The RV Dealer Association (RVDA) has awarded yet another “Quality Circle Award” to an RV manufacturer. As we reported yesterday, Airstream took two of the coveted awards. The Quality Circle award is a measure of RV dealer satisfaction with a manufacturer. This time the award has gone to East to West, a division of Forest River. Forest River pleases dealers, but its record number of RV recalls might leave buyers fuming as they wait for their rigs to get fixed.
Forest River awards and recalls
A media release says, “These awards recognize the East to West commitment to quality craftsmanship, attention to detail, and dealer satisfaction. The brands taking the awards include Della Terra, Silver Lake, Alta, Longitude, Tandara, Ahara, Blackthorn, and Takoda towable products.” Accolades also went to the motorized Alita and Entrada motorhomes.
However, Forest River has had another award, if you will, of a more dubious nature. With 2024 nearly ended, Forest River sets the distinction of having the most National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalls of any RV manufacturer. The company stands fourth in line of ALL NHTSA recalls, only exceeded in the number of units recalled by Detroit’s Big Three automakers. Granted, while some of the recalls issued by Forest River include rigs other than RVs, the overwhelming majority of its 568 recalls posted this year are for RVs.
“At Forest River, both dealer and customer satisfaction are the cornerstone of their manufacturing process,” says the release. Additionally, referencing East to West units, the release touted, “That in addition to the normal inspection a Customer Assurance Inspection is completed on every unit they produce as well as a digital inspection that addresses any additional work needed on an RV and creates a digital log of this work before it makes its way to the dealer.”
In the 30th annual Dealer Satisfaction Index Survey, RV dealers were asked to detail their satisfaction. This is based on reliability and quality, parts, warranty, and sales for each manufacturer. RVDA fielded responses from 585 dealerships in the U.S. and Canada, which included 2,632 brand ratings. Award winners ranked at least a 4.25 on a 5-point scale.
We’d like to hear from you
Forest River awards and recalls. It’s a quandary. If you own a Forest River-made RV that’s been recalled, we’d like to hear from you about your experiences. The same is true if you’ve owned a Forest River rig in the past. Did it take long for you to get the recall work completed? Were you seriously inconvenienced, or was it just a minor matter? Please let us know these, and other issues about your recall that are important to you. Please use the response box below.
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How do any of the RV manufacturers execs. and the industry trade organizations execs. look straight in their own faces in the mirror every day? No integrity is how.
The same way you do but it’s a more expensive mirror.
“The Quality Circle award is a measure of RV dealer satisfaction with a manufacturer”.
Forest River is happy with the number of unit being sold by their dealers. It make more money for them. Too bad customers are left holding the bag.
Warranty service being denied, shoddy or incomplete repairs and week or months to get warranty approval and repairs done.
These all increase the profit margins for the dealers and Forest River.
In regards to the recalls, Forest River has yet to learn from their mistakes through a total lack of quality control.
i had one, and the only one, Forest River Trailer. In the first year I had to take it back six times. Three of the repairs were denied.
Addendum. Denied because they were cosmetic problems, doors that did not fit correctly, shower door crooked and one because the ramp broke when I loaded an 800lb motorcycle on a ramp rated for 1500lbs. Forest River said I overloaded the ramp.
Be careful: FR may have had the most recalls, but what is that as a percentage of units sold? You could have a smaller manufacturer who has fewer recalls, but a greater percentage.
Note that I’m not defending FR – I have a Freedom Express that is OK, but I’m not thrilled with its workmanship.
Self-licking ice cream award.
Good one !!
Quality circle among dealers🤣‼️That’s a laugh. It doesn’t exist!
Forest River award acceptance speaker said, “I want to thank the RV Dealer Association for another phony award.” Could have misheard him.
🤣 Good one, Larry. Thanks! Have a good evening. (I’m a little late finishing up “moderating” the hundreds of comments that came in so far today.🫤) 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thank you, Russ and Tina! No, never had one, including now. Have a great day and safe travels!