FOREST RIVER Complaints

THREE TIRES HAVE VARIOUS STAGES OF STEEL COMING OUT OF THE SIDE BETWEEN THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL WITH ONLY 4000 MILES OF USE. TIRE BRAND IS TRAIL EXPRESS POWER TOURING 235/80/16 SUPPLIED BY LIONS HEAD TIRE AND WHEEL. COMPANY IS UNWILLING TO REPLACE FAULTY TIRES. TRAILER WAS BEING TOWED ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH WHEN THE FIRST TIRE DISPLAYED LOW AIR WITH BULGE. TRAILER WAS PULLED OVER AND STEEL WAS HANGING OUT OF THE SIDE OF THE TIRE AND AIR LEAKING OUT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION TWO OTHER TIRES WERE DISCOVERED ONE WITH WIRE HANGING OUT OF THE SIDE AND ONE WITH JUST A TEAR/ BULGE JUST LIKE THE OTHERS BUT WITH NO WIRES HANGING OUT. LIONSHEAD TIRE AND WHEEL COMPANY WAS CONTACTED BUT NO SOLUTION OR REPLACEMENT TIRES SUPPLIED. NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AS FLAT WAS DISCOVERED BEFORE DAMAGE WAS DONE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FOREST RIVER VENGEANCE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V589000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FOREST RIVER VENGEANCE EQUIPPED WITH LIONS HEAD TIRES, TIRE LINE: VAIL SPORT RADIAL, TIRE SIZE: ST235/80/R16 AND DOT NUMBER NMNX0115. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED OF BUBBLES AROUND THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT FOUR TIRES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RV HAD BUBBLES AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALL TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE TIRE AND THE VEHICLES MANUFACTURERS WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE AND VEHICLES FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 (NA) FOREST RIVER R-POD. WHILE THE RV WAS PLUGGED INTO THE CAMPSITE POWER SUPPLY, AN ELECTRICAL ARCHING NOISE WAS PRESENT AND THE FIRE ALARM ACTIVATED DUE TO SMOKE INSIDE THE CAMPER. THE PANELS UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK WERE REMOVED TO ACCESS THE ELECTRICAL PANEL, WHICH HAD SMOLDERING SPARKS AND SMOKE. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS USED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE, BUT THE ARCHING NOISE REMAINED AUDIBLE UNTIL THE CAMPER WAS UNPLUGGED FROM THE CAMPSITE POWER SUPPLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000. UPDATED 12/21/16*LJ

THE FRAME HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK (6-8 INCHES LONG) BETWEEN THE FRONT AXLE AND THE DOOR OF THE TRAILER. THIS HAS LED TO THE FAILURE OF THE SLIDE OUT AND TO THE FLOOR NEAR THE CRACK. AFTER FINDING THE CRACK I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE TOWABILITY OF THIS UNIT. THIS WAS DISCOVERED AFTER A FAIRLY LONG TRIP, HOWEVER THE SLIDEOUT FAILURE AND FLOOR DAMAGE WAS OBVIUOS DURINT THE LAST DAYS OF THE TRIP.

THE DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM BREAKS CAUSING A LOCK-IN/LOCK-OUT SITUATION. THERE ARE MANY RECENT REPORTS FROM RV OWNERS THAT THIS IS OCCURRING FREQUENTLY AND THE REPLACEMENTS ARE BREAKING AS WELL. THE INTERNAL RETRACTION MECHANISM BREAKS PREVENTING THE LATCH TO RETRACT. THE SPECIFIC MODEL IS FROM RV DESIGNER (TRIMARK) MODEL# T507. THERE IS ONLY ONE DOOR ON THIS MODEL RV AND AN EMERGENCY WINDOW EXIT. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. MY WIFE WAS STUCK IN THE VEHICLE AND I WAS STUCK OUTSIDE. I CRAWLED INTO THE EMERGENCY EXIT AND HAD TO TAKE THE DOOR APART TO GET OUT. HERE IS A LINK TO A FORUM WITH SEVERAL OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.FORESTRIVERFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/F16/ENTRY-DOOR-LOCK-FAILURE-SAFTEY-115473.HTML#POST1287061 AND HTTP://WWW.FORESTRIVERFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/F228/ENTRY-DOOR-STUCK-SHUT-ON-FORESTER-114357.HTML

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FOREST RIVER WILDWOOD BEING HAULED BY A 2011 FORD F-250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRAILER SWAYED BACK AND FORTH EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC WHO INDICATED THAT THE 14 INCH TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH 15 INCH TIRES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE MANUFACTURER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

BODY TO SIDEWALL SCREWS SHEARING OFF FROM FRAME. BODY WILL DROP 1IN. TO 2IN. FROM FRAME. CAN ALSO SEE THE GROUND BY YOUR LEFT FOOT FROM DRIVER SIDE OR FROM RIGHT FOOT IF ON PASSENGER SIDE. GAP CAN BE A MUST AS 1IN. FROM INSIDE WALL TO FLOORBOARD. SCREWS NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH LARGER BOLTS AND NUTS.

OUR INITIAL OUTING IN OUR NEW 2016 SANDSTORM 24GSLCWAS TO A FRIEND'S HOME, OUR UNIT PARKED ON THEIR DRIVEWAY AND ENDED WITH PULLING TWO SLEEPING CHILDREN FROM A COMPLETELY SMOKE ENGULFED UNIT. IT WAS 100+ DEGREES THE DAY WE PURCHASED OUR SANDSTORM THUS DID NOT INSPECT THE HEATER, ONLY THE AC. UNFORTUNATELY, THE UNIT WAS NOT CLEANED AFTER MANUFACTURING AND THE LAYER OF PLASTIC PIECES THAT HAD FALLEN ON TOP OF THE HEATER MELTED AND CAUSED LITERALLY THE ENTIRE UNIT TO FILL WITH SMOKE. (WE HAD TO REMOVE THE FRONT COVER TO ACCESS THE HEATER WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING.) I HAD TURNED THE HEATER ON LESS THAN A MINUTE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, TAKEN OUR DOG OUT TO POTTY AND RAN BACK AS SOON AS THE FIRE ALARMS BEGAN GOING OFF. IT TOOK 4 ADULTS TO CLEAR THE UNIT AND BEGIN TROUBLE SHOOTING WHERE THE PROBLEM CAME FROM. IF I HAD NOT BEEN CLOSE TO THE UNIT, MY CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT FROM THE INCIDENT. MY EXPECTATION FROM PURCHASING A NEW UNIT IS THAT IT IS READY FOR USE AND THE PROPER SAFETY MEASURE ARE TAKEN TO ENSURE THE UNIT IS FREE FROM HARM CAUSED DURING MANUFACTURING BEFORE DELIVERY.

I HAD A TIRE FAILURE WHILE MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE. THIS IS A TRAILER I BOUGHT USED, AND I REALIZE THAT I AM WAY OUT OF WARRANTY. MY ISSUE IS, THAT THIS UNIT HAS THE WRONG TIRE SIZE, LOAD RANGE, AND WHEEL SIZE. LOOKING AT THE DATE, I ASSUME THEY ARE ORIGINAL TIRES. THEY ARE ST205/75R15 LR C ON 15 X % INCH WHEELS. THE STICKER ON THE SIDE OF THE TRAILER SHOWS THEY SHOULD BE, ST225/75R15 LR D ON 15 X ^ INCH WHEELS. THE STICKER IS OLD AND QUITE FADED, BUT, I CAN READ ENOUGH TO DETERMINE WHAT SHOULD BE THERE. THE TRAILER HAS A GVW OF 10840, AND LR C TIRES DON'T ADD UP TO THAT. I AM IN COMMUNICATION WITH FOREST RIVER, BUT, DO NOT HAVE A SOLID ANSWER YET. IN READING SOME RV FORUMS, IT SEEMS THAT THIS MANUFACTURER HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST. ( UNDER RATED TIRES ) I AM JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE TRAILER SAFE TO TOW, AND AM ASKING FOREST RIVER TO PROVIDE ME WITH ACCURATE DETAILS OF WHAT THIS UNIT SHOULD HAVE ON IT. I WAS LUCKY TO ONLY HAVE MINOR TRAILER DAMAGE, AND WAS IN A RELATIVELY SAFE POSITION TO CHANGE THE TIRE. I NOW KNOW THAT, DESPITE HOW A TIRE LOOKS, THERE IS A USABLE AGE FOR TRAILER TIRES. I HAVE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED FROM, BUT WITH NO RESPONSE. THANK YOU. *TR