Not too impressed with FR - Sandstorm

[Kavarin]

Purchased a new Sandstorm 242 on Memorial Day weekend and it has been one repair right after the other. Started with a hit list of 12 items that the dealer repaired after the first trip (ranging from window coverings falling down to A/C didnt blow out all the vents)

But now the Water heater wont light (the igniter pops and the flt light comes on under gas power). The zipper on the back "premium" cargo door screen fell apart and it wont come undone now. The handrail outside the door came clean off from the mounts(screws are stripped) and the exhaust cover of the fridge (on the back) was installed upside down (so the vents are exposed to weather/rain).

Was this just a rushed assembly of spare parts to bang out a unit.. or is this typical of a new Toy Hauler. Given what I paid, I am not rushing out recommending FR to anyone

[bikendan]

It's typical of all RV manufacturers, not just FR.
Especially during the current booming RV sales. You know the dealer gets paid to do a PDI when they receive the RV from the factory.

[BehindBars]

I agree with bikendan. RVs from all manufacturers are poorly built. Most brands use appliances sourced from the same suppliers. There are variations from one unit to the next; some will be worse than others. Some have no problems, some have many problems. Paying more for premium brands won’t help. They all have their problems.

Plan on fixing the small things yourself and save the really big issues for warranty repairs by the dealer. What I did was get the dealer to order all the parts needed for warranty repairs, but I would install them myself. That way the RV never went back to the dealer, and the repair got done right by me.

Until potential buyers demand better quality instead of just low prices, this is the way it’s going to be.

[ES_FR]

Originally Posted by Kavarin

Purchased a new Sandstorm 242 on Memorial Day weekend and it has been one repair right after the other. Started with a hit list of 12 items that the dealer repaired after the first trip (ranging from window coverings falling down to A/C didnt blow out all the vents)

But now the Water heater wont light (the igniter pops and the flt light comes on under gas power). The zipper on the back "premium" cargo door screen fell apart and it wont come undone now. The handrail outside the door came clean off from the mounts(screws are stripped) and the exhaust cover of the fridge (on the back) was installed upside down (so the vents are exposed to weather/rain).

Was this just a rushed assembly of spare parts to bang out a unit.. or is this typical of a new Toy Hauler. Given what I paid, I am not rushing out recommending FR to anyone

Kavarin,

Thank you for being a part of the Sandstorm family.

Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconveniences that you have experienced with your new Sandstorm. Your satisfaction is very important to us; accordingly, we invite you to contact Ty Miller in our Customer service department through the following personalized and direct link: https://www.forestriverinc.com/Direc...21557171075305.

This direct link is provided for your convenience in order that we may resolve your concerns as quickly as possible. We will strive to respond to you within 24 hours of receiving your correspondence.

Respectfully,
Forest River

[rsdata]

Every RV owner needs be a little handy with DIY fixes of the little things. WHY should I you ask? Because you will do the little fixes correctly and you will learn and be able to help others, like we are here to help you. Upside-down vent cover? In the time it took you to login and write your comment you could have turned it around, be glad that it is on correctly and patted yourself on the back.

Dealers don't have the eye on a rig like an owner does and many of those little things are going to get missed before it hits your ownership... just deal with it. Lots of help here and tons of videos on youtube...

[azwiz]

Originally Posted by bikendan

It's typical of all RV manufacturers, not just FR.
Especially during the current booming RV sales. You know the dealer gets paid to do a PDI when they receive the RV from the factory.

So why do we keep buying these pieces of CRAP ? Just stupid I guess!! I've bought my last one !! As a matter of fact it's for sale!!

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by azwiz

So why do we keep buying these pieces of CRAP ? Just stupid I guess!! I've bought my last one !! As a matter of fact it's for sale!!

so they are all built poorly imo. i understand they're trying to build them as light as possible and at the same time trying to reduce there bottom line. i had a wp 295, it fit the bill very nicely except the issue with tire clearance to the floor along with poor fit and finish. the poor fit and finish is something i expect on all manufacturers and shouldn't be for what they charge. that tire clearance issue was a recall on the previous models but not mine even though it had the same issue. i started looking at toyhaulers built on the west coast. that was a real eye opener for myself. far far better ccc, better floors , cabinets etc etc. the sand storm built on the west coast has to compete with eclipse, genesis supreme and pacific coach works. the west coast built sand storm is a better built unit than the indiana as it is used by mostly offroaders with 2k lb toys traveling off the pavement. the only explanation i can think of is the indiana units are primarily built for golf carts, scooters or a harley or for kid's toy rooms. now if you want a structurally sound toyhauler then you'll have to look at sundowner, lakota, merhow, carson etc etc. they are cargo trailers with living quarters and are designed to haul weight as well as last longer. you won't have walk around beds, 4 season ratings, lots of storage or tall ceilings but the lower clearance heights reduce wind drag, lighter units, as well as other advantages.

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by dsrace

and shouldn't be for what they charge.

What they charge is directly related to the overall quality. Most RVs are very inexpensive for what they are. Sure, people lay out a lot of money for them, but they certainly are not expensive. You get what you pay for. If RVs were built to the standards that most people want, maybe then, they would be expensive, and maybe then, there wouldn’t be so many people purchasing RVs, and maybe then, people wouldn’t have so many complaints about build quality.

I spent a huge portion of my life in new residential construction, and this was no different than than today’s RV industry. People got what they paid for. I worked on houses that were ready for occupancy in less than 30 days from the time the foundation was poured. These were inexpensive tract homes for people buying their first home and for people who couldn’t afford a home that took one year or more to build. The owners of the cheaper homes were always complaining about build quality and lamenting how much money they had spent for a piece of junk — things looked and worked great during the initial walkthrough and the new buyers were thrilled, but it didn’t take long before the whole neighborhood would be up in arms about their shoddily-built homes. But these people really didn’t spend a lot of money on their new homes — it may have been a lot for them, but in the big picture, their homes cost only a tiny fraction of what a well-built custom home would have cost them. They bought homes they could afford and expected the same quality of homes they couldn’t afford.

Forest River and other RV manufacturers cater to people with these same types of situations in mind — they build so many different products to give everybody a choice of what they really want and what they can afford — what their lifestyle requires — they build different RVs to give just about anybody a chance of buying one on their budget. It is not Forest River’s fault When somebody buys the cheapest RV they build and then expect the same quality as the most expensive RV they build — this is the buyer’s fault who has unreasonable expectations.

An RV is only expensive if you can’t afford it, and there are many people who buy entry-level RVs who can’t afford them. Many of these people, though, make the most of what they bought and, over time, fix or upgrade the things that had to be overlooked or rushed during construction to keep the cost down. They perfect their home on wheels and make it worth (to them) the money they spent when they first bought it. But many people won’t do this, so they will never be happy and they will continue to complain about how cheap their expensive RV is instead of taking a look back and realizing why they have the complaints they do.

Bruce

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by nomad297

Forest River and other RV manufacturers cater to people with these same types of situations in mind — they build so many different products to give everybody a choice of what they really want and what they can afford — what their lifestyle requires —
Bruce

of course most of that goes with out saying bruce. i have to assume that you are referring to the majority of people that shop by monthly payment price and not by application and longevity??!! i didn't elaborate on the statement you chose to quote, as i thought it went w/o saying. 1 tiny tiny example would be a lp fired water heater vs a lp/electric. retail difference is min so for the manufacturer even less. step up 5 appliances for the sum of a $100 difference. add $200 and double there money. this doesn't jump the price of the unit $10k. or after installing the trim, stand back 4' and if it looks crooked or you can see gaping gaps, maybe fix it. you know fit and finish. i say this because you chose to quote half a sentence. here is the whole sentence. "the poor fit and finish is something i expect on all manufacturers and shouldn't be for what they charge". i am not comparing a $14k no slide travel trailer to a 40 foot toyhauler fifthwheel. i was speaking about all units i have walked through.

not everyone shops based on price. many of us shop based on ccc when it comes to toyhaulers. if they don't have a min 14' cargo and 4k ccc then they don't work for full size toys. price is 3rd or 4th on the list. obviously you don't use them that way.

[TDServices]

Originally Posted by dsrace

of course most of that goes with out saying bruce. i have to assume that you are referring to the majority of people that shop by monthly payment price and not by application and longevity??!! i didn't elaborate on the statement you chose to quote, as i thought it went w/o saying. 1 tiny tiny example would be a lp fired water heater vs a lp/electric. retail difference is min so for the manufacturer even less. step up 5 appliances for the sum of a $100 difference. add $200 and double there money. this doesn't jump the price of the unit $10k. or after installing the trim, stand back 4' and if it looks crooked or you can see gaping gaps, maybe fix it. you know fit and finish. i say this because you chose to quote half a sentence. here is the whole sentence. "the poor fit and finish is something i expect on all manufacturers and shouldn't be for what they charge". i am not comparing a $14k no slide travel trailer to a 40 foot toyhauler fifthwheel. i was speaking about all units i have walked through.

not everyone shops based on price. many of us shop based on ccc when it comes to toyhaulers. if they don't have a min 14' cargo and 4k ccc then they don't work for full size toys. price is 3rd or 4th on the list. obviously you don't use them that way.

i agree i bought a 242 gslc 2021 its got some problems but you can always pay 80k andhave the same problems no matter what , do have a question ( dsrace ) how do you get them to get you the parts and repair it yourself i would much rather do that at least iknow its done right !

[RobbieH]

Common to almost all RVs unless you buy very high end, and in my opinion buy used and no newer than 2006 if you want the good stuff.

[wtbuck12]

Originally Posted by RobbieH

Common to almost all RVs unless you buy very high end, and in my opinion buy used and no newer than 2006 if you want the good stuff.

I totally agree. I have never bought a new motor home and only once did I buy a new truck. I don't consider myself to be a cheap skate but I prefer to shop around, find a nice clean vehicle that fits my needs that someone else has done the new vehicle repairs and go from there. I realize that not everyone has the ability or desire to "fix things" and for them, new and warranty is the way to go. The RV industry has issues with quality control, but the saying " you get what you pay for " still holds true.
Ronnie.

[RobbieH]

I've had a brand new Thor Four Winds 33SW Super C, a 2005 Monaco Safari Gazelle that I sold with 109,000+ miles on it, and a very slightly used TT that I currently have. Which one never had anything break? The Safari. It was absolutely amazing. It had two things going for it: 1. It was $300k new, and 2. It was built pre-economic-crash. Anyone that looks at the RV industry can see how it went straight downhill when the economy crashed, tons of mergers, stuff being slapped together out of parts left laying around, etc.

Anyone that talks to me about getting an RV, I tell them this: Get one a year or two old that's in great shape. Take the money you saved and set it aside for either doing repairs yourself or to hire a really good mobile RV guy. First off, you don't have to deal with the warranty time to get the stuff fixed that wasn't done right at the factory. Second, you don't have to deal with wait time at warranty stations. Third, you'll have a better product at a better price.

My current trailer, I got 2 years old, you cannot tell it's ever been used, and I got it for $15,000 less than I was quoted new in 2018. The bed frame broke, I fixed it myself better than any warranty center would have been able to. If anything ever happens I can't tackle, I have a mobile guy who comes to me, he is fair, and it's fixed in a few days rather than a few months.