FOREST RIVER Complaints

DT: CONTACT STATES WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND TIRE BLEW OUT ON THE RIGHT REAR, CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE SHEET METAL STRUCTURE AROUND THE TIRE AREA. THE SECOND TIRE BLEW OUT ON THE LEFT REAR WHILE GOING APPROX.IMATELY 60 MPH. ALSO CAUSED THE SAME DAMAGE AS THE FIRST BLOW OUT. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER IS KENDA-CLEVER A-P; TIRE:#LT235/85R16;

RETURNING HOME FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE VACATION AND WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 60 MPH WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD THUD AND LOOKED IN THE SIDE MIRROR AND SAW THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE CAP BLEW OFF THE TIRE AND RIPPED OFF OUR FOREST RIVER 36CKSS 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILERS FENDER SKIRT AND DAMAGED THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF TRAILER. ALL 4 TIRES PLUS THE SPARE WERE NEW ON OUR 2002 TRAVEL TRAILER, THEY HAD LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON THEM. THIS TIRE THAT BLEW NEVER WENT FLAT. THIS IS ONLY THE 2ND TRIP THIS CAMPER MADE SINCE NEW. TIRE MODEL INFORMATION: CARLISLE ALL COUNTRY RADIAL A/S, LT235/85R16 , DOT HN13001 AD4L WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER CARLISLE TIRE TO SEE WHAT THEY WILL DO FOR US. IT SEEMS THAT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS TIRE COMPANY, THEY HAVE FAR TOO MANY ISSUES WITH THEIR TIRES BLOWING APART THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES THIS TIME, THANK GOD, JUST A GOOD BIT OF DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER WHICH I AM SURE I WILL GET NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR. I DON'T REALLY WANT TO REPLACE THIS TIRE WITH ANOTHER OF THEIRS. I THINK THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AND WE AS CONSUMERS SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF THOSE TIRES SO THAT WE MAY MAKE THE DECISION OF PURCHASING A MORE RELIABLE TIRE.

WE PURCHASED A ROCKWOOD ROO IN FEB 2004. IT HAD CARLISLE TIRES ON IT. LAST YEAR WE TRAVELLED ABOUT 5000 MILES. FIRST TIME OUT THIS YEAR IN ONE TRIP, WE HAD 3 BLOWOUTS. WE PURCHASED TWO TIRES ON THE FIRST SESSION, WHERE WE BLEW 2 TIRES AND WAS LEFT WITH NO SPARE. THE FIRST TIRE STORE HAPPENED TO ONLY SELL CARLISLE TIRES. THE SECOND ROUND WAS IN ANOTHER STATE AND WE PURCHASED ANOTHER BRAND. AFTER GETTING HOME, WE FIND THE CARLISLE WILL NOT HONOR A WARRANTY SINCE WE COULD NOT BRING HOME THE THREE BLOWN TIRES. (LIMITED SPACE WHILE CAMPING TO KEEP TRASHED TIRES). WE HAVE RESEARCHED CAMPING FORUMS AND FIND OUT THE CARLISLE TIRES ARE DESTINED TO BLOW IN AS LITTLE AS 6 MONTHS FROM MANUFACTURE DATE. NOW WE FEEL WE HAVE TO THROW AWAY 3 BRAND NEW TIRES (SPARE AND TWO WE PURCHASED) BEFORE WE CAN DARE HEAD ON ANOTHER TRIP. WE SEEM TO HAVE NO RECOURSE AND SOMEHOW THIS SEEMS SO DANGEROUS AND UNFAIR. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER, THEY COMPLETELY IGNORED THE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE.

DT: THIS TRAILER IS MANUFACTURED BY FOREST RIVER CORPORATION. THIS IS FROM THE CALIFORNIA DIVISION. IT IS A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. THE DOT STICKER DOES NOT MATCH THE EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS THE TIRES AND AXLES ON TRAILER. THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS ON TRAILER DOES NOT MEET THE DOT STICKER REQUIREMENTS FOR WEIGHT AND SIZE AS LABELED ON THE TRAILER. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND THEY OFFERED NO REMEDY OR REASONS AS TO WHY THIS . THEY ADMITTED THIS MUST BE MISLABELED. DUE TO THIS PROBLEM CONSUMER ENCOUNTERED TIRE AND SUSPENSION FAILURES, AND FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY PROBLEM. WENT THROUGH 3 OUT OF 6 TIRES IN LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. *AK

ON APRIL 18, 2005 I PICKED UP MY CAR TRAILER FROM THE DEALER. I BEGAN TOWING MY TRAILER HOME AND NOTICED AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY WITH THE WAY IT WAS TOWING. I PROCEEDED TOWARDS MY HOUSE AND SLOWED WAY DOWN. I CONTINUED TRAVELING AND THE TRAILER CONTINUED TO SWAY. I WRECKED THE TRAILER SHORTLY BEFORE I GOT HOME WITH IT. I IMMEDIATELY HAD THE TRAILER TAKEN TO A REPAIR FACILITY TO BE MEASURED FOR IMPROPRIETIES TO WHICH THEY FOUND MANY PROBLEMS. I CONSULTED MIKE OF TEAM SPIRIT TO WHICH HE INSTRUCTED ME THAT THEY DID NOT USE THOSE PARTICULAR MEASUREMENTS. HE SAID THEY MEASURED FROM THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL TO THE CENTER OF THE OTHER WHEEL AND HE GUARANTEED TO ME THAT THESE MEASUREMENTS WOULD BE CORRECT. I IMMEDIATELY HAD THESE MEASUREMENTS TAKEN AND I CONTACTED MIKE AGAIN. I INFORMED HIM THAT THESE MEASUREMENTS WERE 1/2" OFF AND I ASKED HIM WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. HE SAID THE AXLES NEED TO BE PROPERLY PLACED AND TOLD ME THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS TRYING TO PUT THE BLAME ON HIM. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT HIS ATTORNEY WITH ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. I CONTACTED HIM A FEW DAYS LATER FOR THE NAME OF HIS ATTORNEY. I AM NOT SATISFIED THAT THIS TRAILER IS SAFE AND THAT CAN BE EASILY REPAIRED. I HAVE BEEN MISLED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THIS TRAILER AND COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED BY THE MANUFACTURERS CARELESSNESS. THE TRAILER IS MANUFACTURED BY TEAM SPIRIT OF ELKHART, INC. 56616 ELK PARK DRIVE, ELKHART, IN 46516 (574) 266-2966 MODEL NO:TSCE-10222T2

I PURCHASED A 2005 LEXINGTON MOTORHOME FROM A DEALER IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA WHICH WAS MANUFACTOURED BY FOREST RIVE, INC. I STARTED A TRIP AROUND THE COUNTRY AND SHORTLY INTO MY TRIP I DISCOVERED THAT APPARENTLY DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT, UNDER THE MOTORHOME SLIDEOUT 4 HOLES ALLOW CARBON MONOXIDE INTO THE CABIN. AT FIRST THE CARBON MONOXIDE CAME FROM THE GENERATOR EXHAUST BUT LATER WE DISCOVERED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE PARKED NEXT TO THE MOTORHOME ALSO PRESENTED A PROBLEM. MEASURMENTS OF OVER 450PPM WHERE REGISTERED ON THE CO2 ALARM. I ENDED UP IN EMERGENCY TWICE AND HAD THREE EXPOSURES AND CONFIRMED POISONINGS OF CARBON MONOXIDE. FOREST RIVER INC. MANUFACTURED THE MOTORHOME AND HAS YET BEEN WILLING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR MY CO ALARM, I FEEL I WOULD BE DEAD TODAY. THE FACTORY (OF COURSE) DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR DESIGN. BECAUSE OF THIS LIFE THREATENING DEFECT, I AM NOT MORALLY ABLE TO SELL THIS MOTORHOME AS IT IS A DEATH TRAP. I FEEL THE FACTORY HAS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO NOTIFY THE OWNERS OF THE MANY MODELS THAT USE THIS SLIDEOUT DESIGN IN THEIR MOTORHOME OF THIS POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE DOES DIE OR SUFFERS SERIOUS DAMAGE FROM THIS VERY DANGEROUS POISION. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURE APPARENTLY DID NOT DO THE FORD RECOMMENDED ALIGNMENT OF THE BODY AFTER BUILDING THE MOTORHOME AND THE VEHICLE WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I WAS HOWEVER ABLE TO GET A FORD DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR THE SAFETY PROBLEM.

WHILE TOWING TRAILER OUT OF THE DESERT, THE TONGUE OF THE TRAILER BENT TO A 45 DEGREE ANGLE CAUSING THE TRAILER TO DROP DOWN AND CAUSED THE PROPANE BOTTLES TO CRACK AND THE GAS STARTED TO LEAK. *NM THE JACKSTANDS BROKE UNDERNEATH AND THE FRONT OF TRAILER GOT STUCK IN THE SAND. *BF *NM

I PURCHASED A 2005 MOTORHOME FROM A DEALER IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. I STARTED A TRIP AROUND THE COUNTRY AND SHORTLY INTO MY TRIP I DISCOVERED THAT APPARENTLY DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT, UNDER THE MOTORHOME SLIDEOUT 4 HOLES ALLOW CARBON MONOXIDE INTO THE CABIN. AT FIRST THE CARBON MONOXIDE CAME FROM THE GENERATOR EXHAUST BUT LATER WE DISCOVERED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE PARKED NEXT TO THE MOTORHOME ALSO PRESENTED A PROBLEM. MEASUREMENTS OF OVER 450PPM WHERE REGISTERED ON THE CO2 ALARM. I ENDED UP IN EMERGENCY TWICE AND HAD THREE EXPOSURES AND CONFIRMED POISONING OF CARBON MONOXIDE. FOREST RIVER INC. MANUFACTURED THE MOTORHOME AND HAS YET BEEN WILLING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR MY CO ALARM, I FEEL I WOULD BE DEAD TODAY. THE FACTORY (OF COURSE) DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR DESIGN. BECAUSE OF THIS LIFE THREATENING DEFECT, I AM NOT MORALLY ABLE TO SELL THIS MOTORHOME AS IT IS A DEATH TRAP. DOES SOMEONE ACTUALLY NEED TO DIE FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM? I FEEL THE FACTORY HAS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO NOTIFY THE OWNERS OF THE MANY MODELS THAT USE THIS SLIDEOUT DESIGN IN THEIR MOTORHOME OF THIS POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE DOES DIE OR SUFFERS SERIOUS DAMAGE FROM THIS VERY DANGEROUS POISON. *JB

WHILE TRAVELING 1200 MILES TIRES CONTINUOUSLY BLEW OUT. CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE FRAME CRACKED, AND THE AXLE WAS GOING SIDE WAYS. *AK THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS TO LIGHT, WEARING OUT THE SPRING HANGERS, FLATTENING THE SPRINGS, ALLOWING THE FRAME TO CARRY THE LOAD ON JUST THE TIRES WHICH WERE UNDERRATED. ON ONE OCCASION THE TIRE BLEWOUT DAMAGING WATER LINES UNDER THE TRAILER. ALL THIS IN UNDER 5000 MILES ON THE TRAILER (FOREST RIVER F37SP FIFTH WHEEL 2004). *BF *NM *NM

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A TRIP IN THE MOJAVE DESERT AND STOPPED FOR FUEL AT HWY 395 AND HWY 58 INTERSECTION. I NOTICED THAT ONE OF MY TRAILER TIRES HAD NO TREAD LEFT ON IT AND THAT THE OTHER ONE WAS STARTING TO WEAR VERY BADLY ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE. IT WAS THE RIGHT REAR TIRE THAT LOST ITS TREAD AND WAS LOOSING AIR AND IT WAS PUTTING EXCESSIVE STRESS ON THE ONE GOOD TIRE. IT CAUSED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE GOOD TIRE. I REPLACED THE BAD TIRE WITH THE SPARE AND MADE IT HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THE TRAILER MANUFACTURE, FOREST RIVER, WAS AWARE THAT THE AXLES THEY PUT UNDER MY TRAILER WERE NOT SUFFICENT ENOUGH FOR A FULLY LOADED TRAILER. I WAS TOLD BY THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON IT BUT THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE AXLES WITH A HEAVIER PAYLOAD AXLE FOR $500. THE SAME MODEL OF MY TRAILER NOW COMES STANDARD WITH THESE HEAVIER AXLES AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT. THE MODEL OF MY TRAILER, WHICH IS A 37' SIERRA, WAS NOT LISTED SO I USED ONE THAT THE MANUFACTURE MAKES UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME.