FOREST RIVER Complaints

I OWN A 2007 FOREST RIVER 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. IT IS A WILDCAT MODEL 28RKBS. THE MANUFACTURE OF THE FRAME FOR THE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER IS A COMPANY CALLED LIPPERT COMPONENTS, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH PIN BOX TO WHERE IT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME CROSS MEMBERS. THERE WAS CRACKS IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR CROSS MEMBER THAT SUPPORT THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH, THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER WAS CRACKED BY MORE THAN 90% OF THE WIDTH OF THE CROSS MEMBER. THE REAR CROSS MEMBER WAS CRACKED ACROSS THE TOTAL WIDTH OF THE PIN BOX. WHEN I AM REFERRING TO CROSS MEMBERS THAT IS THE STEAL BEAM OF THE FRAME THAT SPANS THE WIDTH OF THE TRAILER AND SUPPORTS THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH. I WAS LUCKY THAT I NOTICED THE PROBLEM WITH THE HITCH PRIOR TO A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE HITCH. IF THE HITCH HAD COMPLETELY FAILED IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE, INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH. TO ME THIS LOOKS LIKE A WEAKNESS IN THE DESIGN OF THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH ON LIPPERT COMPONENTS FRAMES. AFTER THIS HAPPENED, I CONTACTED FOREST RIVER AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS LIPPERT COMPONENTS PROBLEM . I THEN CONTACTED LIPPERT COMPONENT AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM, BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MUCH INFORMATION THERE WAS ON THE WEB ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH LIPPERT FRAMES AND ABOUT THE LACK OF SUPPORT FROM LIPPERT TO CORRECT THEIR PROBLEMS. I THINK IT IS TIME FOR SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM WITH FRAMES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED FROM A LIPPERT PIN BOX TO FRAME FAILURE. IF YOU NEED TO SEE PICTURES OF THE FAILURE TO MY 5TH WHEEL PIN BOX, I CAN SEND THEM TO YOU, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *TR

GOODYEAR TIRE LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD BLEW OUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER AND LOSS OF THE TIRE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT TRAILER. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE MOUNTING. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED CRACKS IN THE AXLE WHERE IT WAS WELDED TO THE TRAILER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 5000. UPDATED 01/11/2011*LJ UPDATED 03/30/11

TRAVEL TRAILER PARKED AT RV CAMPSITE. DURING MORNING HOURS, REFRIGERATOR CAUGHT FIRE BEHIND UNIT DURING NORMAL USE. OCCUPANTS SMELLED SMOKE AND CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT. BEFORE FIRE WAS CONTAINED, ENOUGH DAMAGE WAS DONE TO TOTAL TRAVEL TRAILER. REFRIGERATOR IS LOCATED BY DOOR ON UNIT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE OCCUPANTS WERE ASLEEP, INJURIES OR DEATH COULD HAVE OCCURRED. WHEN FILING CLAIM WITH INSURANCE COMPANY, WE FOUND THAT THE REFRIGERATOR HAD BEEN RECALLED BY DOMETIC. NO RECALL NOTICE HAD EVER BEEN RECEIVED FROM DOMETIC OR THE DEALER (FUNTIME RV). TRAVEL TRAILER IS A TOTAL LOSS AND EVEN THOUGH DAMAGES ARE COVERED, IF THIS HAD OCCURRED AT A DIFFERENT TIME OR LOCATION, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN RV. HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN MAY 2010. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DEFECTIVE, POSSIBLY THE STEERING OR ALIGNMENT. THE CONTACT TOOK A 1600 MILE TRIP AND WHEN HE RETURNED THE FRONT TIRES WERE WORN DOWN SO MUCH THAT THERE WAS NO TREAD LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE DEALERS POSSESSION AWAITING WORD FROM FOREST RIVER ABOUT REPAIRING IT UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,600.

ALL 5 TIRE RIMS (INCLUDING SPARE) DEVELOPED LEAKS ON 2006 WILD CAT 5TH WHEEL TRAILER MADE BY FOREST RIVER. I WAS TOLD BY 4 DIFFERENT TIRE REPAIR SHOPS THAT THE RIMS WERE NO GOOD BECAUSE THEY LEAK , IT IS NOT THE TIRE BUT THE RIM, THE RIMS ARE ALL STENCILED WITH: 15X6 J1105 DOT MAX LOAD 2600 CHINA SZ. *TR

CASE #[XXX], SUBMITTED 8-17-2010. 2010 FOREST RIVER INC, CHEROKEE GREY WOLF MODEL 19RR. U BOLTS CAME LOOSE ON BOTH AXLES ALLOWING AXLES TO MOVE OFF OF THEIR LOCATING PIN ON LEAF SPRINGS. THE WHEELS SHIFTED RIGHT ALLOWING BOTH RIGHT TIRES TO RUB ON INNER WHEEL WELL. THE CONDITION WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE CAMPER WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR AND CRACKING IN THE TIRE THREADS. THE CAMPER PURCHASED NEW ON MAY 15, 2010 AND THE CONDITION NOTED ON AUG.4, 2010 WHILE EXAMINING THE TIRES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE AND FILED WARRANTY CLAIMS WITH BOTH FOREST RIVER INC. AND LIPPERT COMPONENTS INC. THE AXEL ASSEMBLY MANUFACTURER. BOTH HAVE BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO DATE. THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH FOREST RIVER CAMPERS. I SHARED THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN ODI REPORTS 10284710, 10225758 AND 10284602 WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER MAX YOUNG, WHO CONFIRMED UPON READING THE REPORTS, THAT THIS IS THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. HE SAID LIPPERT COMPONENTS SUPPLIES THE AXLES AS SUBASSEMBLIES, WITH THE U BOLTS ALREADY INSTALLED TO FOREST RIVER. THEREFORE FOREST RIVER DOES NOT WANT TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE U- BOLTS ARE EITHER OVERLOADED OR MATERIALLY DEFECTIVE FOR THE INSTALLATION AND APPEAR TO BE STRETCHING AND ALLOWING THE NUTS TO ROTATE. THE RESULT IS THEN THE AXLES SHIFT OUT OF POSITION. THIS CAMPER HAS APPROX. 5500 MILES OF USE IN THE 4 MONTHS OWNED. IT WAS GENTLY TOWED AND NOT ABUSED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FOREST RIVER SANDPIPER TRAILER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DETECTED THAT THE GOOSE NECK OF THE FRAME EXHIBITED SEVERE CRACKING AND STRESS FRACTURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE IN WHICH THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

WE HAVE A 2004 CARDINAL 5TH WHEEL THAT HAD KENDA TIRES LT23585R16 ON A SHORT TRIP WE BLEW A TIRE ON THE WAY TO N.H(7/27/10) AND ONE ON THE WAY BACK TO MA(8/3/10). WE WERE GOING THROUGH A TOLL 10MPH WHEN THE FIRST TIRE BLEW, THERE WAS A HUGE HOLE WITH PIECES OF THE BELT HANGING OUT.IT SEEMS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES THEY USE TO MAKE THE BELT WERE NOT GLUED TOGETHER PROPERLY OR THEY USED CHEAP PIECES AND THEY GAVE WAY. THESE TIRES ARE MADE AT A KENDA RUBBER FACTORY IN TAIWAN. THE SECOND TIRE BLEW WHEN WE WERE GOING THE SPEED LIMIT, THE TIRE SHREDDED INTO PIECES AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SIDE OF THE CAMPER. THE TIRE HAS PLENTY OF TREAD AND IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE TIRE IS NOT MADE PROPERLY AND IS DEFECTIVE. THESE TIRES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND THE COMPANY NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT .KENDA WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR PRODUCT AND IT WILL HAVE TO TAKE A DEATH AND A LAW SUIT FOR THEM TO ADMIT AND FIX THE PROBLEM. WE NOW HAVE TO REPLACE ALL THE TIRES IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR FAMILY SAFE. IF YOU HAVE THESE TIRES TAKE THEM OFF.... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SIERRA FORESTRIVER TRAVEL CAMPER THAT HAD SECURA TIRES, DISTRIBUTED BY GREENBALL CORPORATION, TIRE SIZE ST225-75R15(NA), [ODI NOTE: OWNER SAYS THESE ARE LOAD RANGE "D" IN PHONE CONVERSATION 8-30-10] DOT 1KLN, LINE 25B0807. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN HE PULLED INTO A SERVICE STATION HE NOTICED THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR TIRE WAS FLAT THE BELT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. A FEW HOURS LATER THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR, AND PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT TIRES FAILED. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRES WERE ONLY THREE YEARS OLD WITH 3,000 MILES. THE VIN INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE.