Forest River Quality

[Tim F]

I had a Jayco 806 for 30 years. Original VG condition canvas, lift system, bunks. I loved my Jayco pop up. 2015 We finally upgraded to a Jayco hybrid, with great expectations based on experience. Major let down too numerous to list, except to say shoddy workmanship, poor quality components. Liked at Rockwood Roo in 2017. Best camping investment I’ve Made in 30 years. Some problems, but nothing major or insurmountable. I’d buy another Rockwood travel trailer without reservation. Avoid Jayco like the plague.

[dswiss]

Originally Posted by Bramic71

Hi. I am only asking this question because I hate wasting hard earned money. I have been reading some really bad reviews about Forest River, and their lack of quality and customers service/warranty. Would you purchase another Forest River product, or would you look elsewhere? I am just looking for honest opinions. They have the floorplans that I love, but I am not looking for something that is going to give me constant issues. Thank you

We have a 2013 Forest River Solera. We bought it new and it now has 38000 miles on it. Yes, we did have many problems and poor (none) dealer service, but we have always been able to fix things ourselves.
Except for the Sprinter chassis. That Mercedes product is a poor quality, high maintenance cost headache. We had numerous wheel speed sensor failures, check engine lights, catalytic converter bracket failure, etc. And now we also have the emission cheating software issue coming our way. There us no way we will buy another Mefcedes chassis based RV.

[J Man]

In my opinion Forest River is no better or worse than the other brands. In some cases like the Rockwood line I think they are a little better than average. That isn't to imply the quality of construction is good because it isn't.

As for customer service I would rank Forest River below Grand Design and again, right in line with all the rest. However, customer service experiences seem to be more about how lucky you are with who you talk to and how good your dealer is. After the first year, when the warranty expires, it is just you and the dealer.

[kelijake]

In a word, yes. Granted, we only just purchased our 20-ft FR GeoPro 2020 QB a few months ago, so I may still be in the honeymoon phase but I'm very satisfied.

And, yes, we have had issues come up already...the most current one could be a minor leak in one of the water lines.

So why am I so happy? I think it helped that we watched lots of videos and prepared ourselves mentally for the inevitable hiccups and frustrations that tend to come with owning a house on wheels.

I also think it helped that we had already been thinking for YEARS about making this purchase, so when the pandemic hit, we finally decided to go for it. You know what? That little camper enabled me to visit a national park (where I could socially distance on long hikes), while also visiting my son two states away. It took me to two COE campgrounds situated along a river and a lake, and one recent boondocking experience on public land. All were perfect respites.

And, really, for all the minor (so far) issues, the plusses have far outweighed the minuses--our camper is quiet, holds cool air in nicely, is lightweight and easy to haul to remote spots, and so cozy when the sun goes down.

[CanadAl]

Bought a FR Rockwood Minilite 2507S in 2017. 45000 km (~27000miles) so far. Love the trailer - Initial issues - one of the probes in the fresh water tank came out so water tank leaked, and the hot water tank wouldn't light but those our dealer fixed under warranty. Since then a few minor issues like screws falling out, drivers side front lower fairing cracked and broke, so bought a new one, reinforced it with a lining on the inside and replaced. And despite all the bad reviews of Castle Rock tires they are still on the trailer with no problems - mostly highway but about 200Km of gravel road, will replace them next year. I check and repair sealant regularly so no leaks so far. My advice - buy from a great dealer with excellent technicians and a great reputation for repairs - we did and have been very pleased with their service and the trailer, so no complaints about FR.

[GmaB]

After having about 6-7 different trailers in our travels, I found tou can only check so many things. Some things are bound to go wrong or work loose. I Che k every cupboard door and drawer. They need to all be sturdy and solid. Open and shut to make sure hinges are on straight and line up. If they can’t get the little details right, they might not get the big stuff right. The lady 4 5ers have been Forest River. Current one I’d 3019 31 ft Rockwood Ultralight Signature Series. Best built trailer we’ve ever had.

[bgoldsby]

Originally Posted by Bramic71

Hi. I am only asking this question because I hate wasting hard earned money. I have been reading some really bad reviews about Forest River, and their lack of quality and customers service/warranty. Would you purchase another Forest River product, or would you look elsewhere? I am just looking for honest opinions. They have the floorplans that I love, but I am not looking for something that is going to give me constant issues. Thank you

We have owned our FR Wildwood 27RKSSTT for going on 4 years now and I will have to say there have been some good things and bad things to say about the Quality of the build of the Travel Trailer. Having grown up in Terry Built, Winnebego, Colemans and others, I find they all have their own little quirks.

This is the 5th RV I have owned in my life. It has been one of the better ones so far. the first issue i had with it was the water pump, something got stuck in it and it was leaking back into the fresh water tank from plumbing setup under the kitchen sink. Had to replace it. FR Sent a new one no charge, I did the labor.

Next and the BIGGEST COMPLAINT, I think their designers need to get out of their glass offices and spend 6 months on the road with a family in these RV's that they are designing. Have them really check out the placement of the floor vents! and the quality of those things. You DON"T put one right in the middle of the walkway or bathroom doorway! and you don't choose one so cheap that when a 4-year old steps on it, the thing bends in half, also they burn their bare feet on them! Then, the Decorative Curtains those plastic clips on the wall at shoulder height, get rid of those stupid hazards, My Autistic Son cut himself on them numerous times before we removed all of them. The Side "Rails" on the Dining Booth the are screwed into the paneling, no real stud or wood to hold it there and the top sits a 1/2" below the top of the cushion, that when a person sits down goes below that little panel and when a kid slides out pops the panel out off. making it look, not too decorative. My recommendation as a former Custom Vehicle Builder would be to bring up the side panel of the Bench where the Cabinet door is and put an upholstered cap on that. One last issue is to choose better quality fixtures, at the volume FR is purchasing, I am sure they could get a great price from USA Made Vendors instead of China! My Vent top, disintegrated a couple of weeks ago, I purchased what Camping World expected would be the replacement only to find it wasn't.

I will say this though, FR does build a very Strong RV, ours had a large snow packed tree branch fall on the front cap just before Thanksgiving, the estimate for all repairs inside and out, were $11K, It took a few months thanks to COVID, but when we got it back it looks good as new!

BTW, If you ever have a leak in your RV, or anything, I highly endorse FLEXTAPE, We applied it to our Cap and side in the middle of the night and during a snow storm, then towed our trailer 350 miles without the tape or any parts falling off

[rockland2002]

Originally Posted by Bramic71

Hi. I am only asking this question because I hate wasting hard earned money. I have been reading some really bad reviews about Forest River, and their lack of quality and customers service/warranty. Would you purchase another Forest River product, or would you look elsewhere? I am just looking for honest opinions. They have the floorplans that I love, but I am not looking for something that is going to give me constant issues. Thank you

I have a 31 foot Forest River Flagstaff, that I bought used. No RV is perfect, but the one I bought is great! I made the right choice! It is a 2014 bought in 2017 for $19,000 privately, no dealer.

[astro-jason]

I purchased an 2019 Apex, from a big dealer in PalmBay Fl. Brought it back after the 30 day "shakedown" with a list of stuff to fix. Long story short they had the unit on and off for almost 4 months. So I contacted the Apex division via e-mail, explained everything. Received a phone call in less than 3hrs from FR.

No argument's no fussing I was told to find a repair place of my choice have them look at it.call the FR rep. I have been dealing with for parts. I payed the Labor, sent invoice to FR received refund in less than a week. The big bonus is My small local repair shop is now FR certified repair center, so a win/win.

So give FR the benefit to make it right, they will stand behind their product, The dealerships could care less they already have your money.

-Jason

[aloffsite]

I have a FR Class C 3251 DSLE. It's 32 ft. long. We like it a lot. Not the best floor plan but we jumped the gun. Overall it's just fine. We know how they're made, so understand the normal issues. I also do my own work for the basics. For the money, I would buy again, just a different floor plan.

[hughd033]

First off I have owned several 5 vrs from Forrest River and had problems with all and the one with the least issues was the Cedar Creek silver Back. I currently own a Berkshire class A pusher which has had more than its share of problems one being the front door not hung correctly so it will leak at the entry edge top corner to which the dealer along with Forrest River basically done nothing but try to put in extra seal. Now with all that said I have also owned other models to which I wouldn’t ever buy again so if you’re looking I suggest you buy the one you like and fits your needs because they are all going to have issues. Until the RV industry is held accountable and quality becomes a word in the builders vocabulary we will all continue to camp and eat the displeasure. Can you imagine what would happen to the auto industry if they worked this way.

[Brianfrench65]

We purchased a Forest River Forester in 2018, 24 months ago and despite the COVID-19, we have been camping frequently.

The only problem we have experienced is a drawer latch, stopped latching. We bought new latches from Amazon and changed the part.

I have had 5 motor homes, this being our only class C. We typically spend 100+ nights per year, out seeing our country.

Our Forester has been a good camper for us.

Take Care;
Brian

[upflying]

I've only owned two travel trailer brands, Fleetwood in the 1980's and the FR I have now. I dont recall ever having a problem with Fleetwood products but I have had several minor issues with the FR.
My current one is a recently discovered gray water leak coming from somewhere under the shower. I'll try fix it myself before I ever return to the service department clowns at the dealer.

[jimla]

I see all the folks making comments. It makes me wonder if non of them have ever had a house built. If you have, think back and remember how many times you had to refrain yourself from shooting the builder and how it was to get them to make warranty repairs. Just saying!!!!!

[DennisSimon]

I've owned 3 FR motor homes. Manufacturer is fine as good as any. As others have said, every RV eventually has issues. Invest in extended warranty and pay close attention to reputation of dealer. Buying from reputable, dependable dealer is paramount. And well worth paying more than traveling far to get a discount. Also, warranty work even with manufacturers approval is not same service model as automobile manufacturers/dealer . Research dealer as diligently as you research which RV to purchase.

[Zekes69]

We got our wolf pup this year.
The nut on the back of the toilet had a slow drip (easy fix) the tub surround was put on incorrectly from factory (dealer pointed it out and new one is being installed today) one outside speaker was blown (worst quality stereo ever) a few staples inside let go (dealer fixing) air conditioner cycles on and off too much (probably thermostat problem? Dealer looking at it) all fittings underneath for on-board water leak (I fixed with Teflon tape)

All in all it’s a good trailer, has the space and features we wanted. They are built fast and the use the rv industry standard sub par components! furrion and dometic IMO are the cheapest garbage you can get. All manufacturers use them probably because they are the least expensive.

It doesn’t matter what brand you have, you are likely going to run into a few issues. I’m happy we bought from a great dealer who is fixing some of the problems.

[TGO Bill]

I understand that things happen in production but it looks to me like they just don’t care. The idea of just take it to your dealership and have the warranty work done is a crock. Do they know that when you take it in for service you are losing time that you’ve paid for to be using your RV and in most cases they could have it a couple of months. These aren’t like cars where you take it in and pick it up on the same day or the next day. I’ve never known anyone that bought a new one that don’t need things fixed. I’ve had 2 Fleetwoods before and never had near the stuff that needed fixed

[VFpatriot]

Originally Posted by eye95

People who have a bad experience are far more likely to write a review than people who have a good experience.

Check out some of the threads here that start off complaining about Forest River. Invariably, many more folks with positive comments respond.

Will your RV have problems? Yep. That is the nature of a very lightweight house on wheels being dragged about the countryside. If facing challenges is a major concern, then a hobby other than camping would be a better use of one’s time.

We have a 2020 FR3 30ds. We like the unit. A couple of bugs had to be worked out. My biggest complaint is with the dealer {Camping World} and also trying to get assistance from Forest River regarding parts and solutions

[Cloudrider]

No. With less than 10,000 miles on the camper (A122S-ESP) I have had to work on almost every appliance and system (plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling) because of poor quality, engineering and craftsmanship. If I didn't know better I'd think they were designed and built by the Chinese.

[FranksLife]

I have a 2020 Forest River Forester C Class. I've had it since January this year. There have been issues but warranty has covered them all. Even when Covid was hitting and it was in the shop for a week almost all the problems were corrected. Anything minor I've waited on and they let me pick it up before everything was fixed because Covid was limiting hours for service.

I've enjoyed being out on the road with no other issues. This is the 2nd Forest River I've owned and the dealer has lived up to my expectations on repairs. Like I said minor. Having the extended warranty has really helped as well. I have a great relationship with the service team and they always come through.
I've been to various RV dealers and this was the best option for us. Forest River for us.