FOREST RIVER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOREST RIVER WIND SONG. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. HE SHIFTED THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR INTO NEUTRAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CALIPERS LOCKED WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE BRAKE PADS, CRACKED THE ROTORS AND OVERHEATED THE BRAKE FLUID. THE MECHANIC DID NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. AS OF AUGUST 10, 2007, THE DEALER HAS NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 10,000.

3 GENERAL AMERI TRAILER ST 205/75R15 TIRES INSTALLED ON 5TH WHEEL TRAILER HAVE BLOWN OUT WITHIN 650 MILES OF FIRST FAILURE. TIRES HAD TREAD SEPARATION AND SIDEWALL EXPLODED. 4TH TIRE TREAD WAS SEPARATING AT TIME OF REMOVAL. TIRES HAVE LESS THAN 10,000 MILES ALL TIRES WERE INFLATED TO PROPER PRESSURE, SPEED WAS 55-60 MILES HOUR AND ROADS WERE CLEAR AND DRY. DOT NUMBER A3UL 3CU 0804 TIRES CAUSED BODY DAMAGE TO TRAILER. ALL TIRES SHIPPED TO MANUFACTURER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FOREST RIVER SURVEYOR. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT LEFT THE SIDE ENTRY DOOR OPEN SO THAT AIR COULD CIRCULATE. HE AWOKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO A BURNING SMELL. THE ENTRY DOOR WAS AGAINST THE HEATER AND CAUSED IT TO MELT. WHEN THE ENTRY DOOR IS OPEN, IT RESTS AGAINST THE HEATER. THE DOORSTOP FAILS TO PREVENT THE DOOR FROM TOUCHING THE HEATER OCCASIONALLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FOREST RIVER WILDWOOD LE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EVERYONE WHO ENTERS THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A BURNING SENSATION IN THE EYES AND DIFFICULTY BREATHING. HE IS UNSURE OF WHAT THE FUMES ARE AND FROM WHERE THEY DERIVED. THE ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CLYLINDERS, TRANSMISSION TYPE, POWERTRAIN, FUEL SYSTEM, FUEL TYPE, AND MILEAGE INFORMATION WERE UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FOREST RIVER CEDAR CREEK 30LBHFS TRAVEL TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BETWEEN THE FRAME AND TIRE, LIES A PIECE OF IRON THAT RUBS ON THE TIRES. AS A RESULT, THE PIECE OF IRON CUTS AWAY AT THE TIRES AND HAS WORN DOWN THE SIDEWALLS. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY SINCE HE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER NOTICED 4 STEEL BRACKETS PROTRUDING FROM THE FRAME BY EACH TIRE. THE BRACKETS HAD VERY LITTLE CLEARANCE TO EACH TIRE, THEY VARIED A LITTLE BIT BRACKET TO BRACKET. IT APPEARED WHEN TOWED, THE BRACKETS CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE AND ABRADED THE SIDEWALL AWAY.

SUBJECT VEHICLE IS A 2005 WILDCAT 28RK FIFTH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER. IN JULY, 2006, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES OF SERVICE, I NOTICED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. I CALLED THE AXLE MANUFACTURER, AL-KO KOBER, STATED THAT I HAD EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, AND THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIVE, TO MY SURPRISE, AND IMMEDIATELY SHIPPED A NEW AXLE TO MY DEALER, AND THEY INSTALLED. OVER THE NEXT YEAR, I PUT AN ADDITIONAL APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES ON THE TRAILER, AND AGAIN, NOTICED THE SAME EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AT THE SAME LOCATION. I TOOK THE TRAILER TO AN ALIGNMENT SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS TOE IN, AND THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS SLIGHTLY TOE OUT. I FAXED THE ALIGNMENT REPORT TO MY DEALER, WHO THEN FAXED THE REPORT TO AL-KO. AL-KO OFFERED TO SHIP ME TWO NEW AXLES, WHICH I MUST PAY TO HAVE INSTALLED, ($300.00), AND SHIP THE OLD AXLES BACK TO THEM FOR EVALUATION. I REQUESTED AL-KO PAY TO HAVE AN ALIGNMENT DONE, BUT THEY ONLY AGREED TO AXLE REPLACEMENT. NOW, THE INTERESTING PART... AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALER, AND THE MANUFACTURER OF THE LASAR ALIGNMENT MACHINE THAT DISCOVERED MY ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, IT WAS STATED THAT TRAVEL TRAILERS, IN GENERAL, GO OUT THE DOOR WITHOUT WHEEL BALANCING, OR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THIS PRACTICE IS UNSAFE, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MISALIGNMENT CAUSES RAPID, EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR, CAUSING, IN TURN, TIRE FAILURES WHICH CAN LEAD TO A CRASH. I OFFER AS A SOLUTION: REQUIRE THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER TO PERFORM A WHEEL ALIGNMENT, AND PROVIDE THE END USER, THE CONSUMER, WITH A BEFORE AND AFTER CERTIFIED, ALIGNMENT REPORT. I WILL FAX YOU MY ALIGNMENT REPORT, UPON REQUEST. *TR

26DEC HAD A TIRE FAILURE ON THE ROAD. AFTER INSPECTION FOUND THE TIRE WAS WORN THROUGH THE CORD ON THE OUTSIDE 1 INCH OF THE TIRE. FURTHER, AFTER LOOKING AT THE OTHER THREE TIRES, FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING ON THE OTHERS. CONTACTED THE RV DEALER AND THEY TRANSFERRED ME TO THE RV MANUFACTURE, FOREST RIVER. FOREST RIVER TOOK NO RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ISSUE AND PASSED ME TO THEIR AXLE SUPPLIER. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS INVESTIGATING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND MANY OTHERS REPORTING ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR DUE TO AXLE MISS-ALIGNMENT. THE AXLE MANUFACTURE IS AL-KO. AL-KO AGREED TO SEND A REPLACEMENT SET OF AXLES. I?M FILLING THIS REPORT TO HELP SAVE OTHERS POSSIBLE INJURY DUE TO TIRE FAILURE FROM FAULT MANUFACTURING PRACTICES OF THE AL-KO COMPANY. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH, I?VE FOUND 30+ REPORTS OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME AXLE ISSUES WITH AL-KO. PLEASE BE ADVISE; THE CORRECT VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED. THE VEHICLE IN SUBJECT IS 2006 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT 32QBBS 5TH WHEEL CAMPER,. *JB

PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATED TIRE WEAR ON A 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER. I HAVE A CEDAR CREEK 5TH WHEEL MODEL YEAR 2003, MANUFACTURED 11.02, MODEL # 30RLBS. THE TRAILER HAS 5200# AXLES MANUFACTURED BY AL-KOBER AND THEY ARE CAUSING EXTREME TIRE WEAR ON THE INSIDE EDGES OF THE TIRES. HAVE SPOKEN TO AL-KO AND THEY DENY ANY PROBLEMS BUT IT HAS BEEN DETAILED ON QUITE A FEW WEB SITES THAT THEY HAD A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND THAT THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM IS RAPID WEAR ON THE INSIDE EDGES OF TIRES CAUSING BLOW OUTS AND DAMAGE AND SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO THESE DEFECTS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO CEDAR CREEK, STEVE HICKS, AND HE AGREES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAS SENT ME REPLACEMENT AXLES NO CHARGE BUT I THINK THAT AL-KOBER SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND FORCED TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED COMPONENTS AND REPLACE THE TIRED DAMAGED BY THIS DEFECT AND POSSIBLY CAUSING MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES. I STILL HAVE THE OLD AXLES AND THE TIRES ARE STILL ON THE TRAILER AS I ONLY MAKE 1 MAJOR TRIP EACH YEAR, PUTTING LESS THAN 3,000 MILES EACH YEAR ON UNIT. *TR

WHILE TOWING THE 2000 CAMPER IN AUGUST 2006 A CARLISLE TIRE ST175/80R13 WHICH CAME WITH THE TRAILER HAD NO NOTICEABLE TREAD WEAR OR SIDEWALL BLEMISHES AND WAS PROPERLY INFLATE BLEW OUT AND TORE THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL. I REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE BEING USED FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLY TO HAVE THAT ALSO BLOW OUT ON JULY 9 2007. I REPLACED THESE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND AND REPAIRED THE WHEEL WELL. *AK

FRAME CRACKS IN HITCH PIN BOX OF 5TH WHEEL TRAILER, TRANSPORT CANADA INSPECTION REPORT SAID THIS UNIT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON HIGHWAY. *AK