FOREST RIVER Complaints

The contact owns a 2022 Forest River Grey Wolf 19SM travel trailer. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, the brake safety switch inadvertently activated and a burning odor was detected. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the brakes were extremely hot and had melted the brake wiring. The RV was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2019 Forest River Rockwood RV equipped with four Castrock ST tires, tire size: 205/75/14, and DOT JUJTYMT DOM16/18. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds while towing the RV, the RV was unstable. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the two rear passenger side tires had become out of round and one of the rear driver side tires had also become out of round. The cause of the failure was not determined. The faulty tires were replaced. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 5,000.

1 tire blew, 2 tires with Bulges QR25-ts ast235/18r16- 3 tires available for inspection. Tire that blew on a winding uphill with no pullout for about 1 mile draging the rim with sparks and smoke no reproduction of my knowledge, only contacted manufacturer. no insurance no warning RV was used minimally due to Covid and other medical issues. We were lucky and found the two other bulge issue, on two separate occasions prior to the tires blowing

A structural design failure has occurred on the short wall on the slide out side of the model 179 camper. The support installation at the time of manufacturer is insufficient. The company has offered to send additional supports for the owner to install. This is of no help once the failure has occurred. The company is aware of the problem and design failure and have discontinued this model. I have included photos of the damage caused both inside and out.

one of the four castle rock st205/75r14 tires mounted on my trailer blew out while driving down the highway at 55 mph. fortunately i have a dual axle trailer so the loss of one of the tires was not catastrophic. the tire that blew out was the front tire on the right side of the trailer. It looks like a belt separated and the ire blew around the circumference. I have the tire available for inspection, but intend to pursue a warranty claim for replacement with the rv manufacturer that may result in surrender of the tire. With only one tire in service on that side I felt that we were in danger of having or causing an accident. Although this happened on a highway with limited shoulders we were able to stop quickly along the side of the road and install a spare. I check the tires each morning before travelling and found the pressures correct and no signs of potential failure.

Multiple Tires: On highway travelling 55 - 60 mph when the tire blew on trailer. Tread went flying onto highway and damaged the underneath and side of the trailer. We checked tire pressure before we left on our short trip. Tires had minimal usage (estimated 1500 miles total). This was the worst one but on same trip another tire failed where tread separated from tire on 7/29/22. I have included photos of both and spare on trailer now with indicative info. The first flat however we were notified by passerby and were able to pull off highway and change the tire before any damage. Once we arrived home, my husband noticed another tire is warped. This is a total failure of these tires requiring all to be replaced. These tires should not be on the road. We are lucky nobody was hurt, injured or killed.

I just encountered an issue that could have been disastrous with our Rpod 177 travel trailer camper. The other day I happened to pull back the bed plywood and noticed that the propane hose and also 120 wire were chewed up from two long, sharp screws that hold some of the wood together by the water pump and go through into the bed frame/panel wood. The wire and hose are held together by cable ties attached to to bed frame to keep it away from heater I assume but as a result hold the bundle close to the screws. The rubbing from vibrations during travel nearly cut clear through the propane hose insulation and also cut the wire insulation. Considering the hose is right next to the heater this could have easily created a massive fire if it suddenly started to leak when the heater was on. I can't believe the manufacturer would use long screws in this area; they're extremely sharp and extend nearly an inch beyond the wood. I would imagine there are many other Rpod models with the same or similar layout that might have this issue.

3 wheels have had holes/cracks causing them to leak air. had a tire blow out which caused major damage to the rv

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request -Tire. -I will keep the tire until 11/1/22. I will also have the undamaged spare available of the same make and model if needed. This will accompany a separate report with nearly identical language for the other trailer tire that failed about 60 miles earlier. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -Tire failed on the interstate at Highway speed at 70MPH with a load pop sound, on an 86-degree, sunny, and dry day. The tire immediately delaminated all center tread between cap ply and center fabric belts. This sent debris, including wheel well components of the trailer, across multiple lanes of traffic. Thanks to high visibility and light traffic conditions surrounding vehicles slowed to avoid debris, tow vehicle, and trailer. An educated driver and a weight-distributing hitch recovered the trailer from the fishing condition in the adjacent lane. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -No. However, many trailer owners have complained on various forums dubbing this tire a "china bomb" Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? -Since the original travel trailer purchase from the dealer in 2020. All tires including the spare did not hold air as well as a typical car tire. We would typically we would need to add air 10-20 PSI before embarking on a trip, and needed about 40 psi at the start of the camping season. No active monitoring systems are present on the trailer. No leak locations were found on tread using the soap and water method, and no handling issues existed prior to failure. Tires inflated to Manufacture recommended pressure 65PSI before all departures.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request -Tire. -I will keep the tire until 11/1/22. I will also have the undamaged spare available of the same make and model if needed. This will accompany a separate report with nearly identical language for the other trailer tire that failed about 60 miles later. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -Tire failed on the interstate at Highway speed at 70MPH with a load pop sound, on an 86-degree, sunny, and dry day. The tire immediately delaminated all center tread between cap ply and center fabric belts. This sent debris, including wheel well components of the trailer, across multiple lanes of traffic. Thanks to high visibility and light traffic conditions surrounding vehicles slowed to avoid debris, tow vehicle, and trailer. An educated driver and a weight-distributing hitch recovered the trailer from the fishing condition in the adjacent lane. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -No. However, many trailer owners have complained on various forums dubbing this tire a "china bomb" Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? -Since the original travel trailer purchase from the dealer in 2020. All tires including the spare did not hold air as well as a typical car tire. We would typically we would need to add air 10-20 PSI before embarking on a trip, and needed about 40 psi at the start of the camping season. No active monitoring systems are present on the trailer. No leak locations were found on tread using the soap and water method, and no handling issues existed prior to failure. Tires inflated to Manufacture recommended pressure 65PSI before all departures.