Hello to all Cardinal owners

[aintgotnun]

jchernyb and pacernut

Welcome to FRF!!

Why don't y'all make intro posts over in the Welcome mat and tell us about yourselves??

WelcomeMat

[ee4308]

Originally Posted by jchernyb

Hello to all! Wish I would have found this forum a year ago too. We have a 2007 30TS and absolutely love it...ofcourse those Loadstar tires are on there but so far (knock on wood) no problems....only problems have been with the Concertone but I think we might have the upper hand on that problem finally. We upgraded from a 24' travel trailer....2 women here figuring out how to travel with this 5th but every trip gets easier.....just wanted to say "hi" to all!

I also have a '07 30TS and I really love it. I have pulled it approx 7000 in the last year and half with the Loadstar tires and no problems....yet. It did take the third Concertone before I got one that worked right. I am completely happy with my Bird and don't understand the bad reviews some have given it. Here is a like to many other happy Cardinal owners:

http://www.cardinalrvclub.org/redbir...b6e13d65ca7457

[rawrick123]

We have a 2008 31RKLE, The concertone DVD player has been changed out once and another is on order to change out this last one. Must be a poor quality device..
My main problem is the large slideout. The sheer pin is constantly breaking. Four times since I bought it. Been in the shop more times than camping. anyone else heard of this problem????????? Take Care and Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

[Jacki2b]

We just purchased a used Forest River Cardinal 200633le so I guess ours is reallly ancient eh? Here's what it says we have:
SLIDEOUT ROOMS! FIBERGLASS EXTERIOR, ALUMINUM FRAME, EXTERIOR SPEAKERS, TV, VHS/DVD PLAYER, AM/FM CASSETTE PLAYER, COMPUTER DESK, SLEEPER SOFA, DINETTE, CEILING FAN, 10 GALLON GAS/ELECTRIC WATER HEATER, 3 BURNER STOVE TOP/OVEN, MICROWAVE, REFRIGERATOR, SHOWER, QUEEN BED, TV IN BEDROOM, WASHER/DRYER, DUCTED ROOF A/C AND MUCH MORE!
what problems do you guys forsee us having and what do we need to watch out for.
We have a disel truck- Jacki

[Jacki2b]

ps
how do you post a photo...how do you find the url ?

[jonjam1213]

Hello to all Cardinal owners. I have just purchased a 2003 Platinum at a repo auction and I love it. We got it for a steal and it is top of the line! Solid through and through! I can not find any info on the Platinum. If anyone needs manuals I was pleasantly pleased to hook up with a gal from Forest River by the name of Alana Duncan (aduncan@forestriverinc.com) and she sent me all of the manuals on it for only $25.00 + shipping. It has helped loads as there was nothing here. The fenders have damage and I have not been able to connect with a source to help there. If any of you can help, I will really appreciate it! Happy traveling!!! James

[bobby2]

We own a 2008 Cardinal 30ft 5th wheel. we have encountered the following problems,
1-It took us nearly a year to get all the plastic shavings out of the fresh water system. 2-On a return trip from reno NV the front facing fell off the living room slide.3-On a trip to Phoenix, Az. theroof vent over the bedroom completely dissintegrated, it wasnt open and we had 2 tires blow, both on the same side and they were at reccomended tire pressure.4-Just within the past week on a trip to Monterey, Ca. the flex line from the kitchen sinks broke at the connection to the holding tank. 5- on one trip a cabnet drawer fell out and came completely apart and various other problems. Question! are we the only ones having all these problems??????

[bobby2]

We own a 2008 Cardinal 30ft 5th wheel. we have encountered the following problems,
1-It took us nearly a year to get all the plastic shavings out of the fresh water system. 2-On a return trip from reno NV the front facing fell off the living room slide.3-On a trip to Phoenix, Az. theroof vent over the bedroom completely dissintegrated, it wasnt open and we had 2 tires blow, both on the same side and they were at reccomended tire pressure.4-Just within the past week on a trip to Monterey, Ca. the flex line from the kitchen sinks broke at the connection to the holding tank. 5- on one trip a cabnet drawer fell out and came completely apart and various other problems. Question! are we the only ones having all these problems??????

[jimh]

i have a 2002 33 TS. one thing that i would watch out for is the very thin crank up covers. after abt 2 yrs, mine started cracking.
a section of the under belly came loose on my way back from Pa. looks like it happened after getting on I-10. I-10 was very rough at that time.
watch for doors not closing properly in the upper part (my bathroom area). had this happen durring the warranty period but didn't realize what was causing it. dealer adjusted door. a year or two later did the same. noticed my washing machine was leaning. long story short, floor saged in middle. seems like the support may be broken in the floor. i looked in the cargo compartment and finally noticed that the floor had sagged abt 1/2" next to the outside wall (worse at the closet door). i jacked up the floor and the doors closed correctly again. i will probably build some type of support system to keep it level.
the kitchen faucet: watch for water under the sink. the mixer is made out of plastic and has a tendency to crack if you fill the system too fast (knock from compressing and releasing the air). mine cracked and was replaced. after that, i filled the system very slowly. this past spring, it broke again. i replaced faucet with one with a metal mixer).
with all trailers, watch the age on ur tires. the OEM tires blew at 3 yrs. trailer was hardly used. happened while crosing SD in 115 deg heat. drove probably 50 to 100 miles and didn't know that it was flat until someone came up along side pointing. as i pulled to a stop, i saw the cords flapping. i now have pressure/temp sensors on the trailer. they paid off the first trip out. oh, the tire damaged under the trailer and the side.

the tire problems, i will share the responsibility, i didn't know that the tires could look good (good tread and no sidewall cracks) and still be dry rotting.

the structure problem, just poor attention to quality. the installers (at the factory) won't see this because it comes to them already made.

the crank up skylights (don't know what to call those white vents on top u open from the inside) they could have used a better quality. i don't think u can even find after market replacements that thin. (the sun gets to them).

the sink faucet. they could have bought better quality.

the underbelly, i believe was just rough roads (I-10). apparently the screws in the middle between the sides stripped out and the air caught is aided by vibration. the edges were pulled loose and the screws remained. i reinstalled it with finder washers and the dealer used pop rivits to replace the stripped out screws between the sides.

the slide outs have worked well from day one. carpet seems to be a cut above. cabinets have held up very well. haven't had any problems with the electrical or gas systems.

[dezolen]

Love our Cardinal. All brands have their share of faults. Most are not a big deal if you are handy.
Fixed a few water piping leaks just by checking and tightening fittings, wood trim was loose around slides due to cheap staple nails that held it in place. 10 minutes to nail it properly, replaced Concertxxx,
checked and added more screws to underbelly covering, no big deal, assorted other odds and ends but nothing major.
Will replace tires next year.
Just saw rv sale nearby with 2010,2011 Jaycos, Durangos and would not trade mine for any.
Have a friend with new Rockwood 5th and his looks steps above many other brands as well.

[jimh]

the underbelly came loose on the first long trip abt 4 mos after buying it new. when we visited the factory (2 yrs later), i mentioned that they could lap it differently and that would prevent it from catching the wind and further tearing it. when they showed me one on the line, they had corrected that.

the kitchen faucet back (under the sink after the valves) is something to watch. the height of the faucet (head) allows a knock as u bleed air from the system. the pressure build is too great for plastic.

the dealer had the same comment abt each manufacture having its own quirks.

after owning a well used trailer (84) from 1992 till 2002 and getting fimiliar with repairs and what to expect, i thought i would have trouble free years ahead with a new one.

i still own the trailer and am not looking to replace. overall, i am happy with the trailer.

[Traveler II]

We have a 2008 30TS and we love ours. We moved from a 40 MH and I wasn't sure I would like what was for me a step down. The quality is not as a good as the MH but for the price we're pleased. As with all RV's there are things to be fixed and what I've enjoyed is the great service from Forest River. We use our rig over 100 days a year and I for sure would get another Cardinal.

[Big D]

Hello to All,
Sandy and I are new 3859 RL Cardinal owners and would like to start camping with all of you. We had a Heartland Elkridge but found the quality of FR products superior. We found the new heart throb at the Pomona RV show. Would like to know upcoming events we can attend.

[bigdaddy1]

Big D are you sure don't have a 3850RL Cardinal? We have a 2016 that we ordered this year and love it as well! Happy Camping!!

[Major]

We have a Blue Ridge (made by Cardinal) and we really love ours as well. We have owned 7 RV's of different types over the years and this is the first Forest River unit.

We had also heard how "bad" Forest River products are as well when we bought ours but I have found it to be no worse than any of the other brands we have owned, and in some cases better.

ALL RV brands have issues. That's the way it is. You either fix them, live with them, or move on!

Enjoy your RV for as long as you have it. That's how I look at it.

[jacknife]

WE have a 30-30 for over 2 yrs and outside of a few issues it has been a good 5 er. You read about problems with any brand. If you take into account the problems relative to units sold it is not very large.

[Big D]

Yes Bigdaddy1 it is a 3850 RL. It has some changes to it but you are correct. My chubby little fingers hit the wrong key
Thank Big D

[dml352]

Greetings all. We have a 2008 39RKS at least it is a 2008 on title. All FR records and NADA searches show it is a 2007. We love it but have had a few issues like others. Need to replace the Concertone this will be #3. 2 slides have broken sheer bolts and just found the fuse holder on the Converter melted. Wear and tear I guess. Still love the 5th wheel though.

[Dogpatch]

We just bought our 3450 RL this summer. Only got to do one maiden voyage in it but everything works good and it was well looked after. All I had to do was a re-seal on the roof. Looking forward to spring!

[bigdaddy1]

I have hope that spring is just around the corner but for now we are faced with this cold weather. I would love to spend winter in a warm climate.