Major Quality Issues with 2025 Forest River Surveyor 204MKLE: Owner Frustrations

[tofer.tofer]

So I bought this awful camper this spring and it’s been nothing short of a disaster. I paid $40k and have yet to have a successful camp without something not working…let’s list it
1. Delivered to me full of rust on the frame. Who delivers a brand new RV full of rust? It was fixed but I had to point it out.
2. Getting ready for my 1st trip and now the frig doesn’t work… so got that fixed just in time for my trip
3. On that 1st trip the hot water heater doesn’t work, the pump is messed up and one window you cannot open. Take it to the dealer and they claim to have fixed the window the pump they claim it working along with the water heater. Took their work for it…big mistake. Not only didn’t it work but when attempting to fix it they cracked the facet in the sink so when I turned the pump on it was spewing water. Found a Menards 35 miles from my camp site and bought a $50 new facet and fixed it my self. But of course no hot water, the window still stuck and pump not working properly. Clearly they did nothing but break it.

4. Dropped it off to fix again and after 10 days and having to cancel one camping trip because it’s taking so long still no water heater because they claim Lippert had them do several tests before replacing. So decided to take it without hot water for a long weekend and have them fix it next week. They did replace the window which is still very sticky but works ( now settling for shotty quality) The new pump was installed as well

5 On that long weekend I fill the tank with water and hear some running water. No idea why but some of the tank drained ( through the protective under protection). It was about 10 minutes and it stopped draining. Took it to the site set it up and turned on the pump and it seemed to work but something is a miss with that draining. Then I noticed when the dealer worked on it and tested they didn’t drain the gray water tank it was 3/4 full. So took it down to the dump and drained it. Arg!!

6. Now the icing in the cake. In that same camping in northern mn it was really cold, got down to 42 degrees. Turn on the heater it ran for about a minute and stopped. No heat! Fed up and cold I packed it up and drove home.

I’m now going back to the dealer tomorrow. I bought this at a camper show and should’ve realized the dealer is an hour away. So I have to incur $30 gas each time I have to bring it there take a half day vacation. 4 trips thus far costing me over $100 for gas and 4 vacation days and $50 for a new facet.

One of thing I find frustrating is the dealer has this so “whatever” attitude.

I can honestly say I have zero confidence in this terrible camper ever working properly not to mention what about a year or two from now what will happen. I wish I had my old camper back. I regret ever buying a Forest River, and will never go back to that dealer again!!!

 

[tofer.tofer]

Clarifying it a Forest River Surveyor 204MKLE

 

[bikendan]

Normally, most buyers have a PDI/walk-through with the dealer, where all the systems are operating and demonstrated. This way the buyer doesn't accept it until the problems are fixed or they're documented for future repairs.

Did you not get this?

 

[5picker]

Is this your 1st R/V purchase?

 

[Chuck_S]

I'd never go back to that dealer again either! Plus $40,000 is an interesting price for a trailer that sells for under $30,000.

-- Chuck

 

[tofer.tofer]

I did do the walkthrough. It all worked initially. Just keeps breaking.

The original price was $30k but added a 8K package for addition protection inside and out. My old camper faded, I didn’t want that to happen to my new one.

 

[tofer.tofer]

Is this your 1st R/V purchase?

Yes my 1st brand new purchase.

 

[NMWildcat]

I have never owned a new RV that I didn't have to work through minor problems for basically the first year of ownership, even after exhaustive pre-sale walk-through. Some were fixed by the dealership, most I fixed myself.

After the first year, I have rarely had any problems.

Just the nature of the industry unfortunately. Be patient and work through these minor problems, otherwise you will be miserable.

 

[tofer.tofer]

I have never owned a new RV that I didn't have to work through minor problems for basically the first year of ownership, even after exhaustive pre-sale walk-through. Some were fixed by the dealership, most I fixed myself.

After the first year, I have rarely had any problems.

Just the nature of the industry unfortunately. Be patient and work through these minor problems, otherwise you will be miserable.

Appreciate the calming, it does have in a frazzled….

 

[Bob K4TAX]

Fact is, RV's require regular and almost constant maintenance. There are multiple systems and some are a bit complex. They take a physical beating while being towed. Use and abuse is the downfall for most RV's. They are not designed to be lived in in the way ones home is designed.

One needs a full set of manuals, usually NOT supplied with the unit. Thus one should compile a complete set by product and item installed and keep them handy. Also a good quality set of tools along with knowledge how to correctly use them is a big plus. If your toolbox only contains credit cards, be prepared to spend a good sum of money and have the RV spend more time at a dealer than being enjoyed by you.

It makes no difference if one paid $10,000 or $500,000 for an RV. They all are basically the same, just with more stuff and more complexity for the more expensive ones. They all will have failures at one time or another. Just be prepared to deal with it.

And remember, "new only guarantees new, but not necessarily good". That is why a warranty is available with new units.

 

[tomupnorth]

Nice rant tofer. Our "new" camper had just an appalling amount of rust underneath, which I didn't notice when we bought it on a very VERY cold January day this year. Next month will be 2yr since its manufactured date, but the rust was like it was 20 years old or something. While I know it wasn't parked in the ocean for that time, it certainly had to have been pulled-across a really salty, wet winter highway sometime early on and then left w/o rinsing.

Every (cheap) fastener holding-up the corrugated underlayment was rusted, every crank-down stabilizer but one looked like it had 20 years of rust, and the propane pipe along the frame down there looked horrible--must have been the cheapest non-galvanized pipe I can't even think where they might have gotten it (isn't black pipe cheap enough?). The spring leaves were rusty, and the frame had numerous spots as well as the 4-inch bumper.

Cosmetically, EACH and EVERY black-headed fastener on the outside of the unit had paint damage--exposed metal in the centers of each no doubt done at the factory when they were installed, indicative of the cheapest possible paint job on the fasteners they use, along with worn square bit drivers in their power tools.

Unlike yours, every "system" in our unused rig works, though yes we had a clogged bath fixture (clogged with plastic bits--do they use a HACKsaw?) and the inside is cosmetically "perfect" although one can still detect (and I have already fixed) the rush job the installers do when [obviously] throwing one of these things together (example: the microwave was installed just crooked enough to offend my aesthetic risibilities).

With a quart of Rustoleum hammered black, and two cans of companion spray, and a tiny bottle of black enamel, less than $50 bucks total, we have fixed each/every inch of the camper's frame/fasteners and it looks better than new now. Didn't really take much time over a couple days to be honest.

I think the only thing I could criticize our dealer about was that when we got it home I noticed it was missing the sewer cap which I replaced at Menards for $5 bucks. In the end, we'd gotten a fair deal on the camper and we're very happy with it. And honestly I'd gotten it as a "fun toy" knowing that even once you get it "perfect" it never stays that way after being bounced along these northern highways a few times.

 

[tofer.tofer]

Fact is, RV's require regular and almost constant maintenance. There are multiple systems and some are a bit complex. They take a physical beating while being towed. Use and abuse is the downfall for most RV's. They are not designed to be lived in in the way ones home is designed.

One needs a full set of manuals, usually NOT supplied with the unit. Thus one should compile a complete set by product and item installed and keep them handy. Also a good quality set of tools along with knowledge how to correctly use them is a big plus. If your toolbox only contains credit cards, be prepared to spend a good sum of money and have the RV spend more time at a dealer than being enjoyed by you.

It makes no difference if one paid $10,000 or $500,000 for an RV. They all are basically the same, just with more stuff and more complexity for the more expensive ones. They all will have failures at one time or another. Just be prepared to deal with it.

And remember, "new only guarantees new, but not necessarily good". That is why a warranty is available with new units.

Not everyone is suitable for RVing. Perhaps just looking at the pretty pictures better suits your style of living.

Seriously? I guess I’m just not as worthy as you to own an RV. Forecast what you may, but I’ve had a camper in some form for most of 40 years. Yep I’m an old codger. I normally fix and maintain my campers, but this is my 1st new one that im bringing into retirement. So replacing a hot water heater, pump and window and repairing fridge and heater is acceptable? I’m not willing to buy that…..or perhaps I should park it in my driveway leave it there permanently and admire its beauty.

 

[bikendan]

Most of what you're having trouble with, Forest River doesn't manufacture. They just install it. Each of those have their own separate warranty, which is often longer than the FR 1 year warranty.
Also you can use an independent RV shop or mobile RV technician for warranty work. You just have to get pre-approval from FR and be willing to be reimbursed. That way you avoid that dealer.
It's not much different than the new house we bought. It was built during Covid and we had to fight for a year and a half, to get lots of things fixed that were wrong. Quality work isn't as common as it used to be.

 

[Reverse_snowbird]

Seriously? I guess I’m just not as worthy as you to own an RV. Forecast what you may, but I’ve had a camper in some form for most of 4Y0 years. Yep I’m an old codger. I normally fix and maintain my campers, but this is my 1st new one that im bringing into retirement. So replacing a hot water heater, pump and window and repairing fridge and heater is acceptable? I’m not willing to buy that…..or perhaps I should park it in my driveway leave it there permanently and admire its beauty.

Sorry you're having problems.
You have an alternative for warranty repair.
Contact Forest River directly and see if they'll approve a mobile mechanic to come to you. You may have to pay up front and get reimbursed.

Also, individual components, like water pumps, water heaters, refrigerators and other appliances have warranties from their manufacturers. They can be repaired/replaced by other rv repair shops and mobile mechanics so that you don't have to drive 30 miles to get it fixed.

You have every right to be upset at the quality of the rig and the dealer's disinterest in making it right.

 

[Larry-NC]

Nice rant tofer. Our "new" camper had just an appalling amount of rust underneath, which I didn't notice when we bought it on a very VERY cold January day this year. Next month will be 2yr since its manufactured date, but the rust was like it was 20 years old or something. While I know it wasn't parked in the ocean for that time, it certainly had to have been pulled-across a really salty, wet winter highway sometime early on and then left w/o rinsing.

It helps to understand that the raw frames are stored outside in the weather at the manufacturer and again at Forest River, sometimes for substantial periods, before manufacturing. The surface rust does not materially weaken the thick steel material. People keep tow chains in the back of open pickups for years, then apply heavy loads to them. Would you replace your trailer ball/hitch because it had surface rust?

Every (cheap) fastener holding-up the corrugated underlayment was rusted, every crank-down stabilizer but one looked like it had 20 years of rust, and the propane pipe along the frame down there looked horrible--must have been the cheapest non-galvanized pipe I can't even think where they might have gotten it (isn't black pipe cheap enough?).]/QUOTE]
Surely you are aware that galvanized pipe is NEVER used with natural gas. The gas causes the zinc plating to drop off the ferrous metal and clog the orifices, causing a lifetime of problems.

The spring leaves were rusty, and the frame had numerous spots as well as the 4-inch bumper.

Another surface rust situation.

Cosmetically, EACH and EVERY black-headed fastener on the outside of the unit had paint damage--exposed metal in the centers of each no doubt done at the factory when they were installed, indicative of the cheapest possible paint job on the fasteners they use, along with worn square bit drivers in their power tools.

Agreed that better plated fasteners could be used, but the only fasteners I've ever seen that are not compromised by tooling are Nylon!

(I grew up in northern Illinois. Lots of road salt. New license plates were always issued right after New Years Day. I have lots of memories of lying in the snow with a hammer and cold chisel, screw driver and Vise Grips having failed. I thought it was a miracle when Nylon 1/4-20 machine screws and nuts became available, about 1961.

 

[Bob K4TAX]

Seriously? I guess I’m just not as worthy as you to own an RV. Forecast what you may, but I’ve had a camper in some form for most of 40 years. Yep I’m an old codger. I normally fix and maintain my campers, but this is my 1st new one that im bringing into retirement. So replacing a hot water heater, pump and window and repairing fridge and heater is acceptable? I’m not willing to buy that…..or perhaps I should park it in my driveway leave it there permanently and admire its beauty.

And remember, "new only guarantees new, but not necessarily good". That is why a warranty is available with new units.

 

[tomupnorth]

It helps to understand that the raw frames are stored outside in the weather at the manufacturer and again at Forest River, sometimes for substantial periods, before manufacturing. The surface rust does not materially weaken the thick steel material. People keep tow chains in the back of open pickups for years, then apply heavy loads to them. Would you replace your trailer ball/hitch because it had surface rust?

OF COURSE it was all surface rust. But it looked terrible; as the OP said, not something you expect on a new trailer. But now beautiful for less than $50 paint.

The mfr does everything as cheap as they possibly can, no doubt to sell these things and stay in business. Still, uncommon I think that the OP had three problem items.

 

[Larry-NC]

Tom, did you not notice that I interleaved my responses? Maybe you quit too soon?