FOREST RIVER Complaints

THE CAMPER WAS NOT IN USE SITTING STORED WITH AC RUNNING BRAND NEW. CAUGHT FIRE. HAS NOT BEEN USED AS IT WAS PURCHASED RIGHT BEFORE COVID 19. AC WAS ON TO KEEP OUT MOLD. NOTHING ELSE WAS ON OR BEING USED UNIT WAS PLUGGED IN FOR 7 DAYS BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLUGGED INTO THE HOUSE ELECTRIC USING THE FACTORY CABLE THAT CAME WITH IT. POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE AS LOOKING THROUGH PUBLIC GROUPS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2019 R-POD 190. UNIT WAS BRAND NEW WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT WE WERE NOT USING THE CAMPER I DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANYONE GET HURT WE DID RECEIVE A POLICE REPORT

FRONT ENTRY DOOR LOCK FAILED AND IT COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. LOCK HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DOOR TO OPEN. VEHICLE WAS PARKED. I HAD TO EXIT FROM THE PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW. NO ISSUES WITH THE DOOR PRIOR TO THE FAILURE.*DT*DT CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL.*JB

WORKING WITH ONE OF THE LATEST FAILURES I THINK WE HAVE POTENTIALLY IDENTIFIED THE CAUSE OF THE 195/196 R-POD FROM WINDOW FAILURES. IT IS NOT FROM ROCKS OR ROAD HAZARDS. TEMPERED GLASS DOES NOT NORMALLY BREAK THE WAY IT HAS BEEN ON THE 195/196 R-PODS FRONT WINDOWS; THIS TYPE OF BREAKAGE IS GENERALLY CAUSED BY STRESS IN THE GLASS NOT SOMETHING LIKE A ROCK STRIKE. WHEN I INSPECTED MY WINDOW AND FRAME, I FOUND ON THE FRAME INSIDE MY POD, ON THE SIDE OF MY WINDOW, A BEND IN THE FRAME RESULTING IN AN UNEVEN SEATING SURFACE FOR THE WINDOW. THIS WOULD RESULT IN UNEVEN LOADING OF THE GLASS WHEN DRIVING (WIND LOAD) WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY RESULT IN THE BREAKS PEOPLE ARE SEEING (TEMPERED GLASS DOES NOT LIKE STRESS LOADING). SEE THE PHOTO BELOW OF MY WINDOW FRAME AND THE BEND; I HAVE NOT HAD THE GLASS BREAK YET. THROUGH THE FACEBOOK OWNERS GROUPS, WE HAVE FOUND THOSE WITH BROKEN WINDOWS, WHERE JUST THE GLASS WAS REPLACED, OR THOSE THAT STILL HAVE THE BROKEN WINDOW, HAVE THIS BEND. THE GOOD NEWS IS, WE ARE ALSO FINDING THIS BEND IS NOT IN ALL 195/196. FROM WHAT I CAN TELL THIS SEEM TO BE EITHER A DEFECT IN THE FRAME MANUFACTURING OR IN MANUFACTURING INSTALLATION WHERE THE FRAME IS FORCED TO FIT THE SHAPE OF THE FRONT CURVE OF THE POD. THERE IS A SECONDARY FRAME INSIDE (I LABELED IT 'SCREEN FRAME?') THAT HAS LOTS OF BENDS ON THE SIDES, I DON'T THINK THIS HAS ANY IMPACT ON THE GLASS, BUT DOES INDICATE THAT THE FRAME WAS TWISTED TO GET INSTALLED. FOREST RIVER TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THE CAUSE AND THAT NHTSA WAS INVESTIGATING SO THEY DID NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT I HAD FOUND.

TIRES ON THE STBD SIDE OF THE TRAILER ARE RUBBING AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAILER. THE LEAF SPRINGS LOOKED FLAT. I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL OTHER FOREST RIVER "COACHMAN FREEDOM EXPRESS" MODELS WITH THE SAME ISSUE.THE TIRES RUB WHEN IN MOTION DAMAGING THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAILER AND WILL POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A BLOWN TIRE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FOREST RIVER ROCKWOOD. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING THE RV, SHE NOTICED ALL 4 TIRES HAD HOLES ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAMPER. THE RV WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V554000 (SUSPENSION, TIRES). THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *LN CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE WAS WATER DAMAGE ON THE FLOOR CAUSED BY THE AXLES RUBBING HOLES UNDERNEATH THE CAMPER. CONSUMER SPOKE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIRMAN WHO SAID THAT VEHICLE NEEDS AXLES THAT SUPPORT A HIGHER WEIGHT LIMIT. *DL

THE RV SAGS AT THE MID POINT HALF WAY BETWEEN THE SPRING MOUNTS. IT IS VERY EVIDENT AS A CREASE IN THE FLOOR OF THE RV WHEN WALKING BY ALL APPEARANCES THE FRAME BENT. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE RV CLASS IS PRONE TO THIS DUE TO BRACES MISSING FROM THE FRAMES

WHILE OPERATING MY VEHICLE, THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS AND BRAKE ARE COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE MAKING MY VEHICLE UNSAFE TO OPERATE. THE ENGINE RADIATOR COOLING FAN ELECTRICAL CLUTCH BECOMES INOPERATIVE AND NO FRONT AIR CONDITIONING.

UPON RETURNING FROM A CAMPING TRIP IN OUR 3 MONTH OLD TRAILER. I NOTICED THE SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC. I OPENED THE COMPARTMENT FOR THE BATTERY AND THE WIRING WAS ON FIRE. I DISCONNECTED THE WIRE AND THAT WAS ON FIRE (AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE) AND FOLLOWED IT TO THE FRONT PIN BOX OF THE TRAILER WHERE I FOUND A AUTO RESET BREAKER THAT WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY (NOT SECURED IN A METAL GROUNDED BOX) AND WAS SHORTING TO GROUND. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE WIRING TO CATCH FIRE. THIS WIRE WAS THE CHARGE CIRCUIT COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS TIED DIRECTLY TO THE TRAILERS BATTERY. THIS CAUSED THE WIRE TO RECEIVE POWER FROM THE TRAILERS BATTERY'S AND WITH THE LUG OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER SHORTED TO GROUND IT BURNED ALL THE PLASTIC OFF THE WIRE AND CAUSED THE OTHER PLASTIC LOOM AND WIRES TO CATCH FIRE. IF I HAD NOT FOUND THIS WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING IT WOULD HAVE BURNED MY TRAILER TO THE GROUND AND POSSIBLE CAUSED LOSS OF LIFE.

THIS PAST AUGUST 2020 THE BACK LEFT WHEEL BEARING SNAPPED OFF TAKING THE TIRE WITH IT WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY AND THE MECHANIC SAID ALL THE BACKING ASSEMBLYS, HUBS AND BEARINGS AND 2 TIRES NEEDED TO REPLACED BECAUSE OF A BEARING ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAMPER. THE TIRE LITERALLY SNAPPED RIGHT OFF THE CAMPER. THERE WERE CARS ALL AROUND US, IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, ON 290 E IN TONAWANDA, NY. WE WERE VERY LUCKY WE PULLED OVER RIGHT BEFORE THE WHEEL SNAPPED OFF. I KNOW THAT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IS NOT UNUSUAL, BUT THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A BAD ACCIDENT. I DID FIND A RECALL ON THESE CAMPERS BECAUSE OF WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE SAME ISSUE THAT WE HAD, ON THE SPECIFIC MAKE MODEL AND YEAR OF THE CAMPER. I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE ME SOME INSIGHT ON NEXT STEPS TO TAKE AND POSSIBLE COMPENSATION. I HAVE INCLUDED A RECALL NOTICE I HAVE FOUND AND RECEIPT FOR THE PAST TOWING AND BEARING REPAIR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 FOREST RIVER SUNSEEKER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE CRUISE-CONTROL AND HILL ASSIST DEACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY AS THE HILL ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE NEXT DAY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 72 MPH WITH CRUISE-CONTROL ACTIVATED, SUDDENLY, THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY AS THE SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC, PRE-COLLISION ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE AND THE HILL START ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE WARNING MESSAGES FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE AS THE WARNING LIGHTS CONTINUED TO FLASH ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CLEAR THE WARNING LIGHTS BUT WAS UNABLE TO RE-ACTIVATE THE CRUISE-CONTROL. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FORD MANUFACTURER, THE MAKER OF THE CHASSIS; FOR ASSISTANCE WITH FINDING A DEALER THAT WAS ABLE TO SERVICE HER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS FINALLY ABLE TO TAKE THE RV TO RUSH TRUCK CENTERS (6800 E. 50TH AVE, COMMERCE CITY, CO 80022) WHERE THEY INSPECTED THE UNIT AND DISCOVERED A DEFECTIVE MODULE IN THE CRUISE-CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,176. *LN*JB*DT*JB