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02-06-2016, 05:47 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 36
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Tired of broken stuff on our Brand New FR3
We took ownership of a brand new 2016 FR3 30DS sold at the Hershey RV show October 2015. Let me just say, I wish we HAD NEVER BOUGHT THIS.
We have not used it once and has been at the dealer for warranty work most of the time from now back to October.
This weekend we finally got it back, getting ready to head to FL next weekend. Discovered that the drivers side windshield wiper has a broken mount. Snapped clean off.
This thing is a piece of cra*p, I will never recommend a Forest River product, EVER!
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02-07-2016, 08:01 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 36
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Let me expand on my rant from yesterday. I was tired and frustrated.
Here is my list of broken things to see if anyone else is experiencing these issues or did i just get a lemon.
1. Wet bay, the seal around the pipe pulled right off and had to be replaced with a different sealant.
2. Several of the outdoor compartment latches had gone rusty on the inside and were replaced. Now i have two different keys.
3. There was a leak around the AC unit on the roof and water was coming in the coach. We've never run the AC, it was rainwater.
4. The door latch sticks badly, sometimes i have to put my whole body weight into it to get the door open from the inside. I'm sure this will take its toll on the screen door and i'll break something. I've sprayed WD-40 into every crack and crevice I can find with little improvement.
5. The broken windshield wiper mount from yesterday. The driver side wiper is not functional and we leave in 5 days for FL.
I realize that none of these items by themselves are show stoppers, but after a while its like give me a break. The whole reason we traded in our older class C was to get away from having to fix stuff after every trip. this coach hasn't even gone on a trip yet and all we've done is fix stuff.
Did I get a lemon?
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02-07-2016, 08:38 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,310
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Make the dealer lend you a another for your trip.
Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums
__________________
XLR Thunderbolt 300X12HP
2014 Ram 3500 DRW
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02-07-2016, 09:03 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: central valley, california
Posts: 498
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Sounds like a forest river product, I am getting the things fixed right now that were there the first time I picked it up, FR extended the warranty time 120 days for some items because the dealer lolly gagged around so that the warranty expired, as soon as the warranty expired the slide started acting up, and I tried and tried to get it re-timed, but never could, as soon as possible I am going to trade it off and get something with out a lippert slide, don't the schwintek product at all
__________________
Mark & Annie
2014 COACHMEN PURSUIT 27 KB
Modesto, Central California
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02-07-2016, 09:16 AM
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#5
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Tipp City, OH
Posts: 7,154
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The items you listed for the most part are relatively minor, except for the broken wiper, and once repaired or adjusted you should be fine. Don't get too discouraged too quick. In the grand scheme of things you may not have another issue for the next 10 yrs.
__________________
2016 Georgetown 364TS
2017 Jeep Rubicon Recon toad
Nights Camped 2019 - 17
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02-07-2016, 09:24 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: in my new 29hfsxlr
Posts: 1,658
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What your dealing with is not out of the ordinary . all manufactures are putting out units so fast and money coming in so quick that don't care about what they put out . I've seen many brand new pos out there . just hope you can get it fixed in a reasonable amount of time . the dealer service dept should only take a couple months to fix the wiper .the manufactures are using the dealers to finish building the units ,
bottom line they don't give a hoot
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02-07-2016, 01:15 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Mount Dora FL
Posts: 179
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Keep in mind the wiper was not installed by FR.
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02-07-2016, 01:24 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: austinburg ohio
Posts: 821
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wnelsonfl
Keep in mind the wiper was not installed by FR.
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Then who did?
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02-07-2016, 01:24 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Napa Valley, CA
Posts: 513
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I think some people have a bit of "buyer's remorse" shortly after the purchase of a new RV - even if everything works. The post buying reality sometimes does not live up to the months of excitement and high expectations that precede taking home the product.
As stated above, most of these issues seem minor, should be easy to fix, and you hopefully can get in a mind set where you will enjoy your new TT after a bit of tweaking.
I remind myself that I spend very little awake time in my RV. I am happy with the quality of my FR product. It could be different if full timing or always camping in bad weather - but to me, my RV just needs to be functional, not perfect. Most of your best camping memories will occur outside the RV.
__________________
2015 Rockwood A128S
2010 Rockwood 2604
2014 Ford F-250 CC SB 2WD
2008 Toyota Sequoia 2WD
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02-07-2016, 01:35 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 9,839
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bareftn
Then who did?
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Ford did in all likely hood, they are the ones who made the chassis, no!
__________________
2016 F350 6.7L LB CC Reese 28K 2014 Chaparral Lite 266sab
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." 2014 19 days camping 2015 17 days camping201620 days camping
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02-07-2016, 01:58 PM
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#11
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Kanadian Kamper
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 8,113
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I would hazard to say that Ford probably did NOT install the wiper.
I say this because I have seen the F53 chassis units as they leave the Ford assembly line. They go to a holding area next, and wait for orders from any of the manufacturers that make gas versions of A Class motor homes.
They are driveable off the assembly line with little more than a wooden crate to sit on and work the gas and brake pedal along with the steering wheel.
All of the instrumentation, exterior lighting, air vents, rocker switches for lighting, wipers, radios, and extensive wiring harnesses are in plastic bags for the various motor home manufacturers to assemble. Just look at the dash vents on any unit. Some are round, some rectangular, light switches and wiper switches locations are chosen by the "house" manufacturer part of the unit.....Forest River, Winnebago, Thor, etc.
Maybe Forest River did some work with the wiper assembly mounting them for final positioning on the front cap, but there was NO front to mount them to when the F53 chassis came off the Ford assembly line.
__________________
Ken and Terry
2018 Sunseeker 2430S-CD, nicely modified and carried by a 2017 Ford E450 Sport
Former Georgetown 330TS owner for 10 years with more mods than I can count, pushed by our 2017 GMC Terrain
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02-07-2016, 01:59 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Yorba Linda, CA
Posts: 275
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Motorhomes under $100k seem to be hit and miss. I have friends that have had no issues, a few issues, a lot of issues, minor issues, and major issues. I've had mine at the dealer 3 times and will be going back for a 4th next week, as well as at the Ford RV repair center, luckily 1/2 mile from my house, twice in the first 10 months. A lot of minor issues, but the way I see it, it's a first world problem that will get fixed. Annoying, frustrating, yes, but hell, I have a motorhome when some folks don't even have a home. Life could be worse. The timeout with the family and friends also outweighs all the small things. Just MHO.
Antone
2015 Forest River FR3 30DS - No Ragrets
Toad - 2011 Jeep Wrangler
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02-07-2016, 02:06 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Keizer Oregon
Posts: 228
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We had some minor issues too.... The last thing was a problem with the hot water hester ( flamed out and melted some wires ) TV quit... P-traps came loose...heater wire came off so the heater quit...stove fan motor quit.... Stove hood light burned out...
All that stuff was pretty minor... We enjoy the coach and realize all thst stuff happens to all M/H's...
It's a pia but fix it and roll on!
__________________
2015 FR3 30 DS
1995 Wrangler
Miles 9100
Days Camped 74
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02-07-2016, 02:13 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 2,832
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You don't have very much wrong of consequence with the coach. It is unbelievable that little stuff like this would prevent you from using the coach for so long.
You need to find another place or a mobile guy to fix this stuff quickly and coordinate that with FR after making your problems with the dealer known.
__________________
________
Cam
2015 Georgetown 280DS
2019 Vespa Primavera 150's (pair)
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02-07-2016, 02:46 PM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: n. reading, ma.
Posts: 10
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I to have had many small problems with my wife's 2014 FR3. Being a boater most of my life i have gotten used to having to fix things that break or need adjustment. Having owned this unit for just one year my opinion is to warranty the chassis and take your chances with the coach. I have no use for the dealer promises. Maybe my next one will be a used one and one built with a little more quality.
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02-07-2016, 03:18 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 303
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I have owned 5 RV's. I am pretty sure that I have had to repair something on EVERY one after EVERY trip. It was explained to me 20 years ago, that if you put your house on chains and pull it down the road for a few hundred miles and return, you will HAVE to repair something. That is RVing. It shouldn't be that way, but RV manufactures have never reached the quality or technical level of other manufacturers.
__________________
Jim and Katy
w/ Shelby and Sealy (Bernese Mountain Dog and a Nice Mut)
FR3
HAM CALLSIGN - AI4SR
EE, IBMer, Race Car Builder, now Retired.
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02-07-2016, 03:32 PM
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#17
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CDR USN Ret
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Full-Time
Posts: 105
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford Idaho
Ford did in all likely hood, they are the ones who made the chassis, no!
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And I guess FR and the selling dealer have no responsibility for QA checks?
__________________
2015 XLR415AMP
2011 3500HD Duramax/Allison/90 Gal Aux
2015 HD Limited Low
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02-07-2016, 05:28 PM
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#18
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HAPPY WHEN RV'ING
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 646
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wnelsonfl
Keep in mind the wiper was not installed by FR.
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Au contraire. The wiper motor was definitely installed by FR.
Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums
__________________
Smooth Roads, and, Drive 'em Safe
Curt & Isabel, & 9er (our Goldendoodle)
2014 Forest River FR3 30DS (Beasty)
2014 Honda CRV EX-L (toad)
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02-07-2016, 10:36 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 231
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IMHO contact the Forest River division that manufactured your unit and ask if it can be taken back to the factory to have your issues resolved. Not sure where you are located but a visit to the Rally in Goshen is another place to have your issues taken care of. I have found Forest River extremely helpful when I have dealt with them directly. Hang in there!
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02-08-2016, 07:15 AM
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#20
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 36
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But still, Forest River is the name behind the product, regardless of who assembled it, in my mind, they are still the responsible party if something fails. its their problem to deal with Ford
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