FOREST RIVER Complaints

THE VEHICLE IS A CLASS A MOTOR HOME ON A FORD F53 CHASSIS, WE WERE TRAVELING NORTH ON I75 IN OHIO AT EXIT 110 WHEN WE SUFFERED A SIDE WALL BLOWOUT. THE TIRE IS A MICHELIN 235/80R22.5 XRV, DOT B6BJBVJX2206, TIRE PRESSURE WAS 100 PSI, MILEAGE 30673, THE TIRE WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT REAR INSIDE POSITION. THERE WERE NO ROAD HAZARD MARKS ON THE TIRE OR ON THE OUTSIDE TIRE MOUNTED NEXT TO IT. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THE NATURE OF THE BLOWOUT WAS UNUSUAL. THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MICHELIN BUS TIRE RECALL DUE TO SIDE WALL DEFECTS PROMPTED ME TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT. PHOTOS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. *TR

OUR UNIT HAD CRACKS IN THE GEL COAT, UPON REMOVING THE NOSE CAP WE FOUND THAT THE WELDS HAD FAILED AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE METAL IN THE ACTUAL FRAME WAS TO WEAK TO HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE UNIT. IT HAD TO BE SENT BACK TO THE FACTORY IN INDIANA AND WAS COMPLETELY REBUILT, WE DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND A GREAT NUMBER OF FOREST RIVER PRODUCTS THAT HAVE LIPPERT FRAMES HAVE HAD WELD AND METAL FAILURES. OUR UNIT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 4 MONTHS. HAD WE NOT FOUND THE PROBLEM WE COULD HAVE HAD THE NOSE OF THE FIFTH WHEEL COME DOWN ON OUR TRUCK AND CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FOREST RIVER CARGO MATE TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AXLES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO VERIFIED THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE AXLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

IN SEPTEMBER 2011 WHILE PULLING MY NEW 2010 FOREST RIVER XLR, WE HAD A TIRE EXPLODE DOWN THE MIDDLE. WE HAD ONLY BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR 20 MINUTES AND TRAVELING AT 55 MPH. WE HAVE LESS THAN 2400 MILES ON THE TIRES. I PERSONALLY CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE AND LUG NUT ON BOTH MY 5TH WHEEL AND TRUCK BEFORE GETTING ON THE ROAD. I NOTIFIED LIONSHEAD SPECIALTY TIRE & WHEEL AND THEY REFERRED ME TO VOMA TIRE. VOMA TIRE TOLD ME TO SUBMIT PICTURES WHICH I DID AND A ESTIMATE ON THE DAMAGES. I SENT ALL THIS IN AND THE REPRESENTATIVE AT VOMA SENT A CHECK FOR THE DAMAGES TO MY 5TH WHEEL AND ONE TIRE. I ASK ABOUT THE REST OF THE TIRES AND SHE STATE THAT SHE COULD NOT WARRANT THE TIRES AND WOULD ALLOW ME $65.89/ TIRE AND + $10.00 MOUNTING FOR EACH TIRE. SHE STATED THAT I SHOULD REPLACE THE TIRES AND CUT THE DOT NUMBER OFF AND SEND THEM TO HER AND SHE WOULD ISSUE ME A CHECK. AFTER REPLACING THE TIRES, CUTTING THE DOT NUMBERS OFF AND MAILING THEM TO VOMA, THE PERSON HANDLING THE CASE WAS HOSPITALIZED AND NOW THEY REFUSE TO REIMBURSE ME. THIS COMPANY SCAMMED ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN RV. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD GLASS DETACHED. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS RESET THREE TIMES AND REPLACED ONCE BY AN INDEPENDENT AUTO GLASS SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

THE MAIN FRAME OF THE TRAILER HAS FAILED DOE TO A GROSS ERROR OF THE MECHANICAL DESIGN IN MAKING THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER TOO THIN TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. ADDITIONALLY, THE REQUIREMENT TO USE A LOAD LEVELER BY THE DEALER AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER INCREASES THIS LOAD TO THE POINT THAT THE CALCULATED SAFETY MARGIN OF THE CROSSMEMBER THAT SUPPORTS THE TONGUE IS 1:1. THE CROSSMEMBER MATERIAL IS STANDARD A36 STEEL WITH A NOMINAL THICKNESS OF .1 INCHES AND IS BENT IN THE SHAPE OF A C CHANNEL, WELDED TO THE FRONT OF A 10 INCH I-BEAM WHICH COMPRISES THE MAJORITY OF THE LOAD BEARING STRUCTURE OF THE MAIN FRAME. THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER IN QUESTION IS USED AS A SUPPORT POINT FOR THE UNDERSLUNG TONGUE THAT IS WELDED TO THE LOWERMOST POINT OF THE I BEAM AND THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER CREATING A FULCRUM RATIO OF APPROXIMATELY 2.896 : 1. THE LEVER BEING THE TONGUE TUBING ITSELF THAT IS THEN PUSHED UPWARD INTO THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER WITH A FORCE OF 2400 POUNDS AS CALCULATED USING A MEASURED TONGUE WEIGHT OF 830 POUNDS WITH THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY UNLOADED OF ALL CARGO AND WASTEWATER AND WITH EMPTY PROPANE CYLINDERS. THIS FORCE IS SUPPORTED BY A TONGUE COMPRISED OF A 2X6 RECTANGULAR TUBING WITH A NOMINAL WALL THICKNESS OF .098 INCHES THAT HAS DEFORMED LONGITUDINALLY AND EXPANDED LATERALLY ACROSS THE SHORT AXIS DIRECTLY UNDER THE FRONT CROSSMEMEBER. THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER HAS THEN RECEDED INTO THE UNDERBELLY OF THE CAMPER AND BEGUN A VERTICAL CRACK THAT HAS COMPROMISED THE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF BOTH THE TOW VEHICLE AND THE TRAILER AT SPEED. ADDITIONALLY, THE ELECTRICAL BRAKING SYSTEM HAS FAILED DUE TO OTHER DESIGN FLAWS IN THE PROTECTION OF WIRING WITHIN THE WHEEL AND THE DESIGN OF THE MECHANICAL ACTUATION THAT IMPINGES ON THE WIRING HARNESSES FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT WHILE BEING ACTUATED. *TR

CPSC#I11C0582A. 2010 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT TRAILER. CONSUMER STATED THE REAR AXLE HUB CAUGHT FIRE AND THE FACE OF THE HUB COMPLETELY CAME APART. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED THE PART THAT CAME OFF, WAS THE PART THAT HELD THE LUG BOLTS TO WHICH THE TIRE WAS ATTACHED.

CPSC#I11B0689A. FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. CONSUMER STATED THE WHEEL HUB CAUGHT FIRE ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE WHEEL CAME OFF. *LN ...UPDATE 01/20/12 *BF THE AXLES WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 03/21/12

ON THREE OCCASIONS, CARLISLE TIRES PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND INFLATED TO THEIR PUBLISHED SPECIFICATIONS BLEW OUT CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED AT 60 MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. TIRES WERE RETURNED TO CARLISLE FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THEY WERE DAMAGED BY IMPROPER INFLATION, AND IMPACT DAMAGE. *KB

MY PIN BOX FRAME ON MY 2008, FOREST RIVER, CHEROKEE WOLF PACK, MODEL # WP 295, THAT IS MANUFACTURED BY LIPPERT IS EXPERIENCING METAL SEPARATION/TEAR IN THE FRAME THAT IS ALMOST ENTIRELY ENCOMPASSES THE FRAME WORK AND WELDS THAT ARE CRACKED CAUSING A UNSAFE CONDITION WHERE THE TRUCK AND TRAILER COULD BE SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR