FOREST RIVER Complaints

AXLE IS TOO CLOSE TO TRAILER BODY CAUSING TIRE RUB AND ALSO DAMAGE TO BODY OF TRAILER. *JS

TIRES CAME ON NEW TRAILER AS A READY TO GO UNIT. TIRES WERE CHECKED AT TIRE STORE FOR PROPER AIR PRESSURE. BEGAN 8 WEEK TRIP CROSS COUNTRY. AFTER ABOUT 2400 MILES ON INTERSTATE DRIVING WE STOPPED FOR GAS,ACROSS FROM A TRUCK TIRE STORE. AN ATTENDANT TOLD ME I HAD A LOW TIRE ON TRAILER. I PULLED OVER TO HIS SHOP AND FOUND OUT THAT ALL FOUR TIRES HAD UNEVEN WEAR. ONE HAD SPLIT IN SIDE WALL AND WAS BULGING. ONE TIRE HAD A SPLIT INSIDE TIRE UNDER TREAD. ONE HAD A SPLIT IN THE TREAD. ONE TIRE HAD A SCUFF ON SIDEWALL AND LATER DEVELOPED A SPLIT. REPLACED ALL FOR TIRES. I HAVE THE TIRES IN MY POSSESSION. TIRE WEAR ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY NEW TRAILER. TIRE INFO-VAIL SPORT ST-ST205 /75D15, DOT DOT 69 VT- DATE 3513. *TR

FEBRUARY 2014, WE PURCHASED A NEW 2013 FOREST RIVER (NOT LISTED IN NHTSA MFG. SELECTION): COACHMEN FREEDOM EXPRESS LIBERTY EDITION, 297RLDSLE. TRAILER CAME EQUIPPED WITH 225/75R15 D TRAIL EXPRESS - POWER TOWING TIRES. NOT LISTED IN YOUR DATA. DEALER INSTALLED A HUSKY 801-1200# LOAD BALANCING AND ANTI-SWAY BAR SYSTEM ON OUR 2008 YUKON XL 1/2 TON SUV. WE TOWED OUR RIG BACK TO FORT MYERS 100 MILES. DURING OUR TRIP HOME WE HAD TO STOP SEVERAL TIMES TO ADJUST +++ THE SWAY BAR TENSION BECAUSE THE TRAILER WAS STILL SWAYING. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH HUSKY AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY RECOMMEND A 2ND (LEFT) SWAY BAR ON ALL TRAILERS OVER 24FT. SO I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED A 2ND SWAY BAR FROM CAMPING WORLD. ON 4/11/14 WE EMBARKED ON OUR 1ST CAMPING TRIP, DESTINATION CLEVELAND, OHIO. BEFORE WE LEFT FORT MYERS WE CHECKED OUT THE ENTIRE TRAILER INCLUDING TIRE PRESSURE AND SET ALL TIRES TO 65PSI COLD. DURING THE DRIVE WE WERE VERY CONCERNED AT THE VIBRATION AND SWAY OF OUR RIG SO WE STOPPED SEVERAL TIMES TO CHECK PRESSURE AND INSPECT THE TIRES. ON OUR 1ST DAY WE DROVE TO LAKE PARK, GA. THE NEXT DAY THE VIBRATION AND SWAY GREW MUCH WORSE. TO BE TRUTHFUL WE BLAMED GEORGIA ROAD QUALITY. WE WERE WRONG! WITH ONLY 653 MILES ON THE NEW RIG WE EXPERIENCED A VIOLENT TIRE FAILURE AT 63 MPH ON I-475 GOING AROUND MACON, GA. WE THEN HAD A 2ND TIRE FAIL ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TRAILER SO WE REPLACED ALL 5 TIRES. THE 2ND TIRE DID NOT BLOW UP BUT WAS CONTORTED INTO AN "S" SHAPE DUE TO PLY SEPARATION. THE MACON TIRESPLUS STORE MANAGER SAID WE HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERE TIRE PLY SEPARATION POSSIBLY DUE TO THE TRAILER SITTING IN ONE PLACE FOR SO LONG (14+ MONTHS) IN THE HOT FLORIDA SUN. WHEN WE RETURNED TO I-475 WE WERE AMAZED HOW SMOOTH THE ROAD REALLY WAS. I WISH I HAD KNOWN THE SYMPTOMS OF A TRAILER TIRE FAILURE PRIOR TO THIS EXPERIENCE. THE SWAY AND VIBRATION WE HAD EXPERIENCED WAS CAUSED BY THE FAILING TIRES. HOWEVER, IT COST US OVER $1200 AND DELAYS. WE HAVE PHOTOS OF ALL THE FAILED TIRES. *TR

WE FILLED THE FRESH WATER TANK FOR A CAMPING TRIP. WHEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MAKING LANE CHANGES OR CORNERING THE TRAILER WOULD START TO SWAY, I WOULD HIT THE TRAILER BRAKES TO GET IT BACK UNDER CONTROL. THE TRAILER STARTED TO SWAY AGAIN AND I LOST CONTROL, THIS TIME ROLLING THE TRUCK AND TRAILER. I NOTICED THE FRESH WATER TANK WAS LOCATED AT THE REAR BUMBER. I FEEL THE WATER SWATCHING AROUND IN THE UN BAFFELED TANK CAUSED THE TRAILER TO SWAY OUT OF CONTROL. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS WE HAD TOWED THE TRAILER IN HIGH CROSS WINDS WITH NO PROBLEMS, BUT THERE WAS NO FRESH WATER ON BOARD AT THAT TIME. I TOW THE TRAILER WITH A 2006 FORD F 150 SUPER CAB 4X4 6FT BED AND USE A E-2 STABILIZER HITCH. I HAD USE THIS SET UP ON THE 25 FT R-VISION FOR 3 YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS. WE LOST OUR DOG FROM INJURIES FROM THE CRASH. UPDATED 12/1/2014 *JS

THE TWO RIGHT SIDE WHEELS SHEARED OFF THE STEMS AND NUTS. ONE OF THE OTHER WHEELS HAS CRACKS. *TR

I HAVE A RV RENTAL COMPANY WITH A FLEET OF 15 OF THESE TRAILERS, THE INTERIOR LIGHT WIRING OF THE LIGHTS WILL MELT AT THE BUTTON WHEN LEFT ON FOR A EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I HAD THIS HAPPEN QUITE A FEW TIMES AND IT COULD POSE A FIRE SINCE ITS MELTING NEAR THE INSTALLATION ON THE UNIT. I HAVE PHOTOS TO SUPPORT MY CLAIM. *TT

I NEED TO KNOW THE RULES ABOUT A RV5TH WHEEL TRAILER THE GVW RATING IS 13THOUSAND615PDS. THE AXEL RATING IS 12THOUSAND PDS. ARE THE AXLES TO SMALL OR IS OK I BEEN TOLD BY CA,HWY PORTAL THAT MY AXLES ARE TO SMALL I NEED TO KNOW CAN YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FOREST RIVER WILDWOOD RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE BUT THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD SOMEONE OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THE DOOR OPENED WITHOUT HESITATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

INCURRED 2 TIRE BLOWOUTS. THIS IS A TWO AXLE FIFTH WHEEL. I HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR ON A RETURN TRIP HOME. THIS RV IS ONLY 23 MONTHS OLD FROM DATE OF MANUFACTURE (FEB 2012) SO THE TIRES SHOULD BE FAIRLY NEW. ONE BLOWOUT WAS TO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SO I REPLACED WITH THE SPARE TIRE. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY TEN MORE MILES I INCURRED ANOTHER BLOW OUT ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. I PROCEEDED TO REPLACE ALL FIVE TIRES INCLUDING THE SPARE TO AVOID ANOTHER MISHAP. DURING THE REPLACING OF ALL TIRES IT WAS POINTED OUT BY THE TECHNICIANS REPLACING THE TIRES THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE ALSO HAD A LUMP THAT WOULD HAVE IN ALL PROBABILITY ALSO BLOWN OUT. THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE ROAD THAT I WAS ON SO I HAD HIT SOME ROUGH SPOTS BUT I DO NOT THINK WAS THE MAIN CAUSE FOR THE BLOWOUTS. COULD HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE TIRES OR SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE RV AXLES/SUSPENSION AT INSTALLATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FOREST RIVER SUN SEEKER 2300 RV EQUIPPED WITH A SET OF MICHELIN LTX M/S TIRES, SIZE: LT225/75 R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13T012000 (TIRES) IN MID FEBRUARY 2014. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.