Any Happy Forest River Owners Out there?

[aceinspp]

I'm very satisfied with the V-lite I have. Matter of fact this the 2nd one I've owned and very few issues that where minor and dealer took care of fast. I also had the extended 1 year warranty that I took out never used it as after the small issues I had I never had more. I think the V-lite plant has very good QC and well built to most other campers I've seen from FR as far as tt. Later RJD

[HappyGuy]

On our 4th year of use on our Forester class C. Search the forums and you'll see we have had problems. The latest one was a vent on the battery box that had foam over it that fell off. This allowed water to get into the battery box and resulted in lots of rust. Nothing a bit of sanding, treating, and application of some bedliner in the box and around it. It's par for the course for "glamping." Wife and I compared some new As and Cs to our current rig and I knocked every one of them off the list after I was able to generate a page long punch list on the walk through (under 15 minutes). Thor, Forest River, Winnebago, among others. Some were over 200K and one we looked at on a lark was over 300K. None were perfect and most had problems far beyond a loose screw or a missing bolt. I didn't buy because I don't want to deal with a year working on a rig just to get it to the point I can use it. The more I look at new rigs the more I like my current Forester!

[MCTroy]

Yes, we like Forest River products. We have owned 3 over almost 20 years. Very solid units with few issues. One had a window that leaked but that was the most serious problem.
And I will bore anyone talking another our current Windjammer. It is the best TT and we love it.
I have had excellent service from Forest River too. We won't consider another brand. What not be a 🐸, never.

[dj-Harry]

Originally Posted by dj-Harry

We bought a new 38' 2015 FR Lacrosse 330RST and have had nothing but problems. Poor quality control issues - outlet falling out, entertainment system wired wrong, shower door fell off when driving, missing key and manuals, bent dining room light fixture, etc.
The brochure said the outside kitchen was supposed to have a sink, but it does not.
The Dealer and Manufacturer said it was pre-wired for a second A/C, but it's not.
We had a seasonal site in the first year. The air conditioner failed in the summer and the furnace failed in the fall, when we first needed them.
A brake wire was not secured and it wrapped around the brake and destroyed the whole braking assembly.
We're now on a cross country trip and our tongue jack broke (auto and manual operation). Had to replace with a manual jack until I can get back to NJ.
I just discovered that our rear axle tires are both wearing on the inside (<10,000 miles). Alignment or axle issue? I had the axle inspected and the wheel bearings greased, before we left for our trip, as part of the Forever Warranty.
We're on a caravan with 26 other RVers and many people are having issues with new rigs (jacks, slides, levelers, brakes, A/Cs, etc.). It seems the RV industry is more interested in just pushing them out then quality. Most service centers and local service repair shops are not much help.
Would probably not buy another Prime Time / Forest River, but there aren't many good ones out there from what I'm seeing and hearing.

New issue - my rear axle is bent / broken. I'm not overloaded and I'm fairly level. Rear axle tires are ruined (less than 7,000 miles). The axle and tires are not adequate for this trailer. The maximum tire load is less than the maximum axle load (10,160 vs 10,400).

[Pm0393]

We just got a windjammer 3025w and main slides are soft and feels like soft like you are going through the floor and like wood is rotten.. But other than that.. We love it..

[retireearly]

We came from a Jayco with no issues and a very nice local dealer to the Forester with a few minor issues and a regional dealer that was straight up fraudulent (Specialty RV of OH). The details would bore everyone, but it is buyer beware with RVs. After six months of efforts involving two state AGs and the BBB the dealer ended up purchasing for us a five-year third party warranty to settle the claims and allow us to get service somewhere else. We will never deal with them again and it remains to be seen if we will have another FR.

I think the major issue here is that FR does not police the dealers. New buyers will assume like we did that warranties are as good as with the automakers (ie they actually fix things, have a nationwide network to honor and do the work at any time, are not voided by transfer or rental) when this is not the case at all. Then there are the issues that FR knows about but doesn't care to correct (i.e. the alignment and handling issues with Ford E450, questionable roof seal designs, etc).

All the manufacturers have these issues, but in our limited experience, it seems that Jayco vets their dealers better and does a little more QC. We ended up in a FR because of the floor plan. After all this we do still like the motorhome, I just don't know that we would sign on that bottom line again.

[stillontheroad]

In 2014 we purchase a used Rockwood fifth wheel (2012 Signature Ultra Lite 8280). It had been sitting for a year so we knew it needed TLC. We could not be more pleased. We tow it with a 2013 Ford F150 and it tows like a dream. We have towed it from Ontario to Florida and then to Arizona and since purchasing it in the summer of 2014 we have camped in it for 24 of the 36 months. We have had no major issues (minor ones like a light switch or door latch). Yes after all that use, the carpets are showing their wear but that is about it. It has jel coat siding and we just finished our annual polishing and it looks like new. Yes I would buy another Forest River Product. It seems that many of the problems being experienced result from dealer prep and just plain rotten business practices. The best idea is to get the very best deal you can from one dealer and then find another dealer to service it if required.

[robertanderson]

I just completed my second trip in my 2017 Forest River 27RKSS Wildwood TT and I have to admit I worked harder, worried more being "on vacation" than I do in my normal day to day. This trip the tongue jack would not work when I tried to set up camp. No it was not a fuse problem, the motor worked but the gearbox was locked up. So I had to use my truck jack to get the trailer off my truck. Of course it happened on the weekend and no one available to talk to about the problem. On the previous trip the slideout kept blowing a fuse so I had to hotwire it to slide it out so I could get to the fuse box. Really? Put the fuse/circuit breaker box behind the slideout when it is retracted? The "stabilizer jacks" are a joke, I would much rather have leveling jacks so you can stop the trailer from bouncing. Also, the fridge is behind the slideout, so I cannot store my trailer with fridge open to prevent mold. Speaking of slideouts, mine sounds like it is 100 years old and ready to die. This is a new trailer, slideout dieing, tongue jack dead and toilet water connections leak. Do any of the designers actually camp? Why would you put the fresh water tank fill on the opposite side of all the other connections plus it seems from the opening there is an uphill run to the tank making it impossible to add bleach to the tank. And it says adding anything on the rear bumper voids the frame warranty? What kind of marginal POS did I buy? Also I did not realize until getting ready for my first trip that the trailer did not come with a spare or tools to change a tire, REALLY? I purchased this trailer to get away and relax, not sit around and wonder what other tools I should have brought with me to allow me to McGyver the trailer so we can try to have fun in spite of the break downs. This crap should not happen to a new trailer, one that is ten years old maybe. Evidently there is no quality control at forest river. The trailer is full of poor workmanship, crappy materials and trash left throughout the trailer. There was a pile of metal chips that fell out of the fuse/circuit breaker box on this trip. And on top of a poor quality trailer I have worry about when the four china bomb tires are going to blow and will I be able to survive that. My first trailer was a 1987 Jayco 21 foot that was ten times the trailer this one is.

[MarkyB]

We’ve had our Wildwood a year and a half and we’re happy with it.
Is it perfect? No. I did replace the tires. And we’ve had a few warranty repairs. But our dealer has been great, and I don’t worry about stuff, I just enjoy the camper and deal with issues as they pop up.

As far as the metal shavings and sawdust, I feel for you! It seems to ooze out of every seam! [emoji16]

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by robertanderson

I just completed my second trip in my 2017 Forest River 27RKSS Wildwood TT and I have to admit I worked harder, worried more being "on vacation" than I do in my normal day to day. This trip the tongue jack would not work when I tried to set up camp. No it was not a fuse problem, the motor worked but the gearbox was locked up. So I had to use my truck jack to get the trailer off my truck. Of course it happened on the weekend and no one available to talk to about the problem. On the previous trip the slideout kept blowing a fuse so I had to hotwire it to slide it out so I could get to the fuse box. Really? Put the fuse/circuit breaker box behind the slideout when it is retracted? The "stabilizer jacks" are a joke, I would much rather have leveling jacks so you can stop the trailer from bouncing. Also, the fridge is behind the slideout, so I cannot store my trailer with fridge open to prevent mold. Speaking of slideouts, mine sounds like it is 100 years old and ready to die. This is a new trailer, slideout dieing, tongue jack dead and toilet water connections leak. Do any of the designers actually camp? Why would you put the fresh water tank fill on the opposite side of all the other connections plus it seems from the opening there is an uphill run to the tank making it impossible to add bleach to the tank. And it says adding anything on the rear bumper voids the frame warranty? What kind of marginal POS did I buy? Also I did not realize until getting ready for my first trip that the trailer did not come with a spare or tools to change a tire, REALLY? I purchased this trailer to get away and relax, not sit around and wonder what other tools I should have brought with me to allow me to McGyver the trailer so we can try to have fun in spite of the break downs. This crap should not happen to a new trailer, one that is ten years old maybe. Evidently there is no quality control at forest river. The trailer is full of poor workmanship, crappy materials and trash left throughout the trailer. There was a pile of metal chips that fell out of the fuse/circuit breaker box on this trip. And on top of a poor quality trailer I have worry about when the four china bomb tires are going to blow and will I be able to survive that. My first trailer was a 1987 Jayco 21 foot that was ten times the trailer this one is.

Sorry to hear of your issues, but I have to say, most of your complaints about the design you should have noticed/figured out before you bought it. Most of the items you mention are things I specifically look for (or look for -NOT) when looking at new TT's. Others items to look for include: no waste hookups under slideouts, single waste hookup vs two, bathroom accessible with slideouts retracted, fridge accessible with slideouts retracted, no hookups on rear or curb side.

[Cypressloser]

Originally Posted by robertanderson

I just completed my second trip in my 2017 Forest River 27RKSS Wildwood TT and I have to admit I worked harder, worried more being "on vacation" than I do in my normal day to day. This trip the tongue jack would not work when I tried to set up camp. No it was not a fuse problem, the motor worked but the gearbox was locked up. So I had to use my truck jack to get the trailer off my truck. Of course it happened on the weekend and no one available to talk to about the problem. On the previous trip the slideout kept blowing a fuse so I had to hotwire it to slide it out so I could get to the fuse box. Really? Put the fuse/circuit breaker box behind the slideout when it is retracted? The "stabilizer jacks" are a joke, I would much rather have leveling jacks so you can stop the trailer from bouncing. Also, the fridge is behind the slideout, so I cannot store my trailer with fridge open to prevent mold. Speaking of slideouts, mine sounds like it is 100 years old and ready to die. This is a new trailer, slideout dieing, tongue jack dead and toilet water connections leak. Do any of the designers actually camp? Why would you put the fresh water tank fill on the opposite side of all the other connections plus it seems from the opening there is an uphill run to the tank making it impossible to add bleach to the tank. And it says adding anything on the rear bumper voids the frame warranty? What kind of marginal POS did I buy? Also I did not realize until getting ready for my first trip that the trailer did not come with a spare or tools to change a tire, REALLY? I purchased this trailer to get away and relax, not sit around and wonder what other tools I should have brought with me to allow me to McGyver the trailer so we can try to have fun in spite of the break downs. This crap should not happen to a new trailer, one that is ten years old maybe. Evidently there is no quality control at forest river. The trailer is full of poor workmanship, crappy materials and trash left throughout the trailer. There was a pile of metal chips that fell out of the fuse/circuit breaker box on this trip. And on top of a poor quality trailer I have worry about when the four china bomb tires are going to blow and will I be able to survive that. My first trailer was a 1987 Jayco 21 foot that was ten times the trailer this one is.

I am really sorry you're having all these issues.
But it was your last sentence that caught my eye; this is so true and unfortunately a trailer showing comparable quality of workmanship would cost you 10 times more in today's money.

[donteeler]

I bought my Rockwood Roo Expandable new in 2013. Over the years, I have had some minor problems (toilet filter problems requiring a replacement filter unit, plumbing connection issues at the inlet connection requiring a tightening of connections, latches at the end of the expandable wings will regularly get loose and require retightening, had a tire that threw rubber prematurely, had to replace door handle that broke on my screen door, etc.), but major components like AC, hot water heater, refrigerator, stove, roof seams, etc. have been fine. I just completed a 10,000 mile, 2 month trip over the western US and into Canada, and back down through Montana, Wyoming, UTAH, Colorado, and had no problems at all! That said, my wife and I were ready for an upgrade, and went back to Forest River dealers, and found a Palomino Puma (division of Forest River) and Wildwood X-Lite, that had the floor design we liked. Then I started looking at independent review websites, especially the RVT website, and have been alarmed by the negative reports. It seems that these trailers had good owner ratings until the last couple of years, and now the reviews are scary and horrible. The Palomino Puma has consistent reports of inferior slides that are damaging the trailers, and Wildwood X-Lites have a littany of problems associated with poor construction. I am now very intimidated with these reports, and not ready to buy another Forest River just yet--that has led me to this thread to hear more reports from current owners. I am concerned the quality of Forest River has deteriorated in the last couple of years.

[ScottBrownstein]

Hey, I am a class A owner who appreciates that my chassis is made by a company (Ford) who makes their livelihood on heavy truck chassis durability and maintenance, but your last line caught my eye as well. "My first trailer was a 1987 Jayco 21 foot that was ten times the trailer this one is." Since that was 30 years ago, do you happen to remember how much that rig weighed when compared to your current unit. From what I can tell from a distance, the quest for "ultra light" and towability has significantly reduced the gross weight of this stuff. Am I right?

[JeffLynn]

Our 2013 Sanibel is great, the only b!tch I have is with General RV. service center knowledge of the product they are working on.

[jacknife]

We have a Cardinal 30-30 5th wheel
Had a few issues but overall all happy. About 2yrs of collective time camping and about 30,000 miles of travel . Everything still works 😁😁😁

[TheGerman]

Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein

... From what I can tell from a distance, the quest for "ultra light" and towability has significantly reduced the gross weight of this stuff. Am I right?

Partially, there are two trajectories. One is to expand the market towards mid-size SUV and crossover owners which requires lighter trailers. The other is the trend towards bigger and bigger trailers with multiple slides while staying (on paper...) within the limits of modern 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. Either way construction becomes more flimsy.

[donteeler]

My interest in travel trailers are only those I can tow with my 1/2 ton Tundra--recommended to tow up to 8400 lbs maximum. Ideally, I prefer to only consider travel trailers with a dry weight under 7000 lbs. I am struggling to find a forest river option that gets good owner reviews for a new 2017 or 2018 model. On the RVT.com website, they list several brands with very high owner approval ratings: Northwood Arctic Fox. Heartland North Trail, Jayco White Hawk Ultra Lite, Dutchman Aspen Trail. The only Forest River Products listed are very heavy and expensive travel trailers, beyond the towing capacity of my Tundra

[Cypressloser]

Originally Posted by donteeler

My interest in travel trailers are only those I can tow with my 1/2 ton Tundra--recommended to tow up to 8400 lbs maximum. Ideally, I prefer to only consider travel trailers with a dry weight under 7000 lbs. I am struggling to find a forest river option that gets good owner reviews for a new 2017 or 2018 model. On the RVT.com website, they list several brands with very high owner approval ratings: Northwood Arctic Fox. Heartland North Trail, Jayco White Hawk Ultra Lite, Dutchman Aspen Trail. The only Forest River Products listed are very heavy and expensive travel trailers, beyond the towing capacity of my Tundra

I can't tell you what trailer to buy or not to buy but I have zero trust in rv review sites. It's best to talk to owners and to actually look at the units you're interested in.

[glsimms]

Originally Posted by donteeler

My interest in travel trailers are only those I can tow with my 1/2 ton Tundra--recommended to tow up to 8400 lbs maximum. Ideally, I prefer to only consider travel trailers with a dry weight under 7000 lbs. I am struggling to find a forest river option that gets good owner reviews for a new 2017 or 2018 model. On the RVT.com website, they list several brands with very high owner approval ratings: Northwood Arctic Fox. Heartland North Trail, Jayco White Hawk Ultra Lite, Dutchman Aspen Trail. The only Forest River Products listed are very heavy and expensive travel trailers, beyond the towing capacity of my Tundra

May I suggest you take a look at the Coachmen Apex line, (A FR company)? None of their units are over 6,000 lbs., well within your requirements.

Apex Ultra-Lite Travel Trailers by Coachmen RV

[Tigger1]

We like our Rockwood Mini Lite 2104S. Our tow vehicle is rated at 6,200lbs, trailer came dry at around 4,400. We have only owned it since July, three trips to date, but we are happy with our purchase. The dealer had excellent service and good pricing, Bill's Happy Camper, Mill Hall PA. Having said that, will something go wrong with it down the road, probably but who knows? Also, every buyer has different needs, financing, where to store it, do I need to upgrade my tow vehicle, etc. etc. etc. Bascially, it had a floor plan that fit our current needs, ducted a/c which was a must, deep dinette slide out, and Murphy bed which allows two seating areas, dinette and sofa (where Murphy bed folds over) during the day.