How happy are you with your FR Purchase? - Page 3

rjshiflet · 08-10-2012, 05:14 PM

We've had our Columbus 320RS since March...had it out 37 nights so far and we could not be happier.

We've had some issues, but I expect whether I'm buying a new home...new car or most anything new that comes with a warranty. But...the way Forest River has handled the issues that I have had is PHENOMENAL.

We're headed back in tomorrow for replacement of our bedroom AC unit - the dealer put the "grommet fix" on it and wasn't satisfied, so he petitioned Dometic on our behalf and got a replacement. He said to allow an hour for it to be replaced.

Other issues (rail for the sliding bedroom door, blackwater flush had a valve in backwards, issue with the coaxial cables, etc.) have all been fixed 100% to my satisfaction.

Kudos to Forest River for the way they stand behind their products - and to my dealer FunTown RV in Cleburne, Texas for the way they treat me as a customer (and their other customers, I'm sure).

RONN · 08-10-2012, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjshiflet

We've had our Columbus 320RS since March...had it out 37 nights so far and we could not be happier.

We've had some issues, but I expect whether I'm buying a new home...new car or most anything new that comes with a warranty. But...the way Forest River has handled the issues that I have had is PHENOMENAL.

We're headed back in tomorrow for replacement of our bedroom AC unit - the dealer put the "grommet fix" on it and wasn't satisfied, so he petitioned Domestic on our behalf and got a replacement. He said to allow an hour for it to be replaced.

Other issues (rail for the sliding bedroom door, blackwater flush had a valve in backwards, issue with the coaxial cables, etc.) have all been fixed 100% to my satisfaction.

Kudos to Forest River for the way they stand behind their products - and to my dealer Fun Town RV in Cleburne, Texas for the way they treat me as a customer (and their other customers, I'm sure).

I'm glade you are having more luck with Fun Town then I am. I have a 2013 34tbok 5Th wheel from them and I had it delivered to Arizona and when it got to me there were a lot of damage to the unit inside and out and when I called Fun Time the reply I received was call forest river warranty for the fix, now FR looked into my unit and found out the unit was received by Fun Time but didn't get PDI/per inspected before being delivered to me. Still working with FR to get the unit in the shop to have everything fixed.

lolasmom · 08-10-2012, 07:27 PM

We have owned a Mobile Scout and our last was a Mobile Suite Fifth wheel. Our Forester Class C had so many problems, I refused to take ownership of it when it came from the factory. Floor in kitchen torn in 2 places, GPS keeps resetting, radio will not mute, kitchen faucet leaks, oven does not work, shower head leaks to the side more than out of the head, we bought a new one at Wal-Mart and replaced it, screen door is warped, will not shut properly, stains on ceiling in upper bunk that will not come out, wood work on dinette wall by sofa is not finished, under cabinets above sofa and dinette, wood trim is rough, light switch has stain on it, front of sofa is buckled, small window shades in bedroom do not come down enough to cover windows, drawer in kitchen broken, drawer in bedroom broken, ....... Shall I go on? Dealer asked that we give him a chance to fix everything, ordered new flooring, cabinets, etc, they had us take ownership of it and give them a chance to repair. We did, but I have a bad feeling about this and do not understand why they did not just order us a new one. They say it is because we ordered the Big Foot jacks, and they do not order units with them. Can you say Lemon Law

F and E Damp · 08-10-2012, 09:02 PM

I'm glad we purchased our Georgetown after the original buyer had figured out and got fixed all the teething troubles. They had only put 12,500 miles on it in 7 years, then it had sat for a year due to health issues.

We got a very good deal and it's in excellent shape. The generator only had 48 hours on it, probably all off-season exercising, since they were FHU campers.

That said, it's certainly not a high quality unit, but it's functional. As a former Boeing engineer, I'm surprised by some of the "chewing gum and bailing wire" design features. If it had been better designed and engineered in the first place, it would have been much easier and cheaper for the factory guys to build it and it would have been more reliable for the owners.

The biggest surprise I got was when I had to take out the cabinets over the dinette, in the big slide-out following water damage from a seal leak. It was clearly evident to me that they had been built from raw materials inside the rig, rather than being assembled in a cabinet shop and then installed into pre-designd attachment points. There was no clear methodology behind the way of attaching them to structure, it seemed to be ad hoc, make it up as you go along. Same with the 12V lighting, all wire nuts and duct tape.

Another major glitch is with the use of adhesives to attach the slide seals. I've had to re-attach about 75% of them and they're tough to get to when the slides have been installed.

They were installed with double-sided sticky tape, probaly with the seal manufacturer putting the tape on the seals before they delivered them to Georgetown. There is no evidence of any surface preparation by FR/GT on the gloss-painted metal surfaces the seals were attached to. I've even found greasy fingerprints where the tape has come loose.

Talking to other owners, not just FR, it seems that this is endemic in the industry. Post-production QC isn't a good way to fix things. In many cases they can't get to where the errors are. QC isn't a fix for poor design and engineering.

A perfectly built Ford Pinto (if such were even possible) would still have been a POS because the overall design was so poor.

More well-qualified design and production engineers would make a big difference, and it might only take a dozen or so in an outfit like FR. The benefits in lowered warranty costs, better relations with customers and eventually an enhanced reputation for a quality product would far outweigh the additional costs. That's how Mercedes, BMW, Rolls-Royce, Boeing and similar companies do it. Even a lot of their very top brass are engineering trained.

Don't hold your breath!

OldCoot · 08-10-2012, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F and E Damp

As a former Boeing engineer, I'm surprised by some of the "chewing gum and bailing wire" design features. If it had been better designed and engineered in the first place, it would have been much easier and cheaper for the factory guys to build it and it would have been more reliable for the owners...More well-qualified design and production engineers would make a big difference, and it might only take a dozen or so in an outfit like FR. The benefits in lowered warranty costs, better relations with customers and eventually an enhanced reputation for a quality product would far outweigh the additional costs. That's how Mercedes, BMW, Rolls-Royce, Boeing and similar companies do it. Even a lot of their very top brass are engineering trained.

Don't hold your breath!

Being a former Lockheed Martin quality engr, I couldn't agree with you more! Would love to visit the plant and have a conversation with the design engineering, manufacturing engineering & quality management. Would be a very interesting conference.

JohnBlair · 08-10-2012, 09:21 PM

We really like our windjammer. Furnace doesn't work so have to take it 120 miles to a dealer to see what's wrong. Vent up and down striped, but, received part, now I have to fix it. Otherwise all good.
John
2013 Windjammer 3008W

rkswyo · 08-10-2012, 10:41 PM

I have been pretty happy with my trailer. Most issues have been minor and chose to just fix them myself. That being said, I am not brand loyal to Forest River. I will buy whatever fits my needs and currently what I have fits the bill.

WWTTA · 08-10-2012, 11:33 PM

This is our first FR...a 2012 W30FKSS V Lite....bought it off lot, first trip was through 12 states, through midwest, to southwest, deserts, mountains, to ocean, to NW mountains and back across west, midwest and home....over two months out...no problems with trailer at all....couldn't be happier with it! I'm sure there will be problems with wear 'n' tear, normal use....it is a product, but having inspected it first and then going through the pre-sale and after sale inspections really seemed to help. We also bought from a dealer with a very good reputation next state over.

camper1999 · 08-11-2012, 10:22 AM

I love my silverback. I have had many forest river products over the years and believe they provide a great product for a variety of price ranges. Yes the walls are thin, cabinets are not the same as your home, and there are a lot of things that can go wrong. But it is all about weight yet providing a good living space at a reasonable price. But if everyone Is looking for a duplicate of their house on wheels those are available to. They weigh over 17,000 pound s, and cost over$80,000, and you need something short of a semi to pull it. I have probably 50 things i need to fix in my home and i am not blaming anybody it is just life.

karznromz · 08-11-2012, 10:43 AM

Our repairs can all wait until fall. Depending on the dealers response I may go from happy to not so. New 365saq overall has been great.

djtouchfla · 08-11-2012, 11:38 AM

First time out with our new A122, the large window leaked, and I mean all over our bed. Naturally it ws the dead of night. The gas water heater would not stay lit. The first time we made the fold out bed (very comfortable,) we found a large cigrarette burn on the cover. All has been repaired by the dealer. However, FR just ignored our request for payment for the minor expenses we paid to clean the unit, dry the mattress and launder the bed clothes.

marcusfan · 08-11-2012, 02:14 PM

I love my Surveyor. It's only the 1st TT I've owned but my parents have owned RV's of various manufacturers over the years. I have had zero problems with it (except those caused by the electrician that wired up my 30 amp outlet on the house). I hate that it seems that its luck of the draw when it comes to ones unit.

We had rainthe other night for the first time since I bought my TT. I was looking forward to it to see if it leaked. No leaks so confirmation that there hasn't been a single problem with my Surveyor since I picked it up. I certainly wish everybody could have the same experience I had.

patkins · 08-11-2012, 08:52 PM

Well great topic.... Well I waited for 6 months to receive product the waited for first trip, then camping started awesome. I spent 19k and that is a lot of money I expect quality and people to stand behind the warranty. Well our 2012 19 ft roo was great till it rained I thought the first flood was because it was a heavy rain a fluke... Well no fluke our roo fills up as fast as a bathtub when it's a light or heavy rain. now that I have sprayed my roo with the hose I see the water pour in its a bad design and workmanship is really poor they must have used 2 tubes of clear caulking on rear and 2 more on front. I believe that all purchaser should be able to see these posts and make a wise decision I have lots of pictures which I can share with you please email and I can send of my testing and the major issues with the new tent ends.
All I can say is FR needs some help with quality control and if you need a tube of clear caulking for one corner you have major issues with this design.

SJC · 08-11-2012, 10:20 PM

We purchased a Surveyor SV305 trailer and over all am happy with the TT. The dealer has fixed up some of the minor problems we have had but I am still working with FR to fix the issues with the two fold out beds. They are very uncomfortable and slant down towards your head by about 1.5". Has anyone else had this fixed by FR?

Jayhawk · 08-12-2012, 10:21 AM

Yes I just bought a new class c motorhome from Forest River and all manufactures will have production issues it doesn’t matter if it’s a 700K pusher or a 20K TT. I’ve seen TT slides come out when going down the highway. Class A windshields pop out coaches where the full end cap of the coach was not completely installed. These were not isolated incidence but reoccurring events with the brands.
From experience, it’s how the manufacture handles your issues and the warranty process and Forest River is one of the best. The RV heartland is well aware of the impact on customer service and the quality of RVs made today.

We can help the RV industry improve customer relations by changing our pe-purchase process. First do your homework; an RV is not a car. Be informed on the product and plan for a “self-service dealership” with little knowledge of the RV you are looking at. When you find the RV that meets your needs don’t buy it yet. Tell the dealer you would like to put a small deposit on the unit until you or a friend can accomplish an in depth PDI. Once the dealership has your money it’s a manufactures problem not a dealership issue. There are several good PDI checklists on line. If the dealer balks, walk. There are other dealers. The dealer my even say their service dept can’t work on the RV until the RV is sold, due to the warranty process, walk. The dealership makes money that way. There are very good dealers out there, so ask around. It’s you money so understand the process and your rights.

4bnabird · 08-12-2012, 03:59 PM

So far so good. Just took our maiden voyage in our 2013 flagstaff. Everything seemed to work flawlessly. Now being a veteran at this I can honestly say there are some things that we will "touch up or adjust" but all in all I am happy with how things have turned out.

Coops1 · 08-12-2012, 04:25 PM

We love out trailer but I do have 2 big complaints with regards to the build, #1 their is no support for the shower head and it feels like it will fall off & damage the surround. #2 is what we thought was hardwood on the cabinets is only vinyl wrapped particle board.

dilgerc · 08-12-2012, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coops1

We love out trailer but I do have 2 big complaints with regards to the build, #1 their is no support for the shower head and it feels like it will fall off & damage the surround. #2 is what we thought was hardwood on the cabinets is only vinyl wrapped particle board.

Mine did fall off. Two screws into the thin plastic shower wall is all that's holding it. I wound up using 3M double stick tape on mine. Still waiting for next trip to see if it holds. Also had to have a new roof put on and a bracket for the awning over the rear slide out fell off. Trail Express tire went bad at 2500 miles. Hope you have better luck with yours.

iowarvnewbie · 08-12-2012, 04:48 PM

We love our floorplan and the features that our 2013 Heritage Glen 272BH have, but there are a lot of quality issues that I am upset about. One design flaw in water system and kinked hoses that they put in wrong led to no water pressure and siphoning out all the fresh water, black water flush line was sliced upon installation and therefore sprayed everywhere upon use, stove ignition knob snapped off after about 5 uses, dealer dented front frame and side panel before delivery so had to take it back in almost immediately for that, fridge door kept falling off every time we drove somewhere and they jerry rigged it and colored over the upside down Dometic sticker with black Sharpie when we made them fix it. Also made them send us the right parts in the mail to do it ourselves the right way. There were no user manuals, so when some things were going wrong my husband had no way to troubleshoot them. Overall, feel that the products are really pretty cheap, but we love to camp so have to overlook it I guess. It is very pretty inside and I love the woodwork and upholstery! I just hope we don't have any major problems that happen just outside of warranty time or something like that.

2013 Heritage Glen 272BH
2012 Chevy 3500 HD

dodosmike · 08-23-2012, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iowarvnewbie

We love our floorplan and the features that our 2013 Heritage Glen 272BH have, but there are a lot of quality issues that I am upset about. One design flaw in water system and kinked hoses that they put in wrong led to no water pressure and siphoning out all the fresh water, black water flush line was sliced upon installation and therefore sprayed everywhere upon use, stove ignition knob snapped off after about 5 uses, dealer dented front frame and side panel before delivery so had to take it back in almost immediately for that, fridge door kept falling off every time we drove somewhere and they jerry rigged it and colored over the upside down Dometic sticker with black Sharpie when we made them fix it. Also made them send us the right parts in the mail to do it ourselves the right way. There were no user manuals, so when some things were going wrong my husband had no way to troubleshoot them. Overall, feel that the products are really pretty cheap, but we love to camp so have to overlook it I guess. It is very pretty inside and I love the woodwork and upholstery! I just hope we don't have any major problems that happen just outside of warranty time or something like that.

2013 Heritage Glen 272BH
2012 Chevy 3500 HD

Well how 'bout that. I just bought the same model. Had it for 3 weeks now. I've had none of those issues. What I have noticed is minimal. Some staples needed to be sunk in the carpet, adhesive on the ceiling on the slide portion, where the rounded trim near the TV meets the sliding doors there are lots of unsightly staples, glue on the back door screen. LOTS of discarded screws inside the front storage compartment (may have fallen out of a container at the factory?), the outside handle looks like my 2 year old could pull it from the frame (I removed it). The "tub" is poorly sealed around the walls. Poor water pressure in the showerhead.

Did you notice there are 2 grey water tanks (thus 2 handles to drain)?
I like the idea of having the yellow"ish" yard light under the steps.
Make sure the bathroom vent is fully closed in any little rain storm or floor is wet. Wonder how long it will take till the shower skylight leaks?

So far so good.

dodosmike

obligatory (crappy cellphone) pics:

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