FOREST RIVER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FOREST RIVER SANDSTORM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE RUBBER SEALING UNDERNEATH A SLIDE-OUT IN THE LIVING ROOM WAS INCOMPLETE, ALLOWING VAPORS FROM OUTSIDE TO ENTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE SEALING WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO A LESSOR DEGREE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150.

LIPPERT COMPONENT INDUSTRIES BUILDS FRAMES FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, TRAVEL TRAILERS, AND FIFTH WHEELS. THEY DID INSTALL (HAVE SINCE STOPPED INSTALLATION) AXLES WITH SEALED BEARING SYSTEMS AS PART OF THE FRAME BUILD. IN READING NUMEROUS MESSAGE BOARDS (AND THROUGH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE) THESE ARE EXTREMELY PRONE TO FAILURE AND FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY COULD CAUSE FIRES, LOSS OF CONTROL OF TRAILER, AND POSSIBLE WHEEL SEPARATION FROM TRAILER (FOR MORE EXPERIENCES SEARCH FOR SEALED BEARING SYSTEM ON THE WEB). LIPPERT IS AWARE OF THE HIGH FAILURE RATE AND THIS IS EVIDENCED BY HOW QUICKLY THEY WILL REPLACE NOT ONLY THE AXLE THAT CONTAINS THE FAILED BEARING, BUT ALL AXLES ON THE TRAILER AND THEY DO IT WITHOUT EVEN QUESTIONING THE FAILURE (THEY REPLACED BOTH AXLES ON MY TRAILER AS WELL . I FEEL (AS DO OTHERS) THAT LIPPERT SHOULD HAVE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THESE AXLES AS A FAILURE DOES CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. MY TRAILER ONLY HAD 2800 MILES AND WAS ONLY 14 MONTHS OLD WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. I HAVE SEEN OTHER INSTANCES WHERE THESE BEARINGS FAIL AFTER ONLY 1000 MILES. THE ONLY MAINTENANCE FOR THESE BEARINGS IS TO RAISE THE TRAILER AND CHECK THE WHEELS FOR EXCESSIVE PLAY, NO GREASING IS REQUIRED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FOREST RIVER FREEDOM EXPRESS TRAVEL TRAILER (NA). WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SUDDENLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER PROVIDED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND PERFORMED A TEMPORARY REPAIR WHICH ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO BE DRIVEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE REAR AXLE AND BOTH REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,600.

THE TREAD SEPARATED ON A TIRE ON OUR BRAND NEW 2011 FOREST RIVER SALEM CRUISE LITE TRAVEL TRAILER. ANOTHER TIRE'S SIDEWALL IS SEVERELY CRACKED AND WOULD BLOW IF IT WERE TO GO ON THE HIGHWAY AGAIN. I HAD THE TIRES REMOVED FROM THE TRAILER, TOOK THEM TO A LOCAL DEALER AND THEY WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS HAD PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TIRES AND ARE EVASIVE AND UNWILLING TO CHECK INTO THIS PROBLEM. THIS VERY EASILY COULD HAVE CAUSED MANY FATALITIES IF WE HAD NOT BEEN FORTUNATE AND ATTENTIVE. SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS SHOWN THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES REMOVED FROM THE TRAILER AND HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH A MORE FAVORABLE TIRE. THE ONE TIRE THAT THE TREAD SEPARATED ON WE HAD PATCHED TO GET HOME WHERE WE FOUND ANOTHER TO BE IN VERY POOR CONDITION, 50% DEFECT SO FAR, IS NOT A GOOD RECORD. I WILL KEEP THESE TIRES UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY ARE NO LONGER NEEDED. *TT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT WITH TRAIL EXPRESS POWER TOURING TIRES, SIZE ST225/75/R15 AND DOT 1KMM16A. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE INSPECTION SHOP WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE TIRE TREAD WAS SEPARATING AND THERE WERE CRACKS ON THE SIDE OF THE TREAD. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

PURCHASED A 2008 FLAGSTAFF TRAILER MODEL 31FKBBS IN JUNE 2009. HAVE HAD THREE TIRE BLOW OUTS ONE EACH IN OCTOBER 2009, JULY 2010, AND FEB 2011 AND A WHEEL BEARING FAILURE POSSIBLY CAUSED BY LAST BLOW OUT IN FEB 2011. UNABLE TO TOW TRAILER IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH BECAUSE OF TIRE PROBLEM. AFTER LAST TIRE BLOWOUT TIRE DEALER POINTED OUT DATA ON TRAILER STATES TIRES SHOULD BE ST225/75R15 LOAD RANDE D VS. ST205R/7515 TIRES THAT CAME ON TRAILER. OVER $3000 IN TIRES AND REPAIR COST. DEALER CLAIMS THAT FORREST RIVER SUPPLIED INCORRECT TIRES. HAVE ONE OF THE BLOWN OUT TIRES AND RECEIPTS FOR THE REPAIRS TO THE TRAILER AND TIRE REPLACEMENT. *TR

VEHICLE IS A NEW GEORGETOWN 300S MOTOR HOME WITH A ROOM SLIDE OUT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. OVER THE SLIDE OUT IS AN AWNING SOMETIMES CALLED A TOPPER THAT IS ROLLED VERY COMPACTLY WITH A TORSION SPRING WHEN TRAVELING. UNDER CERTAIN WIND CONDITIONS (30 MPH WIND FROM LEFT AT 60 MILES PER HOUR FORWARD COACH SPEED) THE TOPPER WILL VIOLENTLY UNROLL, IMPACTING THE MOTOR COACH CABIN, AND RESULTING WITH VERY LOUD WIND NOISE THAT APPEARS TO BE AN IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. STOPPING VERY QUICKLY CLEARS THE PROBLEM YET SERIOUSLY DISRUPTS ADJACENT VEHICLES. THE TOPPER IS MANUFACTURED BY DOMETIC AND INSTALLED BY THE GEORGETOWN FORREST RIVER ASSEMBLY PLANT. THE VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS BY DOMETIC FOR THE INSTALLATION CALLS FOR AN AUTOMATIC LOCK TO BE ATTACHED AT THE LEADING END OF THE TOPPER SLIDE ASSEMBLY TO PREVENT UNINTENTIONAL UNFURLING WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE GEORGETOWN ASSEMBLY PLANT ATTACHED THE AUTOMATIC LOCK AT THE TRAILING END OF THE SLIDE ASSEMBLY AND WITH INSUFFICIENT CONTACT RESULTING IN THE ABOVE DESCRIBED ACCIDENT. CHECKING WITH THE RV.NET SAFETY BLOG THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN FAILURE BY GEORGETOWN. EXAMINING THE NEW MOTOR HOMES ON THE DEALER LOT WHERE I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, IT LOOKED LIKE ONE IN FOUR VEHICLES HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD A LOW CONCERN LEVEL DEMONSTRATED FOR CORRECTING A MANUFACTURE'S DEFICIENCY. WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE LIMITED EXPERIENCE DRIVERS PILOTING MOTOR HOMES 30-45 FEET LONG WITH A CAR TOWED BEHIND, AN UNEXPECTED IMPACT TO THE CABIN CAN EASILY LEAD TO A VERY TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCE. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE A GEORGETOWN ADDRESS THAT ACCEPTS SAFETY ISSUES EITHER IN MY SALES DOCUMENTATION OR ONLINE AT THEIR WEBSITE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FOREST RIVER BERKSHIRE DIESEL RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE WINDOWS HAD SCREENS BUT DID NOT HAVE LOCKS FOR THE SCREENS. A YOUNGER PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO PUSH ON THE SCREEN WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH AND ALMOST FELL FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,100.

I HAVE A 2009 FOREST RIVER SANDPIPER 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. I HAVE HAD TIRE PROBLEMS AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER UNDERSIZING THE AXLES AND SPRINGS. I HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT WHICH COULD EASILY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT BUT THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES NEARBY. I HAD ONE OF FOREST RIVER'S OWN DEALERS TELL ME THAT I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE SPRINGS BEING FLAT AND THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO OPERATE. THE TIRES ARE HIGHWAY TROOPER TIRES MANUFACTURED IN CHINA AND SOLD BY GREENBALL CORPORATION. WHEN SEARCHING FOR THE TIRES ONLINE, I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT MANY OF THE POSTINGS WERE ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE TIRES AT ABOUT 4000 MILES WHICH IS EXACTLY WHEN I HAD A BLOWOUT. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE FLAT SPRINGS AND THE FACT THAT FOREST RIVER USED TWO 6000 POND AXLES UNDER MY 15,000 POUND TRAILER. MY WIFE AND I LIVE IN OUR TRAILER FULL TIME TRAVELING THRUOUT THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE PUT OVER 7,000 MILES ON SINCE JULY AND I'M AFRAID THAT OUR TRAVELS COULD BE DANGEROUS BUT CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE OUT TRAILER WHICH WE BOUGHT BRAND NEW LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. I HAVE CONTACTED JEFF JOHNSON AT FOREST RIVER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST 4 MONTHS BUT CAN'T SEEM TO GET THE COMPANY TO ACT ON ANY OF MY DOZEN WARRANTY PROBLEMS. THE DATE OF THE BLOWN OUT TIRE IS WHAT I'M USING AS THE INCIDENT DATE BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INVESTIGATION OF BOTH FOREST RIVER CORPORATION FOR THE SPRING AND AXLE PROBLEMS AS WELL AS THE GREENBALL CORPORATION FOR THE DEFECTIVE TIRES THAT THEY ARE IMPORTING AND SELLING HERE IN THE US. AFTER FINISHING YOUR FORM, I FOUND THAT YOUR FORM WOULD NOT ACCEPT HIGHWAY TROOPER UNDER THE GREENBALL CORPORATION FOR THE TIRES AND THAT MY SANDPIPER WAS NOT ONE OF YOUR OPTIONS UNDER FOREST RIVER SO THE FORM IS NOT PERFECTLY ACCURATE. *LN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL RV EQUIPPED WITH A DOMETIC AWNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE AWNING OPENED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE DEALER TORE THE AWNING FABRIC WHILE THE RV REMAINED IN THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AWNING MOTOR FAILED CAUSING THE ARMS TO RELEASE SINCE THEY WERE NOT LOCKED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR AND ADDED A LOCK. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE AWNING SERIAL AND PART NUMBERS WERE UNAVAILABLE.