From Pete Liegl on Forest River's 20th Anniversary

[dieselguy]

1. Yes ... 1st FR product
2. Other 3 were brand new same brand SOB. Issues of all 3 added together were
way ... way fewer than current CC.
3. I only used it last summer as it was at the dealer from Halloween 2015 till
mid January 2016 (resulting from my own investigation, the excesive time period
was ... some dealer's fault ... some FR's fault for repeatedly not shipping the right
pieces) ... I'm going to use it this spring/summer before I answer the repeat buy
with FR question.
DOC73 ... you have to admit I've had some disappointment here. Glad your ownerships were more pleasant.

[stevensmith2859]

Congrats on 20 Years! My wife and I love our 2015 28dbud!

[doc73]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

1. Yes ... 1st FR product
2. Other 3 were brand new same brand SOB. Issues of all 3 added together were
way ... way fewer than current CC.
3. I only used it last summer as it was at the dealer from Halloween 2015 till
mid January 2016 (resulting from my own investigation, the excesive time period
was ... some dealer's fault ... some FR's fault for repeatedly not shipping the right
pieces) ... I'm going to use it this spring/summer before I answer the repeat buy
with FR question.
DOC73 ... you have to admit I've had some disappointment here. Glad your ownerships were more pleasant.

Sorry I missed my name at the bottom of your post..

Yes you have, I am not agueing that. Just posting my experience. Unfortunately when people have a bad experience this is a great place to be to get help and find how to correct it. But once it is beyond that "help" this place stinks because it is made up of FR fans.. LOL. Kinda like truck forums no one ever says anything bad or else...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[B47]

Originally Posted by Dave Lyon

Agree....well said

You're right - RV's are built by humans. But humans,at least half way intelligent ones, should learn from their past mistakes and correct them going forward.

Forest River hasn't.

[B47]

Originally Posted by TURBS

It's funny the few things you mention are not made by forest river, just installed by them.


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

So that makes them "suppliers" as referenced in the sixth paragraph of the letter.

And many complains about quality refer to supplier furnished parts/components. Suppliers are an extension of FR.

[TURBS]

But you can't fault fr because someone sold them a defective product [emoji12]


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

[Herk7769]

There is an old saying that goes, "The reward for good work is no punishment."

In this case, the reward for continuous product improvement is "more customers." Really now, if FR was so terrible, don't you think "the word" would have gone out?

Not to say a "Made on a Monday" camper does not make it out the door occasionally, but there are FAR more happy FR campers out there than not.

Success in your chosen profession is not an accident. It takes hard work, dedication, and, a drive for perfection. FR is NOT perfect, but it is a company that strives to be from my limited experience with them.

[DreiHunde]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

1. Yes ... 1st FR product
2. Other 3 were brand new same brand SOB. Issues of all 3 added together were
way ... way fewer than current CC.
3. I only used it last summer as it was at the dealer from Halloween 2015 till
mid January 2016 (resulting from my own investigation, the excesive time period
was ... some dealer's fault ... some FR's fault for repeatedly not shipping the right
pieces) ... I'm going to use it this spring/summer before I answer the repeat buy
with FR question.
DOC73 ... you have to admit I've had some disappointment here. Glad your ownerships were more pleasant.

Thanks for the info!

We "may" replace our Coachmen in a couple of years when we retire and hopefully spend more time camping than wishing! We've had really great luck with it so far. So I keep my options open and keep researching all brands, FR & SOBs for when we decide to make a change!

[B47]

Originally Posted by TURBS

But you can't fault fr because someone sold them a defective product [emoji12]


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

Why can't you? Would you keep buying a product that continually failed to perform to the standard it is advertised to do? I doubt it.

After all these years that FR has continued to buy supplier furnished products and get complains about them (tires,refrigerators,etc), wouldn't you think FR would get the idea that some products are just junk and look elsewhere in an effort to offer a superior product?

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by B47

Why can't you? Would you keep buying a product that continually failed to perform to the standard it is advertised to do? I doubt it.



After all these years that FR has continued to buy supplier furnished products and get complains about them (tires,refrigerators,etc), wouldn't you think FR would get the idea that some products are just junk and look elsewhere in an effort to offer a superior product?

Like anyone else suppliers unknowingly send out defective items .
Fr unknowingly installs them and so on and so forth.

It's not like fr knew they put a bad fantastic fan in the guys camper.
It probably worked for fr and the dealer then took a crap.
Thing of it is fr is more then willingly to replace within the warranty period, is that not fair?
I've had and still do have fantastic fans for 10 plus years and yet to have a bad one.
Some people just like to bitch and complain about everything.



2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

[B47]

Originally Posted by TURBS

Like anyone else suppliers unknowingly send out defective items .
Fr unknowingly installs them and so on and so forth.

It's not like fr knew they put a bad fantastic fan in the guys camper.
It probably worked for fr and the dealer then took a crap.
Thing of it is fr is more then willingly to replace within the warranty period, is that not fair?
I've had and still do have fantastic fans for 10 plus years and yet to have a bad one.
Some people just like to bitch and complain about everything.



2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

I take issue with your use of "unknowingly". How can it be "unknowingly" when FR continues to get complaints about products and then,in addition, has to replace the products?

I'm willing to believe one reason FR is happy to replace certain items under warranty and sometimes out of warranty is because they know that some products are crap out of the box.

It's one thing to bitch about little things,but quite another to bitch about some of the same things in a product that you paid good money for.

I have to disagree,my friend.

[TURBS]

If anything was defective out of the box it should have been caught during pdi [emoji6]


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

[B47]

Originally Posted by TURBS

If anything was defective out of the box it should have been caught during pdi [emoji6]


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

I agree partially. However,it should first been caught at the manufacturers. Then at the FR factory after it was installed with a performance test and finally during a PDI. That's what the "P" as in pre stands for.

[campnqueen]

HHHmmmmm? "If anything was defective out of the box it should have been caught during pdi"... not true.

Our 2014 WP 25 ULA has has issues from day one.Our unit spent 16 weeks over the first year at the dealer getting repaired. We continue to have many issues.

The electric fuse panel fell out on one trip. The cargo bin leaked, the front tongue jack broke, the wheel wells leak. The power cord was defective and we have to replace it. None of the cabinet stay shut so we have to bungee them closed. The bathroom door would not stay closed. The awning broke after a couple of trips. All of the window blinds have broken strings and do not stay up. Now our roof leaks. (it's a metal roof!)

This is our second FR unit. The first was a Graywolf at half the cost of this one and had NO issues. NONE! Needless to say I am not very happy. I want to get rid of this unit but my dear hubby will not have any part of that!

[doc73]

I will say I paid half as much for my current Grey Wolf than I did for my ROCKWOOD that was supposed to be "more special" I think the GW is nicer...

[aceinspp]

I would hardly doubt any manufacture checks every item they ship. Later RJD

[B47]

Originally Posted by campnqueen

HHHmmmmm? "If anything was defective out of the box it should have been caught during pdi"... not true.

Our 2014 WP 25 ULA has has issues from day one.Our unit spent 16 weeks over the first year at the dealer getting repaired. We continue to have many issues.

The electric fuse panel fell out on one trip. The cargo bin leaked, the front tongue jack broke, the wheel wells leak. The power cord was defective and we have to replace it. None of the cabinet stay shut so we have to bungee them closed. The bathroom door would not stay closed. The awning broke after a couple of trips. All of the window blinds have broken strings and do not stay up. Now our roof leaks. (it's a metal roof!)

This is our second FR unit. The first was a Graywolf at half the cost of this one and had NO issues. NONE! Needless to say I am not very happy. I want to get rid of this unit but my dear hubby will not have any part of that!

CQ - exactly. In my book,an unit should be completely checked out to make certain that everything (both interior and exterior) performs properly by both the factory AND the dealer PRIOR to the buyer ever seeing the unit.

[dieselguy]

This will be my last reply in this thread and it will be directed to TURBS. Although you seem to posses legendary status here on the FR forum ... I've not yet been on here long enough to be in awe of your station here. Your statement "I've had and still do have fantastic fans for 10 plus years and yet to have a bad one. Some people just like to bitch and complain about everything." shows how my examples just blew right by your limited understanding. Up until my 2016, I too have had 15 years of fantastic fans that operated flawlessly. I was not dwelling on a vent fan ... a few LED's ... or a leaking grey tank valve. With that followed by another reply, I was putting a real world example of a ton of things wrong with a single unit that Liegl says should be bursting with quality from one end to the other. I now bid adieu ...

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

This will be my last reply in this thread and it will be directed to TURBS. Although you seem to posses legendary status here on the FR forum ... I've not yet been on here long enough to be in awe of your station here. Your statement "I've had and still do have fantastic fans for 10 plus years and yet to have a bad one. Some people just like to bitch and complain about everything." shows how my examples just blew right by your limited understanding. Up until my 2016, I too have had 15 years of fantastic fans that operated flawlessly. I was not dwelling on a vent fan ... a few LED's ... or a leaking grey tank valve. With that followed by another reply, I was putting a real world example of a ton of things wrong with a single unit that Liegl says should be bursting with quality from one end to the other. I now bid adieu ...

[emoji6]


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

[schrederman]

Originally Posted by B47

CQ - exactly. In my book,an unit should be completely checked out to make certain that everything (both interior and exterior) performs properly by both the factory AND the dealer PRIOR to the buyer ever seeing the unit.

Well said... Therein lies the problem with FR and all other manufacturers of RVs. They don't check. They won't check. They're not going to check. It's encumbered upon me to catch everything wrong during my PDI?!?! What does that tell you about how much they care about you and me, their customers? I didn't buy from all those suppliers, I bought from FR. I won't again, most likely. The sad part is that some other manufacturers trailer probably won't really be any better.

So, I would say, congrats for being able to draft a nice letter. Congrats for being able to build this company over 20 years... but... Congrats on building a great product...? Not so fast!

My trailer's over 4 years old. It's in great shape and still shines. It's not that way because it was made well. It's that way because I've spent countless hours fixing everything and reinforcing places in the cardboard walls, where electrical outlets have popped out just going down the road. I've replaced the plastic sink, the pump, the outside shower, some plumbing under the shower pan, the skylight, adjusted the slide, and I could go on forever... but by now you get the gist. Sorry Turbs... I ain't buyin' it.