FOREST RIVER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOREST RIVER SIERRA RV. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2652. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE REFRIGERATOR IN THE BEGINNING OF 2008. SHE HAD THE BURNER HOUSING INSTALLED TO PREVENT A FIRE SPREAD, ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. IN FEBRUARY OF 2009, SHE NOTICED THAT THE REFRIGERATOR DID NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE CONTACT FOUND A YELLOW RESIDUE AROUND THE BOILER TUBE FOR THE REFRIGERATOR. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE PART NUMBER AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FOREST RIVER PUMA RV. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2652. THE CONTACT NOTICED A YELLOW RESIDUE LEAKING FROM THE REFRIGERATOR. THE REFRIGERATOR STOPPED OPERATING WITHOUT WARNING AND WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER. THE TECHNICIAN REFUSED TO REPAIR THE REFRIGERATOR DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. THE DOMETIC CUSTOMER CENTER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES AND STATED THAT THE CONTACT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR KIT POSTAGE AND LABOR; HOWEVER, DOMETIC WOULD REIMBURSE HER FOR THE EXPENSES. THE REFERENCE NUMBER PROVIDED WAS 26228860. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REMEDY WILL NOT CORRECT THE ISSUES ADDRESSED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08E032000 (EQUIPMENT). THE REFRIGERATOR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FOREST RIVER SIERRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 63 MPH, A SEMI-TRUCK SPED PAST THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED IT TO SWAY ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HE SAFELY MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. A TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FRAME AND ASSOCIATED MEMBERS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS RENDERED AS BEING COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED TO A FRAME SPECIALIST, WHO WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. HE HAS PICTURES OF THE FAILED INCIDENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNAVAILABLE.

BLOWN TIRE ON RV FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN ST TIRES NOT FIT BY KARRIER TO PROFIED A SAFE TIRE UNDER LOAD CONDITIONS AND CURRENT SPEED LIMITS. FORREST RIVER SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND RECALL TIRES. MY TIRES ARE BY KARRIER LOAD STAR CARILES WAS ALL THAT WAS LISTED. *TR

WHILE PERFORMING A SAFETY RECALL ON THE REFRIGERATOR IN MY RV, THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT THE BURNER TUBE WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING AMMONIA. THE RECALL WAS TO POSSIBLY PREVENT A FIRE "IN THE EVENT THIS DID HAPPEN ". THE COMPANY, KEYSTON RV/DOMETIC REFRIGERATORS ARE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION. IT IS MY CONTENTION, THAT SINCE THIS IS A RELATED PROBLEM, IT SHOULD BE COVERED AND REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER.AS OF THIS DATE, THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR ACTION. *TR

I HAD A 2005 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN MOTORHOME THAT WAS DESTROYED BY A FIRE THAT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN A DOMETIC RV REFRIGERATOR. I WAS UNAWARE OF A RECALL UNTIL AFTER THE FIRE. I RECEIVED AN OFFICIAL RECALL NOTICE FROM DOMETIC 9 DAYS AFTER THE FIRE HAD HAPPENED. THE LOCAL FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE AND A FIRE INSPECTOR SPECIALIST HEARD B Y MY INSURANCE COMPANY BOTH CONCLUDED THE REFRIGERATOR STARTED THE FIRE. ONCE I NEW WHAT TO LOOK FOR, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE CRACK IN THE BOILER TUBE MENTIONED IN THE RECALL NOTICE AND TOOK SOME PICTURES ON THE UNIT. MY UNIT WAS NOT OPERATING ON PROPANE BUT WAS PLUGGED INTO SHORE POWER TO KEEP THE COACH BATTERIES CHANGED AND THE REFRIGERATOR ON AS I HAD A FEW TIMES I WAS KEEPING IN THE REFRIGERATOR. ON SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 7TH, MY UNIT WAS DESTROYED BY A FIRE. I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE PAINS OF TRYING TO GET THE UNIT PAID FOR AND PERSONAL PROPERTY PAID FOR BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I AM NOW WAITING ON THE BANK TO SEND INFO FOR MY GAP PROTECTION AS INSURANCE DID NOT FULLY PAY FOR THE UNIT. I FEEL DOMETIC SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS AND AT A MINIMUM, REPLACE MY MOTORHOME AS IT WAS A DEFECT IN THEIR PRODUCT THAT RESULTED IN MY LOSS. I HAVE OBTAINED AN ATTORNEY AS OF THIS PAST FRIDAY TO SEE WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE AT THIS POINT. THE RECALL INITIATED BY DOMETIC DOES NOT ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE DEFECT BUT RATHER JUST INSTALLS A COUPLE OF SAFETY ITEMS IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL OF A FIRE. THE REFRIGERATOR COULD STILL FAIL FROM THE ACTUAL DEFECT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW THAT DOMETIC NEEDS TO ADDRESS. *TR

WE PURCHASED A 2005 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN MODEL 359XL MOTORHOME IN MARCH 2006. WE HAVE HAD THE LEFT SIDE WINDSHIELD CRACK FROM THE TOP CORNER 3 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. ALL 3 TIMES THE WINDSHIELD BROKE WHILE WE WERE PARKED IN A CAMPGROUND. NOW THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD IS PULLING OUT OF THE FRAME. THE MOTOR HOME IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. IN ADDITION THE ROOF LEAKS AROUND THE WINDSHIELD ON BOTH SIDES. CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER FOREST RIVER AND WAS TOLD THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO DRIVE IT FROM GEORGIA TO INDIANA AND THEY WILL LOOK AT IT. I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AT A COST OF $1000 IN ORDER TO DO THIS AND THE WINDSHIELD WILL MOST LIKELY BREAK DURING THE TRIP. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

WE EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT OF A TIRE ON MY CAMPER TRAILER. THE TIRES WERE INSTALLED WITH DEFECTIVE TIRE VALVES, AS VERIFIED BY THE TIRE DEALER. ALL 4 TIRES ON THE CAMPER WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED AS WELL AS NEW VALVE STEMS. *TR

I AM AN OWNER OF A 2004 WILDCAT, 28? FIFTH WHEEL. DURING A TRIP I NOTICED ONE OF THE TIRES WAS WORN TO THE CORD ON THE INSIDE EDGE, WHILE STILL HAVING TREAD ON THE OUTSIDE. IF THIS HAD NOT BEEN NOTICED, I?M SURE THAT WITHIN THE NEXT 100 MILES I WOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGING A TIRE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH RUBBER FROM THE TIRE EVERYWHERE. THE TIRE WAS CHANGED AND TRIP CONTINUED. UPON RETURN, I DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE RV DEALER AND HE REFERRED ME TO A SPECIALIST SHOP THAT HAD THE EQUIPMENT TO CHECK THE SUSPENSION. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ?TOE IN? ON BOTH AXLES WERE OUT BY 1/2 INCH AND THE PROBLEMS WERE OUTSIDE THE SPRING HANGERS (SPINDLE TO AXLE ALIGNMENT). PRIOR TO MAKING THE REPAIRS, I CONTACTED AL-KO KOBER BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ON THE INTERNET (RV.NET) ABOUT DEFECTIVE AXLES BEING MANUFACTURED IN THAT TIMEFRAME. THE INFORMATION ON THE AXLE STATED (MODEL T52 3, DATE 25?03, SLR 373MM, 5200 LBS). THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECALL, AXLES WERE OUT OF WARRANTY (2 YEARS) BUT THEY DID REPLACE DEFECTIVE AXLES IF: 1.THE AXLES WERE SHIPPED TO THEM 2.THEY VERIFIED THAT THE AXLES WERE DEFECTIVE 3.THEY WOULD SHIP NEW AXLES. OF COURSE, THIS DID NOT INCLUDE LABOR, TIRES, TRAVEL TIME OF HAULING TRAILER TO DEALER, SUSPENSION SHOP, OR ANY OTHER COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AXLES. SINCE THE ABOVE RESPONSE WAS VERY ?IFFY? AND TIME CONSUMING AND SINCE I HAD THE TRAILER AT THE SUSPENSION SHOP, I CHOSE TO UPGRADE AXLES TO 6,000# AND THE SPRINGS TO SIX LEAVES VS THE FOUR THAT WAS THE STANDARD EQUIPMENT. WHEN THE ?TOE IN? ON THE NEW AXLES WAS CHECKED, IT WAS WITHIN 1/16?. I HAVE DOCUMENTED THIS UNDER FOREST RIVER BECAUSE THERE IS NO PROVISION TO DOCUMENT AS AN ?AXLE? ISSUE. REFERENCE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS 10199333, 10174036, 10169948,10169990. *TR

THE OVERHEAD DC LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING AND THE BULB WAS NOT BURNED OUT. I TOOK THE LIGHT FIXTURE DOWN AND FOUND A LARGE SCORCHED AREA ON THE SOFT CEILING. THE PHINALIC (SPELLED WRONG) SPACER IN THE LIGHT FIXTURE HAD CRUMBLED AND THIS WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE BULB NOT WORKING BUT THIS FAILURE DID NOT CAUSE THE SCORCHING ON THE SOFT CEILING. I TOOK PICTURES AND SENT THEM TO A FOREST RIVER REPRESENTATIVE BUT NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THEM. I TOOK THE FIXTURE AND THE PICTURES TO THE DEALER I HAD PURCHASED THE RV FROM AND THEY DID NOTHING. I HAVE SINCE PUT MY OWN MAKESHIFT WOOD SPACER IN BETWEEN THE SOFT CEILING AND THE LIGHT FIXTURE. IF THE PHINALIC SPACER HAD NOT BURNED OUT I BELIEVE THE CEILING WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY IGNITED. THE SCORCHING WAS SIGNIFICANT. THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THIS AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RESOLUTION BEFORE THERE IS A FIRE. *TR