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Old 12-27-2021, 11:50 AM   #1
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Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 6
Camping World of Colfax, NC

To be accurate the purchase experience was fine when I purchased my Forest River NoBo 23 Nov 2020. It was the negative experience after the camper suffered a catastrophic wheel bearing failure that also melted into the spindle on the single axle one piece design well under a year of use.

I reached out to them to see what options I had and if they could help me out. With the unit back in my driveway (I made it all the way home way out in the country before I realized the issue) They said I had to get the unit there or have a certified mobile technician repair it. They provided me with two mobile tech numbers and both of them could not or would not help me due to either being to far away or not feeling like warranty work was worth the time and effort. Lost I also reached out to Forest River warranty rep for NoBo and must say I would never recommend buying anything from Camping World of Colfax, NC or Forest River after trying to get a simple warranty claim processed and re paid. Now the camper is at Camping World of Colfax, NC and still they are not communicating with me on how or if it will be repaired properly or if I will even ever get the money I paid to have the old defective axle repaired.

Happy to forward emails or provide more details/proof but here is the email from the axle manufacturer AFTER the dealer and the Manufacture gave me the run around.


Code:
Jasmine,  
Thanks for sending this in. I've found a previous case , 2824669 where the retail had reached out to us for a bearing concern. Based on the invoice provided, this axle has been repaired by welding another spindle in it and this is something we would not advise on as this will void any future warranty with this axle on the 11yr for any manufacture defects, loss of camber, rubber inserts going bad, a crooked spindle being welded in, not bearings or brakes but almost everything else. What I can do for this is:  
I'll authorize a new complete axle and a 1 hour installation time to replace the one that was repaired, this will carry on his warranty and get this replaced for the spindle being welded in we wouldn't advise on. Please reply back with how you would like to proceed with this concern.  
Thanks again for everything, we do appreciate it!  
  
Todd Haines  
Technical Service Representative  
w: 574.537.8900 | f: 574.534.7161
the last update from Camping World was:
date: Nov 1, 2021, 2:19 PM



Code:
I had your case further investigated by our national service directors to see if there was anything further we can do to assist.

At this time, the review came back as we have no liability or bearing on the issue as the unit was never in Camping World's possession. I know you tried to have the axle delivered to Colfax, but our policy is we need to have the unit in shop with the defective part to properly submit the issue to the manufacturer. If the manufacturer is stating, you will need to cover the bill and wait for reimbursement then that is the manufactures stance.

Sincerely,
Jordan Hayes
ML CS Specialist | Marcus VIP Team
Camping World – Gander RV
(844) 632-5990 EXT: 2525

Jordan.Hayes@campingworld.com
The safe ride people setup a tow company to come look at the camper to see if they could repair it or get it towed to Camping World of Colfax, NC.

The tow truck driver said he could not tow the single axle camper without causing more damage to the camper so decided to remove the axle and attempt to deliver it to camping world for repair. As you can see from the email above they rejected the axle and the tow company then informed me they would get warranty approval to do the repairs. Turns out Forest River says I voided the warranty by starting the repair (The only thing I did was removed the tire to take pictures of the bearings that basically fell out once I had the camper jacked up and removed the tire) The tow company that I assumed was an authorized repair company was the one that took the axle off and attempted to deliver it to Camping World of Colfax, NC...and they rejected it. Long story short I paid the invoice got the axle installed and drove the camper back to Camping World of Colfax, NC and gave them all the emails from the past 3 months. Still they are not saying they will repair the axle and no one has offered to refund the repair costs and actually trying to blame me and say I voided the warranty somehow yet will not provide me the details.



I wish I could say things went better, I do hope Forest River and Camping World of Colfax, NC update policy and information to at least prevent long drawn out things like this from happening in the future.

Happy to provide more details if anyone would like to help make a better informed choice before buying a camper but even after asking numerous times Camping World of Colfax, NC or Forest River have given me no good explanation or answered many of my requests for specific information to be addressed.

Happy Camper hunting and I do hope you all have a better experience than I have had so far with my camper.
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Old 01-05-2022, 02:46 PM   #2
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Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 6
quick update

Some good news bad news...

good news finally after 5 months it appears that Camping world and the axle manufacture (Lippert) are on the same page after ME reaching out and hounding everyone and coordinating the repair vs Camping world or the manufacturer actually doing anything to help.

From my personal experience so far I would highly recommend reaching out to the Axle manufacture vs others as sad as it seems. The representatives at Lippert are amazingly helpful and I really wish I would have worked more with them from the start.

Email to me and the Camping world tech who I started working with once I was able to get the camper to the dealer.
Code:
Jan 4, 2022, 4:13 PM (21 hours ago)
Thanks for talking to me today , I am Authorizing a new complete axle and 2 hours labor to install it , you can call our axle /chassis  parts dept  574-537-8900  and reference this case Number # 2<removed> when ordering  the axle , when the repair is complete just reply back to this e-mail with your invoice   for Reimbursement , 

Thanks 

Lippert care center Axle/chassis Tech
So again, I mentioned this to all parites involved with all emails over the past five months and none of them offered to get this resolved it was only when I kept after them and calling Lippert on my own and working with them to contact Camping world was any progress actually made. Camping World has had the camper back with them from 12 Nov 2021 and it is just now yesterday getting the ball rolling on repairing the axle that Forest River or Camping world could manage to do for some reason.

So basically the same thing I sent them from the start of all this mess...

My first email to Forest River warranty rep included links to the axle manufacturer axle parts to try and help them understand how much of an issue this was going to be yet they directed me to have it repaired and then try to get reimbursed only to deny it later stating I voided the warranty by taking the tire off so that I could do what was asked of me and take photos of the damage? Seems logical right?


No new updates or explanations from anyone below no help just more excuses and shifting blame.

Code:
Jordan.hayes@campingworld.com
Katlyn Mabie <kmabie@forestriverinc.com>

here are the images I was supplied them and the links/email I first sent them:


Code:
Jasmine Beverly <jbeverly@forestriverinc.com> Wed, Aug 18, 2021 at 9:53 AM

Good Morning,
Thank you for reaching out to Forest River INC.
Please note that we do ask the unit make it to a dealership for warranty work to be performed. If the unit can be taken to a dealership, warranty is not able to cover the cost of transport.
Please review the information below and let me know if you have any questions.
Please supply photos of the issue you are experiencing.
I have listed a few dealers closer to your ZIP code. Please keep in mind that the selling dealer is obligated to preform warranty work on units they sell while other dealers can choose
whether or not to schedule warranty work if they did not sell the unit. Most dealers will accept and schedule for other units though.
please let me know if you have any questions.

Camping World RV Sales - Colfax

You may call the Safe ride number, (866) 209-2895. They are a mobile service that can come to your unit. The Safe Ride number it to be used if the unit cannot be moved or emergencies to fix an issue
that needs immediate attention. You will need to pay out of pocket and submit to the correct Forest River INC representative for your brand of unit to be reimbursed. Reimbursement is completed
through check and we ask you give 6-8 weeks for the check to make it to you. Warranty covers labor and parts unless the labor time is seen as excessive for the repair preformed. Warranty does not cover
tax or the service fee. The full amount may not be reimbursed if the time is excessive or the repair was not to the standards of Forest River INC.
Please provide the following;
1. Photos of the issue
2. Your mailing address
3. The invoice for the repairs
4. Full VIN number

Thank you,
Jasmine Beverly
Code:
Wed, Aug 18, 2021 at 10:32 AM
To: Jasmine Beverly <jbeverly@forestriverinc.com>

<I provided all information requested and attempted to better explain the situation I also provided the links below in the email reply>


Also for reference I believe I have found most of the parts required for the repair.
https://store.lci1.com/lci35h-dtbsa-895-5925-id-22d-lpib-l-655-18pt-cap-4400-774027.html
https://store.lci1.com/brake-hub-assembly-6-on-55in-5in-4400lbs--141286.html
https://store.lci1.com/electric-brake-assembly-with-park-various-options-electric-brake-park.html
https://store.lci1.com/electric-brake-shoe-lining-kit-10in-x-225in-136451.html
https://store.lci1.com/electric-brake-magnet-kit-10in-x-225in-136454.html
+ brake hardware and the cone inside the tire that got damaged




was a real pleasure working with Lippert and again wish I would have just worked with them from the start of this warranty issue and I could have saved a ton of time, frustration and heartache.

Please note Forest River and Camping world both have still denied paying anything for the repair of the original axle that we all know NOW was not the recommended way to fix the Axle issue sort of like what I tried to tell them from the start. So far I am still stuck with that bill but at least it looks like the axle will finally get repaired the way it should have from the start.
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Old 01-05-2022, 05:01 PM   #3
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Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 27
I'm curious to know how you towed that camper without knowing there was an issue with the wheel. That wheel had to be smoking and wobbling like crazy.
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Old 01-06-2022, 08:56 AM   #4
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Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 6
The short trip that caused this was between WV and my home in VA. I am thankful that I was not doing a longer trip and I am thankful the wheel did not completely catch on fire or fall off and cause an accident. Due to some crazy heavy rain and thunder storms I did not make it home tell around 10pm on the 15th of August. I assume the rain helped cool/hide the smoke as no one seemed to make any attempt to notify me of any smoke or problems so I can only say I did not notice anything until I was Backing my camper into its parking location at my house that night and it felt off/odd. The rain was still pouring down so I waited tell the morning to have a closer look.

Also as mentioned I owned this new camper less than a year and this was my 3 time going over 100 miles in the 8 months I had owned it. Most of my trips prior to this was short local trips. So all that to say I did not have a ton of experience pulling the trailer.

I can say each fuel or rest stop I do a walk around (paying close attention to the tires for the trailer and my tow vehicle and the connection tow points) and before leaving I check the lug nuts torque. During the last stop there was no major smoke or glowing parts as I assume would have been the case and the lug nuts still tight.

Hind sight and now knowing what I know....I would have (and will in the future) jack the trailer tires off the ground and check for movement or play in the bearings and spin the tire to listen for any signs of unusual noises before any trip (as long as this would not void any warranty).

I would also recommend having the bearings checked and or repacked prior to the recommended 1 year mark as indicated in the Forest River online operators manual for my camper. Mainly due to the fact I had owned this camper less than 8 months when this catastrophic failure happened.



On that point does anyone have additional information or data around removing or changing the tire and getting to the point you could check the brakes void the warranty on these campers? I have asked for more details from the person stating this and as everything else have gotten no reply.

If anyone has any other future recommendations, tips or hints I would love to hear them.

As of now I would not recommend a single axle camper. I would never pay out of pocket for something that should have been covered under warranty regardless of being told you may submit it for reimbursement after. I would have worked more closely with the Axle manufacturer rather than the dealer I purchased the camper from (Camping World) or the manufacturer (Forest River).

Hopefully Forest River and Camping World will update information so if/when the next person has this issue they are more specific and clearly state the only recommended way it so have the axle replaced vs going down this repair process that should have never been recommended as an option at least in my specific case.

Hope this helps, stay safe and enjoy your campers while they are not out of service for months at a time.
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Old 01-06-2022, 09:51 AM   #5
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 21
Camping World of Colfax

Sorry to hear about your problem, but I also purchased from Camping World of Colfax, NC.
I ordered and purchased a 2022 Forest River Grey Wolf 26RR, I picked it up in Oct 2021.
I have had no issues thus far and had a positive purchase experience.
I can see your frustrating but, in my opinion, I do not think the dealership is to blame as much as the manufacture of the trailer and the axle.
Not to defend the dealerships, but their concern is the sale and maybe the repair.
Most of the dealerships have nothing to do with the warranties, their concern is about getting paid for the repairs. (Just like auto manufactures)
If you choose to get an extended warranty after your current one expires read the fine print, some are better than others.
Good luck and happy camping.
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Old 01-06-2022, 11:41 AM   #6
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Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 6
Good to hear danlavoie55 and again I tried to be upfront about the purchase experience in my first post.


TL;DR:
1) why was the axle not ordered and replaced by camping world after I got it to the dealer sometime after 12 Nov? There may be some very valid and real answer to this but sadly I have not been given this information.

2) why not take a few min of time and actually look at the pictures provided or the axle before they rejected it and hopefully been able to identify that oh on this specific axle there is not good way to repair it and it needs a new axle. Had they informed me or the tow company of that I am sure they would have not attempted to repair the axle and would have worked on either getting a new axle back to the camper or towing the entire camper to the dealer as is the ideal situation anyway.



My main issues are these.

When I saw the damage to the axle/bearings I first called Camping World Colfax. They did a few great things for me. I could not find my warranty card information so the service department was able to look me up in the system and validate the Factory 1 year warranty ( was informed it was good through 23 Nov 2021 (this was back in August) was still in effect for the camper. I also did purchase an extended warranty that did not have to be used as I understand it but will be looking more at that policy now obviously as thanks to this issue taking 5 months I lost some usage under factory warranty time. And that IF I could have gotten it to them on my own or had it towed this all could have been avoided. They also provided me with Mobile Techs contact info as I explained I was not sure towing it to them would be possible. Sadly the mobile techs they provided both said they could not help me.

So my first learning experience is as long as you can get your camper BACK to camping world you should be good to go but after following the convoluted process provided to me through the safe ride mobile repair option...I can safely say I will do my best to tow the camper back to camping world.

I agree with you 100% that overall this is a poor Forest River Handling experience however I did attempt to get assistance from Camping world from the start and that did not go well in my personal experience.

Then what mainly prompted me to add this post under the dealer section was even after I provided the proof that the Axle company was more than willing to send them a new axle and I got the repaired camper to them 12 Nov and I have been clear with the Service rep there (who again was amazingly nice and helpful overall) and the Jordan who has not responded to any of my questions or concerns yet alone do anything to get the axle replaced as it should have been from the start. This only happened after I invested more time, effort and frustration over the past almost 2 months now to get them to actually call the axle manufacture to get the axle replaced properly to keep the warranty on the axle as stated clearly in the emails from the axle company.


I wish the tow company that safe ride sent out to me would have been able to tow the camper with the axle to camping world however he told me he could not do that without possibly causing more damage to the camper. Had Camping world taken 5-10 min to actually LOOK at the axle he did try to deliver to them they would have hopefully came to the same conclusion the axle manufacture came to and understood that the axle could not be repaired and let him know that or me...or communicated some form of helpful information instead of rejecting the axle and things playing out the way they did.

At any rate hopefully now they have learned that they should not recommend mobile repair or if they do maybe the issue is on me for telling the tow company man that No you must tow the camper no matter what your professional opinion is on this or they will not cover it under warranty?

I reached out to Jordan only after it seemed like I was getting no where with Forest River and after I had already gotten the run around from Camping World. I am still awaiting answers to several questions and so far nothing has been explained. I will be happy to update here if and once they do just as I did with the update of the axle actually finally getting replaced as it should have been from the start. Sadly this was not due to any assistance or help from Forest River or Camping World tell after I kept chasing after it and not accepting them telling me that there is nothing they can do without providing me with additional information.

I do hope everyone has smoother experiences than mine but sadly if you do some basic web searching it appears I am not the only one having frustrating issues.
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