REAR SLIDE FELL OUT WHILE IN IT..rockwood roo

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by kant160

WHY on earth would I think litigation would be best...its been months of emails and you are right how do they know if they never sent a rep out? to SEE the damage so how can they even say its NOT structural ? I DO NOT want to take anyone to court I have been so patient and HONEST beyond the avg person and its gotten me no where....please do not ASSume.

Ok, good luck with it. Sorry.

[kant160]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

I hope you have not gotten yourself so wrapped up in your ideal solution that a compromise is impossible. If so your disappointment will only deepen.

I know of no one who got work done at the factory and came away nothing short of amazed at the value. Once there, the tendency is to exceed your expectations.

Forgive me but it seems you may not be able to take "yes" as an answer.

Good luck Beth and happy camping.

Im all about the compromise ...always have been. I have been married 30 years I am very good at compromising I will end it here and try and talk to them again...thanks all!

[lottathought]

I was actually seriously considering one of these units.
I have to say, after reading this thread, both this style camper and FR has moved from the top to the bottom of my list. I do not liken what happened to an engine wearing out. It is more like the frame falling apart. And whomever wants to argue that the seat of your call falling through the floor and the doors falling off while driving is normal wear...well good luck with that. I am actually stunned that particle board getting wet ever even entered the conversation. That to me is an admission that they are expecting particle board to be the support of this slide? Did they run out of Bubble Gum? Frankly, I am shocked that FR did not just make this right for no other reason than to avoid the publicity that they are now getting. If this truly is as rare as we are being led to believe, then the financial cost to FR would have been tiny and the positive PR would have greatly outweighed that cost. Either this is FAR more common and they realize this would be a major cost hit.......or they are demonstrating just how difficult it would be to ever actually file a warranty issue with them.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by lottathought

I was actually seriously considering one of these units.
I have to say, after reading this thread, both this style camper and FR has moved from the top to the bottom of my list. I do not liken what happened to an engine wearing out. It is more like the frame falling apart. And whomever wants to argue that the seat of your call falling through the floor and the doors falling off while driving is normal wear...well good luck with that. I am actually stunned that particle board getting wet ever even entered the conversation. That to me is an admission that they are expecting particle board to be the support of this slide? Did they run out of Bubble Gum? Frankly, I am shocked that FR did not just make this right for no other reason than to avoid the publicity that they are now getting. If this truly is as rare as we are being led to believe, then the financial cost to FR would have been tiny and the positive PR would have greatly outweighed that cost. Either this is FAR more common and they realize this would be a major cost hit.......or they are demonstrating just how difficult it would be to ever actually file a warranty issue with them.

You got all of that out of 1 thread. I'm not blaming the OP and I don't know either side of the story- but, I do know that there are always 2 sides to any story. I know I watched a Sabre thread a while back and knowing the "other"/manufacturer's side changed everything I read into it.

Personally, I'd never let a single scenario or thread change my view of a company. If you did, you'd never be able to buy anything ever.

[AquaMan]

Originally Posted by ependydad

You got all of that out of 1 thread. I'm not blaming the OP and I don't know either side of the story- but, I do know that there are always 2 sides to any story. I know I watched a Sabre thread a while back and knowing the "other"/manufacturer's side changed everything I read into it.

Personally, I'd never let a single scenario or thread change my view of a company. If you did, you'd never be able to buy anything ever.

X2!


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[lottathought]

You make a fair point. But as they say...a pic = 1000 words. We saw the pic of the slide on the ground. And we know that there was a sincere interaction with FR based on this thread alone. I am having a tough time finding a way to spin that FR comes out looking ok.

[X96mnn]

Originally Posted by lottathought

I was actually seriously considering one of these units.
I have to say, after reading this thread, both this style camper and FR has moved from the top to the bottom of my list. I do not liken what happened to an engine wearing out. It is more like the frame falling apart. And whomever wants to argue that the seat of your call falling through the floor and the doors falling off while driving is normal wear...well good luck with that. I am actually stunned that particle board getting wet ever even entered the conversation. That to me is an admission that they are expecting particle board to be the support of this slide? Did they run out of Bubble Gum? Frankly, I am shocked that FR did not just make this right for no other reason than to avoid the publicity that they are now getting. If this truly is as rare as we are being led to believe, then the financial cost to FR would have been tiny and the positive PR would have greatly outweighed that cost. Either this is FAR more common and they realize this would be a major cost hit.......or they are demonstrating just how difficult it would be to ever actually file a warranty issue with them.

Do not want to rail road the OPs thread and hope they get their issues worked out.

When I see comments like this I tend to think this is another manufacturer or someone close to the situation trying to make it look like this actually would cause lost business. Although I think it may be rare that you find slides falling out, I would take a bet that 97% of the manufactured RVs would have multiple disaster stories both on the Internet and print. Unless you have extreamly deep pockets, it is unlikely you will not purchase either a Keystone or Forest River product.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by lottathought

You make a fair point. But as they say...a pic = 1000 words. We saw the pic of the slide on the ground. And we know that there was a sincere interaction with FR based on this thread alone. I am having a tough time finding a way to spin that FR comes out looking ok.

I agree and I truly don't know anything from the manufacturer's side. I also don't know anything about the OP and am not implying or saying that they have been anything less than honest.

But back to that Sabre mess- Sabre literally couldn't post their defense/side of the story, so all you hear was from the Mad owners. Without fail, someone is going to recount the story with their own bias- it's just human nature. When I learned a few details of the other side (I was at the factory at the same time), it sways the discussion- at times drastically.

And again- there are always horror stories for any brand of RVs (or, heck- for anything you might buy in this world). I can't let a single thread sway me on any single brand. If I did, even the $70k+ Airstreams would be garbage or the $150k DRVs would be unacceptable.

Cheers.

[lottathought]

Originally Posted by X96mnn

Do not want to rail road the OPs thread and hope they get their issues worked out.

When I see comments like this I tend to think this is another manufacturer or someone close to the situation trying to make it look like this actually would cause lost business. Although I think it may be rare that you find slides falling out, I would take a bet that 97% of the manufactured RVs would have multiple disaster stories both on the Internet and print. Unless you have extreamly deep pockets, it is unlikely you will not purchase either a Keystone or Forest River product.

Oh for the love of.....

Well X96mnn... when I see comments like yours, I tend to think it is a company shill trying to hide and discredit..rather than address a serious quality control and customer service issue.

But let me clarify for you. I have never met the OP. I could not pick them out of a lineup if my life depended on it. I have no connection to them in any way. I could probably link to Ghandi and Kevin Bacon "Combined" with less degrees of separation than I could with the OP.

I do not work for anybody at all in the RV industry. I do not know anybody that works in the RV industry. I WISH I knew somebody in the RV industry. It would have helped a lot when doing research.

I am here because, after copious amounts of research, I had landed on a type of travel trailer that my family would prefer. FR made this style and I wanted to find out more about them as FR had made the short list.

As I have learned, this is not like buying a car. Consumer Reports does not list the camper models that I am interested in. I have been unable to find any in depth reviews of each model of RV like I can my cell phone. Finding meaningful info is much more difficult. So I joined this forum....just like I joined car forums in the past...to research common issues on a particular model and year auto.

Now I get that things can go wrong with anything that is built. Some Hondas break down. Some Samsung phones just die for no reason. And I get that no maker can fix every little scratch and any imperfection. Having said that....to have the back end just fall out ranks about as high as you can get on the list as to things that just should not happen.
This is not a blown fuse. And there should be no amount of water that can get into that back wall to cause this. In case you do not realise it yet, this is a MAJOR safety issue. How would you react if a certain builder was linked to the floors just falling out in a skyscraper? Would you do the contortions that you are doing now and blame pigeons? That slide, with what is the known, expected weight that might be supported during it's time in service, should NEVER have this issue.

When I look at the severity of this...complete with pictures......and combine it with the fact that this company has not yet resolved this...that is a pretty big deal to me. I am glad that litigation is an option. I try to avoid doing business with those who I suspect I need to litigate however.

And honestly, yes...it may very well cost them business. I can not say for certain that I would have bought a FR before. (It was at the top of the short list however.)
You and I appear to have VERY different opinions on quality control and customer service.
And while I have no idea how many, I strongly suspect that there are MANY who are shopping for a travel trailer who feel like I do.

[MillerTime]

Originally Posted by lottathought

Oh for the love of.....

Well X96mnn... when I see comments like yours, I tend to think it is a company shill trying to hide and discredit..rather than address a serious quality control and customer service issue.

But let me clarify for you. I have never met the OP. I could not pick them out of a lineup if my life depended on it. I have no connection to them in any way. I could probably link to Ghandi and Kevin Bacon "Combined" with less degrees of separation than I could with the OP.

I do not work for anybody at all in the RV industry. I do not know anybody that works in the RV industry. I WISH I knew somebody in the RV industry. It would have helped a lot when doing research.

I am here because, after copious amounts of research, I had landed on a type of travel trailer that my family would prefer. FR made this style and I wanted to find out more about them as FR had made the short list.

As I have learned, this is not like buying a car. Consumer Reports does not list the camper models that I am interested in. I have been unable to find any in depth reviews of each model of RV like I can my cell phone. Finding meaningful info is much more difficult. So I joined this forum....just like I joined car forums in the past...to research common issues on a particular model and year auto.

Now I get that things can go wrong with anything that is built. Some Hondas break down. Some Samsung phones just die for no reason. And I get that no maker can fix every little scratch and any imperfection. Having said that....to have the back end just fall out ranks about as high as you can get on the list as to things that just should not happen.
This is not a blown fuse. And there should be no amount of water that can get into that back wall to cause this. In case you do not realise it yet, this is a MAJOR safety issue. How would you react if a certain builder was linked to the floors just falling out in a skyscraper? Would you do the contortions that you are doing now and blame pigeons? That slide, with what is the known, expected weight that might be supported during it's time in service, should NEVER have this issue.

When I look at the severity of this...complete with pictures......and combine it with the fact that this company has not yet resolved this...that is a pretty big deal to me. I am glad that litigation is an option. I try to avoid doing business with those who I suspect I need to litigate however.

And honestly, yes...it may very well cost them business. I can not say for certain that I would have bought a FR before. (It was at the top of the short list however.)
You and I appear to have VERY different opinions on quality control and customer service.
And while I have no idea how many, I strongly suspect that there are MANY who are shopping for a travel trailer who feel like I do.

I think your reading alot into this as well.
The op posted this in September, its less than 3 months later. I've had cars in our collision centers that I've worked at that had cars there that long waiting on insurance companies, owners authorization, repairs, parts etc.

You cant reasonably think that an issue with an older camper that isn't even made anymore is going to happen overnight. Unless there are hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions weighing on something, almost nothing happens overnight.
And the logistics of such a huge part and such a large repair in the rv world equals alot of time.

I understand your frustration and concerns about spending money on an rv that could possibly fail. This happens in all industries, and for every 1 large failure there are usually thousands of great successful products out there.
Unfortunately everything is going to break down, rot, rust....something. Alot of times lack of maintaining something or not noticing something small that can lead to bigger issues, makes it worse. (Not saying that this was necessarily ops case).
Example. If your car has a small oil leak, but you never check the oil.....your going to have engine issues if left unattended long enough.

Anyways good luck with your quest!

And OP good luck with getting this all sorted out!

[X96mnn]

Originally Posted by lottathought

Oh for the love of.....

Well X96mnn... when I see comments like yours, I tend to think it is a company shill trying to hide and discredit..rather than address a serious quality control and customer service issue.

But let me clarify for you. I have never met the OP. I could not pick them out of a lineup if my life depended on it. I have no connection to them in any way. I could probably link to Ghandi and Kevin Bacon "Combined" with less degrees of separation than I could with the OP.

I do not work for anybody at all in the RV industry. I do not know anybody that works in the RV industry. I WISH I knew somebody in the RV industry. It would have helped a lot when doing research.

I am here because, after copious amounts of research, I had landed on a type of travel trailer that my family would prefer. FR made this style and I wanted to find out more about them as FR had made the short list.

As I have learned, this is not like buying a car. Consumer Reports does not list the camper models that I am interested in. I have been unable to find any in depth reviews of each model of RV like I can my cell phone. Finding meaningful info is much more difficult. So I joined this forum....just like I joined car forums in the past...to research common issues on a particular model and year auto.

Now I get that things can go wrong with anything that is built. Some Hondas break down. Some Samsung phones just die for no reason. And I get that no maker can fix every little scratch and any imperfection. Having said that....to have the back end just fall out ranks about as high as you can get on the list as to things that just should not happen.
This is not a blown fuse. And there should be no amount of water that can get into that back wall to cause this. In case you do not realise it yet, this is a MAJOR safety issue. How would you react if a certain builder was linked to the floors just falling out in a skyscraper? Would you do the contortions that you are doing now and blame pigeons? That slide, with what is the known, expected weight that might be supported during it's time in service, should NEVER have this issue.

When I look at the severity of this...complete with pictures......and combine it with the fact that this company has not yet resolved this...that is a pretty big deal to me. I am glad that litigation is an option. I try to avoid doing business with those who I suspect I need to litigate however.

And honestly, yes...it may very well cost them business. I can not say for certain that I would have bought a FR before. (It was at the top of the short list however.)
You and I appear to have VERY different opinions on quality control and customer service.
And while I have no idea how many, I strongly suspect that there are MANY who are shopping for a travel trailer who feel like I do.

I will be honest, I did not read all of it, but now I am 100% convinced I am right. Good luck in "buying" a RV

[itat]

lottathought, first, welcome to the forum.

You came here to find a lot of info on Forest River products and you came to the right place for that. You will find stories of folks who've had major problems and others who've had no problems at all and no warranty claims.

Like you, most folks come here because they are either researching in advance of a purchase or looking for help with a problem.

If you do the same research on other manufacturers at this price point (Keystone, Jayco, Coachmen, Dutchmen, Crossroads, etc.) you'll find they usually have owner forums with the same stories. When I was searching for my first trailer after having used a Coleman popup for a lot of years, I found that the fit and finish on Rockwoods was consistently better than most others. There is a lot of crap out there.

My personal experience with the Rockwood factory when I had a delamination issue on a 3 year old Roo that I purchased used, was a good experience. I haven't had any problems with my current Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite. So I'm happy to recommend the brand to my friends and family.

I truly hope that the OP gets their issue resolved with a fair settlement like I did.

With the quality issues that the RV industry has and the non-exclusive dealership model they use, it's critical that you buy a product that has better after-sales support from the factory than most of the competition. I don't know anything about the other Forest River brands but I've been happy with Rockwood.

The only way to be certain that you won't have a problem with an RV, is to stay in a hotel or rent a KOA cabin.

[Dave Lyon]

Originally Posted by itat

lottathought, first, welcome to the forum.

You came here to find a lot of info on Forest River products and you came to the right place for that. You will find stories of folks who've had major problems and others who've had no problems at all and no warranty claims.

Like you, most folks come here because they are either researching in advance of a purchase or looking for help with a problem.

If you do the same research on other manufacturers at this price point (Keystone, Jayco, Coachmen, Dutchmen, Crossroads, etc.) you'll find they usually have owner forums with the same stories. When I was searching for my first trailer after having used a Coleman popup for a lot of years, I found that the fit and finish on Rockwoods was consistently better than most others. There is a lot of crap out there.

My personal experience with the Rockwood factory when I had a delamination issue on a 3 year old Roo that I purchased used, was a good experience. I haven't had any problems with my current Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite. So I'm happy to recommend the brand to my friends and family.

I truly hope that the OP gets their issue resolved with a fair settlement like I did.

With the quality issues that the RV industry has and the non-exclusive dealership model they use, it's critical that you buy a product that has better after-sales support from the factory than most of the competition. I don't know anything about the other Forest River brands but I've been happy with Rockwood.

The only way to be certain that you won't have a problem with an RV, is to stay in a hotel or rent a KOA cabin.

Well said!

[lottathought]

Originally Posted by itat

lottathought, first, welcome to the forum.

You came here to find a lot of info on Forest River products and you came to the right place for that. You will find stories of folks who've had major problems and others who've had no problems at all and no warranty claims.

Like you, most folks come here because they are either researching in advance of a purchase or looking for help with a problem.

If you do the same research on other manufacturers at this price point (Keystone, Jayco, Coachmen, Dutchmen, Crossroads, etc.) you'll find they usually have owner forums with the same stories. When I was searching for my first trailer after having used a Coleman popup for a lot of years, I found that the fit and finish on Rockwoods was consistently better than most others. There is a lot of crap out there.

My personal experience with the Rockwood factory when I had a delamination issue on a 3 year old Roo that I purchased used, was a good experience. I haven't had any problems with my current Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite. So I'm happy to recommend the brand to my friends and family.

I truly hope that the OP gets their issue resolved with a fair settlement like I did.

With the quality issues that the RV industry has and the non-exclusive dealership model they use, it's critical that you buy a product that has better after-sales support from the factory than most of the competition. I don't know anything about the other Forest River brands but I've been happy with Rockwood.

The only way to be certain that you won't have a problem with an RV, is to stay in a hotel or rent a KOA cabin.

I appreciate the comments.
And yes, I do know that all makes can have issues. Honestly, I was thinking that it had gone on longer than 3 months for the OP. I have not made any final decisions. And I am open to that was just a bad year. My research to date indicates any model can have some years better than others. I think part of my reaction was ...I consider this to be a purchase in the car/house neighborhood. And this being the first one, I am trying to avoid any and all pitfalls.

[itat]

Originally Posted by lottathought

I appreciate the comments.
And yes, I do know that all makes can have issues. Honestly, I was thinking that it had gone on longer than 3 months for the OP. I have not made any final decisions. And I am open to that was just a bad year. My research to date indicates any model can have some years better than others. I think part of my reaction was ...I consider this to be a purchase in the car/house neighborhood. And this being the first one, I am trying to avoid any and all pitfalls.

I don't think all trailers of a certain model year would be bad. It seems to be more hit and miss in the RV industry. Some forum members suggest that you don't want want a unit built on a Friday. Who knows if there's any basis for that. I'm sure that many factors are involved in the quality of the unit you receive, not the least of which could be the abuse it took being delivered from the factory (by an independent hauler) to your dealer.

At the end of the day, if you take the plunge and by an RV, my advice is try to buy a model with a floor plan that suits you, built by a decent manufacturer and purchase it from a dealer with an outstanding reputation for after sales service.

In almost every case, if you need major repairs, it will have to go back to the factory which is what the OP here is having to deal with.

[Admiral_Roo2]

Originally Posted by Campingmanbc

So I took our unit to a repair shop today and the tech was very well familiar with this issue. In fact he showed me a unit he had just repaired that had the exact same problem. Unfortunately he says he's seen it all to often with these models and when he repairs them, he goes to extra lengths to add more support and use better materials around the slide. I'm looking at about $3600 CAD to get our unit fixed which would include removing the slide, gutting the rear wall, strengthening and rebuilding the support, replacing interior wall and replacing with new fiberglass exterior wall. While I'm not happy about having to put out this kind of money I'm at least pleased it is repairable and at a cost that we can manage that isn't too excessive. We have it booked in for mid December for the repairs and he says he takes photos throughout the repair to show the progress so if I anyone wants to see how the repair is done, I'd be happy to forward and update. Not sure what age your Roo is, but I suspect you'll have difficulty going after the manufacturer to cover the repairs.

CampingMan, can you give me details on the age / model of your unit and what issue caused you to take it in for repair? Also what issues the units were having that the repair shop had gutted / rebuilt the rear walls and slide assemblies on? I have a a 2014 25RS that I'm already upside down in money wise, the idea of spending $4k on a repair because FR didn't build it right / safely makes me sick to my stomach and angry. This is more than money at stake, this is a dangerous and potentially deadly issue if my King bed slide decides to give in to gravity. From your post it appears what happened to Kant160 is not a fluke? If it's widespread enough for a repair facility to be familiar with it and have a repair plan mapped out then it's time for FR to step up and resolve it via recall etc. Thanks for whatever blanks you can fill in about your experience.

[itat]

Originally Posted by Admiral_Roo2

CampingMan, can you give me details on the age / model of your unit and what issue caused you to take it in for repair? Also what issues the units were having that the repair shop had gutted / rebuilt the rear walls and slide assemblies on? I have a a 2014 25RS that I'm already upside down in money wise, the idea of spending $4k on a repair because FR didn't build it right / safely makes me sick to my stomach and angry. This is more than money at stake, this is a dangerous and potentially deadly issue if my King bed slide decides to give in to gravity. From your post it appears what happened to Kant160 is not a fluke? If it's widespread enough for a repair facility to be familiar with it and have a repair plan mapped out then it's time for FR to step up and resolve it via recall etc. Thanks for whatever blanks you can fill in about your experience.

Please keep in mind that Campingmanbc is in Canada, not the US. Prices up here are significantly higher than you folks seem to be able to get. Labor rates and taxes are significantly higher up here (it's all relative though).

Also, IMO, to suggest this issue is "potentially deadly" is a big stretch. The only way I can see that being a remote possibility is if someone were under the slideout when it fell out. That's highly unlikely and easily mitigated. There's no doubt it's very concerning though!

[Admiral_Roo2]

itat, thanks for the feedback regarding cost etc. I agree the odds are slim that someone could be under it but not impossible because we place / retrieve stuff off of the bumper mounted bike rack that is used as "dry" storage sometimes. But if they were under it the weight of the slide falling from 5 feet off the ground is more than sufficient to seriously injure or kill someone. The other reason I say deadly is because ours is designed to sleep with our heads at the rear wall with our feet facing the interior of the unit. So if it falls while we are sleeping our heads are going to slam in to the rear wall with the weight of our bodies and the momentum of the slide landing potentially causing skull, neck or spine injuries. Long story short - it's all bad news and shouldn't have to be discussed, pondered or worried about whether it could actually kill anybody or not. We had a similar unit before this one and a lot of folks were amazed that a support strut wasn't deployed to the frame / ground like some popup models, they may be onto something. If FR can't make these things reliable and safe then they need to step up and own it. Way too much money is spent and life is too precious for this issue to even be a concern.

[kant160]

HI everyone...I know alot of you have been waiting to hear what the final say was regarding my Rockwood Roo slide that fell off my trailer w/me in it. The trailer is in Indiana at the Forest River factory and I got a call from them last week that it is completely done....they took the whole slide out and went over the whole slide/wall/etc and replaced it all, they also noticed delamination deterioration in the front of the trailer ..mind you we NEVER saw water damage at all from the trailer however they fixed that too as well as replacing the scissor jacks. We did come to an agreement as to what it would cost me...personally I feel if I went to court I never would have won being such a big company and not having the financial means to do this ( I am laid off and my husband is part time Army and phone worker) I got the trailer to the factory thru a tow company that brings trailers back and forth to local dealers so I was able to have them take it back on a return trip for less than I was quoted from other tow companies ..granted it was expensive and I still have to save to get it back. However, I feel under the circumstances, being the 2nd owner and no warranty we did compromise on a price to fix the slide $1000.00 plus paid for transport was fair enough. Obviously in my heart I feel it never should have happened and my hope is that while they were in there working on it they could find out WHY and make sure it NEVER happens again to another family. If you have any questions ask away. OR if you are in Indiana and heading to RI let me know if you would like to bring it this way LOL

[kennyairport]

sounds like a good compromise. good luck with the rest of it. glad they looked at the other side and did the fix it was the right thing to do.