FOREST RIVER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FOREST RIVER ARCTIC WOLF RV. WHILE THE RV WAS PARKED, THE AWNING FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HITCH RV (2152 BAY RD, MILFORD, DE 19963, (302) 751-1375), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 250.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FOREST RIVER ARCTIC WOLF, MODEL NUMBER: 265CBH8 (NA) EQUIPPED WITH LIONHEAD CASTLE ROCK TIRES (NA). WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD FAILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE TIRE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN AND TIRE SIZE WERE UNAVAILABLE. THERE WAS NO MILEAGE. *JS *TR CONSUMER STATED WE HAVE HAD YET ANOTHER BLOW OUT WITH THESE UNSAFE TIRES. *JB

THE SLIDE ROOM ACTUATOR BRACKET THAT IS FASTENED TO THE SLIDE ROOM TUBE THAT THE SLIDE ROOM ACTUATOR IS ATTACHED TO, CAME IN CONTACT WITH ONE OF THE TIRES WHILE TOWING, CAUSING A WITNESS MARK. IT IS CLEAR UNDER CERTAIN ROAD CONDITIONS, THIS WILL CAUSE THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT WITHOUT WARNING AND MAY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL RESULTING IN PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH. THE ISSUE MATCHES THE BRACKET ISSUE AS FOUND ON THE NHTSA RECALL THE CRUSADER - NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V140000. IN REVIEWING BOTH THE DESCRIPTION AND THE RECALL FIX INSTRUCTIONS FROM THAT CAMPAIGN, THE ISSUE HAS REOCCURRED AGAIN FOR THE 2017 CRUSADER. ALTHOUGH THE MODEL NUMBER IS DIFFERENT, THE STRUCTURAL DEFECT IS THE SAME.*DT CONSUMER STATED MAUFACTURER WILL PROVIDE PARTS AT NO CHARGE BUT NO RESPONSE BACK REGARDING DEALER LABOR.*JB

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEELWELL LINER'S TWO SELF TAPPING SCREWS STRIPPED FROM BEING ATTACHED TO AN ALUMINUM FRAME. THE LINER ALSO HAD AN ALUMINUM TUBE ATTACHED TO THE LINER BUT WAS IN NO WAY SECURED TO THE VEHICLE'S FRAME EXCEPT FOR THE TWO SCREWS AND FOAM SELANT. THIS FAULTY SECURING OF THE LINER ALLOWED NORMAL WIND FROM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TO STRIP THE TWO SCREWS FROM THE ALUMINUM FRAME AND SEALANT CAUSING THE LINER TO FLAP UNCONTROLLABLY UNDER THE FRAME AND IN THE WHEELWELL AREA.

THE TANDEM AXLE TRAILERS' FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE IS DAMAGED BY THE SLIDE OUT BRACKET WHEN THE SUSPENSION IS COMPRESSED WHILE BEING TOWED ON ROUGH PAVEMENT, POT HOLES, ETC. THE DAMAGE WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL RECENTLY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF THE TIRE IT OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE.*DT*JB

I WAS PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON MY TRAILER WHEN I NOTICED TWO BROKEN WELDS ON THE DEXTER TORFLEX AXLE. I CONTACTED DEXTER AXLE AND THEY SAID THE COMBINATION 3" AXLE BRACKET & LIFT KIT ON MY TRAILER ARE NOT COMPATIBLE AS IT CAN RESULT IN BROKEN WELDS, AND IF UNTREATED, AXLE FAILURE. THIS IS THE NOTICE ON THEIR WEBSITE: "NOTE: LIFT KITS CANNOT BE USED WITH TORFLEX AXLES PRODUCED WITH 3" HIGH PROFILE BRACKETS." I CONTACTED PALOMINO ABOUT DEXTER'S RESPONSE AND THEY CONFIRMED FOR ME VIA EMAIL THAT DEXTER AXLE SHIPS THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IN ONE PIECE AND PALOMINO ONLY INSTALLS IT. PALOMINO ALSO CONFIRMED FOR ME THAT MY TRAILER WAS MANUFACTURED THIS WAY AND THIS BROKEN WELD IS CONSIDERED A "MANUFACTURING DEFECT". THOUGH MY TRAILER IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY ARE REPLACING MY AXLE WITH A DIFFERENT ONE WITH A MORE ROBUST MOUNTING BRACKET AS "GOODWILL". UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, THIS WILL RESULT IN A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT TRAILER DUE TO THE RIDE HEIGHT BEING LOWED BY A FEW INCHES. I NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THIS TRAILER IF THIS WAS THE CASE AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR OFF ROAD USE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS INCOMPATIBLE HIGH PROFILE AXLE BRACKET AND FACTORY INSTALLED LIFT KIT ARE ON EVERY SINGLE "4X4" PALOMINO TRAILER. I WENT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THAT THEY ARE STILL MANUFACTURING TRAILERS WITH THIS INCOMPATIBLE AXLE/LIFT KIT COMBINATION. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL SOMEONE EXPERIENCES AXLE FAILURE ON THE FREEWAY. I HAVE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE BROKEN WELDS FOR YOUR REFERENCE. I BELIEVE THAT THE BROKEN WELD ALLOWS THE AXLE MOUNT TO BEND LATERALLY AND COULD CAUSE THE WHEELS TO NOT BE ALIGNED WITH THE TOW VEHICLE. UNFORTUNATELY I WILL HAVE TO TOW THE BROKEN TRAILER FOR REPAIR. I AM HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE EMAIL THREAD BETWEEN DEXTER AXLE/PALOMINO/MYSELF UPON REQUEST. THANK YOU FOR RESEARCHING. *DT CARFAX CANNOT PROCESS THIS REQUEST. *JB *DT*JB *DT*JB

MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN CAMPER, PARTS OF A SLIDE MECHANISM ARE FAULTY THAT IS CAUSING THE FIBERGLASS ON THE SIDE OF THE CAMPER NEAR THE SLIDE TO CRACK ON THE EXTERIOR. THE CRACK IS AGGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. THE SIDE IS IN DANGER OF FALLING OUT OF THE CAMPER, AS IT CURRENTLY SITS. FOREST ROVER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND HAS DENIED ALL RESPONSIBILITY AND REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AS THE CAMPER IS BEING PULLED DOWN THE ROAD THE STRESS FROM THE BUCKING AND BOUNCING OF TRAVEL IS CAUSING THE CRACK TO INCREASE. I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING AND DOCUMENTING THIS PROBLEM SINCE INCEPTION, I HAVE MANY FILES OVER THE ALLOWED AMOUNT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO REVIEW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FOREST RIVER SALEM TRAVEL TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRAVEL TRAILER HAD NOT BEEN HAULED BY A VEHICLE YET BECAUSE ONE OF THE STABILIZERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TWO FUEL TANKS FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THERE WAS NO MILEAGE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *DT*JB *DT*JB

FLEX PROPANE HOSE FROM MAIN PIPE TO STOVE/OVEN. WAS INSTALLED BACKWARDS AND RUBBED AGAINST DRIVELINE WHILE DRIVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 FOREST RIVER VIBE. WHILE THE RV WAS PARKED WITH THE HEATER ACTIVATED, THE CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM SOUNDED. ON A SECOND OCCASION, WHILE THE CONTACT WAS SLEEPING, HE WAS AWAKENED BY THE NEIGHBOR ALERTING HIM THAT THE CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM WAS SOUNDING AGAIN. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HOT WATER HEATER WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE FRAME, WHICH CAUSED THE LEAK. THE RV WAS TAKEN TO CARSON CITY RV (4550 N CARSON ST, CARSON CITY, NV 89706, (775) 882-8335) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HOT WATER HEATER NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO MILEAGE.