FOREST RIVER Complaints

Our 2021 Forest River FR3 34DS is built on the 2020 Ford F53 V8 chassis. When bringing the RV in for other service, the Ford dealer noticed that one of the bolts was missing from the rear sway bar. Further inspection showed that the coupling used to attach the sway bar was seriously deformed. This had a negative impact on the steering/handling of the RV in windy weather and when being passed by semis, RVs, and local delivery box trucks. We had to wait about a month for the parts to come in and be installed. A quick google will show this is a wide-spread problem across multiple brands of RVs that are built on the F53 chassis. This seems like either a design issue or a need to torque those bolts to a specific value.

Our 2021 Forest River FR3 34DS is built on the 2020 Ford F53 Chassis with the V8 engine. Our unit was recalled for potentially insufficient axle lubricant. After Ford replaced the bearings, our anti-skid, ABS, and cruise-control stopped working with indicators showing that on the dash. The Ford dealer believes the problem is with the tone ring. It has been several months and the Ford dealer is unable to obtain a tone-ring. Meanwhile, the RV continues not to have these important safety features.

2021 CEDAR CREEK RV. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO WARRANTY ISSUES. THE CONSUMER STATED UPON PICKUP OF THE VEHICLE AFTER PURCHASE, IT EXPERIENCED SOME WARRANTY ISSUES. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE OWNER SEVERAL MONTHS LATER. AFTER ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS THE CONSUMER WAS OFFERED AN IDENTICAL REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. THE DEALER DID NOT HONOR THE REPLACEMENT AND STATED THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER RETURNED THE VEHICLE WITH BEDROOM SLIDE STILL UNREPAIRED. THE SLIDE NEARLY FELL OUT OF THE RV. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE ISSUES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LEVEL AND OPEN THE SLIDES AS THE POWER WOULD CONTINUOSLY SHUT DOWN THE CONTROL SCREEN. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS AN ODOR THAT TURNED OUT TO BE BATTERY ACID. THE BATTERIES WERE SMOKING AND COULD BE SMELLED FROM 1000 YARDS AWAY. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER WAS MAD AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO BUY THE VEHICLE BACK IF, THE CONSUMER SIGNED WAIVER NOT TO REPORT THE INCIDENTS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THE VEHICLE BE BOUGHT BACK IN FULL.

The contact owns a 2019 Forest River Flagstaff Micro Lite equipped with Lionshead Tires, Tire Line: Castle Rock, Tire Size: 205/75/R14, DOT number: UJTYMT418. The contact stated that while driving 40-55 MPH, the driver's side rear tire went flat. The tire pressure monitoring system was beeping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the tread was separating. The tire was replaced however while driving at an undisclosed speed the TPMS was beeping and the driver heard an abnormal sound. The contact pulled over and noticed that the passenger’s side rear tire was flat. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the passenger’s side front tire went flat. The manufacturer was not contacted. The tire failure mileage was approximately 700.

The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Sandpiper. The contact stated that the interior lights would flicker on and off. The contact also stated that they detected a burning odor that would emit from the circuit board. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated in relation to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice to have the circuit board replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that unknown black soot had developed on the contact's clothes and the appliances inside the trailer. The RV was taken back to the dealer where they could not find the cause of the soot. The RV was then taken to the manufacturer for further testing and after several additional months of testing, the manufacturer sent an email that informed the contact that mold was discovered inside the RV. The manufacturer had been called several times about the matter but the contact had yet to receive an update. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 0. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2022 Forest River Salem Trailer equipped with a Tongue Jack. The contact stated as he was cranking on the tongue jack, the jack failed and dropped 9 inches, causing the front of the trailer to collapse as well. The contact stated that the name of the manufacturer of the tongue jack was not available. Additionally, the model name and serial number were also not available. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that he replaced the defective tongue jack with a new tongue jack that he purchased from the store. The tongue jack was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Forest River Economy Hauler. The contact stated that the front and rear passenger’s side spindle had broken off the trailer while driving at various speeds without warning on two separate occasions. On each occasion, the contact had the trailer towed to an independent mechanic where he had both axles replaced. The manufacturer was notified of each failure soon after it occurred. The first time, the manufacturer offered no assistance with the failure; the second time, the manufacturer informed him to send the defective axles for an investigation. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

The vehicle sidewall has separated from the frame. Approx 4 feet of the passenger frontside, from the front to the door. This has caused a gap between the floorboard and sidewall. It has also caused the entrance steps to move out of alignment. While driving down a highway, we heard two loud pops. Upon arriving at our campsite, we noticed the damage to the motorhome. An online search revealed this to be a common problem with Forest River motorhomes as they use self tapping screws to attach the sidewall to the frame.

The contact owns a 2020 FOREST RIVER Cherokee equipped with Castle Rock Radial ST22, Size: 205/75/r14 DOT Number: JUJTYMT2418. The contact stated while at a standstill the passenger front tire exploded without warning. The manufacturer was informed of failure and the contact is awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350 hauling a 2017 Forest River Vengeance 381L12-6 travel trailer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact depressed on the brake pedal but only the vehicle's brakes were engaged. The travel trailer electric brakes had failed and the "Error - Trailer Wiring Fault" warning message was illuminated. The travel trailer was pushing the vehicle forward when the contact attempted to stop the vehicle. The travel trailer brake manufacturer Dexter, was made aware of the failure and informed the contact the recommended electric brake trailer axle wiring was not installed by Forest River. The minimum recommendation for the electric brake trailer axle wiring is 10 gauge or the preferred 8 gauge. However, Forest River had installed the 12-gauge. The travel trailer was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer Forest River, were not made aware of the failure.