doing to buy surveyor cadet sc321bhts ??

tetert1 · 04-19-2014, 06:51 PM

1st time buyer ,,but saw alot of complaints about FR,,,now I don't know if I will,,, these stories are TRUE ?,,,what do ya'll think,,165 Forest River Complaints and reviews from real people @ Pissed Consumer ,,also I found this,,http://ecorporateoffices.com/ForestRiverInc-2854,,,I will not buy the cadet if these are true,,,

tetert1 · 04-19-2014, 06:57 PM

Forest River Inc Corporate Office & Headquarters this the other complaint site,,can any one help me decide weather to buy or not,,,

kdcamper · 04-19-2014, 07:21 PM

This is our second f.r. product and other some very small items all covered under warranty, I feel they make a pretty good product. We will be buying another f.r. product in a couple of years. We have other products travalaire , jayco (never again) , Thor ( never again) and I'm sure you will find products other people will never buy again. I also think every company has their problems. I feel you have the same problem with Gm , ford, dodge and so forth.

kdcamper 2011 Chev 3500 Liz cc 2013 r.w. 8329ss d.p. husky centreline air ride hitch

tetert1 · 04-19-2014, 08:57 PM

thank you so much I appreciate your comment

Flagstaffer06 · 04-19-2014, 09:28 PM

I'm not defending the FR product line by any means as everyone has had issues, some minor and some major. Overall though, I think you'd find that no matter what RV you choose you will have some things to repair here or there.

At the same token, you see it alot on here and on the internet. The majority of the things you hear about any manufacturer are things where people are having problems. There are people and I try to do this myself alot that will give praise when something is good as well but, overall, you'd probably hear more people give a complaint about something online then someone have something good to say.

On here for instance, people are posting in some forums issues or problems they might be having in hopes others can share their experiences in solving their problems. You may not have people post in a forum about how much they like their product as much as you'd have people posting to get advice on something that may have happened.

My wife is guilty of this but, I'll use it as a comparison. If the little one gets a rash and before you make an appointment you start looking at pictures online, you'll see the most horrific cases of that rash making you think the worst.

In the end, I'd research as much as you can and go see a dealer or dealers who have the majority of the prices and floorplans you are interested in to view first. When you narrow down a brand and model negotiate the best price.

As for anyone that might have the specific model you mentioned, I'm sure someone can chime in. But, try not to consume yourself too much over complaints listed online. If you look up Home Depot or Lowes I bet you'd fine a ton of complaints and problems but, it wouldn't stop me from shopping at either one.

Have fun in your search!

cmptrkd · 04-19-2014, 09:57 PM

I like what Flagstaffer06 said. I agree with it. This is my first Forest River product. I had a Keystone Montana before, and before that a Fleetwood Wilderness (which was probably the best trailer I had, although they went out of business). I think my Montana was a better trailer, however it also cost about 20,000 more then my Sierra. I needed room to sleep kids as out family was growing and Keystone didn't have a floor plan that came close enough to what Forest River had. I have had my fair share of issues, but I think having a dealer you can trust is number 1. Just like building a new house, you're going to have a punch card. I did with my Montana, and I did with my Sierra. Having a good dealer who will fix these issues and fix them quickly is key. I made that part of the deal. If I buy this unit, you have to do a good PDI, and after my first trip out, I'm going to have some issues. It's a given. You have to get me in and fix them within a week. Now they had to order me a couple parts, nothing major, and they fixed everything they could, and I brought it back when the parts came in, and I was picking it back up after 24 hours. This isn't like buying a new car, this is like buying a new house. I wouldn't worry too much about what you hear. Remember, people generally only bitch when something is broken, and most always forget to give praise when things are perfect. with my dealer, I'd buy a Forest River product again. I did buy the extended warranty on my unit. I did last time too. After replacing a $1,300 refrigerator on my Wilderness at 6 yrs old, I decided the 7yr warranties are worth it. I think I made good on my warranty with my Montana, and I think I will for sure on this unit. To each their own. I generally don't believe in them, never bought one on a car or appliance, but I definitely do on the camper. Good luck in your decisions.

tetert1 · 04-19-2014, 09:59 PM

thank you for your input ,,
I will take it from heart

cmptrkd · 04-19-2014, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmptrkd

I like what Flagstaffer06 said. I agree with it. This is my first Forest River product. I had a Keystone Montana before, and before that a Fleetwood Wilderness (which was probably the best trailer I had, although they went out of business). I think my Montana was a better trailer, however it also cost about 20,000 more then my Sierra. I needed room to sleep kids as out family was growing and Keystone didn't have a floor plan that came close enough to what Forest River had. I have had my fair share of issues, but I think having a dealer you can trust is number 1. Just like building a new house, you're going to have a punch card. I did with my Montana, and I did with my Sierra. Having a good dealer who will fix these issues and fix them quickly is key. I made that part of the deal. If I buy this unit, you have to do a good PDI, and after my first trip out, I'm going to have some issues. It's a given. You have to get me in and fix them within a week. Now they had to order me a couple parts, nothing major, and they fixed everything they could, and I brought it back when the parts came in, and I was picking it back up after 24 hours. This isn't like buying a new car, this is like buying a new house. I wouldn't worry too much about what you hear. Remember, people generally only bitch when something is broken, and most always forget to give praise when things are perfect. with my dealer, I'd buy a Forest River product again. I did buy the extended warranty on my unit. I did last time too. After replacing a $1,300 refrigerator on my Wilderness at 6 yrs old, I decided the 7yr warranties are worth it. I think I made good on my warranty with my Montana, and I think I will for sure on this unit. To each their own. I generally don't believe in them, never bought one on a car or appliance, but I definitely do on the camper. Good luck in your decisions.

I should day one more thing, When I said I think Montana (Keystone) is a better trailer, this is like comparing a Bently to a Chevrolet. Montana is a luxury trailer, and we loved every bit of it. It only slept 4. It was great before we had kids. We now have 2 kids and one on the way. I don't think I'd want my kids tearing up that nice of a trailer either. It's nice to not freak out when they slam a door, or kick a door shut, or fling hot wheels cars from the bunkhouse through the living room area.... of course, right into the cabinets. We've had the trailer for 2 seasons, this is the start of our 3rd. It's held up very well. We love the floor plan of our Forest River product, and we especially liked that it was affordable. Lastly, we liked that the dealer we've had good luck with sold both brands.

tetert1 · 04-19-2014, 10:07 PM

thank you for your comment ,, I'm listening

tetert1 · 04-19-2014, 10:12 PM

yes I want mine for my son and grandkids to use,, my dealer is 120 miles away,, and I don't know how trustworthy he is, his company does not have a good rating,, like you said you have to have a good dealer working with you,, thank you

HappyGuy · 04-20-2014, 07:39 AM

We have had to drive up to four hours for a dealer and still been unhappy with the results thanks to shop overload. One measuring stick that I've come to find useful isn't necessarily the online reviews but how hard the shop manager takes a stand against the sales folks pushing "emergency" repairs on them and sticking to their schedule. In short is the shop run by the shop and does he foreman value quality over quantity. Standing around the shop won't really show that but talking to the manager of the shop might shed some light. Words like we can try or we might be able to instead of we can take you on ... could be a clue as to how the schedule is run in the shop and the level of service you might be able to expect.

tetert1 · 04-20-2014, 08:45 AM

thank you ,,I will look into it

Weezer · 04-20-2014, 09:56 AM

If there's one in your area, go with a "Route 66" endorsed dealer. Our dealer is 90 miles away, we've bought two Flagstaff RVs from them within a year (upgraded from bumper pull to 5th wheel) and their service, as well as the FR Flagstaff product has been OUTSTANDING. There are two dealers right here in our home town (not FR dealers though) and we'll gladly make that 90 mile trip for warranty service when the time comes.

Dealers must EARN that endorsement and from what I've learned it not easy to achieve.
Largest RV Dealer Network in North America | ROUTE 66 RV Network

No matter which brand you buy, your dealer can make or break your level of satisfaction.

Also keep in mind, that those who have severe problems with their RVs, and reach a satisfactory resolution, are often unable to come back and share their satisfactory resolution due to "non-disclosure clauses".

Example (though it is not related to RVs): Man loses $80,000 legal settlement after daughter's Facebook post violates agreement | Fox News

Yes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but sometimes the grease silences the squeak in more ways than one.

Would I buy a FR product again? YES, and I'd buy from the same Route 66 endorsed dealer.

Road-King · 04-20-2014, 10:17 AM

Not to be a smart *****, but if your looking for a RV manufacturing company with no complaints before you buy, you will never buy an RV.

Take what you find on the Internet with a grain of salt. People who are upset or less then satisfied are more likely to express their dissatisfaction. Then less likely to post back when they have been satisfied.

I have had Keystones, Colman and Forest River products. They all had their problems at times. The RV industry is different than most others (like the automotive). They not a cookie cutter industry. You could have two RVs, same model number and same model year but there could be several differences in the two. Sometimes big differences.

Things break and all companies take short cuts to save money. IMHO think RVing works best when you can do the repairs or modifications yourself.

tetert1 · 04-20-2014, 10:26 AM

thank you all for your wisdom

BooBoo23 · 04-20-2014, 01:50 PM

I agree with Road King. Everyone that has a problem will post it on a forum but satisfied people just move on and don't say anything. And another thing, just like ***** holes, everyone has an opinion and forums will bring them out. So always expect the best get a good dealer to take care of the little things.

loki008 · 04-21-2014, 10:22 AM

[Quick summary: I think that FR makes a good product, however your experience really comes down to finding a dealer that is looking to build a relationship over making a quick buck]

I just spent quite a bit of time researching my purchase. I ended up going with a Rockwood a122 A-Frame camper.

While doing my research I stuck to the ultra lights and popup units because I was towing it with my car. But during this process I came to the conclusion that you see a lot of the same "quality" complaints across the board for all the manufacturers. The issue I think is 2 fold. First these are often constructed in a more custom manner. Its not like GM or Ford where they make 20,000 units in a year in a highly automated manner. and the second issue is cost vs profit. The industry is fairly competitive in both features and price so you have the manufactures trying to add more features while staying cost competitive. This leads to in some cases lower quality than you would expect out of a retail component (for example in many cases the "entertainment" system is going to suck compared to you house or car).

Both of these reasons tend to lend themselves to what i call "fit and finish" issues. Issues where something isnt lined up quite right or isnt quite straight. Those kind of issues. Sometimes they are minor like a drawer that sticks a little, other times its an important external seal that now leaks. Both of these are why you need to spend time when you pick up your unit and go over everything with a check list. They will be fixed if you bring them up, but the earlier they are identified the easier it is on everyone.

Now that I have the unit I am happy, i have to say overall its well made and most everything makes sense for me how and why its included. I am comfortable for the most part that it will last me and that I will meet my needs going forward.

With that said, there is one ugly spot (and again as far as i can tell this is true across the industry) and that is the network of dealers. The local dealer near me just gave me bad vibes, they seemed cocky with a take it or leave it attitude. Given that and I found a great dealer (unfortunately 200 miles away) that was willing and able to order me exactly what I wanted and i ultimately ordered from them.

However after a few nights home with the unit I came across a few minor issues involving the door and windows. I decided that rather than fix it myself I would take it to the local forest river dealer and have their service department take care of it under warranty rather than risk fixing it myself since it involved external seals. That said i made an appointment and brought the unit in and was told outright that its not worth their time servicing units that are not purchased from them and that they would not service my unit and I was free to take it back to where i bought it.

After bringing this up with my dealer who called Forest River we were unable to resolve the issue, with Forest River stating that they cant force a dealer to take service work and that even after communicating with the dealer in question they are unwilling to do service work on other units. Due to the fairly minor nature of the issues I was able to correct them on my own. But it was disappointing that FR's response was basically to call around other FR dealers till i found one willing to work on my unit. If I was unable to find one they then would locate a 3rd party to do the work and they would pay for that party to fix the unit.

Now this experience is heavily weighted due to the fact that the local dealer is a piece of dog excrement and I thankfully figured this out before buying from them. However I think Forest River holds some blame for allowing such a franchise to exist selling their product.

Overall, would i recommend a FR product based on my experience so far. Yes, with one major note. Do your homework. The experience you receive will be only as good as the dealer that you go with. Do not expect that there will be a consistent customer experience across all FR dealers. Some dealers will really work for your business and trust. While others know they are the only game in town and don't expect you to drive outside their franchise area to find another dealer and will view you as just a way to extract as much cash out of you as they can before moving on to the next person.

Review of Vermont Country Campers (Very Positive experience)
Review of Longview RV (Windsor Locks CT) (VERY negative experience)

As you can see the experiences were night and day from each other.

fx2 · 04-21-2014, 12:14 PM

I posted in response to your questions in another thread.

I have this exact model and would buy it again in a second. What you'll see online is a very small sampling of people who do have complaints, you will rarely read about the many many more who don't.

Road-King was absolutely right, if you base your decision on what you read here, or any other RV forum, you won't buy a TT, or any other RV.

Also, while I am extremely happy with my purchase, someone else may not be. It is no different than my truck, I love my EcoBoost, there are others who hate them. To each their own.

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