FOREST RIVER Complaints

3 BRAKES HAD DAMAGED GREASE SEALS. GREASE LEAKED AND COMPROMISED THE BRAKE SHOE FRICTION. REMAINING BRAKE USED UP ALL FRICTION MATERIAL IN LESS THAN 4,000 MILES OF DRIVING, RESULTING IN NO BRAKING CAPABILITIES. THE RESULT WAS A NEAR COLLISION. I WAS TRAVELING 45 MPH ON US101 NEAR SANTA BARBARA IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. ANOTHER CAR ATTEMPTED TO MERGE INTO THE SPACE MY TOW VEHICLE WAS OCCUPYING. I BRAKED HARD AND THE TRAILER, WITH NO BRAKING CAPACITY, TRIED TO PASS MY TOW VEHICLE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH NO SHOULDERS AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FOREST RIVER XLR HITCHED TO A 2016 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, HE NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER WAS LEANING TOWARD THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE REAR PASSENGER LEAF SPRING BOLT WAS FRACTURED AND SHIFTED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WITH BOLTS FROM AN AUTO SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 574-642-0431 AND THERE WAS NO ANSWER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V457000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

A SPRING IN THE DEXTER ELECTRIC BRAKE ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING BRAKE COMPONENTS TO FALL INTO THE BRAKE DRUM WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THIS LED TO BRAKE FAILURE, COMPONENT DESTRUCTION, AND OVERHEATING OF THE WHEEL. BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED ON A TRAILER, WE DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL WE REACHED OUR DESTINATION. WE HAD PUT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES ON THIS NEW VEHICLE WHEN IT HAPPENED. (THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR REPORTS ON VARIOUS RV OWNER INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS.)

OUR 2015 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL MODEL NO. 3850RL (BOUGHT NEW IN 2015) CAME EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR MARATHON TIRES 235/80R16. WITH LESS THAN 10,000 MILES ON THE TIRES, WE EXPERIENCED 3 BLOWOUTS ON ONE TRIP IN 2017. TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE TRIP AND WERE ALL SET AT 80 PSI. THE FIRST FAILURE WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO NOTICE THE TIRE HAD LOST AIR WHILE STOPPED AT A REST AREA. THE SECOND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE TRAVELING ON THE NY STATE THRUWAY (I90) WITHIN 150 MILES OF THE FIRST FAILURE. THE THIRD HAPPENED A WEEK LATER WHILE TRAVELING ON NY STATE THRUWAY (I87) 180 MILES INTO OUR TRIP. THE FACT THAT WE HAD 3 FAILURES IN ONE TRIP IS HIGHLY SUSPECT. TIRES WERE ALL INFLATED TO THE MFG SPECIFICATION OF 80 PSI PRIOR TO TRAVELING.

THE PLYWOOD ROOF HAS SEPARATED FROM THE RAFTERS DOWN BOTH SIDES OF THE TRAVEL TRAILER UP TO A FOOT IN TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE ROOF. THIS HAS CAUSED THE RUBBER MEMBRANE TWO SEPARATE AT THE ROUGH EDGES AS WELL. THIS COULD CAUSE THE RUBBER ROOF MEMBRANE TO COME OFF TRAVELING AND LAND ON A VEHICLE THAT COULD BE BEHIND IT. THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO TRAILERS OF THIS MODEL THAT I KNOW OF HAVE THIS ISSUE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOLD LESS THAN 500 MILES IN MOST OF IT WAS BACK-AND-FORTH TO THE DEALER FOR SEVERAL REPAIRS. WE HAVE ONLY OWNED OWNED THIS TRAILER SINCE MARCH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FOREST RIVER WILDWOOD TRAVEL TRAILER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RELEASE THE WASTE BLACK TANK, THE CONTACT PULLED THE VALVE AS NORMAL, BUT ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF WASTE WAS RELEASED BEFORE IT COMPLETELY STOPPED RELEASING. THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FORWARD AND FORCEFULLY SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO JERK IN ORDER FOR MORE WASTE TO RELEASE. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO REPEAT THE ACTION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO JOHN'S RV (242 BLASTMASTER ROAD LEXINGTON, SC, 29072; 803-359-2957) WHO REDIRECTED THE VALVE THAT THE WASTE WAS RELEASED FROM; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BY EMAIL AND BY PHONE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 (NA) FOREST RIVER R-POD 176 TRAVEL TRAILER. WHILE DRIVING, THE BLACK WATER TANK PIPE DETACHED AND DRAGGED ON THE GROUND WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VALVE LEAKED OF SEWAGE. THE CONTACT INDEPENDENTLY REPLACED THE VALVE, THE TERMINATION CAP, AND THE THREE INCH BAYONET AND DOUBLE WACK NUT. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT, DUE TO THE CONTACT NOT PROVIDING PROOF OF THE FAILURE BEFORE THE REPLACEMENT, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. UPDATED 11/01/17*LJ VIN INVALID UPDATED 7/17/18*JB *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORREST RIVER UTILITY TRAILER BEING HAULED BY A 2016 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL VIBRATION COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE TRAVEL TRAILER. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE AXLE MOUNT AND THE REAR LEAF SPRING FRACTURED. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS RUST AND CORROSION ON THE PARTS. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT WAS CHECKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE IF THEY MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDED SOLUTION FOR A DEALERS REPAIR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE FRAME ON THE VENGEANCE 40D12 TOY HAULER HAS A SUPPORT BRACKET LOCATED OVER THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THIS BRACKET COMES INTO CONTACT WITH THE TIRE WHEN THE CAMPER TRAVELS OVER BUMPS AND DIPS IN THE ROAD. I HAVE MENTIONED THIS ON THE FOREST RIVER FORUMS WEBSITE AND IT APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM OTHERS HAVE WITH THIS MODEL CAMPER. THE BRACKET CHEWS AWAY AT THE TIRE WHEN THIS OCCURS AND A TIRE FAILURE IS INEVITABLE IF THE BRACKET IS NOT REMOVED OR CUT AWAY. I SUBMITTED THIS TO THE FOREST RIVER WARRANTY DEPT. ON JULY 31, 2017 AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE FORWARDED TO A WARRANTY REP FOR REVIEW. I EMAILED THEM AGAIN LAST WEEK ABOUT THE STATUS OF THIS CLAIM AND I HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS DESIGN ERROR ON THE PART OF FOREST RIVER AND IF NOT CORRECTED, TIRE FAILURES ON THE ROADS ARE HIGHLY LIKELY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FOREST RIVER FR3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS BECOME DIM WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROAD IN THE RAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD SELL HIM REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHTS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000. UPDATED 11/03/17*LJ UPDATED 11/13/2017*JS *DT CONSUMER STATED HIS NEPHEW HELPED TO ADJUST THE LIGHTS BUT UNABLE TO MAKE IT SAFE SO BOUGHT NEW HEADLIGHTS.*JB