2016 wildcat 242rlx wireless remote and front cap

[Mike_123]

Hello all
New guy here with a few questions

My wife came to me last week and said we need to make a trip to pick up our new fifth
We made the exhausting 18 hour round trip to pick up this Smokin deal she wrangled up online from a unfamiliar dealer
With being somewhat rushed to make ferrys and such our delivery inspection was somewhat rushed and un informative seeing we both were clearly more knowledgable about rvs then the adolescent individual trying to explain things

Once home we were able to spend some time looking things over properly
I've figured out most of the 8 function remote other then the auto level and using each jack individually
Nothing seems to happen when I select these function and I hear no clicking of relays
Is this an option on the remote but not an installed option the trailer
The awning,main slide ,bed slide,front landing,rear stab,and light all work as they should but not the auto level

Also upon inspection of the roof once home I've come across a repair on the front Fiberglas cab
The seem at the top of the cap has pulled away from the roof and self levelling compound they used to mask the issue has pulled away as the gap is to large for this type of botched fix
I would rather clean and repair myself and not go thru the trip again to have this dealt with by a dealer clearly trying to mask the problem
I plan to scrape all the sealant from this seem and glue the seam of the cap back to the roof and reseal with the self levelling sealant
Is there any special glue anyone could recommend

Thanks in advance for any info

[High Desert]

Regarding "auto level with remote" - not going to happen on a Wildcat as the jacks do not operate independently, but both come down at the same rate. You have to eyeball the distance you drop the legs down for leveling. I have always felt this to be a bad design point as the last 3 5th wheels (Alpenlites) I've owned all had independent front jacks.
As for your front cap problem, if it was me, I'd take it back to the dealer, and have them repair it for warranty purposes and have it n record in case something goes south within the next year.

[Bama Rambler]

I agree with High Desert about the cap. I'd contact Forest River and see if they will authorize an independent repair shop to look at it. You'll have to pay and then be reimbursed, but you may not have to make another 18 hour trip.

But, if you'd rather fix it yourself then I'd suggest using Eternabond tape to seal the seam once you have the cap secured to the roof again.

As for the remote, High Desert is most likely right again. You won't have the Auto-Level. But check the build sheet just in case you do.

[Mike_123]

Thanks guys
After some time playing with the remote and jacks I've found the auto level feature is an option on the remote but not on the trailer

This is our sixth fifth wheel trailer and by far the worst purchase ever made
Love the trailer but the dealer is flawed on so many levels
If I knew the manufacturer would follow up on complaints regarding their dealers I would write a letter to them however I doubt it will go past someone's inbox so really it seems like such a waist of time

I've got the cap and an array of other issues that should have been dealt with on the odd being looked after at a reputable dealer closer to home

[spock123]

You might try a dealer that sells Forest River products close by, they will sometimes work on your Wildcat. I Camping World will but you may have to wait for awhile for them to fix it. It's worth a try. My camper was brought 320 miles from me but Camping World works on camper for me because they sell Forest River products


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[Wildcat Steve]

Mike_123, sorry you are having troubles with your new Wildcat. Can you please help me assist getting you on the right track to repairs by letting me know a few details?
Where did you purchase the new trailer?
What are the last 5 digits of the vin?
Where are you from?
Have any of your concerns been repaired as of today?

Let me know so I can assist.
Thanks,
Wildcat Steve

[High Desert]

Nice to see a factory rep back on line and taking an active interest in getting things fixed, the right way. Stay tuned for more Wildcat Steve with actual results, I hope.

[Mike_123]

Originally Posted by Wildcat Steve

Mike_123, sorry you are having troubles with your new Wildcat. Can you please help me assist getting you on the right track to repairs by letting me know a few details?
Where did you purchase the new trailer?
What are the last 5 digits of the vin?
Where are you from?
Have any of your concerns been repaired as of today?

Let me know so I can assist.
Thanks,
Wildcat Steve

Thanks Steve
I'm not to sure there is much anyone could do to assist in any of these issues
First off dealer support in my area is virtually non existent as the wait times to get into the local service centre is 8 to 10 weeks.
I was actually told by the local dealer they would probably not service me anyway as I did not purchase my unit from them.
Their price for my trailer was $58000 and I paid $39900 at a dealer a few hours away witch is sort of a no brainer in my opinion.

The dealer I purchased from made arrangements with another local dealer to have the front cap secured and re sealed witch only took a few hours to do .so I'm thankful they dealt with e problem they tried to hide to get hem threw the sale.

Now after our first weekend out with this trailer I can say I'm less then impressed with even more issues
All small things but none the less things that would not be an issue with a proper pdi or even more a little more attention to detail when being built.

Filling the water tank results in water running across the floor of the rv
2 minor plumbing leaks in the basement storage one under the bathroom sink
Plastic under belly is pulling away from the front of the trailer
Our first night out resulted in no 12 volt power
Found the 30amp fuse beside he battery was over tightened pulling the copper stud away from the contacts inside
After laying under the front of the trailer securing the under belly I found a lot of exposed wood around the propane storage area
Most of this wood extend up into the walls of the trailer witch would lead to a lot of rot down the road
The door into the rv has no adjustment what so ever leaving such a gap between the latch and door handle it won't close securely

This all from one first weekend camp out.
I will spend the next few days fixing these issues myself before we head out for a two week trip

This is our sixth rv and I've never had this many issues with a trailer in such a short amount of time

[RSchleder]

I agree, I'd also be less than impressed with those types, and quantity, of problems. Obviously, the dealer that sold you the unit didn't spend any time preparing this RV for delivery.

[Mike_123]

Thank you Steve for bringing my concerns to the right people within forest river.allthough they cannot regulate the sales practices of the dealers they have assured me my concerns would be handled at the dealer of my choice

I don't really blame forest river for my issues but I do blame the selling dealer.
We pay a lot of money for the pdi and if I can find this many simple issues having the trailer home for a few days surely the professionals should be able to find the issues on a good pdi.
Covering up problems to get the sale finalized only to be dealt with after they have the cash is wrong in my opinion.