First and last forest river product

[Craigban157]

I bought a new Salem Cruise Lite 261 BHXL, picked it up May 28,2015.
I set it up in my yard for a few days to test things, the furnace did not work, not a big deal, still under warranty. Everything else seemed ok. I got a camp site for the month of June and setup, now the oven does not work, got back last night to water all over the floor, the water pump is leaking.
Next the CD player does not work.
I called the dealer and they said, "O-well bring it back and we will fix it".
After doing some reading and research I find out that the dealer has to get all warranty work approved by Forest River before they can fix things. Now I have to tow back to the dealer, 200 miles round trip, so that's 400 miles to take it back and then go back and get it when repairs are done. I talked to the nearest RV dealer to me and they said they would be happy to work on it, but they don't do warranty work for Forest River products anymore because of there hard to deal with warranty policy's. I shopped around for RV's and found some nice used ones, but I decided to go with a new one so I wouldn't have these problems, at least for a few months. I know that you can expect problems with any new or used Rv, but I didn't expect this many problems so soon with a new unit. So now I have a NEW RV that is going to be tied up for who knows how long because of poor quality control. Sorry for the negative post and rant, I hope others are having better luck.

[donniedu]

Sorry about your teething problems. Personally I cannot say enough good things about FR and their customer service. Even after 10 years I can call and get my parts in a couple of days.
BTW after 10 years, I have never had a factory defect needing warrenty work.

[cdangel0]

Let's see if we can trouble shoot the issues before you have to take it back to the dealer.

Oven's not working? I'm assuming you mean the flame inside won't light? Do the burners on the stove light? Can you smell propane? Did you check the connections at the propane tanks to ensure they're tight? Please define "not working" and we can try to help. I'm suspecting since there's an issue with the oven AND furnace (both propane systems) that there's something related.

CD Player - Again, please define does not work - doesn't play any CD, doesn't play a CD you burned from your computer? Wont' turn on? Won't play through outdoor speakers?

Waterpump is leaking - have you been able to identify from where it's leaking? Is it just a hose connection that you can tighten and resolve?

From the vague descriptions of problems, it may not have anything to do with quality control, it could just be bumps going down the road that have loosened some things up, jiggled some things loose.

[Platokidd]

Takes about year to work all the bugs out, so hang in there. The warranty process can take some time as well. The more you can fix / replace yourself the better.

[camping baba]

I just took del. of our new 5r . We ordered it with a remote fan in the kitchen but it was installed in the bathroom .when we told the dealer about it we were in contact with FR and they shipped the correct one overnight air and paid the dealer to install the fan .after the work was done I received two calls from FR . The first call was from customer service and the second one from the production manager to see if all went well . I am sorry for your troubles . I hope when you do take it to the dealer that they take care of all your problems and that you can have the rest of the summer trouble free.����

[TURBS]

Is the propane on?
Have you purged the air?
Did furnace blower come on?

All the items you talk about not working should have been gone through with you during pdi.

[SuicideSaints]

Sorry to hear about the problems. The RV industry has problems as a whole and no brand/manufacturer is perfect. This is the exact reason a PDI is important, very important and CRUCIAL.

Did you get a full PDI? Meaning did they fill the tanks, start everything and show you that everything functioned and how to operate it?

In addition to that, I know you have a warranty but often times you can address most common problems yourself. Have you done troubleshooting on the heater (is it a propane problem, ignitor, thermostat) and pump (loose connection, cracked housing, valve in the wrong position)? The CD there is not much troubleshooting other than seeing if any of the features work.

If you can get some things worked out yourself you may be better off not dropping it off so you can camp for the summer and then drop it off later after the season to get the remining things done. My dealer told me if I need anything done I can bring it there for assessment, take it back home with me, they will order parts and get authorization then I can bring it back to get the work done so it is not just sitting there idle and me not being able to use it. This only works for smaller non-crucial repairs.

Also, did you get the 2nd year warranty, this second year helps with what I mentioned above.

Good luck and let us know what happens and what you decide to do.

[Craigban157]

Thanks for the reply and the offer to help.
Pilot light will not light, yes the stovetop works and the hot water heater, propane tanks are full.
Radio and speakers work, CD will not go into player, I try to put a Disc in and it says no Disc, Disc will only go in about half way.
Water pump seems to be leaking around the pump case, looks like the case is cracked.

[TURBS]

Any in site on furnace? What's it doing or not doing to be exact?
Btw it take me about 20 minutes, about 10 trys and alot of patience to get my oven going the first time out every year.
Eventually the pilot will stay lit and work.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

[MOODMAN]

I have worked in manufacturing and can tell you that based on the number of complaints on this board about FR products that the quality control (QC) of FR is poor, even by industry standards.

If cars had this many factory issues, they would go out of business. But buyers of RVs tolerate poor quality, and so the manufacturers don't make much effort to improve existing ways of doing things. For example, mounting the ACs on the roof the way it is done on almost all RVs is a very poor design. But it is easy to duct throughout the coach, so they continue to do it that way. But it is noisy and drips water. If customers complained, they would change this design.

Another example....Dometic almost has the entire RV appliance market sewn up. So no matter who you buy your coach from, you will likely have Dometic in it. But in many ways the Dometic line is a poor quality product, intended for only occasional use. People don't use their RVs all the time, so it is many years after purchase before problems show up. Manufacturers know this, and as long as they can last until warranties expire, they will be making money.

Here's another example: Most 5th wheel RVs that aren't self-leveling use a front landing gear and scissor jacks for stability. That design has remained constant through the years. Not because it is a particularly good design, but because there is no incentive for change.

So the companies who do this find that their profit is high, they don't have to have particularly skilled craftsmen on the assembly line, and if problems are noticed, they just have to give you a hard time knowing that the more they delay the better it is on the bottom line.

Now, to be gracious, there are many dedicated customer support people at FR who will try to help you. But that doesn't change the fact that these companies are making huge profits by keeping things the same every year. Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate who see FR as just another money source, and whenever they can cut corners, they will (as a corporate policy). If that were not true, you would not have all these issues about lines not being connected, trash left in tanks, poor workmanship, gaps in compartments, poor fit and finish, etc. Manufacturers know HOW to do better, but they just don't have the incentives.Until that changes, it will be business as usual, and occasionally someone like our friends who started this post will get the short straw. Sometimes we get a unit that was put together right, but sometimes not.

My attitude would be to demand satisfaction until you get it. Its a big hassle, but you are fighting a fight that needs to be fought for RV owners everywhere. If enough complaints are raised, upper management will notice because sales will fall. Once that happens, changes will happen on the factory floor.

It's just business 101...

[MeepMeep]

If you've ever had a house built, you may remember that, in addition to any remaining punch list items, the builder also gave you a one year builder's warranty to cover any items that may not be up to par.


RV's are really no different except that, as they bounce along the highways and byways, things come loose and so forth. Plus there's the learning curve of owning new RV and exercising all the systems properly.


I'm on my second Forest River fifth wheel and have never a problem that didn't have a relatively simple fix or was attributable to operator error


Work your way thru the first couple of outings, get familiar with the way the systems are supposed to work (these forums are a great learning tool) and consult with you dealer on the stuff that is warranty work. You chose a dealer that was some distance away instead of working with one nearby, so the travel time is what it is


Breathe deeply and carry on

[Craigban157]

Yes, propane is on. The water heater, stove and fridge works. When I turn the furnace on the blower comes for about 30 seconds and then just shuts off.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by Craigban157

Thanks for the reply and the offer to help.
Pilot light will not light, yes the stovetop works and the hot water heater, propane tanks are full.

Not trying to insult you, but did you follow the correct procedure for lighting the pilot? It can be tricky.

[Loraura]

The only issue with my brand new Coachmen FE 292bhds is that the converter was not working properly. It was replaced under warranty in 4 days. I don't think it's fair to say that all FR products have global quality issues or are worse than other manufacturers.

[Craigban157]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Not trying to insult you, but did you follow the correct procedure for lighting the pilot? It can be tricky.

No insult taken, I am new to this and welcome any and all help. I did follow the owners manual for lighting the pilot. Did I miss something?

[Craigban157]

Originally Posted by Platokidd

Takes about year to work all the bugs out, so hang in there. The warranty process can take some time as well. The more you can fix / replace yourself the better.

That's what worries me is the long warranty process, I don't want it tied up for the best part of the summer. You are right about fixing or replacing things yourself. I know I can fix or replace most anything on it, but I really shouldn't have to while it is still under warranty.

[TURBS]

Furnace will lock out after 3-4 try then you'll have to shut it down and try again.
I think you need to work out the air.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "9 nights"

[DDC]

PDI by customer, sorry you are having such problem but lay the blame mostly on the selling dealer for not doing the PDI where most of these issues would have been caught by a real dealer.

[Craigban157]

Originally Posted by SuicideSaints

Sorry to hear about the problems. The RV industry has problems as a whole and no brand/manufacturer is perfect. This is the exact reason a PDI is important, very important and CRUCIAL.

Did you get a full PDI? Meaning did they fill the tanks, start everything and show you that everything functioned and how to operate it?

In addition to that, I know you have a warranty but often times you can address most common problems yourself. Have you done troubleshooting on the heater (is it a propane problem, ignitor, thermostat) and pump (loose connection, cracked housing, valve in the wrong position)? The CD there is not much troubleshooting other than seeing if any of the features work.

If you can get some things worked out yourself you may be better off not dropping it off so you can camp for the summer and then drop it off later after the season to get the remining things done. My dealer told me if I need anything done I can bring it there for assessment, take it back home with me, they will order parts and get authorization then I can bring it back to get the work done so it is not just sitting there idle and me not being able to use it. This only works for smaller non-crucial repairs.

Also, did you get the 2nd year warranty, this second year helps with what I mentioned above.

Good luck and let us know what happens and what you decide to do.

Thanks for the reply.
The dealer did do the PDI (sort of) and they said they filled the propane tanks. But after being on this forum with every ones help I should have asked more questions and asked for more details from the dealer. I guess the good thing is it has been a learning experience for me and will know what to look for and ask next time. I did ask about the 2nd year warranty, but was told they no longer offer it.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Craigban157

That's what worries me is the long warranty process, I don't want it tied up for the best part of the summer. You are right about fixing or replacing things yourself. I know I can fix or replace most anything on it, but I really shouldn't have to while it is still under warranty.

You have a decision to make then, swallow the fact that either you fix it and go camping this summer or take it to the dealer and sit home and brood about it being under warranty and having to miss a summer camping. JMO