Buying a New Forest River Product?

[Don in the Surveyor]

As the title says we purchased a 2020 200MBLE Surveyor - and we love it. When new it had one major problem, that the dealer repaired. Stupidly the factory failed to attached the Black tank to the coach so it fell out when full - a real mess. Covid has parked the trailer since March but we are finally going out this Sunday for a week at the beach. Our plan is to see this country before the idiots burn it down.

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

Originally Posted by Don in the Surveyor

As the title says we purchased a 2020 200MBLE Surveyor - and we love it. When new it had one major problem, that the dealer repaired. Stupidly the factory failed to attached the Black tank to the coach so it fell out when full - a real mess. Covid has parked the trailer since March but we are finally going out this Sunday for a week at the beach. Our plan is to see this country before the idiots burn it down.

Wow , you would think that is a rare issue. But i keep hearing about it more and more. Ughh


Where was it when the **** hit the road?


Good luck from now on!

[Don in the Surveyor]

Actually I was lucky - I saw the tank was sagging very low because it was not attached. I was being held up by the plastic cover under the coach. I augmented it with a strap, drove to the dump station and drained it. Then I returned the unit to the dealer. The deal told me he could get to it in about 4 months. I went in and told the owner I needed my money back since I had just purchased the unit in the last 2 month. Suddenly they were able to fix it right away.

[waybeck2018]

We bought a Primetime Tracer( a diivision of Forest River) in late 2018, a 2019 model. We had one minor issue with the front door not always locking. Our dealer, Campers Unlimited, took the camper in, got a new door from Prime Time and replaced the defective door. This was all within three weeks which we agreed to when taking it in. At present we have over 5,000 miles on it, including on the Illinois wash board roads. No issues. Like another post stated, it is mainly the ones having problems that post displeasure. We were one of the lucky ones. Covid kept us parked so far this year, but we have hauled her out of storage, checked all systems, inspected tires, hitch etc and are ready to go the middle of October. We anticipate no issues.

[tsh2000]

We bought a Surveyor new in 2011, it’s the sv235rks.
We absolutely love this trailer and have nothing bad to say about it.
As we approach 10 years we are looking at the new Surveyor line as we just love the design/layout and options you get.
Don’t settle until you are absolutely sure you’ve found the right RV for you. Go to the dealers and look around, take notes, sit on the bed, try to picture yourself in it. There are hundreds trailer reviews and tours on YouTube, check those out as well
You’ll know it when you find it, so don’t buy until you are sure.
Good luck!

[Bond_008]

Honestly, and this may unintentionally offend some FROG owners....we have had hands down the best luck with Jayco. Our current FR has more problems than our previous 6 units combined!! Our FR is in the shop for warranty repair as I type this. Dealer has had it longer than we have had it in our driveway. Good luck with your purchase.

[Dan n Gerda]

One of our daughters & her family have a 1 year old one & love it! My wife & I hav an FR Class C Diesel & love it as well—2 trips Coast to cost and back! Nope we are not full timers, we are fun timers! We have discovered over the past 5 years thst where you purchase your RV is even more important than the model! Our local dealer honors FR warranties up front & will do the dickering with FR over payment! Few will do that! We also have extended warranties on the house & Sprinter under it! So, your purchase experience is going to depend largely on where you buy it! The complete time consuming walk-through is critical! Don’t take it home until all thing are fixed first! So, do research on your seller! Happy Camping!

[Marv n Mabel]

We bought a 2020 Keystone product and can't get out of it fast enough. Our '08 FR was superior to this one. People complain 10 times more often than compliment

[GT369]

I am on my second FR camper a Georgetown 369 Gt and plan to never own anything but at forest river product. If you have a problem contact Forest River customer service before you take it in to a local dealer let them get involved in whatever issues you have they will make sure it gets resolved. They have great customer service.

[BillyBass]

If you are looking online at them I say dont order it until you look at it . I found one online and we like it. But when we went to look at it. it wasnt what we wanted . So I found this 2019 26 rbws super lite and we love it

[Treybecky]

If you havent already had enough advice...Well, personally, i agree with all the responses before me.
Heres my 2 cents.
1st, I would like to say Forest River customer service has been great and stepped up when I needed items, I have never took my camper back to where I bought it for repairs, but I have used a local RV repair shop for some things.

We love our 2019 GeoPro 19FD, pull it with a F150 3.5 turbo with Tow pkg. It really depends on what your tow vehicle is, what size family and floor plan you want, etc. Weight Distribution hitches help alot, (we use a Husky CL TS with 800-1200 bars). Im pretty well maxed out on weights, for my tow vehicle and trailer, all the mods add up. Shorter campers fit in many more National Parks, and may be easier to store and park.

Personally, we prefer no slide out, no need for more possible mechanical problems/leaks, dont need the extra weight either! If we had a larger duel axle trailer, it would weight 1000's more. You may need to take an honest look at what your tow vehicle is really capable of, and stay safe. Make sure to get it weighed with CAT scales after fully loaded and be prepared to be surprised how fast things get overloaded.

You need to wrap your head around doing almost all the minor repairs and mods and maintenance yourself. Thats a given. Its absolutely true all the bad you hear is possible, but theres many more happy owners Im sure like us that have grinned and beared the repairs and upgrades.

There may not be the perfect camper, but I think after all Ive done to ours, its as close to perfect for us as I would ever wish for.

In the past two years, not trying to scare you, but maybe to give you a better idea what to expect, heres a few of our mods:

replaced all tires (ours is single axle) with Goodyear endurance (including the spare)
got a TST Tire monitor system
Replaced sink 15"x20"x12"
replaced all the drawer slides that broke
replaced both water facets ; kitchen and put old kitchen one in bathroom
eternabond tape on all side and lower bottom seams, top seams all the way into the rain gutter, and all roof openings: fan, skylight, seams, etc)
fyi, No eternabond on the frameless windows, and outside compartments; which I do plan to add a bead of Lexal caulking later just to be safe (and plan to leave the lower edge on windows uncaulked to allow condensation to escape),
new foam mattress
spare 30 gal poly fresh water tank and 12v transfer pump
4 12V Trojan Golf cart batteries and mounted boxes on tongue behind propane tanks
larger tilt up counter-top by sink
bins for all internal cabinets storage, and plate racks, etc for shelf's
32" AC TV, DVD, and small sound bar; with 150watt GoPower inverter (ours came out before the inverter, solar, and ladders were standard)
Towel racks, recessed toilet paper holder; and paper towel holder all in bathroom
Shower head
sprayed white "Plastic-dip" on top of skylight
new foam in dinette cushions
beefed up more foam under couch springs
new outlet piping for black and grey tank with wastemaster system
reinforced fresh water tank
new probes for black and grey tank (Horst)
refrigerator fan (3) and light
replaced electric tongue jack
taped all window blinds with gorilla tape to keep handles from slipping off
vitron meter
beefed up stabilizer jacks
modded a bumper in back from 8" heavy wall black irrigation pipe and threaded end
CGear large 8'x14' outdoor rug, and 4'x6'
Outland Firebowl Cypress 21" Portable Propane
BBQ propane
JBL Charge 3 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker
water filter
included a backup camera, but I wish I didnt, personally dont use it.
water pressure regulator
hoses, power adapters
upgraded toilet to Dometic 302 porcelain
outdoor chairs
digital thermostat
indoor mats and rugs...
use geo-method to keep black tank in top shape every time

...the list goes on and on, you get the idea. But its worth it, just accept it and you will be like everyone else.

Im not too sure about Forest River quality control with the huge surge in the new post covid demand tho, maybe consider getting a used 2019 in good shape, save a ton of $$, and start making it how you want it.

I hope I never have to start over !

[rwriley1053]

Originally Posted by Cantdrive55

One last thing to remember.. For every person who posts a complaint, there are scores of others who have had no issues and thus no reason to go online and post.

I'm not too sure about that. I think the whole industry has a quality problem. Those who buy an RV that has few problems are fortunate.

[dstobey]

We have had a 2018 FR Wildwood and just recently purchased a 2020 FR Vibe. We’ve enjoyed both campers. On our first trip with the Vibe we noticed that the entire vinyl floor throughout the camper was bubbling up. I called our dealer (Skyline RV) and they had it repaired within a week. (They are the most amazing dealer if you’re in the WNY area!) I’ve also noticed that there is a small leak in the gutter seam. These things happen and I don’t think you’re ever going to get a flawless camper with no issues. I think the key is to get a good dealer and understand that you’re probably going to run into some minor issues sooner or later. It can be frustrating when you spend $30k plus on a new unit, but I’m not sure one manufacturer is markedly better than another. I’ve heard horror stories about most of the brands.

[rwriley1053]

Originally Posted by dstobey

We have had a 2018 FR Wildwood and just recently purchased a 2020 FR Vibe.

Can I ask how bad you got hurt in the trade ? I have a '19 and I would like to trade for a Vibe. My Daughter got a vibe and I really like what they have done. But, I'm afraid I'm going to loose $10K+ in the trade.

[dstobey]

I had bought the Wildwood one year used. After 1.5 seasons I got $2500 less than I paid for it in trade. It was exactly at blue book value. I was pretty happy with it!

[pcsdpo]

Originally Posted by KAL

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond to my request for information. We needed an quick education and something told me we could count on this group for that. You did not disappoint. We have some great take-aways, especially finding a good service dept, the pre-purchase inspection, and the re-setting of some expectations. We have 2 FR recommended dealers in AZ and the price difference is huge, so we'll be digging deeper. Again, thank you all for your input. Take care. ----Kathleen & Chuck

It is great that you have an A&P airplane mechanic on your team. I think he'll need to brush up on the balsa wood and rubber band kind of airframe and power . . . I have a 2020 FR No Boundaries 19.5. I've had quite a few minor problems and when I fix them myself I find out that quality control is non-existent, the designs and specs are quick-assembly and light as possible (I haven't found any balsa framing yet . . ., but thin wood that barely provides the support). I had a couple of major items (like the main door wouldn't stay closed because they didn't mortise in the strike plate, furnace wasn't properly secured and came sliding out only stopped by the gas line, black water tank flush system didn't have the hose properly crimped to the fitting and water sprayed under my bathroom sink when you used it . . . ).
Make sure you can find a competent dealer and repair facility (I've not found one in my area, so I end up fixing warranty work on my own dime because it is easier to do it myself than to drive a 100 miles with the trailer, leave it for a couple of weeks, drive back to pick it up . . . if I do it, I know it is done right)
Sorry for being negative, but I wish I had this sort of info when we purchased.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Marv n Mabel

We bought a 2020 Keystone product and can't get out of it fast enough. Our '08 FR was superior to this one. People complain 10 times more often than compliment

Many here don't belong to other RV forums and don't realize that EVERY RV brand has issues. Including the sacred Airstream, Winnebago and Marathon brands. And Marathons cost a million or more.

[2atoms]

Originally Posted by KAL

Hi Everyone. My husband and I are new to the RV world and have been searching for a travel trailer for many months. I fell in love with the R-Pod at first sight but we finally settled on a new 2021 FR 203RKLE due to size, function and layout. Last night I started searching for reviews on FR and found a huge amount of complaints from FR owners who seemed to have very long lists of quality issues and repair challenges. The amount of complaints seemed excessive and now, just as we are about to put a deposit down on a new 2021, I feel like we should start looking all over again. Before I give up on FR, I’m hoping the experienced owners in this forum can give us some perspective and share their own experiences with FR and the Surveyor Legend series. Any information would be helpful. Thank you all in advance with your help. P.S. My husband has a great deal of experience with sail boats and is an A&P (airplane mechanic) so he has a lot of experience that should come in handy with travel trailers, I think? Thank you.

We are RVing now in the Central Coast of CA. Many new rigs parked next to our 11 year FR Surveyor. One owner had a brand new rig ( not a FR) and complained of the quality of Workmanship and repairs. The rig just came out of 6 weeks in the service shop. We noticed that many rigs have a front bathroom which means 3-4 lengths of flexible sewer lines connected to reach the back of RV sites. Most park hookups are located in the back left of the rv’s side. A single sewer exit is simple to work with. We had many little items in our FR that broke and fell apart. We have not taken to any service departments. We shop the parts on Amazon, ask friends and do the work ourselves. Watch lots of You Tube for RV help and suggestions. Enjoy your RV. Again watch You Tube for expert shopping tips and tricks.

[StephDL]

We have a 2507S Rockwood and have been thrilled with the build quality and performance. We had an R-Pod as our initial trailer and it had excellent build quality. It was being built in the same facility as the Surveyor line.

I would suggest a plant tour at Rockwood if you can. It is impressive.

Good luck with your search.

[Bob Brown]

My wife and I bought our first RV a 2013 Forest River Sunseeker 3170ds slightly used with only 6,000 miles on it. We were told the previous owner moved up to an A class so that was fine. I must say that everything worked well and the only problem we experienced was a leak from around the roof antenna base as there was no silicone/dicor around the base bottom and that was resolved quickly. After putting on 30,000 miles driving through Canada and the US we had very few problems because of build quality and the V10 Ford engine purrs like a kitten and you don't even know it's running at idle it's so smooth and quiet. We get 8-10 mpg at never more that 65 mph. I use only Mobil 1 and change yearly regardless of mileage. Cheap insurance.

My point being is that build quality is a crap shoot with so many divisions and models available and hopefully you get a good one. When I was young I had always heard never buy a car built on a Monday and I wonder if RVs were the same lol.

If I were to buy another C class I would know now what to look for and identify any potential problems because "I've been there-done that"!

Brand new buyers who have no experience at all are at a definite disadvantage as they really do not know anything about systems, electrical,plumbing,heating/cooling etc.

I always thought it would be a good business to become an expert trailer/RV "consultant" and charge a reasonable fee to accompany potential buyers and guide them to a quality built unit after inspection. Some Motor Homes cost more than houses and we get inspectors for that.

Bob Brown
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2013 Forest River Sunseeker 3170ds
2019 Honda CRV