Forest River VIBE 26RKS

[MarTrin]

I'm looking to upgrade my travel trailer and thought I found one I really liked - Forest River Vibe 26RKS. It has the layout I like, the outside kitchen, no bunks and is able to be pulled with my existing truck. I did the walk-thru yesterday and talked with the salesman. Then, I come home to do a little research on reviews of this trailer and was very disappointed with the review I read not only on this trailer, but with Forest River's customer service in general.
Can anyone give their experience with their FR trailer? Does anyone have a VIBE 26RKS they can share their feelings on?

Thanks for your help!

[stallsmi]

For what it's worth, I've had two FR products but won't have another. Too many problems with fit, finish, slip-shod construction, etc. We've had components fail, wiring issues, trim come un-nailed, leaks, even our black tank fell out of the underbelly. My advice: don't buy based solely on appearance our layout. And when you buy, ask for a trial camp near the seller so they can fix anything you find. Good luck!

[MarTrin]

Thanks for your feedback. I agree -- there are 2 things I wasn't crazy about and one of them was the shelf over the bed vs. cabinets and the other were somewhat small cabinet in the bathroom. But neither is enough to outweigh the positives of the layout and ability to pull with our current truck. I'm looking at a similar layout in the Wildwood line too. Thanks again!

[NanciL]

I don't have any experience with that trailer, but I can tell you that I would never buy another Forest river again.
We are in our brand new wildwood, and the workmanship is the worst I have ever seen.
We have had one thing go wrong after another, and a lot of them have been major.
Right now I could make a list of at least ten things that were not minor, and I have corrected the minor ones on my own.
If you buy one expect it to be tied up and the dealers for a long time if you need warrantee work done.
The dealer has to submit pictures of the problem to Forest river for approval, and then Forest River sends back their method of repair trying to to take the cheapest way out that results in additional shoody work.

Since October when we picked it up, we have had nothing but problems.

Jack L

[ScottG]

I checked it out - I like it too! Alot! The only minor thing is the shelf over the bed. I prefer cabinets but could live with it (or modify it). The floor plan would work fantastic for us. It even has the rare corner shower that ours has. Very roomy!

FR products are hit and miss. Some are built terrible and some, like my Wildcat, are built great.
In 13+ years we have never had a leak or a major problem of any sort. It still smells like new inside and the outside is mistaken for new (including the graphics).
As far as their customer service, that was one of the main reasons I went with them. I read many articles in Trailer Life and other publications that showed me they back up their products even when the customer is a bit anal. Of course, that was a long time ago.
I would check it out very closely, including the roof, and if there are no major problems then go for it.