FOREST RIVER Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE 4 BLOW OUTS ON THE TRAILER. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER PUT TIRES ON THE TRAILER THAT WERE NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TH HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER, AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A BIGGER SIZE TIRE. THE CONTACT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY HAV ENOT RETURNED THE CALL. *AK

2003 CARGO MATE CARGO TRAILER MANUFACTURED BY FOREST RIVER. MODEL GACM718TA2, GCVW 7,000 LBS., DOUBLE AXLE WITH ELECTRIC BRAKES. SERIAL # [XXX] [XXX]. MANUFACTURED 03/2003 ELECTRIC WIRING FOR BRAKES ONLY GOES TO LEFT SIDE BRAKES. WIRING FOR BRAKES ON RIGHT SIDE WAS NEVER HOOKED UP. *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT MY FOREST RIVER SANDPIPER 5TH WHEEL RV TRAILER I HAD FOUND THAT THE DOOR FRAME TO THE ENTRANCE DOOR WAS CRACKING. I TOOK THE RV BACK TO THE DEALER, FAMILY FUN RV, FOR INSPECTION AND WARRANTY REPAIR. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD ORDERED ME A NEW DOOR AND FRAME. SOON AFTER, WITHOUT CONTACTING ME, THE DEALER WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND HAD NOT REPAIRED THE DOOR. IN JULY OF 2005, WHILE TRAVELING TO NEW MEXICO, I HAD NOTICED THAT THE BODY OF THE RV APPEARED TO BE BENDING IN THE MIDDLE. WHEN I RETURNED FROM MY TRIP ON 7/24/05, I CONTACTED FOREST RIVER WARRANTY DEPARTMENT. THEY ADVISED THIS WAS A CHASSIS ISSUE WITH THE COMPANY THAT BUILT THE CHASSIS AND THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. HE SAID THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE ONE OF THE ANCHOR BOLTS APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN AND THAT HE HAD SEEN THE HAPPEN BEFORE. HE ADVISED ME TO SEND HIM PHOTOS TO [email protected] AND THE WOULD CONTACT THE CHASSIS DEALER AND LET ME KNOW WHAT COULD BE DONE. AFTER SENDING SEVERAL E-MAILS WITH NO FURTHER RESPONSE, I CALLED AGAIN ON AUG 3, 2005. THE FOREST RIVER WARRANTY REP ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD TALKED WITH HIS SUPERVISOR AND HE WOULD NEED MORE PHOTOS OF THE REAR AND UNDERSIDE OF THE RV. I SENT THE PHOTOS TODAY AS I HAD TO WAIT TILL I WAS HOME DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS TO TAKE THE PHOTOS. I AM AWAITING A RESPONSE TO MY CLAIM. THIS APPEARS TO BE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS APPARENTLY AN ISSUE WHEN I FOUND THE CRACKS IN THE DOOR FRAME RIGHT AFTER I PURCHASED THE RV. *NM

DT: 2005, FORREST RIVER WORK AND PLAY 5TH WHEEL. CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH FOUR TIRES. THREE BLEW OUT BOTH ON THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL. ON THE FOURTH TIRE THE TREAD CAME OFF. CARLISLE TIRES, ST235/85R16. THEY BLEW OUT AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ON THE TRAILER. CONSUMER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MANUFACTURER. ON JULY 31, 2005, THE TRAILER GOT OFF THE ROAD SWIFTLY. THIS FORCED THE VEHICLE INTO THE DITCH AND THE BED OF THE TRUCK WAS DAMAGED.*AK

(2) TIRES FAILED WITHIN 50 MILES OF MY HOME, CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO MY RV. *NM

WE TOOK OUR VACATION THIS YEAR AND WENT TO CANADA. WHEN I SET UP OUR CAMPER, I NOTICED WE HAD A TIRE WITH A BULGE IN THE SIDE WALL. WE DID FIND A DEALER IN CANADA THAT HANDEDE THESE TIRES AND GOT IT REPLACED. THE DEALER TOLD US THAT CARLSLILE HAD LOTS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES WE HAD ON OUR CAMPER. SO THEY REPLACED THE BAD ONE, FOR A CHARGE. WHILE WE WERE ON THE WAY HOME WE HAD A DIFFERENT TIRE SEPERATE BLOW OUT CAUSING OVER $1500.00 IN DAMAGE TO OUR CAMPER, AND ALMOST PUT US IN THE DITCH ALL TOGATHER. WHEN WE CALLED IN FOR OUR ROAD HAZARD POLICY, THEY SUGGESTED WE REMOVE ALL THE CARLISLE TIRES DUE TO MANY ISSUES SIMILAR AS OURS. I CONTACTED CARLISLE TIRE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING FOR US, AND I WAS TOLD THEY ONLY OFFER A 2 YEAR WARRANTEE ON THEIR TIRES FROM THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE, AND COULD NOT HELP ME. THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS IS THAT WHEN WE PURCHASED OUR BRAND NEW CAMPR IN JULY 2001 THE TIRES WERE ALREADY 20 MONTHS OLD. THIS MEANS THAT THEY ARE KNOWINGLY PUTTING UNSAFE TIRES ON RV TRAILERS THAT THEY DONT HAVE TO DEAL WITH. I FEEL THIS IS WRONG TO ALLOW THIS AND FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON ALL OF THE 225X75X15 TIRES, AND THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL DAMAGES, NOT OUR INSURANCE COMPANY AND MYSELF.

DT: WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HAD A BLOWOUT AT 55 MPH ON TURNPIKE. THIS HAPPENED ON THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TIRE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE MOTORHOME. TOOK THE TIRE TO A GOODYEAR DEALER, WHO SAID CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW TIRE, AND THEY WOULD TAKE THE BLOWN OUT TIRE AND SEND IT TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR INSPECTION BY AN ENGINEER. IF THERE WAS A DEFECT THEY WOULD REIMBURSE CONSUMER. THE CONSUMER DECIDED TO TAKE TIRE TO DEALER FROM WHERE RV WAS PURCHASED, AND THE DEALER REPLACED TIRE FREE OF CHARGE. LATER AT HOME, CONSUMER NOTED A BUBBLE/BLISTER ON THE LEFT FRONT INSIDE TIRE, AND RETURNED TO DEALER, WHO AGAIN REPLACED TIRE. HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS FEARFUL THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN CONSIDERING THE REMAINING TIRES ARE THE SAME BRAND. THESE 2 FAILURES OCCURRED WHEN THE TIRES HAD ABOUT 200 MILES ON THEM. 1993, GOODYEAR G670 RV UNISTEEL, TIRE SIZE IS 245/70/R19.5, THIS OCCURRED ON A FOREST RIVER INC, MODEL : GEORGETOWN RV MOTORHOME. *AK

I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY 5TH WHEEL TRAILER ON I-37 BETWEEN CORPUS CHRISTI, TX. AND SAN ANTONIO, TX. WHEN ONE OFTHE CARLISLE ST205/75R15 TIRES BLEW ON THE 5TH WHEEL. THE TIRES WERE INFLATED TO SPECIFICATION(50 PSI/COLD) BEFORE STARTING THE TRIP HOME FROM CORPUS CHRISTI. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO TRAILER. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY. THIS WAS ON 3/24/05. I WAS TRAVELING AT 65 MPH AT THE TIME. CARLISLE TIRE CO. REPLACED TIRE FREE OF CHARGE AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. ON 6/20/05 WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH KANSAS CITY, MO. ON I-435 THE SAME THING HAPPENED, ANOTHER BLOWN CARLISLE ST205/75R15 TIRE. THIS TIME THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE 5TH WHEEL, ABOUT $300 WORTH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH AT THE TIME. I DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR OF THE CARLISLE TIRES WITH A MORE RELIABLE BRAND RATHER THAN TAKE A CHANCE ON ANOTHER BLOWN CARLISLE TIRE. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS 50 PSI/COLD WHEN I STARTED ON THE TRIP. I HAVE ALSO READ AND HEARD OF PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CARLISLE TRAILER TIRES. THE 5TH WHEEL IS A 2004 ROCKWOOD BY FOREST RIVER MODEL F8285SS PULLED WITH A CHEVY 2500HD DURAMAX 4X4.

I PURCHASED A 2004 FOREST RIVER, FLAGSTAFF 26DL TRAVEL TRAILER IN JULY 2003. IT CAME EQUIPPED WITH 5 CARLISLE ST205/75R14 LOAD RANGE C TIRES. I HAVE PROPERLY MAINTAINED TIRE PRESSURE AND HAVE NEVER EXCEEDED THE TRAILER'S LISTED GVW. FROM 3000 TO ABOUT 3500 MILES I HAVE EXPERIENCED 3 CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUTS. EACH FAILURE WAS IDENTICLE IN APPEARANCE. I RECENTLY READ IN A TRAILER PERIODICAL THAT CARLISLE HAS HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE AND WAS BEING VERY COOPERATIVE WITH CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. THIS IS ALL WELL AND GOOD BUT IS NOT ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR INJURED.IT IS A NERVOUS EXPERIENCE IN AN AUTO WITH A BLOWOUT BUT IS MORE THAN CHILLING WHEN IT HAPPENS IN A 6000 POUND VEHICLE HOOKED BEHIND YOU!

DT: THE VEHICLE IS BOWING BECAUSE THE MSO IS 7575 AND THE GVW IS 16110. MANUFACTURER SAYS THAT THE TRAILER IS WITHIN THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS, AND THEY WONT REPAIR IT. DEALER REQUESTED CALCULATIONS, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WON'T GIVE THEM UP. MANUFACTURER ADMITTED THAT THE UPRIGHT POST SHOULD BE HEAVIER, THE TRAILER TOP RAIL SHOULD BE HEAVIER. THIS TRAILER IS USED TO TRANSPORT A RACE CAR AND TOOLS. THE LENGTH IS 48 FEET, AND THE WIDTH IS 102 WIDE. HEIGHT IS 8'8". OWNER REPORTED THAT THE SIDES WERE BOWING ,AND THEN IT WAS SENT TO FACTORY, AFTER REPAIRS THE SIDES BOWED AGAIN. US CARGO IS THE MANUFACTURER, OWNER BY FOREST RIVER INC. US CARGO PHONE NUMBER IS 1-888-565-9190.*AK