2017 Forest River R-Pod Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2017 Forest River R-Pod, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Body & structure150.0%
- Tires & wheels150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
"TONGUE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION". I FILLED THE WATER TANK, LOADED THE STORAGE AREA AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE R-POD. AT 50 MPH THE TRAILER BEGAN TO FISHTAIL. MY TRUCK AND TRAILER ALTERNATED ON 2 WHEELS. I DID GET CONTROL, HAD TO TRAVEL HOME AT UNDER 35 MPH. I GOT HOME AND WAS ABLE TO LIFT THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER. ALL OF THE STORAGE AND WATER TANK ARE BEHIND THE SINGLE AXLE. THERE IS NO STORAGE AVAILABLE IN THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER TO DISTRIBUTE THE WEIGHT. THE DINING AREA IS IN THE FRONT. THE PASS-THRU STORAGE IS BEHIND THE AXLE. THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO ADDRESS THIS DESIGN FLAW. I CANNOT ADD HUNDREDS OF POUNDS TO THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER WHERE THERE IS NO STORAGE SPACE AVAILABLE. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE TRAILER AND AFRAID TO SELL IT TO ANYONE ELSE. I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, SOME RESULTING IN ACCIDENTS, HITTING OTHER CARDS, HITTING THE GUARD RAIL, ETC. *JS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON MY THIRD USE OF MY 2017 FOREST RIVER R-POD TRAVEL TRAILER, A TRIP TO TEXAS FROM INDIANA, THE LEFT SIDE SINGLE AXLE TRAILER TIRE COMPLETELY DELAMINATED, TEARING THE STEEL FENDER WITH LIGHT AND WIRING FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS ON A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE INFLATION OF BOTH TIRES WAS CHECKED PRIOR TO LEAVING AND BOTH WERE INFLATED TO THE RECOMMENDED PSI. I INSTALLED THE SPARE AND BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT TIRE ON THE SAME DAY. THE NEXT DAY WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH THE TIRE ON THE RIGHT SIDE BLEW OUT AND WAS TORN TO SHREDS, ALSO TEARING OFF THE FENDER AND WIRING. NEITHER FENDER WAS LOCATED AND I TRUST THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR VEHICLE DAMAGE AS I WAS NOT NOTIFIED. BOTH OF THESE INCIDENTS WERE VERY SERIOUS BUT THE TRAILER WAS KEPT UNDER CONTROL AND WAS SAFELY MOVED OFF OF THE ROADWAYS. FOREST RIVER HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY DAMAGES AS THE 1 YEAR WARRANTY WAS OVER. THE TIRE DISTRIBUTER, LION'S HEAD, GOSHEN, IN, ALSO REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT OR DAMAGES AS THE 1 YEAR WARRANTY WAS OVER. THESE TIRE POSE A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REMOVED FROM ANY VEHICLES USED ON THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .