FOREST RIVER Complaints

THE LEAF SPRINGS ON ONE SIDE OF OUR FIFTH WHEEL FAILED DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE WEIGHT ON THAT SIDE (THERE ARE THREE SLIDE OUTS -SANDPIPER 372LOK) THE ORIGINAL LEAF SPRINGS SEEM TO BE INADEQUATE AS THEY HAVE FAILED ON THAT SIDE. WE NEEDED TO INCREASE THE WEIGHT CAPACITY FOR THE LEAF SPRINGS ON THAT SIDE. BECAUSE WE INCREASED IT ON THE ONE SIDE, WE HAD TO INCREASE IT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE AS WELL. OUR CAMPER IS NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD, AND FOREST RIVER HAS REFUSED TO HONOR THEIR WARRANTY. THEY HAVE INSTEAD SAID THAT IT IS DEXTERS ISSUE. DEXTER HAS STATED THAT THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THE CURRENT LEAF SPRINGS THAT ARE INADEQUATE FOR THE WEIGHT. WE ARE NOW $470 OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE FOREST RIVER REFUSES TO HONOR A WARRANTY FOR A SAFETY ISSUE.

ELECTRICAL DEVICE CAUGHT FIRE AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE RV. HEAVY SMOKE AND DAMAGE TO ELECTRICAL WIRING

ON 9-3-15 THE FRONT AXLE PERCHS/SHACKLE BRACKETS BROKE WHILE DRIVING, COSTING $421.42 IN REPAIRS. ON 5-5-17 THE REAR AXLE PERCHS/SHACKLE BRACKETS BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, CAUSING THE AXLE TO FALL ONTO THE GROUND AND RUPTURING THE PROPANE LINE. THE SHACKLE REPAIR COST $158.00 IN REPAIRS. THE PROPANE LINE IS SCHEDULED TO BE FIXED ON 6-5-17. THE CAUSE IS OBVIOUSLY POOR/FAULTY WELDING AND/OR FRAME DESIGN BY THE COACHMAN TRAILER COMPANY. SORRY I DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO UPLOAD MY RECEIPTS BUT I CAN MAIL THEM TO YOU

THIS GREY WOLF 29TE 2017 TRAILER IS 36.5' LONG AND IT RIDES LOW AND BOTTOMS OUT A LOT. I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF SPOTS WHERE THE CHAINS DRAGGED ON THE FRONT AND THE BACK END BOTTOMED OUT. WHEN IT IS SITTING LEVEL, THERE IS ONLY 13"-14" OF CLEARANCE FROM THE FRAME TO THE GROUND. IT IS A BIG ENOUGH OF A PROBLEM THAT IT ACTUALLY BROKE THE BRACKET ON THE BACK END OF THE TRAILER (SEE ATTACHED PICTURE). TO ME, THE AXLES APPEARS TO BE UNDERSIZED FOR THE TRAILER. THIS IS MOST PROBABLY WHY THE TRAILER RIDES VERY LOW AND BOTTOMS OUT A LOT. LOOKING AT THE INFO ON THE PLACARD (IMAGE ATTACHED), THE GVWR IS 7,837LBS, BUT EACH AXLE IS ONLY RATED FOR 3,500 LB. BASED ON THESE NUMBERS, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE MANUFACTURER USED AN UNDERSIZED AXLE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER, AND IF YOU SAW THE TRAILER, I THINK THAT YOU WOULD AGREE. LOOKING AT THE AXLE, SPRINGS, AND FRAME WHILE THE TRAILER IS HOOKED UP FOR TOWING, THE FRAME IS JUST AN INCH OR TWO ABOVE THE AXLE. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS ONLY 2.5 INCHES OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE WHEEL WELL. AND THIS IS WITH THE TRAILER DRY (NO WATER, EMPTY BLACK AND GREY TANKS, ETC). I AM USING A RAM 1500 TO TOW IT AND AM SETUP WITH THE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION HITCH AND THE TRAILER IS LEVEL WHEN I TOW IT.

AFTER PURCHASING I REALIZED THAT THE FEDERAL DATA PLACARD ON THE RV LISTS THE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATINGS AS 6818 LBS. THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE THE TWO AXLES ON THIS RV ARE 6,000 LB AXLES. BECAUSE THE PLACARD HAS LISTED THE TWO AXLES AT A TOTAL OF 1636 LBS TOO MUCH, THEY HAVE, IN TURN LISTED THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING AT 15,888, WHICH IS 1636 TOO HEAVY A RATING. THE PLACARD SHOULD LIST THE AXLES AS 6,000 GAWR. THE TONGUE WEIGHT OF THE RV IS 2252 LBS. SO, IF THEY WOULD HAVE LISTED THE AXLES AT THE CORRECT 12,000 LBS AND ADDED THAT WEIGHT TO THE TONGUE WEIGHT THE GVWR WOULD HAVE BEEN 14,252. I HAVE SEEN OTHER FOREST RIVER CARDINAL RV'S AT THE LAZY DAYS, TAMPA DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME ERRORS. SOME UNSUSPECTING BUYER MIGHT, SOME DAY HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO OVERLOADING HIS/HER RV BECAUSE OF THE INACCURATE GVWR ON THESE RV'S. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AND REISSUING OF FEDERAL PLACARDS FOR THESE RV'S BEING SENT OUT FROM FOREST RIVER.

AFTER NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS TO GET LAZY DAYS IN COLORADO TO COMPLETE REQUIRED AND AGREED UPON RECALL WORK DONE ON MY CAMPER, THEY CONTINUE TO FAIL TO DO SO. THEY USE STALL TACTICS TO DISCOURAGE ME FROM GETTING THE WORK DONE. MY CAMPER HAS BEEN SITTING ON THEIR LOT FOR 4 WEEKS NOW AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT ORDERED PARTS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2015 WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAMPER NEW FROM THEM. MY CAMPER WAS ON THEIR LOT FOR 5 MONTHS AT THAT TIME FOR RECALL WORK AND OTHER WORK. I DON?T NEED FREE STORAGE, I HAVE 5 ACRES AT MY HOUSE TO STORE IT ON. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM ON 12/14/16, 1/4/17, 1/7/17, 2/17/17, 2/15/17, 2/28/173/1/17, 4/3/17, 4/4/17, 4/6/17, 4/8/17. SOMETIMES I RECEIVE A RESPONSE SOMETIME I DO NOT. MY LAST REQUEST 4/6/17, WAS TO MEET PERSONALLY WITH MANAGERS TO GET AN UPDATE ON PARTS ORDERED AND WHEN I COULD EXPECT THE RECALL WORK ON MY CAMPER TO BE COMPLETED. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE. I HAVE A MORE DETAILED LETTER, BUT IT GOES OVER YOUR CHARACTER COUNT LIMIT. RECALLS ARE FOR: 2015 FOREST RIVER SHASTA AIRFLYTE CAMPER TRAILER VIN #[XXX] RECALLS: NHTSA # 16V-218 NHTSA # 15V-552 NHTSA # 15V-553 NHTSA # 15V-369 FOREST RIVER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN- DOCUMENT CONTROL # 53-05112016-0191 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FOREST RIVER WILDWOOD X-LITE. WHILE TOWING THE TRAILER, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRAILER WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 07/11/17*LJ *CN

THE SCREWS THAT HOLD THE EXTERIOR WALL TO THE STRUCTURE HAVE SHEERED AND THE FRONT END OF THE COACH HAS STARTED TO FALL. ALSO THERE IS A 1/2" GAP BETWEEN THE FIREWALL AND THE FLOOR LINE INSIDE THE COACH, DUE TO THIS SAME ISSUE.

RECENTLY EXPERIENCED AN ISSUE WHERE MAIN LIGHTING AND EXTERIOR LIGHTING QUIT WORKING. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING AND ANALYSIS, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE ROOT CAUSE. BEHIND THE POWER INVERTER AND CABINETRY I DISCOVERED WHERE ALL THE CAMPER WIRING CAME TOGETHER. I DISCOVERED SEVERAL BUNDLES OF 12V COMMON/GROUND WIRING BUNCHED TOGETHER. I THREE AREAS I FOUND UP TO 7 WIRES CONNECTED TOGETHER WITH A BLUE WIRE NUT AND WRAPPED IN ELECTRICAL TAPE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THE "BUNDLE" OF WIRES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIGHTS THAT DIDN'T WORK. AFTER REMOVING THE ELECTRICAL TAPE, I FOUND THE WIRING HAD BEEN POORLY OR INCORRECTLY INSTALLED AND CREATED AN AREA OF HIGH RESISTANCE, RESULTING IN A MELTDOWN OF THE WIRE NUT AND ALL ASSOCIATED WIRES. THIS CAUSES A GREAT CONCERN BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WERE LARGE NUMBERS ARE WIRES ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER AND THEREFORE CREATING A CONTINUED FIRE RISK. ATTACHED IS A PHOTO OF THE DAMAGED AREA THAT WAS REMOVED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE RV WAS BEING DRIVEN AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW INDEPENDENTLY DETACHED FROM THE RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON REACHING THEIR DESTINATION THEY WERE INFORMED THAT THE WINDOW WAS MISSING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.