FOREST RIVER Complaints

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 and was relating it to the converter box and the fuse box shorting out not allowing electrical components to function in the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer nor independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The failure mileage was unknown.

There were so many QC issues I can't even list here but I opened the back to find the microwave door open and hanging my one bent hinge with the other broken. Then my door started sticking and it got progressively worse. It then became apparent that the frame was separating from the walls creating a gap behind the door that continually got worse and was later evident across the entire rear of the trailer. I tried to get the dealer to look at this but they would not as it wasn't listed under their "Keep you Camping" policy. They even removed the wheels to repack the hubs and didn't catch the major issue right above the axle. SO, they ordered me a new microwave but wouldn't think about the root of these problems which were evidence of a bending and breaking frame. Frustrated with the dealer, I then contacted Forest River/Ibex warranty dept and sent pictures. I was told to take it to an authorized repair center. This center said the frame was broken, the trailer was not safe to tow further and should be totaled. It remains on their lot 2000 miles from my home. Ibex warranty turned this over to Lippert, the frame manufacturer, who sent out a mobile tech. His report mentioned evidence of "bouncing" or bottoming out which would create a crack on top of the frame. He stated "both gray and black water tanks are behind the axle one of them all the way back and must have been filled with water to cause this much damage." Since the black water valve was broken for 2 months and I couldn't use the toilet this was certainly not the case. Obviously, he thought weight behind the axle was a problem but failed to mention that Ibex placed their heavy refrigerator in the far back. Lippert denied the warranty claim so Ibex summarily did the same. Poor design, factory weight distribution issues, cheap thin materials and the shape of the roads in this country are all to blame, not me. A brand new 2021 trailer began breaking a month in and failed completely in less than 5 months.

The contact owns a 2012 Forest River Sandpiper. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, the passenger’s side wheels separated from the trailer. The vehicle was towed from the scene and diagnosed but was not repaired. The contact stated that the trailer axle label showed a 12,000 pounds weight capacity. The contact was concerned since the trailer’s dry weight was 12,000 pounds. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and was still awaiting a response. A failure mileage was not provided.

On the morning May 22nd, just 45 minutes after we left our home in Portland, our trailer burst into flames on 1-84 off exit 44 near Cascade Locks. It was inexplicable as to why this happened. It was a brand new trailer with less than 2k miles on it and purchased in December 2020. As you can see from the pictures, it was a total loss. We are filing this report to help protect others. We are a part of the forest river group and quality seems to be a concern. Demand for these vehicles have skyrocketed and many feel that QA has been downgraded in order to get these trailers to market.

I purchased a 2021 315Pack12 last Aug 2020 - Vin Number [XXX]. During some routine maintenance on 6/26/2021, I noticed that the factory had mounted a propane hose so that it was being pressed hard against a support bar on the underbody of the trailer. It was being held against the support bar by a propane splitter that was mounted to the underbody frame. The pointy part of the support bar was digging into the hose. (see pictures). Had this issue not been discovered it could have led to a serious propane leak and in worse case could have resulted in the trailer burning to the ground and/or possible personal injury. This is a very dangerous installation and I would suggest that all 315s (Forest River Toy haulers) be inspected for this issue. At this point I have corrected the issue myself by installing a ¾” spacer between the frame and the splitter (see pictures). However, the propane hose was compromised (see pictures). I have asked Forest River to have a dealer near me replace this hose ASAP. Forest River has not responded to my e-mails to date. ****The installation location is on the underbody right frame, approximately 21” in front of the right side forward tire. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Despite never being used, and always stored with a tire cover and proper inflation, this ~4 year old spare tire spontaneously developed a tread bulge. The bulge decreased in size, but still remained visible, after deflation and removal from the wheel. An air bubble exists between the inner liner and the casing.

completed emission modification work at dealer (OM624 Sprinter EMC#2). picked up car on June 18,2021. Took the car on a trip from Buffalo to Boston on June 21, when appx. 200 miles into the trip the Check engine, ESR, ABS and Skid warning lights came on. Lost cruise control. Pulled over and called the dealer. Was told that it looked like a wheel speed sensor problem. This is my third incident of speed sensor problems (two front and one rear). I understand there is a recall on the rear sensors only. I suggest that recall be expanded to ALL sensors. Also said recall is now over three month old and Mercedes still contends that there are no parts available and they have no ideas as to when they expect to start complying with the recall.

The contact owns a 2021 Forest River XLR. The contact stated that the automatic leveling system for the RV suddenly failed, causing the front leveling legs of the RV to collapse. As a result, the vehicle collapsed to the ground. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. A failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 Forest River Cherokee Travel trailer RV equipped with Lions Head tires, Tire Line: Val sports, Tire Size ST205/75/D18 n/a, and DOT Number: unknown. The contact stated while the RV was parked, they notice an issue with the rear passenger side tire where cracks and bubbles had formed, as well the tread on the tires separated. The tires were not replaced. The tires were not replacement tires. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The tire failure mileage approximately 3,000.

Our travel trailer door on a 2021 forrest river fell off while driving and is stuck open. They have been trying to fix it for since April 17th but are now ghosting me after telling me it was a known issue with the new door system they are using. 2ndly there is metal shards and shavings under my sink in the fridge area and no one seems to know why there is busted metal all over some electrical components. Also the outdoor shower door and the side compartment door are falling off and will not stay closed during operation.