Forest River RV Reviews: Are Forest River RVs Any Good?
When it comes to any review, you need to take the positive and the negative with a grain of salt. Not every reviewer will tell the truth and depending on their motivation and their experience, you are going to get a wide range of opinions. Plus, you never know when you will get a lemon, and that influences reviews as well.
Are Forest River RVs any good? For what you pay, the quality is about the same. Forest River is not the most expensive RV manufacturer out there, but they are not the cheapest. Plus, they have a lot of models on the road today because they try to meet every RV need possible.
To learn more about Forest River RV company, just continue to read our article. We strive to present to you as fair an evaluation as possible. We have no dog in this fight so we can be objective as well as very thorough.
Forest River Quality 101
Is Forest River a Good RV?
From our experience, this is not a fly-by-night company and it has been able to stay in business for over 20 years. Even before it was owned by Berkshire Hathaway, it produced some nice RVs in all classes and categories.
One of the positive aspects it has going for it is the company strives to meet every RV need possible which is why they have so many different models and RVs in all RV categories. They also try to meet every price point as well.
Their RVs go from tiny solo and couples-only models all the way to the big 5th wheels and Class As. Then your view you will have of this company will depend a lot on who you talk to. There are many happy Forest River RV owners and just as many unsatisfied customers.
Before you buy, you should test the RV out and do a full inspection testing slide-outs, water tanks, and other systems to make sure you are happy with the product before you drive it off the lot. A bad experience is not only the manufacturer’s fault.
With that said, things could be improved at the manufacturing plant. It seems there are problems with quality control at times. It is possible that too much attention is being paid to the company’s top-of-the-line sister company Dynamax and that company may have got all the top quality control people.
Keep in mind that the people making the most noise will be the ones who have had too many problems to be happy with their rig.
Forest River Build Quality
It could be that the owners of Forest River RV wanted to corner the market in the RV manufacturing world. Over the years the company has bought out a few of its competitors including Coachman RV, Shasta RV, Dynamax, Palomino, and Prime Time.
Then they are a very diversified company owning many more companies in other recreational areas. This broad reach may have come too far too fast as they are stretched very thin.
What suffers from all of this expansion and diversification is build quality. That has been one of the major complaints we have read about this company. Not only does the company use inferior products to build their components, but they also don't do a great job of assembling the RVs either.
Their overall review score is about 3 1/2 stars and in the reviews, we saw they did not score above a 4-star rating. That means that their build quality is above average despite the problems they have had with unsatisfied customers.
Then, there will always be issues that arise from time to time. Because no one can build a perfect RV or any other product there will be flaws in the models this company produces. Giving the company the benefit of the doubt would make life in their RVs a little easier.
No doubt that their quality control and building expertise needs improving but it is not as bad as some people paint the picture when they are dealing with buying a bad model.
Forest River Customer Service Reviews
They say that the majority of reviews come from dissatisfied customers as the owners who have experienced great customer service rarely post reviews. One did and he or she said that no one should post a review until they give the company a second chance.
Sometimes that is a good idea as the company may have had a bad employee the first time around and by the second time, that employee has been discovered and terminated. It is hard to say as the company cannot always control every employee or dealer all the time.
For the most part, the reviews we read were negative and did not follow that second chance option. The reviews tracked the experience of the owners and they did not like the fact that the company may not have responded to them, responded promptly or were making excuses why it was not their fault.
The reviews had the company blaming the owners which in some cases the company may be right. There are enough people out there who would cause the damage and then blame the company.
One issue that may be a genuine concern for all Forest River RV owners is that it has been reported that dealers do not have to do warranty work on units they did not sell new. This can be a big problem if you have taken your RV outside your dealer’s zone.
If true, then that is not great customer service and can cause a lot of problems for the RV owner as well as making them pay higher fees. Sometimes the RV can sit in a dealer’s lot for month son end without being repaired but the loan payments must be made each month.
Forest River Complaints
There are a lot of complaints about this company on the internet. Even with taking some with a grain of salt, there may be some problems with the company as this just seems to be too many complaints in any given period.
The two biggest complaints we have come across have been the lousy customer service and the quality of the components as well as the build. There seem to be a lot of customer service complaints and many seem to be legitimate beefs as they pay a lot of money for a Forest River RV and what they get in return is less than they hoped for or thought they bought.
These complaints are not just on the Forest River side of things. There are complaints about the many dealers who are not doing servicing or repairs in a timely manner. The excuse that the dealer gives to their customers in some cases is that they are having a difficult time getting parts.
If that is the case, then there is something very wrong at the Forest River headquarters. There are reports of shoddy workmanship, failure to honor warranties. Also, it has been said that the company doesn't stand behind its product.
These are just some of the many in a long list of complaints that have turned many customers off of Forest River. But there are quite a few customers who have had better experiences and you may be one of those people. it is hard to say how you will be treated once you buy your RV from this company.
Forest River Quality Levels
This will depend on who you talk to as well. There are quite a few customers who are very satisfied with the quality level of Class B, C & A RVs as well as the 5th wheels, travel trailers as well as pop-ups.
They must be doing something right or they would not be one of the largest RV manufacturers in the world. Many top 10 lists have more than one model in their lists. This means that they do know how to build quality RVs, etc.
Judging from what many of the customers have written in their complaints, it seems that those quality builds are few and far in between. The bad complaints outnumber the good compliments by over 5 to 1.
This tells us, after discounting fake reviews, that there may be a lack of quality in their builds for the majority of their products. That many people cannot be wrong. Then some bad reviewers have changed their minds when Forest River does stand behind their products and resolves all the issues.
They wrote a revised review stating that the Forest MBS chassis is the best handling and the most fun RV to drive. So there is hope for the company and according to Insider, some of their model series rank in the 4-star range which does indicate good quality levels.
Each experience will be different and if you are unlucky enough to get a lemon RV from this firm, then to you the quality level is minimal.
Forest River Travel Trailer Reviews
One reviewer was only able to choose or find 3 travel trailers that they liked that were made by Forest River. Those Travel trailers were the Salem Cruise Lite, R-Pod & the Flagstaff E Pro.
The first two of the three had their ratings lowered because the reviewer stated the build quality could have been better. The last one had a bad mattress even though it came in third of the three best.
Then some of the other Forest River models like the Rockford, the Wildwood, and Cherokee were given demerits for the same reason. The complaint was the same basically through these 6 Travel trailers, the quality of build just was not there.
Another reviewer said that you get what you paid for referring to the low cost and entry-level status of the Salem and Wildwood models. The Flagstaff and Wildcat travel trailers are highly praised as has been some of the Prime Time models Forest River produces through that sister company.
What one reviewer has said is that those people who bypass a Forest River Travel Trailer just because of what they read online are missing out on some well-built trailers. That is true as Forest River, despite the few bad models, does produce some excellent quality TTs that will satisfy the pickiest of customers.
It is the luck of the draw when it comes to buying any motor vehicle or travel trailer or 5th wheel. Who knows what may have happened on the day yours was built. Many factors could have influenced the result and somehow made it past quality control.
Salem Cruise Lite Construction
This is supposed to be the #1 travel trailer on one reviewer’s list. He or she liked the lightweight construction along with the spacious design and lots of storage space. There are supposed to be full bathrooms and kitchens in the family-friendly series of this model.
Plus, the floors are supposed to have tear and scratch-resistant flooring. That all adds up to a pretty good travel trailer to buy. However, not all is good news as a few words on the con side cast doubt on every pro that reviewer listed.
He or she said that craftsmanship on this TT could be improved. That general statement calls every component into question and makes one suspicious about all the parts, the flooring, and so on.
Some models also did not come with a ladder that reached the top bunk. To some people, this may be a minor point but when you want to be family-friendly, including a ladder would make it so.
Then out of almost 900 reviews that were rated, the company only was able to get to the 2-star level. 700 reviews were rated at 1 or 2 stars only, this rating is not good for any company.
Not all of those ratings were for this model of RV but it does provide a nice warning to be wary when considering buying this travel trailer. It does have some nice features to it including the many different alarms you need to protect you from dangerous situations.
Reviews On Forest River Wildwood Campers
The reviews of this Forest River model are not that good. Very few people liked the trailer after they bought it and almost all had some major issues after they went camping.
Most of the reviews were centered around the poor quality control that oversaw the construction of this camper. The list of not working items will be as long as this article and range from outlets to the heating system to the door latches not working and more.
Then reviewers had trouble having their warranties honored as well as the dealers refusing to do repairs for any number of reasons including the tale that they can’t get parts. Other complaints focused on the cheapness of the components and how inferior they were.
On top of those items, some owners complained that the hot and cold water lines were crossed, lug nuts were cross-threaded and the list goes on. it seems that Forest River did not hit a home run with this model option.
There was one good review out of the many we read. This reviewer loved her camper and said it was one of the best. They liked the sleeping space, up to 9 people, and they also enjoyed the sound system among other features.
There are some good reviews out there but they are far overwhelmed by the numerous bad ones and the low quality put into this camper. We can only hope that if you buy this model that you get a good one.
Problems With Forest River Travel Trailers
The first problem that comes after reading all those reviews is that Forest River tries to build their trailers and RVs too fast. They want to get the product to their customers that they go for speed before becoming good. As Midas muffler once said about its training program, ‘First you get good, then you get fast’.
At Forest River, they have it the other way around and you know what the old saying says, “haste makes waste” and it seems that Green River wastes more because of their inclination for fast building.
Basically, almost all the complaints provide the physical evidence one needs to prove those points true. Most of the reviewers point out flaws that could have been solved long before the RV or Trailer left the shop. However, Forest River’s focus on speed has them overlooking these vital issues.
The issues raised by the unhappy customers are too long to repeat here as well. Some of the reviews read like books they are so long and so full of identified flaws. One of the important flaws mentioned by one owner was that the slide brackets kept breaking among other components.
If there was one problem with a Forest River trailer, 9 others were accompanying the original complaint. We say this because very few people said anything good about this brand of trailer.
What is The Best Forest River Travel Trailer?
We already talked about the Salem model above and it was number one on a list of other Forest River trailers. On a separate review of the top 10 trailers, Forest River’s Alpha Wolf was the 10th on the list of 10.
The reason it made the list was that it was spacious, lightweight, and could be towed by a standard SUV. It was also built with laminated construction materials which cut the weight off and making the trailer easier to tow.
This particular model may have been 10th on that reviewer’s list but n 2018 it won best of show by RV News. This trailer made another list as well. It was a top 12 and the model placed 8th. So it doe shave some good points.
Then the Forest River Rockwood Windjammer is supposed to be one of the top 5 insulated travel trailers you can buy. It was 5th out of 5 but that is still good positioning to have.
This trailer can sleep up to 8 people and has lots of space inside for everyone to move about. Also, this model is supposed to be very durable and comes with a lot of features making it a nice home away from home.
The best one will be the one that you like the most and doesn't break down or have lots of flaws.
Forest River Motorhome Reviews
You will find a lot of these all over the internet. The many RV chat forums have owners comparing RVs, motorhomes, and travel trailers, to name a few of the products put out by this company.
Unfortunately, you may be overwhelmed by the many negative reviews put out by different customers. Of course, not all those bad reviews are true and some people may be posting them to get back at the company for some issue they had with a supervisor, etc.
Then not all good reviews are true either. Those are posted to compensate for the large number of negative reports. Somehow you have to find the middle of the road and consider what those reviewers are saying.
There are issues with all of Forest River products but then what company doesn't have product issues?
Some Final Words
Forest River may be owned by Warren Buffet’s company but that doesn't mean the company will make perfect RVs and other products. There will be inferior builds and customer service as well as other negative issues. It happens to everyone.
But that doesn't mean that all Forest River products are bad. Even if you had a bad experience does it mean all their RVs, etc. are ready for the junkyard the moment you drive it off the lot? It is a pretty good company for the most part.
