FOREST RIVER Complaints

The contact owns a 2026 Forest River Campsite Reserve RV. The contact stated that after parking the trailer, the electrical system failed, causing the interior lights to flash while the water pump was turned on and the fan was inoperable. Additionally, the bedroom reading light had a cracked solder joint. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the battery cables were exposed and unprotected around the metal frame of the trailer. The trailer was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200.

The contact owns a 2026 Forest River Sabre RV. The contact stated that on several occasions, the main entry door failed to open while attempting to enter or exit the vehicle. During the most recent issue, the contact was trapped inside the camper and was unable to exit through the door. The contact forcefully pushed the door open, causing the tempered glass window to shatter. The contact believed that the failure had originated within the locking mechanism. The dealer was notified of the failure. The camper was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2025 Forest River Wildwood. The contact stated that the door on the trailer could be wiggled from the inside and was not properly secured to the trailer. The contact saw sawdust near the heating system after removing the propane service cover, and the water heater overheated. The front left side of the trailer was fractured due to the screws rusting and fracturing from water leaking into the trailer. The contact stated that there was water and wet surfaces near all the windows. The contact stated that the failure started since the trailer was purchased, placing it on land as a place of residency, and the trailer never moved afterwards. The trailer had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issues. The approximate failure mileage was 2.

*The black water tank of our 2024 Forest River NoBo 20.4 was found to be leaking. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the factory installed tank heating pad applied to our black water tank suffered a severe electrical and structural malfunction. The carbon fiber heating element inside the pad was found to be bent, concentrating heat to an extreme degree. The element experienced a high-resistance thermal event, melting completely through the protective heating pad and burning a hole directly through the structural plastic of the black water tank it was applied to. * This created a severe fire hazard for two individuals who had been using the travel trailer at the time of the finding. *This issue is consistent with current NHTSA recalls on this component. RV manufacturers like Grand Design and WInnegago have already issued urgent Federal safety recalls and "Do Not Drive" advisories on vehicles equipped with ThermaHeat pads due to high resistance and severe terminal overheating. *There were no warning lamps or advisories from control panels to indicate the issue and potential danger.

The contact owns a 2022 Forest River Salem RV. The contact stated that shortly after purchasing the vehicle, the power cord connecting the RV to the shore power outlet only powered a selected number of items, including the microwave. The contact stated that the battery system was unable to maintain power to the refrigerator or the freezer. Additionally, while attempting to disconnect or turn off the battery power to the refrigerator, the television shut off, despite being on a separate circuit. Upon further inspection, the contact discovered that the labels and markings on the fuse box were incorrect. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2024 Forest River Flagstaff. The contact stated that upon returning to the trailer, heavy white smoke filled the entire trailer. The contact cut the power to the RV and discovered that there was an internal fire within the control board. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the control board manufacturer for assistance. The contact called the manufacturer of the control board and agreed to have the control board replaced under warranty. The repair was performed by an RV mechanic. Recently, while in the bathroom of the RV, the contact smelled an electrical burning odor and immediately checked the control board and saw flames. The contact's wife immediately cut off the electricity to the RV and extinguished the flames with a dry hand towel. The RV was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

1. COMPONENT FAILED / AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION: Rear A/C and its electrical control box under the master bed failed completely on night one. The box suffered a severe thermal event (melted plastic odor, scorched components, with some smoke). The melted box and vehicle are available for inspection in my driveway. 2. SAFETY RISK: My husband and I were sleeping directly on top of the bed when the box beneath it began burning, creating an immediate fire and smoke-inhalation hazard while we slept. The vehicle's electrical breakers failed to trip and cut power before the component reached temperatures high enough to melt and smoke, indicating a catastrophic safety architecture failure. 3. CONFIRMED BY DEALER: Melted/burned box was photographed and sent to selling dealer (Alpin Haus). Service acknowledged photos and agreed it needed replacement. However, due to 12 weeks of dealer delays/communication failures, no teardown diagnostic occurred. We refuse to return the RV to them due to safety/competence concerns. 4. INSPECTED BY OTHERS: NO. Manufacturer (Forest River) has been notified via corporate letter, but no physical factory or official inspection has occurred as of today. 5. WARNINGS/SYMPTOMS: UNKNOWN. No warning lights or codes appeared. First symptom was waking up to plastic burning smell and light smoke under our bed.

Drivers side rear sway bar bracket missing. Can cause stability issues in evasive maneuvers to avoid an accident. Parts falling off vehicle can cause damage to other vehicles

The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Dynamax Isata 3 built on a 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 chassis. The contact stated that the TPMS was malfunctioning and failed to provide accurate readings for all tires, with the alarm sounding. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact became aware of Forest River Technical Service Bulletin: 55-1097. The contact stated that the manufacturer had previously failed to disclose that there was a TSB related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who advised the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall associated with the failure. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer had advised that the vehicle was not eligible for the TSB repair. The contact was advised that the repair was previously performed by the Mercedes-Benz manufacturer. The contact called a Mercedes-Benz dealer, who advised that the TSB repair was not completed by Mercedes-Benz because it was Forest River's responsibility. The contact returned to the Forest River dealer, who informed the contact that the manufacturer had approved the repair, but the wheel band sensors provided by the manufacturer were incompatible with the Mercedes-Benz Chassis. The dealer then took the RV to a tire repair shop, which had the same Forest River parts and confirmed that the parts were incompatible. The vehicle was taken to Laird Noller RV Supercenter (5332 NW 24th St, Topeka, KS 66618), who advised the contact that the compatible parts were available, but Forest River had denied coverage for the TPMS and new wheel band sensor installation. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 1.

The contact's son owns a 2016 Forest River VIBE Trailer. The contact stated that while the RV was parked, the son became aware that the tank cover underneath the trailer displayed an abnormal bulge. The son inspected the RV and noticed that the tanks underneath the trailer were excessively expanded. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The trailer was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.