First timer to RV

[Haulintoys]

Originally Posted by ehrlich4620

We just bought our first Forest River Wildwood 178BHSKX 2021, we love the floor plan. Spent the first 3 nights in it learning and discovering that the Workmanship from the factory is very Poor. I won't go into details just yet.
But would like to know if this is common for forest River.
We are looking forward to spending time and traveling in our new unit.
Looking forward to response from your Forum.
Thanks for the opportunity to share our input with you all.
Richard & Claudia

Ours was definitely built ON A FRIDAY!! We found wiring issues that were easy to fix, just stupid to have to fix, a few things the first owner ignored or lived with. I think its just mass production, as someone mentioned below and you find a way to ignore it, overcome it or redo it in a way that makes sense to you!

[ehrlich4620]

I have been in contact with Fun Town RV where I bought the 2021 Wild Wood RV.
They said not to worry about Bent frame it will be safe.
I am 74 and this is our first RV we have saved for this time we hope to enjoy our later years traveling.

What do you all think that I should do about this issue. It has been 2 weeks since we picked up the unit, spent 3 nights in it then when I got home I was under it spraying the nuts and bolts for rust prevention when I found the bent frame members.
Just looking for help from everyone with more time in their units
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT.

[flymhi]

Unfortunately most of the mainstream builders have very low quality standards. I'll pose this question to you.

If you build things on razor-thin margins for mass profit and don't have to (directly) repair said units, would you spend extra time costing you additional capex to make sure things are done right? Integrity in most of us says "yes" but when it comes to making a profit or over-building yourself out of business, they will pick profit.

There are some that are trying to change the industry for the better but not all can afford $100k+ RVs. It's been this way for some years now.

If you are handy it makes the issue less painful. But it's still no excuse for the poor build qualities.

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

Originally Posted by ehrlich4620

They said not to worry about Bent frame it will be safe.

Just looking for help from everyone with more time in their units
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT.

"They said not to worry about Bent frame it will be safe." That has got to be the most ridiculous statement made by any dealer.

The frame got that way not by design. It is hard to tell from the pictures. But that could lead to wheel/tire alignment issues. Structural problems. And the fact that it got wacked hard to enough to create those bends could be hiding other issues.

You might consider going to Forest River yourself. I am sure there are more experienced people on here that will chime in.

Best of luck!

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyVeteran

"They said not to worry about Bent frame it will be safe." That has got to be the most ridiculous statement made by any dealer.

The frame got that way not by design. It is hard to tell from the pictures. But that could lead to wheel/tire alignment issues. Structural problems. And the fact that it got wacked hard to enough to create those bends could be hiding other issues.

You might consider going to Forest River yourself. I am sure there are more experienced people on here that will chime in.

Best of luck!

Yup!

Bruce

[Jfkmk]

Bent frame is safe?? I would definitely contact FR about this. If the rv dealer thinks bent frames are safe, I wouldn’t be returning there for anything.

[moose074]

I actually agree with the dealer based on the picks you sent. Perhaps I am missing something, but the welds still look good. To me you have more of a dented frame than bent. If I took a sledge hammer and wacked it would leave ugly dents but not bend it. Huge difference, again just my opinion. If frame is out of square then you have problems.

[Oaklevel]

Quality issues in the RV industry have been going on for years. Our 1988 Terry was actually built worse than our 2017 Wildwood.

My guess on your frame the damage occured in shipping and handling between the frame manufacturer (probably Lippert) and the Wildwood / Salem factory.

Again a guess but I have visited many factories The frames are more than likely stacked and loaded and unloaded by a forklift. Then stacked again waiting assembly. Then probably again carried by forklift to the line.

Doe not help but I can't by the pictures how bad it night be but contacting Wildwood / Forest River is not a bad idea. At least get it looked at by a trailer shop that can inspect the frame.

Good Luck !!!!

[Homebrew]

Originally Posted by moose074

I actually agree with the dealer based on the picks you sent. Perhaps I am missing something, but the welds still look good. To me you have more of a dented frame than bent. If I took a sledge hammer and wacked it would leave ugly dents but not bend it. Huge difference, again just my opinion. If frame is out of square then you have problems.

I disagree, I would unload the trailer and drop it off at the dealer. Demand FR review the damage and check the frame for square. Get something in writing that the frame is square and safe .If ok I would demand some cash back for damaged goods. If Home Depot can take off hundreds of dollars for a tiny scratch on a frig then you can get thousands for a bent frame.
We can’t keep excepting damaged goods for the same price. If it’s damaged there should be a price change.
What Pisses me off is that these trailers are a reflection of American made products. It’s sad but true, I have never seen a proudly built in the USA sticker on any trailer, why is that????
Many of these RVs are beautiful but a repair nightmare the first week off the assembly line.Who wants to spend $10-$150k on something that will sit at the repair center for months. It should have been repaired before we drive it home.
It’s time we demand money back for the poor workmanship, and money back for all the days your rig sits at the dealership waiting for approvals and parts.
I agree it’s a hurricane every time you drive it down the road and things happen . I feel this is normal in most situations. But missing screws, bent frames and electrical issues are problems that should have been addressed by the dealer and factory.
Stand up for your rights and don’t allow them to take advantage of you, make them pay for every delay and repair. Even if it’s not camping season, how do they know your not a winter camping fool.

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

Originally Posted by Homebrew

I disagree, I would unload the trailer and drop it off at the dealer. Demand FR review the damage and check the frame for square. Get something in writing that the frame is square and safe .If ok I would demand some cash back for damaged goods. If Home Depot can take off hundreds of dollars for a tiny scratch on a frig then you can get thousands for a bent frame.
We can’t keep excepting damaged goods for the same price. If it’s damaged there should be a price change.
What Pisses me off is that these trailers are a reflection of American made products. It’s sad but true, I have never seen a proudly built in the USA sticker on any trailer, why is that????
Many of these RVs are beautiful but a repair nightmare the first week off the assembly line.Who wants to spend $10-$150k on something that will sit at the repair center for months. It should have been repaired before we drive it home.
It’s time we demand money back for the poor workmanship, and money back for all the days your rig sits at the dealership waiting for approvals and parts.
I agree it’s a hurricane every time you drive it down the road and things happen . I feel this is normal in most situations. But missing screws, bent frames and electrical issues are problems that should have been addressed by the dealer and factory.
Stand up for your rights and don’t allow them to take advantage of you, make them pay for every delay and repair. Even if it’s not camping season, how do they know your not a winter camping fool.

X2!

We will never get quality construction if you pay "installers/construction techs by the "piece work". There is no incentive to fix/report a problem. Keep going!

QC is non existent. If it can roll out of the manufacturing facility it is going to the dealer. Then it is up to the customer to deal with.

[ehrlich4620]

Thanks to you all, I have made contact with Forest River via the web, and I think that got the ball rolling. I will keep you informed what transpires.
Thank you all again for the advice on this bent frame issue.
Richard & Claudia Ehrlich

[lbrjet]

Don't accept 'it is OK'. More than likely your unit is going back to the factory. I have to wonder if that damage was somehow caused after it was built. There is some questionable work coming out of the factory, but I have never seen anything like that.

[phillyg]

While it's difficult to determine from the photos, it appears the frame may have been stressed/damaged after the build out. I would be very concerned the damaged areas will get worse over time, although a good welder should be able to fix it now.

[BLAND]

Originally Posted by ehrlich4620

We just bought our first Forest River Wildwood 178BHSKX 2021, we love the floor plan. Spent the first 3 nights in it learning and discovering that the Workmanship from the factory is very Poor. I won't go into details just yet.
But would like to know if this is common for forest River.
We are looking forward to spending time and traveling in our new unit.
Looking forward to response from your Forum.
Thanks for the opportunity to share our input with you all.
Richard & Claudia

We have the exact same model delivered in July2020. It is owned by myself and two of my adult children. We found lots of minor issues that we have fixed ourselves. Nothing major at all. One of us used it every weekend til the 2nd weekend in Oct. Lots of use. Minor issues the bathroom sink faucet that barely makes it into the sink bowl. shelves that quickly bowed and warped.
Put shelves in the hanging closet for more storage. We love the outside griddle. It is now in storage in a mine in western PA til spring. We love it in spite of the minor issues we had to fix. Added a power tongue jack, that is a must! Our amazon shopping list has been heavily used outfitting this as we wanted. It is out first camper and have no regrets.

[Rb2]

Sorry to hear you are having trouble, especially being your first RV. I had a Rockwood MiniLIte made by Forest River, 2018 bought new. I had some issues, much smaller items than yours, but ended up establishing communication with a warranty representative at Forest River, and she was very good and was very flexible in working out issues. I did discover that often, at least in my case, Forest River will pay a RV service facility to do repairs even if they don't carry their brands of RV's or any at all.
Regarding the damage to the framing members, regardless of the severity in terms of future issues, that is totally unacceptable and I don't think you should accept it at all. You bought a new trailer, not a used trailer that had some damage to it. This damage is different than warranty items, like the faucet leaks or the screws are lose. And from a legal perspective, the dealership has some responsibility to make you aware of the damage prior to you taking the rv home. Again, I'm assuming this was a new unit. You shouldn't feel any hesitation saying, you wanted to buy a new trailer, not a new trailer that was damage some how in shipment, etc. and return the unit to the dealership. Just my opinion. Good luck to you.

[Sgtmac]

I purchased. 2014 FR3 motorhome brand new and had nothing but problems with it. The FR3 was sold as a mid grade RV. In reality it was an entry level, cheap RV. Finally got
rid of it and will not by another Forrest River product.

[Eidolon]

This seems to be the "way things are" in the RV business. The workmanship IS shoddy. I think there should he a warning:


"If you are NOT handy, do not buy this!"


Cabinetry that doesn't close. Electrical cables coming loose. Entire wall panels that are poorly fitted. Screws that missed their target and are sticking out. A battery disconnect switch that doesn't. Chairs that are literally about to fall apart. And and and...


Few things this expensive are this poorly made. With time and effort, they can be made pretty nice, but don't expect anything like automotive quality when you get the unit.

[popshumphrey]

There are some things I can accept - Cabinet door repair, loose screws, things that need a little glue, etc.

However, I would not accept a bent frame. I would push that one, at least get it checked and some money out of it. That is simply too bad. Could have been done by the dealer or the delivery people to the dealership, but I would not accept it. Push it!!!!!

I have a 2012 small class C. The workmanship apparently was better 8 years ago. Mine was bought used and it took some repair from abuse, not bad workmanship.

Good luck and I am sorry you have to go through it.

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by popshumphrey

There are some things I can accept - Cabinet door repair, loose screws, things that need a little glue, etc.

However, I would not accept a bent frame. I would push that one, at least get it checked and some money out of it. That is simply too bad. Could have been done by the dealer or the delivery people to the dealership, but I would not accept it. Push it!!!!!

I have a 2012 small class C. The workmanship apparently was better 8 years ago. Mine was bought used and it took some repair from abuse, not bad workmanship.

Good luck and I am sorry you have to go through it.

X2

[frankraney]

Originally Posted by ehrlich4620

We just bought our first Forest River Wildwood 178BHSKX 2021, we love the floor plan. Spent the first 3 nights in it learning and discovering that the Workmanship from the factory is very Poor. I won't go into details just yet.
But would like to know if this is common for forest River.
We are looking forward to spending time and traveling in our new unit.
Looking forward to response from your Forum.
Thanks for the opportunity to share our input with you all.
Richard & Claudia

Without knowing the exactness, I'll say this. They put these things together fast and go bake a lot of mistakes. Stuff happens. I had the rear end of mine flood because the left a plate off. And water was than up and into the coach. Gas s faucet plugged and gave very little water. You need to put a few hundred miles on and then make a list and take it back to there you got it for warranty repairs.

One thing they told me, and is true. These are susceptible to movement and vibrations. Things are going to loosen and may fall apart. What you need to do is keep super glue in the rig and when something loosens or cabinet doors fall off, glue them back. And they will fall off, so will trim....

Another thing, pulling a fiver or trailer, you need deep pockets. $200/ month avg for maintenance, and maybe more, and that's without wash and waxes, which can run $500 and up. That's been my average. There is a lot of movement going on.

Another thing, it's hard to get service at dealers. Their first question is, did you buy it here. So a lot of third party repairs, which really can be cheaper.

Mine is a Coachman to pants by forest river.