FOREST RIVER Complaints

Two of the Frame Bolts underneath the front of our E-Pro 19FBS camper are partly rusted and missing a nut (one on driver side and one on passenger side). The bolt on the passenger side is out of the metal frame hole it should be in, and the metal frame is slightly bent. Both bolts are at a slight angle. The other 10 Frame Bolts are not visibly rusted and there is a nut on each one but a few are loose enough to twist off by hand. The others seem tight enough but we can’t be sure without knowing what torque number they should be tightened to. We double checked the Forest River owner’s manual but there is no mention of Frame Bolts in the 'maintenance' list or anywhere else. Also, there are no lock washers on the frame bolts to prevent self-loosening. This is surprising because it seems these frame bolts are the only thing holding the body of our camper to its frame. We have owned our camper a little over 3 years and we use it 3 to 5 times a year to travel short distances, all on main roads and major highways for camping only on paved or gravel leveled lots. We have never taken the camper off road or towed a heavy load. Our frame bolts should not be so loose that two bolt nuts fell off and a few can be twisted off by hand. We are reporting this Frame Bolt failure because it is something that can cause separation of the RV box from its frame while in motion. We routinely check everything on the camper but not everyone does unless there is a reason to. Maybe what we found is not a common issue but it is worth reporting because paying special attention to Frame Bolts during production (Forest River) , at point of sale (Dealership) and as part of routine maintenance (RV Owner) could save a life. We sent an email to Forest River yesterday describing the problem and requesting they cover the cost of repair. Nobody has inspected our camper except for us because we just discovered the issue last weekend during routine camper maintenance.

Docking Station Door Melting 2019 Forest River 34Mid Impression: Forest River and their infinite wisdom designed this model with the Docking Station (which is made of plastic) one inch above and directly above the hot water heater heat exhaust vent. Now we all know what heat does to plastic..... It melts it!!! When it was under warranty, they said they didn't understand why it would do this (This is where the dealers play the dumb act with you). So, you repeat yourself and it gets nowhere. Of course the dealer said they didn't design it and to call Forest River. And, of course Forest River said you need to take it up with the dealer. Everybody scratched their heads and replaced the melted plastic door with another plastic door. Wow! Now that's smart! The replacement door has, of course, melted, too. This seems like a major safety concern to have something melting and possibly could catch fire if it gets hot enough. I ask, how did this design get through and be built in the first place??? Where are the inspections on RVs to assure the safety of owners and users???

The contact owns a 2014 Forest River Sabre RV. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the RV became very unstable and difficult to control, while swaying from side to side. The RV was taken to the local RV service center who examined the RV and diagnosed that the crossmembers were faulty. The RV was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Forest River Freedom Express equipped with Castle Rock ST Tires, Tire Line: Radial ST226, Tire Size: 205/75/R14, DOT Number: JUJTYMT0918. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the front passenger’s side tire had a blowout and the tire disintegrated. The contact stated that the tread separated from the tire leaving the sidewalls on the rim. The contact replaced the tire with a spare and proceeded driving on the highway. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side tire also had a blowout, with a large hole on the sidewall. The contact had not notified the manufacturer. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

I bought a Forest River Gray Wolf 26DBHBL on April 4th 2022 from Camping World in Anthony, TX. Both of the back right brakes locked up on us 100 miles from home on only our second camping trip with the camper. When we took off and opened the brake drum, the brakes were broken apart. Springs were off and adjusting bolts were bent and stripped, among other parts that were broken off. There was almost no oil inside the drum cap. We checked the left side and the brakes were very loose. None of the brakes were ever adjusted. This could have caused a very bad accident at a high rate of speed as the brakes could have locked on us then. I bought a new camper thinking it was safe and worry free so that we could travel with my one year old. The camper is now back at the dealer we bought it from. There was no warning other than a loud noise coming from the brakes. The camper had to be towed without brakes to the dealer.

These campers have under rated ply tires. The tires should have a higher ply rating then what they come with. I had 5 tires blow out while the camper wasn't even full. I've tried to discuss this with Forest River and they basically said they don't care. The 14" 8 ply tire is under rated for the weight of the camper. This does cause unsafe issues on the highway. It could cause accidents, serious injuries or worse

Shortly after purchasing our RV, we noticed one of the trailer exterior doors would not stay closed. We inspected the rig and saw what looked like a small rubber seam separation. Called ins and filed a claim but they said keep moving and keep an eye on it as it was a small separation. The trailer was back on the road about 30 miles when my Husband noticed it sagging and almost resting on our truck bed. We pulled over to see if we were imagining such an issue and found that the rig had literally separated from the frame. The bottom almost out of the master, the master closet crumbled the steps up to the room became dislodged. It became completely un-towable & could have resulted in a horrible outcome had my Husband not looked back to see where the trailer was sitting in comparison to our truck. This was deemed totaled by our insurance company & NOT covered due to no collision or natural disaster!

The contact owns a 2019 Forest River Sunseeker RV. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine service it was discovered that the rooftop solar panel was no longer attached to the vehicle. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the panel was missing and possibly detached while the vehicle was being driven on the highway. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 16,115.

The contact owns a 2018 Forest River Wildwood RV equipped with Castlerock ST Tires, Tire Line: Radial ST 226, Tire Size: 225/75/R15, DOT Number: JULT-1MT2617. The contact stated while driving approximately 63 MPH, the rear driver's side tire deflated and became completely flat. The contact was able to pull over safely and replace the flat tire with the spare tire himself. The contact stated that the tire was original equipment. The approximate tire and vehicle failure mileage was 3,000. Additional information, right tire spontaneously blew out while parked in my driveway. Unlike the reported tire which was torn to shreds when the blowout occurred on the highway. VIN is invalid.

Recently purchased a 2022 Forest River Cherokee Greywolf. After numerous individuals warned us on a social media group that the undercarriage bolts that mount the RV box to the frame of the trailer are loose. I checked and noticed that every single bolt was loose. Had I not tightened the bolts down and had I not known them the RV box could have come loose or worse, fallen off the frame of the trailer, causing injury or death to motorists