Forest River Travel Trailer Quality

Not so sure I'd consider Forest River on the lower end of the spectrum. FR makes a huge number of brands....some higher, some lower end. Forest River is owned by Berkshire Hathaway and continues to buy various brands as they become available, from more basic units to some high dollar.

We're on our second Rockwood trailer, first our HTT a ROO 23SS and now our Rockwood Ultra Lite 2604. Both have been trouble free. Fit and finish have been perfectly fine on both. Cannot complain on either.

After being on both RVNet and Hybrid Explorer since '06, I would consider the Rockwood/Flagstaff about mid range. Guess it all depends on what you personally consider high end or low end.

Sorta like if you're looking for a car and a Ford or Chevy fit your needs and budget, it's perfectly fine and they build a good car. If you're looking for a Cadillac or Beemer, you may not be impressed with the Ford or Chevy.

Recently someone asked about a "higher end" travel trailer and got a mountain of different responses. Depends on what is important to you and what you're basing it on.

And....regardless of what brand or model you choose or how much you pay, there is going to be a lemon in the mix from time to time. Do some reading on the Class A side and you'll find folks that spent more for a MH than we spent for our house and have volumes of quirky flaws that are both a pain and an annoyance. The luck of the draw.

We owned a Forest River product, a Rockwood Mini Lite. Bought it new, owned it a couple of years, then bought a larger used TT. Anyway, we had no problems with the Rockwood while we owned it.

goducks10 wrote:
You might go here http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/, I'm sure you'll get both positive and negative replies. That's what happens when you visit a brand forum.

That's very good advice. Check the Forest River forum for specifics on that model.

I'm still "young " in the RV / TT world. I too, came here for advice and to learn before we bought our first one a year ago. I have learned here, and through the warranty experience on a brand new unit, that they are pretty much all about the same. There's levels of "high end" or "starter" units that have better or worse fit / finish and different features. You have to decide what features are important to you and see if you can find a unit that matches that, regardless of the manufacturer. We had our list of "must haves" and ended up with a Keystone unit.
IMO, you do get what you pay for to a point - 2 brand new unit, even from the same MFR, could be very differently priced while an unfamiliar person would not be able to tell the difference. Those differences can be style of construction and components chosen to build it. They both have 2 axles under them, but one has off-brand axles that are rated right at the weight of the unit while the other has top-brand axles with much more capacity than the weight of that unit. The first is "livin' on the edge" while the second may be years of trouble free use.....The devil is in the details, as they say....

And for the record, I'm happy I went with brand new. Knowing more now, I'd take more of a chance on used the next time, but I like knowing there's much less chance of hidden problems lurking about and having good warranty coverage.

We've had a Forest River Rockwood Windjammer for about a year and have been very pleased with their build quality and attention to detail. Zero problems so far. This pertains to the Rockwood line and can't comment on their other product lines.

You might go here http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/, I'm sure you'll get both positive and negative replies. That's what happens when you visit a brand forum.

Forest River has a variety of "brands" that vary in quality and price points. I'd say they are below average as a whole.

The Grey Wolf is on the lower end of their spectrum and is essentially built with old technology - wood framing (if not since upgraded to metal tubing) covered with aluminum skin.

Some will argue that there is nothing wrong with this technology - it's still a strong structure and can be very light weight. That is true. It's also true that there are many more places for water to get inside the walls and rot out the trailer from the inside out.

If you can get a really great deal on one, it may be a good choice. I'd only buy a trailer like this if I could store it inside or under cover when it's not in use.

Good luck!

For a first timer I always suggest buying used. Save the depreciation for your next one.