2014/2015 Columbus owners; how is the quality?

norfl1971 · 11-20-2014, 03:11 PM

I've read about past quality issues with the Columbus line (though nothing like Keystone and others); realizing, of course, that no RV is defect free, and it seems like Forrest River made improvements to the entire line as a result. I was wondering if the newer rigs have, indeed, improved quality over previous generations. We are currently planning on a 385BH purchase for a year long family tour of the US and Canada and would hate to spend that money only to find it can't handle a family full time, and we should have bought something more substantial. The layout and value for the dollar are what cinched it for us. Purchase will be through RV Wholesalers and, as one post in another thread indicated, I can't beat the price, which is still better than used Jayco we recently looked at.

Goukcats · 11-22-2014, 09:31 AM

We have a 2015 320RS. We did a 2 month trip starting in May & a few short trips since for a total of more than 11K miles. The fender skirts cracked because the supports were insufficient. Those were replaced & supports added. 2 grease seals leaked & 1 brake pad was damaged. I caught this while repacking brakes & repaired myself. This is a Lippert issue & our dealer is working to get me reimbursed. It has been happening across manufacturing brands since 2012 models. Lippert has sent a letter to some owners (but no all owners) to have the seals checked. We are also experiencing abnormal tire wear. Since this is not normal to other 320's, most think it is the chinese tires. Our ceiling fan also failed & was replaced. I personally think all RV's need more QC. You will find posts for all brands on various forums; from people who bought a nightmare. I reviewed & followed Columbus for 2 yrs; then we ordered the "C" with our desired options. We still feel it was the right choice for us.

paluka44 · 11-23-2014, 03:15 AM

We recently picked up our 2015 Columbus 320RS and have camped in it twice so far. We have found a number of smaller issues that are covered under warranty and some that are easily fixable by myself. We are very happy with our Columbus it looks great and has a lot of extras. There is a lot of storage space with two large separate basement compartments.

amxpress · 11-26-2014, 04:00 PM

Regardless of what 5th wheel you buy, you can have a good chance of finding or experiencing a problem, though they might be minor. I have looked at dozens of 5th wheels and I could find esthetic concerns on all of them, not to mention problems I couldn't see. Some Columbus owners have not experienced any problems and other owners that have had mucho problems; and many in between. Best to just buy it and enjoy it!

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bddo · 12-09-2014, 07:49 PM

We just purchased a 2015 385BH from RVWholesalers on 11/21. As far as quality of the unit, we are happy, but our experience with RVW has had some issues. If you would like details, send me a PM and we can discuss offline.

norfl1971 · 01-09-2015, 12:40 PM

We were also looking at the 385, but the floor plan doesn't fit our long term needs, and no Columbus floor plans do, either; they all have something we like, but you can't them in one shot. The aftermarket does have the ability to add it, but why should I pay that kind of money, only to shell out more to get what I want? Looking at Cedar Creeks now, unless the Columbus line changes options with certain floor plans.

lgray · 01-10-2015, 09:11 AM

After dealing with the Columbus Factory on my 320, Cedar Creek would be my choice between the two. If you are looking for options or loaded units, you may wish to look at the remaining Trilogy’s. We traded our 2013 Columbus, 320 RS for a 2013 Trilogy 3650 RL. Setting aside the quality, the Dynamax factory, was fantastic to work with. Probably because their primary production is of very high-end Class C and Super C coaches ($200,000 to $400,000 or more). If you look at the Trilogy, you will see many of the same components and technology that they have in their motor coaches.
Unfortunately for Dynamax, they either did not properly market this high-end fifth wheel or the market did not think Forest River was capable of producing a high-end fiver. Either way, they did not sell and Dynamax have discontinued fifth wheel production. That is great for those who may be looking for a bargain as the dealers a now looking to close them out. I have seen some discounted from $120.000 to $65,000. Dynamax is not going anywhere they are just refocusing their efforts. They will be there for service and parts. Again, many of the same parts and components that they are still using in their high-end Class C’s.

wanderer69 · 01-10-2015, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norfl1971

We were also looking at the 385, but the floor plan doesn't fit our long term needs, and no Columbus floor plans do, either; they all have something we like, but you can't them in one shot. The aftermarket does have the ability to add it, but why should I pay that kind of money, only to shell out more to get what I want? Looking at Cedar Creeks now, unless the Columbus line changes options with certain floor plans.

I considered Columbus at one time but after hearing of some of the QC issues I opted for a Cedar Creek. Way better unit for not that much more money.

kundod · 03-04-2015, 11:46 AM

We have had the following issues: rear kitchen cabinets separating from wall over the stove, kitchen island not level, floor buckling between kitchen and living room, fireplace issues, interior trim issues, etc. The unit was sent back to the manufacturer for repairs which took almost 3 months. Issues I had with the mfg, was that they would not provide me with a list of fixes for all of these issues. I continue to have issues such as propane smell inside unit, the main slide not seating properly against the wall when extended, and loose trim.

jackm567 · 03-05-2015, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norfl1971

I've read about past quality issues with the Columbus line (though nothing like Keystone and others); realizing, of course, that no RV is defect free, and it seems like Forrest River made improvements to the entire line as a result. I was wondering if the newer rigs have, indeed, improved quality over previous generations. We are currently planning on a 385BH purchase for a year long family tour of the US and Canada and would hate to spend that money only to find it can't handle a family full time, and we should have bought something more substantial. The layout and value for the dollar are what cinched it for us. Purchase will be through RV Wholesalers and, as one post in another thread indicated, I can't beat the price, which is still better than used Jayco we recently looked at.

I'll just say that i have a 2015 Columbus 340 RK i bought in July of 14 and it's been at a dealership for over 2 months and it's going to cost FR over $15,000 yes $15,000 and I'm still waiting for parts.

bobfa · 03-05-2015, 06:53 PM

My 340rk had a factory trip for delamination. Had a score of other problem, all minor including greasy brakes, cabinets by refrigerator dismounting, torn slider seal, vacumn, fender bracing, electrical ac line to tv connection, theater chairs fix, stairs loose, door frame fix. But after a year of fixing, it's right, and I am happy I got a great rig.

lgray · 03-06-2015, 08:20 AM

Over the past two years, the quality issues and especially factory service and/or communication have remained consistently poor. Why does it take 4-6 months to get parts? Why is there no Columbus factory rep participating in the Forum?

The Columbus floorplans and units themselves are sound; it’s the execution from the factory that leaves much to be desired.

Yes, you will have problems with any RV and buying one is a gamble on whether you will be lucky enough to get a good one or not. However, purely the number of higher severity issues coming from the Columbus line, would suggest much greater odds that you will get a bad one.

jeb182 · 03-07-2015, 01:33 PM

We have a 2014, 340RK and it has been out of service for more time than we have used it. I am currently waiting for the factory to come pick it up so the floor can be repaired because somehow they forgot to put in floor bracing. In addition the axle springs have broken and I am still waiting to be reimbursed for repairs along with numerous other issues from small to major. I will never purchase another and I may trade those as soon as it gets returned. I've been waiting for several months for them to pick it up so who knows when I will get it back. I have been extremely disappointed with service support, repairs and almost everything. It's to bad because we do like the unit, but I am afraid what will break next in the future.

Paul M · 03-07-2015, 02:09 PM

We have 2013 340 RK. Have owned it for two years. Has been in the shop / factory for 1 year. This latest trip it went back in Oct. 2014. As of last week still not in shop.

Goukcats · 03-08-2015, 10:55 AM

We had to wait 4.5 months on minor parts for 2015 Columbus 320 but I discovered it was my dealer's fault & not the factory. The owner & parts manager never had the same story. I showed them an email from the factory rep stating no parts had been ordered for my 'C' & asked them for an order number to dispute the email. They couldn't produce the order number & received the parts 2 wks later. Fortunately we could still use our RV during the wait.

bobfa · 03-08-2015, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

We have 2013 340 RK. Have owned it for two years. Has been in the shop / factory for 1 year. This latest trip it went back in Oct. 2014. As of last week still not in shop.

Paul sure hope you get yours for Spring. I believe all my bugs are fixed. hard to beleive your rig is still in Limbo.

USCG 4 LIFE · 03-14-2015, 11:07 PM

I have a 2014 385BH we bought new in April 2014 and I would buy it again. We have made 5 trips to the Smokeys and 4 or 5 local trip with just very minor problems. It's like any RV your dealer can make or break the way you feel about your camper. We had a front a/c make noise and dealer replaced it and one of the fender flares cracked and they replaced it and that's about it. I would say that we have put 4500-5000 miles on it.

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redusjr · 03-15-2015, 08:32 AM

Does anybody have a dometic ac that really works? I purchased a new 325rl in november the ac units have never worked it has been to the shop twice and still no ac.It cost me a minimum of $800 a day to put it in the shop because i use it for my work. Any sugestions???????

ee2810 · 03-15-2015, 06:33 PM

We own a 2013 320RS and the only time it was in the shop was to grease and check seals in axles. We haven't had but one or two small issues that the dealer took care of immediately.

We would definitely buy another one.

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Goukcats · 03-16-2015, 10:40 AM

My in-laws had their Dometic AC into the dealer 3 times & it still didn't work. They took it to a different dealer & they identified the problem in 15 min. We were fortunate to arrive just as the tech was getting ready for lunch break. Since they were out of state; he actually worked their job during his lunch hour. That tech stated the roof mount AC's only had a few different parts that can prevent proper function & any good tech should be able to diagnose the defective part.

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