. What I want to know is: are there happy Forest River customers out there? I want to hear from customers who didn't get the lemon. Whose MH wasn't leaking or losing screws every trip. From people who didn't need to fix something every time they came home. If you did have something major or minor wrong with your MH, you had it fixed without excess delay or hassle. Something major didn't die a month out of warranty. Help me out here. Give me something positive to read about.

Sorry for a downer first post,
Upta

[Toothpick]

Just bought a FR Vengeance 25V TH. Been on a couple short shake down cruises to iron out any problems.

First let me say so far during the shake down cruises and using/operating the camper here at the house I had zero issues so far. Everything has worked as advertised.

I did have a issue getting hot water, but it turned out to the lines to and from the HW Heater being set for winterized mode. A quick search on the forums here solved that issue. It was also something I should have address during the walk around when I picked the unit up but got in a hurry.

The only other issue was when using the black water flush out. I had a water leak in the hose going to the check valve that keeps the BW from surging back into the hose. Just a loose connector, easy fix.

I think there are more issues from crappy dealers IMHO.

Mel

[DocsDad]

There are many positive posts on here as well. I am a very satisfied customer. http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...sed-94133.html

[Total Loss]

I am satisfied.
Some minor issues and a leaky taillamp that blew out some led's.
Still need to caulk the storage compartments better.
Overall-very pleased with the unit for the price.

[Kevin & Judy]

Have had our 3010DS for almost 2 years now, had a few issues in the begining but the factory took care of them. Couldnt be happier with it, I will definitely buy another Forest River unit when the time comes.

[Boso]

Love my Sunseeker will love it more if I ever get everything repaired on it

[tlf65]

We have owned two Sunseekers. The first a 2102 2300, when we first got it we had a few minor issues which were quickly fixed by the dealer. In the five years we had the unit we had no other issues except for a Michelin tire recall and we got new tires after four years. We just traded the 2300 for a 2016 2700DS we have camped 9 days in the new unit and our only issues have been an improperly installed drawer latch and a hard to open microwave. So far we are very happy.

[Eagles609]

Love ours as well, no matter what RV manufacturer forum you look on there is going to be issues. RV's are like boats you are always going to be throwing $$$ at them.

[SkipnTerri]

We are completely satisfied with our rig. Like with any RV, it takes a bit to work out the 'bugs.' We did a LOT of research before deciding on Forest River and super glad we went with them.

[jheacox1]

Just got my 2015 Forest River Rockwood Sig Ultralite 5er in May this year. I have had very few quality issues, a screw here, a little caulk there. Nothing I wouldn't have expected from a condo on wheels. My dealer however is Awesome! I watched them reassemble everything before my walk through. They had that thing torn apart double checking everything. They even pulled and repacked my wheel bearings. I asked him why and he said because that sticker right there has our name on it. And your rig sitting on the side of the road or in the shop is bad advertising. Vicars Trailer Sales in Taylor, Michigan.

[Forester Fred]

I've got a 2015 Forester 2301. Yes, I will admit there were some minor issues but nothing that would cause me to regret my purchase. My previous motorhome was a Tioga Class C built by Fleetwood. That one had minor issues too.

I don't mind fixing minor things like tightening hinges and things like that. No matter what brand vehicle you buy, Chevy, Ford, Toyota, Mercedes, BMW, etc. they all have issues. Just look at all the recalls that the auto manufacturers issue.

When you stop and consider the amount of pounding and bouncing a motorhome and even a travel trailer, endure traveling on the roads of America, I personally feel that overall they are pretty well built.

If you get a new one do like I did. Take the time to go over the entire unit looking for loose screws and bolts, missing sealant and things like that. These come off what is essentially an assembly line. If you want absolute perfection or no problems I don't think you'll ever find it regardless of the manufacturer. The good times in the camper far outweigh the minor fixes that need to be done on occasion.

[Cariley]

Really like our Forester 3051. Everything we could have wanted and then some. Having AC unit replaced, but warranty from dometic covered it. Only problem we have is we don't get to use it as much as we'd like.

[Yorkranchgalnguy]

Love our sunseeker! I've done a lot of deco mods to make it ours, and installed a W/D combo, as well as lived in it all Summer. Drove from Ca through Id, Mt and Wy and back twice in the year we've had it. Only minor fixes( wheel well fenders, shower latches replaced by selling dealer, and loose electrical screw fixed by FR dealer in Sheridan,Wy) and everything has worked well. Drives well,too! Love it.

[Creativepart]

We bought our Forester 3051S at the end of June. We went on three short trips to familiarize ourselves with the RV and the headed out for a month long 3,800 mile trip. We returned home today. Everything worked, no leaks and no problems.

Perhaps you've never owned a Trailer/RV/Camper before... But it's common to have some issues after picking up your unit. We had a total of three small issues and took are of them before we left on the big trip.

Nothing else appeared during a long and active trip. The Forester worked perfectly and we are "Happy Campers."

Keep in mind many owners with a problem seek out the forum for help. So the posts here are skewed toward that group.

[ORvideoguy]

We love our 2015 3011DS, we shopped other brands and did plenty of research and we kept coming back to Forest River and the Forester.

We like the floor plan and some of the smart design items that go into their motorhomes. We have had a few small things that needed addressing but nothing major for a house on wheels.

You'll definitely see posts where people have had major issues but those are also the ones that the factory reps are quick to address and do everything they can to remedy.

Easy access to the factory reps and the way they treat their customers is one of the reasons I ended up purchasing a Forest River motorhome. I would recommend Forest River and I will definitely buy Forest River again when the times comes.

[KennyGolub]

We have owned our Berkshire for a year now and no major complaints.
The few items that needed adjustment or fixed were all taken care of by Forest River at Goshen.

If we do buy again, we would not want anything other than Forest River.

Ken

[ChrisAndGarren]

We had 2 issues in the first year - our LED awning lights died (almost at the 1 year mark) and they were replaced under warranty.

Only other issue was the stabilizer jacks - on our 2nd trip out, they wouldn't go down. Took it back to the dealer - after a few days of troubleshooting (and discussion with the mfg) they determined a short in the motor- they had to order a new one, but we took our MH out in the interim, just didn't level. Again, replaced under warranty.

After the first year, we did have some intermittent issues with our generator (would shut down randomly) but had Cummins look at it and they couldn't get it to error out - so I had them change the oil and replace the oil, air and fuel filters, works like a charm now.

There have been a few minor things also - like loose screws on hinges or drawers, but I think they are because we're driving a house around on wheels, things get shaken out.

Overall, we would totally buy a MH from FR again.

[Nelsflying]

First year with our Wildcat Maxx T24RG. One minor sink drain leak, fixed in 30 seconds. No other problems. We love it.

[grahamqcp]

Coachman Prism 24G 3 months steady use, 8100 miles, 20 states, minor problems only which I fixed. Could not be happier! Stopped at the factory for a couple of repairs and they were "Golden" My gosh, such service! Dometic service person waiting to fix the problem which turned out to be an electrical relay within the coach. Forest River is at the top of my list.

[SuicideSaints]

One thing you have to remember..... the people that are happy are out there enjoying their units, the unhappy ones are on here complaining. This is true for a lot of forums which is why you got the response "for every one unhappy person their are 100 happy ones".

In addition a lot of problems would/should have been caught by a SOLID PDI. This is the single most important thing in buying (other than selecting the right floor plan for you). I have no data to back this up but I would guess at a minimum 25% of these posts are here cover things that should have been noticed and addressed during a SOLID PDI.

Plus these manufacturers know there are going to be some problems that is why you get a warranty so you can take a year to figure them out and get it fixed for free. Also, warranty work is known to take awhile during peak season but people are still surprised for some reason when the dealer tells them it is peak season and it could take weeks. To that I say enjoy the unit and then drop it off at the dealer during the winter when you're not using it. Another big one is local dealers not fixing a unit that you didnt buy from them. I also still dont know why this surprises people either.

When you couple all these things together you can avoid the main concerns/problems. Buy from a local dealer, do a SOLID PDI and make a list of warranty items and drop off in the winter.

PDI
PDI
PDI

Have them fill everything and test everything. Have them hook the unit up the night before, turn the fridge on. Test all faucets, tanks, water heater, lights and tanks. Do not leave until you are satisfied. If they arent willing to do all this then walk away!

By the way i am extremely happy with my TT, It has been a great 10 months since I have bough it. I have not had a single issue other than a cabinet door handle that was fixed within an hour. I did everything I listed above and haven't a single post delivery issue.