2008 salem

I'm two years into my Salem and if I had it to do over again I'd opt for another brand. Nothing terrible but it's pretty cheaply made and has quite a few annoyances:

cabinet hinge screws are basically thumb tacks with a couple threads - I replaced all with bigger/longer screws and it's been fine (took a LONG time though. There are A LOT of hinges in a TT :) )

water heater's electrical side failed twice and I'm still convinced something is wrong with it. I get about 2 gallons of hot water before it goes ice cold. Dealer says nothing is wrong.

TT brakes squeal and howl like crazy and the dealer has been unable to solve it after two trips

Bearings failed and squealed a year in an were replaced under warranty. Dealer said it looked terrible and the axles almost needed to be replaced (this was after about 500 miles)

gray water tank was advertised as 66 gallon - no way it's even close. I'd guess it's 30 gallon if that. Just got a gray water tote and am going to measure

storage compartment doors rub horribly and won't lock, and I just get the feeling the trailer is bending as it ages.

This is just what comes up off the top of my head. This is the 4th RV I've owned and I know the quality is generally not great. I guess I was just expecting a bit more from a new unit. Also, my local dealer is pretty much minimal help at fixing stuff and seems to break as many things as they repair each time it's in.

Don't get me wrong... there are plenty of things about the trailer I like and I generally have a great time when I'm out in it. I'd say it's 75% just RVs are cheaply made and 25% Salem (or my Salem anyway) is particularly cheaply made.

We just upgraded from our 2008 Salem this year to something a little bigger since the kids keep growing like weeds. We loved our Salem. We were the second owners and the previous owner took great care of the unit. I followed his lead and kept it clean, treated the roof, covered it for the winter. As long as you do the preventative maintenance on them, they will last. Treat it like your house and you will have many years of worry free enjoyment. Salem is made by forest river. It seems these days there are only a couple manufacturers of TT's out there. They just buy up the smaller brands and I notice a lot of the parts and materials used are the same across the various brands.