In this latest video (at the bottom of this article) from consumer advocate Liz Amazing (her real name), RVers Richard and Andrea explain why their brand-new Forest River fifth wheel quickly turned into a nightmare. Buying a new RV should be exciting, but for Richard and Andrea, the excitement of buying their 2024 Forest River Sandpiper 3990 turned almost immediately instead to frustration.
The Dream Turns Sour
Within two weeks of taking possession of the RV, they noticed that parts of the floor felt dangerously soft, raising immediate concerns. When they drove it in the rain, they discovered water intrusion. After multiple complaints, they learned the entire floor needed replacing—only weeks after they purchased it. To make matters worse, a crucial splash guard was missing.
A Long List of Problems
Their troubles didn’t stop there. Key issues included:
• Fridge Malfunction: The fridge shorted out, causing them to lose all their food.
• Black Tank Issues: The black tank jammed, requiring significant effort to open. They finally decided to keep the tank open all the time.
• Safety Concerns: A broken awning pin nearly caused injury.
• Door Frame Issues: Gaps appeared in the door frame, raising safety alarms.
Each day brought new problems, increasing the couple’s frustration.
Impact on Their Lives
These issues strained their lives financially. Andrea relies on the RV for remote work doing contracts for nursing, and every malfunction raised the risk of losing income while making monthly payments. She and Richard constantly worried about the safety of their children due to structural concerns.
Where’s the accountability?
Richard and Andrea asked Forest River to buy back their unit. The company has offered to cover loan payments during repairs and conduct mold tests, but Richard and Andrea question whether repairs will resolve the underlying issues.
Lessons Learned
Liz reports that the couple’s experience highlights the risks of buying new RVs, especially mass-produced models that may lack quality. Richard and Andrea wonder if an older unit might have been a better choice.
In concluding, Liz asks viewers what they think. What should Forest River do to rectify the situation?
After watching the video, where Richard and Andrea explain and show the RVs problems, please consider leaving a comment.
##RVT1180
I have read of problems with Forest River for years in RV-related forums. I would NEVER buy one of their products.
If ever there was a case supporting a full and complete buy back, this is it. These types of issues should be addressed through legislation, and perhaps through the NHTSA.
Water leaks and associated damage is the # 1 reason to run for the hills from this piece of crap and the best reason for a buy back.
Forest River should buy back the unit, including all taxes, prep, destination fees and title and registration fees.
It sounds like most of these problems are caused by poor workmanship from the day the trailer hit the assembly line.
There is no way Forest River can make patch repairs. The floor is the first thing installed before the walls go up. The trailer needs to be completely disassembled and repaired from the ground up. Not going to happen. The problems with the floor and door points to a defective frame issue. ‘Repairing’ the initial issues is not going to stop future problems. And once the unit is out of warranty, FR will deny any future claims.
I agree…patch repairs are not the answer on this one. It’s scrap. FR needs to buy it back.
I bought a New Forest River TT prior to Covid years. Never had a single issue in over two years. Forest River needs to deal with this issue, however their suppliers may be the root cause of issues I bought a new 2023 class A unit. Many issues, however most go to poor parts from their suppliers. I continue to work the long list of issues on my non Forest River product.
I firmly believe that Forest River buy the unit back with cash and taxes plus all loan payments made so far. I personally know of a couple that purchased a Dynamax D3 Super C which after multiple problems which Forest River said they fixed during nine months at the factory gave the couple a new unit in exchange for the faulty unit. Good Luck
They didn’t do their homework. Many people get hooked by the floorplan and all of the do dads which don’t mean much when the workmanship is poor. I have never bought a new rv.
I agree and disagree. Even if I crawled under the RV, how would I know that a “splash guard”, or whatever was supposed to be there? AND if someone didn’t buy new, there would be no used. Some of this is a Catch 22.
I think this article #214 that I have read in RVTravel that tells me to never buy a new RV.
Not nowadays anyhow.
Buy the “brand” not the bling or floorplan. That’s a lemon trailer, especially that it’s having frame issues.
If it wasn’t for the need for space for the kids I would have looked into Arctic Fox or Outdoors RV or Brinkley brands.
I have an Outdoors RV product and have no complaints…I have owned a score of other cracker box brands and will never go back.
thank you
We love our Nash, Northwood makes a good trailer
I don’t know why ANYBODY would buy a Forest River product. It seems that every recall article that I read concerns a Forest River product.
I don’t know why ANYBODY would buy a Forest River product. It seems that almost every recall article I read concerns a Forest River product.
Richard what brands would you recommend? The majority of the industry seems to have plummeted. Even newer Winnebagos are having troubles like never before. It would be great to know who is still putting them together well!
The buy back will never occur. The underlying reason is that it will set a precedence that the manufacturers do not want. It will say that the manufacturers know they are selling junk and it will open the doors to others who want their junk RVs bought back.
I have a Keystone product, bought new and they have never care of any issue that I reported after the initial lot inspection. They took so long to respond to “recall” items that I had already replaced the item and they took no accountability for my purchase and efforts and it took 6 emails to get them to quit asking me about the resolution to the recall. Consumer issues are an even bigger problem that manufacturer’s don’t respond adequately.
Call Warren Buffett and ask to talk to him about buying the unit back
Har…har…har…
There should be more safety oversight RV campers. The hazards can cause life threatening problems and the industry seems to only care about profits. I would never buy a new tv the lip stick is nice but the safety is deadly.
We all have to write congress telling them we want strict laws for the safety and quality of these tv they travel on the road and could and have caused many safety issues.
Ha! You told a Congress joke!
Forest River should buy this “lemon” back immediately at full price! their total lack of quality control should make buyers avoid them
Ours is an 09 Cedar Creek. We have been told by owners who had an 09 and have continued to buy newer models to never sell ours as the quality of newer ones has gone down hill.
Even ours has had serious issues which I have addressed. The crossmember angle steel that holds up the tanks were fastened to the frame with self tapping screws! These were shearing off. Luckily caught this before a tank fell.
The heavy power supply was draping over all the crossmembers and was wearing through the insulation. When I caught this on one you could see bare wire! Luckily it must have been a ground.
Water fill hose also rubbed through on crossmembers.
FR should take it back and swap out another 5er of choice and make sure quality control is done before departure to dealership. It will make them whole again.
Would you trust another Forest River product? Do you really think they care about quality control? Just who would inspect the new one? Someone from Forest River or an independent who really looks it over.
I had one Forest River product. Back to the dealer 5 times under warranty and then one more time a month out of warranty for a problem that was never addressed properly. FR and the dealer both told me the trailer was out of the warranty period and would not repair it. I paid $$$ to another shop to have the problem repaired and traded it on another brand.
If you own 1 with these problems & decide to sell it, do you disclose the ” repairs” stay mum to get out of it? If I buy it & find out do I have recourse? Perceived value is a real thing & lawyers would be involved.
When you PAY your Assembly Employees by Piecework, (How fast they assemble), then you are going to get a quickly assembled RV’s. Lack of Quality and Craftsmanship is the result.
RV Manufacturers work for Wall Street, not Main Street. Buyer Beware.
You got it…more corporate greed.
the smaller private companies dont
There are still a few smaller rv cos who work for themselves and have higher quality.
Our family saw the quality of the once trusted mass production companies, had started changing dramatically after 2019. Although there were problems before with lemons, they were exponentiated after the covid layoffs and parts distribution cuts to the auto industry.
I’ve owned 5 RVs in my lifetime. The worst one by a mile was a new 2019 Forest River. I mean it must have been built by a five year old, the construction was so shabby. When I tried to get help on all the forums, I was told it was my fault because I didn’t do my homework, or why didn’t I catch all the issues during the walk-through, we’ve never had any issues, what’s wrong with you, etc. It was so cruel. It’s not this family’s fault to expect a brand new trailer to work. Forest River needs to make it right.
Why do you think Berkshire Hathaway has a lot of money? It’s profits over quality. Try a Grand Design for another big mistake.
Berkshire Hathaway, Think Warren Buffet!
These poor quality Forest River product owners should find out where Warren Buffet lives and park the junk RV’s on his street.
Have them Contact Ron Burdge immediately!!!!!!! if they can’t get any resolution from Forest River or the dealer… This is just stupid. crazy!!!!
who is Ron Burdge? Is he with Forest River? How do we contact him?
We have similar experience with East to West Tandara that we bought end of August 2024. Issues from the moment we drove off the lot 🙁
Google it. He’s the top RV Lemon Attorney. Appears quite often on RV Wingman on YouTube.
Google is your friend in all things RV.
Certainly Forest River should replace their unit. But, will they … I seriously doubt it. I’ve never seen an industry so intent on self-destruction as appears to be the case with the RV industry. From shoddy quality in the production of RVs of all types and brands to overpriced yet underwhelming “private equity” owned RV parks (of course they’re all “resorts”). And don’t even get me going about RV sales & service outlets. I’ve been a full timer (5’ver + F350 DRW) for 5 years. I would never buy a new RV and I’m not sure I’d buy one built after 2019. And, were I to buy another RV, it would be only after granular inspection and all issues remedied prior to money changing hands.
this happening way too often with no recourse.
I don’t want to own a fairly new anything. It’s become a throw away society. Instead of something being built with quality and longevity in mind, it’s more like slipshod construction and planned obsolescence. Besides construction issues, everything is controlled electronically. That just adds to the things that can go wrong and be expensive to fix. Ten years ago I bought what was then a 37 year old MH for $300. Before I could use it, I spent another $300 or so doing the repairs needed myself. Back then the effort on quality was much higher. I’ve taken it on long trips and many short (less than 600 mile) trips and it has never broken down. I often think about all the money I’ve saved.
The problem with the RV industry is they actually think they build quality units. One of the dumbest things I’ve seen is they’ll run a fastener into anything whether it will hold or not. And usually it’s not. The luan they use was never meant to be fastened to. The same goes for running screws into the thin aluminum they use as skirts. They’ll never hold and continuously fall apart. Much of the components that are RV specific are just junk. We’ve had outlets just break and hang out of the walls. I replace them with household when possible. It’s becoming a full time job just repairing the da*n thing.
I love that RV Travel Newsletter is helping to spread the word about Liz Amazing’s work taking on the RV industry. I am subscribed to her YouTube channel to support her work. The more people are made aware of shoddy quality coming out of primarily Elkhart, Indiana, hopefully, the Mfgs will pay notice and make changes.
We purchased a 2023 new keystone Fuzion 428 toy hauler January 2024. A week after taking delivery we received a recall on the on board fuel station. This started a 10 month process of back and forth to the dealer for issues. An electrical issue with the GFI that took 5 trips, generator fuel pump ( which i fixed because camping world doesn’t work on generators). Then 2 of 3 AC units failed, so 2 more trips to service and 8 to 10 weeks waiting on new units. Tank sensors on black, gray and fresh were malfunction. Aux and generator fuel gauges didn’t work. More trips to service and everytime was told I would have to leave it overnight to be diagnosed and drive back 80 miles the next day.
And they wonder why RV sales have dropped dramatically. Gee, let me guess!
People get what they pay for without doing any research.
I read that comment often. It isn’t research that is needed, it’s stronger consumer protection and lemon laws. But that won’t happen as long as the industry and it’s trade association lobby (bribe) lawmakers to prevent buyer protections.
It appears that the Association is actually working to promote assembled junk rather than making needed changes in that industry.
Also, just how do you research every purchase?
Thank you, RV Travel! We have bought new twice and have few regrets, none of which are that we did not buy used. If we get to RV #3, it, too, likely will be new. This story, and others, Liz Amazing has published bear out the need/value of a third-party inspection before finalizing an RV purchase. If we do get a third RV, then I plan to hire an inspector. Have a great day and safe travels!