2025 Dynamax Isata 3 Finally Home, 14 Week Quality and Service Nightmare

[LowFlyinAggie]

Lemon Laws?

We purchased our 2025 Dynamax Isata 3 RW on September 5th.

I am on this site trying to keep my sanity while we struggle with getting all the problems fixed:
•Leaking propane tank... lost 7% a day. Dangerous. Waiting for replacement.
•Refrigerator... does not cool. Waiting for replacement.
•2x ReLion RB100-LT batteries... one DOA, one 50% capacity. Waiting for replacement.
•Solar charge controller... was never connected to panels. Fixed by me.
•Water leak... missing connector crimp. Temp fix by me.
•Missing trim, missing screws, screw driver marks everywhere, garbage and crap hidden behind every wall and access panel... priceless.

Nobody at Forest River seems to be alarmed or surprised, sadly. The words "escalated", "being discussed" and "expedited" have been misused and are now dead to me.

So yeah, we are anxious to get to use it. But there is no end in sight. Hoping to someday change the avatar and our nickname to something different than "The Garbage Truck".

We regret trading in our Winnebago View that was awesome for 14 years. Quality build and awesome service.

Sorry to be a downer, just telling it like it is.

On the bright side:
The Mercedes Sprinter chassis is incredible. Handles like a dream, gets great mileage (16mpg). Will take a while to get used to 9 speeds as it shifts surprisingly often to keep the RPMs in the sweet spot.

How good are the lemon laws in your state? I’d be asking for a do=over!

 

[Santos1060]

In 2016 I purchased a new FR Sunseeker MBW 24W and had so many problems I could write a book. Sold it after 8 "trying" seasons of usage. You're the "lucky one" for this batch apparently but trust me when I say you're in good hands with Brian and Isata. Hate to say it but problems like these are to be expected, what should give you hope is that this manufacturer cares...even if it seems slow to you, the industry is not like car manufacturers. Stay patient and confident that it will be resolved.

We're in a Class A now because the kids got too big but once their gone, I fully intend to get back into this model because when it's right, it's right. Dynamax will be getting my money because of Brian...hope he's still around when I come back.

 

[bclemens]

Appreciate the kinds words. I am over all motorized now, and we have made a considerable push on quality across all brands. I see the weekly "corporate" audits (auditing and inspecting what we say is good to go) and the corrective actions we take on repeat items. We're also pioneering a new inspection tablet with picture requirements and video of operation. This week, we were pitching an AI component to analyze testing and warranty data.

While everyone may not see it...the focus on improving quality systems has never been higher across all of Forest River.

Lastly, we have a dedicated testing facility. Before ANY new product can be put in a unit, it has to have corporate test center approval. They put things like sealants, appliances, etc through its paces. We have rejected many things for various reasons. Climate chamber is coming soon.

Edit: as a side note, I hear all the time "no way did they QC this". I can tell you I have seen first hand, what that initial drive does.

On a rally last year, I set the rig up at home, everything was working fine. By time I got to TN, the heat and humidity difference had a wall board bowing (so I wrote it up for return) and my app control was not working.

By time I got back to Indiana, the wall was perfectly snug to the stud again, and I found that bouncing around, the data cable got a pin pulled loose. I also have seen putty discolor in heat/humidity.

These are things we note, and then try to find alternatives. It is also the reason that a good dealer PDI is necessary.

 

[Tucson Steve]

Brian, appreciate what you said and the need for a good PDI. Do you provide a PDI checklist for the dealers to use, or is it up to them to come up with something. It seems like checklists from Dynamax specific to each model would be the way to go.

PS - Really happy to see a new Dynamax dealer in Tucson, Freedom RV. One of the best reputations in Tucson.

 

[bclemens]

There are some good user created PDI sheets on the forums already. PDI videos and pdf's are actually something each division is working on now.

Our thought was a "customer delivery package" with a pdi checklist, so you can follow along during the walk through, to make sure they cover each and every items operation. We figure if the dealers knows you will be verifying that you learn everything, they will be more likely to also follow that list.

 

[Rob0702]

Build Quality

I am really surprised that build quality hasn't improved. During the Covid years, build quality was horrible, and a lot of repairs and trips back to the factory were warranted. I was told by one of the Transporters delivering units to and from the factory, that they supposedly got it right in 2024, after years of lawsuits, complaints, and costly repairs. I'm sorry you're going through this. I guess the RV Industry still has a long way to got regarding build quality, and customer satisfaction. The factory leaves it up to the dealerships to fix all of the problems. However, if they don't do a very extensive PDI, what you're going through is what happens.

 

[tewasch]

If it makes anyone feel better, I once took delivery of a new yacht in Florida to take down to the Virgin Islands. I can't count the things that were wrong and/or that flat-out didn't work. Even the anchor wouldn't deploy. I spent a week running all around that boat with a volt meter. Didn't help that it was from France and all the labels were in French!

We're all spoiled from the quality we typically see in mass-produced cars and trucks--I sure was. I've learned. I didn't have a forum or bclemens to get me through it--that would have made all the difference in the world.

Good luck and ask as many questions as you want! Tom.

 

[bikendan]

I am really surprised that build quality hasn't improved. During the Covid years, build quality was horrible, and a lot of repairs and trips back to the factory were warranted. I was told by one of the Transporters delivering units to and from the factory, that they supposedly got it right in 2024, after years of lawsuits, complaints, and costly repairs. I'm sorry you're going through this. I guess the RV Industry still has a long way to got regarding build quality, and customer satisfaction. The factory leaves it up to the dealerships to fix all of the problems. However, if they don't do a very extensive PDI, what you're going through is what happens.

Big difference in build quality, between a Dynamax motorhome and your stick and tin trailer.
Yes, RV quality has been hit and miss for many years and got worse during the Covid RV sales boom.
But a few manufacturers, like Dynamax, generally stand behind their product and listen to their customers.
The same can't be said for Towable manufacturers. Not even the sacred cows of Airstream and Winnebago.

 

[Randall Jay]

...
but trust me when I say you're in good hands with Brian and Isata. Hate to say it but problems like these are to be expected, what should give you hope is that this manufacturer cares...even if it seems slow to you, the industry is not like car manufacturers. Stay patient and confident that it will be resolved.

Good grief. Tomorrow marks the 2nd month of this unusable turd. Of all the problems, only the 2 replacement batteries were sent to my service dealer.

In good hands? Hardly.
The manufacturer cares? If i weren't crying, i'd be laughing my ass off at this.

 

[Randall Jay]

Edit: as a side note, I hear all the time "no way did they QC this". I can tell you I have seen first hand, what that initial drive does.

I have several issues that CLEARLY not checked.
Water leak. This should have discovered in the first minute of turning on the water supply or pump. No ifs ands or buts.

Solar charge controller not connected. The initial drive didn't put the stripped insulation back on these wires. This was never checked.

 

[bclemens]

What exactly are they telling you, you are waiting on? We have authorized all repairs on our end, we have shipped all necessary parts.

 

[Randall Jay]

I think my "welcome mat" post has been initially sidetracked by my issues and ensuing rant. It has since been researched and left to die. And finished with a hurray, Dynamax is greatly improved and everything is great.


I declare this thread dead.

Tomorrow marks the end of 2 months of misery, lip service and little hope of improvement. I will start a new thread that for the issues that are still unresolved (all but one, the batteries). There are some atrocious developments and fumbles that i'm trying to understand and will present.

 

[Randall Jay]

Hello Gang,
The Garbage Truck is finally home. The refrigerator is replaced, new propane tank, fixed water leak, solar completely fixed (replaced with quality equipment), both lithium batteries replaced and a litany of other things that should have been fixed before leaving the factory.

Dynamax has dragged their heals with double speak and catch phrases that make them sound like they give a **** and are working hard to get things resolved quickly. Just pathetic.

My advice to anybody looking to buy a NEW Forest River product, don't! Get one that is a year old and has had plenty of time to get the many many quality issues resolved.

If you need to buy new, set aside $5000 to get things fixed yourself. After spending a small fortune in August and picking up September 5th, i pretty much squandered late summer camping (our entire 2025 family trip). If you wait for obvious problems to get fixed you'll lose your sanity. For what my Isata 3 depreciated in these 4 months i could have had things fixed buying new replacements and having them installed on my dime.

In this forum we hear the "we listen to our customers" mantra far more often than is believable. Why are my claims that my refrigerator only cools to 55 degrees NOT believed? Why do i need to spend weeks trying to make my case and then more weeks to have an RV service center look at a thermometer in my refrigerator? And then a week for electronic "paperwork and approvals" and then 4 weeks to ship and then 3 weeks to install? Insanity, mostly on my part for playing along. I bet i spent 10 to 20 hours on the phone, sent dozens and dozens of emails, texts and voicemails just t keep every step from sitting on someones desk for more than a week.

So the Garbage Truck is home. Is it fixed? Hell no. The Forest River techs at Manteca Trailer & Motorhome broke the gauge off the leaking propane tank and loosely placed it on the sensor area on the new tank hoping nobody you'd notice. The idiots never even checked the gauge (even the electronic display showed "Disc.") and you know they never checked for leaks either. Now they want me to drive 80 miles back (9 highways (17, 880, 680, 84, 580, 205, 5, 120, 99) thru 4 construction zones... RV driving hell) to have this fixed. Gimme a friggen break. We have already done this 80 mile one way trip 10 times, twice needing 2 vehicles). 800 miles of insanity.

I asked them to equalize the tire pressures (part of the Blue Compass VIP package). Well this was too difficult of a task too. The 2 inner tires on the duals alarmed low as soon as i got on the highway. They were pretty embarrassed when i returned moments later with yet another failure to complete even a simple task. I heard someone (service manager possibly) say "good help is hard to find". Ain't that the truth!

Is this the state of the RV industry as a whole? Forest River specific?
They weren't even busy, there were groups of people sitting around chatting everywhere.

Shaking my head in disbelief and regret every time i glance out the window. Here's to hoping 2025 is better on the RV front. Sorry to sound like a downer, this is as cheery as i could make it.

The refrigerator cooled to the 30's last night but its 40 degrees out so i'm not calling that a success just yet.

 

[jjscsix]

I think it is pretty typical unfortunately. Most of them are owned by about three large corporations.

My problems were minor and i fixed myselt except one $200 fix that I paid a local repair shop because my selling dealer will never see me again. Their after sale response was non existent (literally) on the problems I had.

 

[Bob K4TAX]

Just life in the RV world, not brand or company specific.

Although our unit is a 2016, purchased used in 2019, I find factory related issues with various things even today. Then there is the normal wear and tear and consumable items that need regular attention and maintenance. Routine and detailed maintenance is an absolute must. Either pay for it or do it yourself. Ignore it and you'll dispise the day you spent the money for the RV.

Good help is not hard to find. However for most companies management, it is a challenge to pay for. I'm not sure there is any level of certification or training like the ASC program for auto techs. Plus any decent dealer will send their techs to the factory repair schools or semimars, usually held locally, to inform techs on the new systems for new units.

I agree, sorry to offend if you work in the business, but I've noted many RV techs or those claiming to be such, are really just inexperienced workers. With many of the new advanced systems, a 2 year technical degree in electronics is really needed. I see that as being few and far between in RV Dealer shops.

Bob

 

[Reverse_snowbird]

So the Garbage Truck is home. Is it fixed? Hell no. The Forest River techs at Manteca Trailer & Motorhome broke the gauge off the leaking propane tank and loosely placed it on the sensor area on the new tank hoping nobody you'd notice. The idiots never even checked the gauge (even the electronic display showed "Disc.") and you know they never checked for leaks either. Now they want me to drive 80 miles back (9 highways (17, 880, 680, 84, 580, 205, 5, 120, 99) thru 4 construction zones... RV driving hell) to have this fixed. Gimme a friggen break. We have already done this 80 mile one way trip 10 times, twice needing 2 vehicles). 800 miles of insanity.

This forum is for rv owners. Sometimes a FR representative will post here, but for the most part, the posts you see are from owners (like me).
RV dealers are not FR employees and the repair/warranty experiences are very different depending on the dealer.


As to the propane tank, you might try calling FR and see if they'll approve repairs at a local propane dealer. An actual propane dealer/repair shop, not someone who just knows how to fill a tank.
You might have to be reimbursed by FR for some out of pocket, but, with preapproval, others have been reimbursed. Personally, I'd rather have a propane dealer fix it than deal with inexperienced technicians.

Sorry about your problems. Hopefully, you'll be on the road soon.

 

[bclemens]

Admins, I'm not sure it matters, but maybe we can move this to the original thead, so we have some closure there? Hello From Northern California

Also, as Reverse_Snowbird pointed out, unlike automotive, RV Dealers are independent businesses, not franchises. They are not Forest River Employees. While any Forest River authorized dealer can service your rig, we try to get people to dealers that actually carry Dynamax, as we have a little more pull there.

 

[Randall Jay]

Admins, I would prefer to keep this thread.

I believe that there are things people should hear about and not have this swept to the bottom of a nondescript thread.

There is now a link to my “welcome mat” thread in the post above if anybody wants a recap of how I received my Isata 3 and more details on my experiences.

 

[bclemens]

Well, we are also missing relevant information here. At no point did we drag our feet or doublespeak. You made some assumptions and were confused about some of the language used. So I will repost a summary of the reponse here for all to make their own judgement.

In summary, it appears any claims or parts that were needed, we have approved, authorized, shipped, on our end. The fridge, is being handed with Norcold directly, they do have a process for that, but they are normally pretty good. It is in the dealers hands at this time, we have expedited anything we have been asked for. The batteries did take longer than it should as we were not fully aware of the ReLion shipment hold. Once we were, we expedited alternative replacements.

Below is summary of what I saw on the email chain just for full transparency. I summarized for length.

09/23/24: Customer reached out via "general contact us" form informing us of a battery issue and, failure to get it resolved via ReLion.
09/23/24: Initial response from Dynamax, Bradley given as your primary contact for service
09/23/24: Brad reached out to help troubleshoot (seems like we initially assumed a Xantrex system)
09/24/24: You sent documents to confirm what the vehicle was
09/25/24: We sent email to ReLion to try and expedite batteries, CC'd you
09/25/24: We were informed that the batteries were on ship hold, they offered (2) without heat as an option that could ship immediately. I saw no response on this suggestion.
10/07/24: You reached out for an update on the batteries and informed us of an issue on the fridge cooling
10/07/24: We responded and removed Navico/ReLion, since the fridge did not pertain to them, also said best bet was to get to a dealer. We offered to help source one.
10/07/24: You responded with zip code
10/07/24: We gave a list of dealers close by
10/08/24: You inquired about the process of dealer service
10/08/24: Brad was out of office, so the service manager replied, letting you know the dealer can handle everything and work direclty with us
10/08/24: You checked at several dealers and said the first appointment was Jan-Feb
10/09/24: We responded that some places are way out due to the holidays and this is normal. (We should have done more here to find another option)
10/10/24: You email saying you had found similar fridge issues, asked if you should file a claim with Norcold. Also since you bought from Blue Compass in TX, could they get Manteca to service it
10/10/24: We respond, Filing with Norcold would be a smart idea. We agree Blue Compass would be fine for service
10/15/24: You let us know it had an appointment on Thursday and asked about expediting various items
10/15/24: You sent another email via "general contact us" online form, summarizing what we had already been communicating on.
10/16/24: Form respose, noting that Brad is your primary contact
10/16/24: We respond to let you know we were looking to replace them with Expion, since the ReLions could not be shipped (PS. Battleborns do not fit where the ReLions are located) We would expedite what we could
10/16/24: We emailed again to let you know the Expions would be a direct swap
10/16/24: You emailed saying you had never heard of Expion, And asked if we are risking lives to save a few dollars
10/16/24: We responded letting you know the Batteborns do not fit in that spot
10/23/24: Brad emailed that he was checking on the status of your claims. We show all of them authorized on our end. We would check on batteries
10/24/24: You ask what is holding things up. Dealer requested parts Oct 15th. "is anybody smart enough to have the parts sent to the dealer"
10/24/24: Brad emailed to say we ordered the batteries 10/17. We asked for tracking number.
10/24/24: Brad emailed again to say the batteries had already delivered Tuesday the 22nd
10/24/24: You email confused why you got Brad (since he does not handle the claim side) Asking why you are dealing with Brad and not the dealer contact person.
10/24/24: Brad replies explaining that Danielle handles dealer interaction (processing claims, etc) and that Brad handles retail customer interaction

As a side note, just because Brad handles retail and Danielle handles dealers, they both have access to the same information.

 

[5picker]

Hello Gang,
The Garbage Truck is finally home. The refrigerator is replaced, new propane tank, fixed water leak, solar completely fixed (replaced with quality equipment), both lithium batteries replaced and a litany of other things that should have been fixed before leaving the factory.

Dynamax has dragged their heals with double speak and catch phrases that make them sound like they give a **** and are working hard to get things resolved quickly. Just pathetic.

My advice to anybody looking to buy a NEW Forest River product, don't! Get one that is a year old and has had plenty of time to get the many many quality issues resolved.

If you need to buy new, set aside $5000 to get things fixed yourself. After spending a small fortune in August and picking up September 5th, i pretty much squandered late summer camping (our entire 2025 family trip). If you wait for obvious problems to get fixed you'll lose your sanity. For what my Isata 3 depreciated in these 4 months i could have had things fixed buying new replacements and having them installed on my dime.

In this forum we hear the "we listen to our customers" mantra far more often than is believable. Why are my claims that my refrigerator only cools to 55 degrees NOT believed? Why do i need to spend weeks trying to make my case and then more weeks to have an RV service center look at a thermometer in my refrigerator? And then a week for electronic "paperwork and approvals" and then 4 weeks to ship and then 3 weeks to install? Insanity, mostly on my part for playing along. I bet i spent 10 to 20 hours on the phone, sent dozens and dozens of emails, texts and voicemails just t keep every step from sitting on someones desk for more than a week.

So the Garbage Truck is home. Is it fixed? Hell no. The Forest River techs at Manteca Trailer & Motorhome broke the gauge off the leaking propane tank and loosely placed it on the sensor area on the new tank hoping nobody you'd notice. The idiots never even checked the gauge (even the electronic display showed "Disc.") and you know they never checked for leaks either. Now they want me to drive 80 miles back (9 highways (17, 880, 680, 84, 580, 205, 5, 120, 99) thru 4 construction zones... RV driving hell) to have this fixed. Gimme a friggen break. We have already done this 80 mile one way trip 10 times, twice needing 2 vehicles). 800 miles of insanity.

I asked them to equalize the tire pressures (part of the Blue Compass VIP package). Well this was too difficult of a task too. The 2 inner tires on the duals alarmed low as soon as i got on the highway. They were pretty embarrassed when i returned moments later with yet another failure to complete even a simple task. I heard someone (service manager possibly) say "good help is hard to find". Ain't that the truth!

Is this the state of the RV industry as a whole? Forest River specific?
They weren't even busy, there were groups of people sitting around chatting everywhere.

Shaking my head in disbelief and regret every time i glance out the window. Here's to hoping 2025 is better on the RV front. Sorry to sound like a downer, this is as cheery as i could make it.

The refrigerator cooled to the 30's last night but its 40 degrees out so i'm not calling that a success just yet.

I won't get into the middle of what seems to be a poor DEALER situation... but... to answer your questions I emboldened above...

Yes... it is R/V industry wide and not Forest River specific.
I have friends, relatives and camping acquaintances with other brands who travel the same bumpy path in their R/V buying/repair journey.

Because R/Vs are such a high dollar acquisition, and because they have wheels and are sold at "dealers", people want to equate the experience with buying a automobile from an automobile dealership.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Until the R/V industry puts into place some kind of accountability to their dealers, it is not going to get better. Are there "some" dealers that are better and try to do right by their customers on both sides of a R/V purchase? (sales & service) sure... but the list of those wo don't seem to care, have questionable sales tactics, and little in the way of parts and service is much larger. We see that same complaint on ALL R/V forums day after day. You may very well want to look for another dealer who doesn't break more things than they fix and that's a crap shoot at best.

I too have had some issues with a FR product and have been hard pressed to get ANY dealer to address my issues so I resorted to the factory with limited success. It's a tough position to be in and one I don't see changing anytime soon. I'm glad the motorized division has Brian and his staff who monitor these threads but that's ONLY the motorized division. The rest of us have nothing and that's on FR.

I wish you luck getting your rig to the condition you expect. Having personally met Brian, and having followed his interaction on this forum, I'm sure he will continue to do whatever necessary to make that happen.