Forum Discussion

LarryDel's avatar
LarryDel
Explorer
Aug 20, 2018

Problem after problem then wind coming in slide

Hello We have purchased a new 2019 Class C Forest River Forester. We have lived in it for 3 weeks. We have had problem after problem,f first of all we ordered stainless steel appliances, they put the wrong appliances in our unit. We paid for full body pain and then it seems they put a clear (some sort of plastic) around the front of the motorhome to protect from bugs, stones, etc. Its starting to peel in one spot, we have a Lippert Control Panel in both living room and bedroom and the one in the living room goes out for several hours and then comes back. So if you want to check levels or close slideouts, etc. you are out of luck. We were not able to get our bedroom TV to work, it wasn't the TV but the wiring. Camping World couldn't fix it and so we had no TV for a while, but a kind hearted camper who was an electrician fixed it immediately. We have a "Smart Arm" on the awning and it never ever worked. It has a touch pad as well and it is useless. We had the AC leak inside the other day. Had an RV Tech stop by and he said it was the filter. I also called Forest River and the gentlemen said it was a defective filter. He said remove it and we won't have any other issues. He said they will be sending a new filter when they correct the problem. The wall between the shower wall and bedroom wall is not bolted to (whatever, who knows) When you run your hand against the wall it feels flimsy. Almost like there should have been a stud and it glued or nailed to it. Sorry probably a bad description. We have a broken lock on drawer and broken AC vent on ceiling. Also we have a residential refigerator. It is supposed to be frost free, sometimes the temp goes from 33 to 40, is that supposed to be how it works? We were told it does that to defrost. We had a very windy night and I was awaken by the sound of wind. It seemed to be coming in from the back corner of the bedroom slide. We have had two other RV's and have never heard the wind coming through. Is this a concern? My feeling is if you hear the wind then there could be a possible leak when it rains? This unit has absolutely been a nightmare. It's a shame ----- when you purchase an item at a store and it is defective you can return it, but not with an RV. They build them without any quality control, they are not checked by the dealer and then we the consumer must suffer. My husband is 76 and I am 64. We sold our home after years of planning and decided to full time for a while. We are currently volunteering at a local state park for three months. So far we have had nothing but misery. All we seem to do is argue now. Lesson learned, buy local and never deal with Camping World.....Thanks for listening.....Lou Ann

16 Replies

  • In addition to working with the seller you should be discussing these issues with the MFG with the goal of exchanging your rig. Having an occasional problem with new rig is common - but if you have this many major issues this early I can only imagine what problems will pop up as the rig ages. Be calm but persistent.
  • countrykids wrote:
    I believe there is a federal lemon law for RV’s. With your list of issues I would think you would have a case.



    Having dealt with the so called lemon laws in California I know this. IF you have a reoccurring issue that cannot be repaired and after a certain amount of attempts are made they cannot repair it THEN the procedure of the maker buying back the unit proceeds.

    My friend had 2 transmissions, complete cooling system,numerous tow truck episodes, one 2k miles away from home and countless visits to the dealership and loss of vehicle use before they took his vehicle and gave him a newer one, actually 2 years newer. That was a crew cab GMC with a duramax/allison combination.That was a 2 year process.

    Don't think that just because the build quality is lacking that the maker will just take it back and give you another one, it is much more than that.

    Were Any of these issues presented during the final walkthrough or did the purchaser just jump in and take off believing everything the sales staff said.

    Remember, if a salesman's lips are moving he is probably lying. :W

    Having lived through and survived purchasing a lemon from Ford Motor Company I can sympathize with your situation. Document everything, have your correspondence in writing and get names,dates and always strive to get to the top of the heap. Find out who is in upper management and send them copies of everything.
  • I remember during the recession 10 years ago, a few new Forest River owners were complaining they had day light from the outside seen inside their upper cabinets where the wall meets the ceiling. Apparently the construction interconnect between the wall and roof had gaps. The dealers solved the problems with friggin caulk.

    After reading too many unhappy FR threads, I encouraged people (in private) to shy away from any Forest River product. I heard the company was bought out since those days, hoping the reformed company cleaned up their quality issues. Apparently not so much.

    Spend the extra cash and buy a Phoenix Cruiser ;). PC owners are a happy bunch. Read our experiences on the PC forum HERE. No rig is 100% perfect and Phoenix Cruisers are no exception. But put into perspective, PCs are ranked very high in quality in design, material, and workmanship.
  • I,m not a CW fan, but in this case CW did not build the rv, seems FR is holding up to there quality,THEY HAVE NONE.
  • I believe there is a federal lemon law for RV’s. With your list of issues I would think you would have a case.
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    Truly sorry. New should equal nice. o

    Make noise. Escalate. Marcus Lemonis vowed to clean this stuff up. Try to live just below hysteria.... BUT don't let your case slip off CW's desktop. They can bring immense pressure onto Forest River if you can get it focused.

    I'm praying for miracles here.