2003 Forest River Salem Owner Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOREST RIVER SALEM TRAVEL TRAILER. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2652. THE REFRIGERATOR WAS REPAIRED IN JUNE OF 2005 BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT COOL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06E076000 (EQUIPMENT: RECREATIONAL VEHICLE) IN DECEMBER OF 2007. DOMETIC STATED THAT HE COULD NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR THE LABOR CHARGES BECAUSE THE REFRIGERATOR WAS REPAIRED BEFORE AUGUST OF 2005. UPDATED 07/29/08 *BF A FATIGUE CRACK IN THE BOLIER TUBE CAUSED LOSS OF REFRIGERANT. THE MANUFACTURER PAID FOR THE THE COOLING UNIT, BUT NOT THE LABOR. UPDATED 07/29/08

NHTSA ID

10232155

Incident

Jun 13, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOREST RIVER. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2652. HE SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM DOMETIC (ASIA, 21841034) IN JANUARY OF 2008, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD CALL HIM BACK ONCE THEY REACHED MASSACHUSETTS AND WOULD BE COVERED. THE CONTACT CALLED DOMETIC IN MAY OF 2008 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REFRIGERATOR WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY CRACKED. UPDATED 06/25/08. *CN THE SERVICE CENTER CAME TO LOOK AT THE REFRIGERATOR AND STATED THERE WAS LEAKING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE REFRIGERATOR. THERE WAS YELLOW RESIDUE AND A STRONG SMELL OF AMMONIA. UPDATED 06/25/08. *JB

NHTSA ID

10229616

Incident

Jan 11, 2008

I PURCHASED A FOREST RIVER 38' SAND PIPER SPORT F37SP TOY HAULER FIFTH WHEEL NEW IN 2003. THE TRAILER WAS EQUIPED WITH TANDOM AXELS. WE EXPERIANCED NUMEROUS TIRE BLOW OUTS. EACH TIME THE TIRE WOULD BLOW IT WOULD BLOW UP WITH PIECES OF RUBBER FLYING EVERY WHERE CAUSING EXCESSIVE DAMAGE TO THE RV AND CAUSING THE TRAILER TO BECOME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL UNTIL STOPPED AND OFF THE ROADWAY. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF FOREST RIVER AND ALSO CARLISLE TIRE COMPANY. IN 2005 WE WERE CONTACTED BY A LOCAL RV DEALER TO BRING OUR TRAILER IN TO HAVE THE AXELS REPLACED WITH A HEAVER AXEL AND LARGER G RATED TIRES. THE EXPENSE WAS BEING PAID FOR BY FOREST RIVER. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE SENDING OUT LETTERS TO ABOUT 13 OTHER OWNERS IN THE UTAH AND WYOMING AREA TO HAVE THIER TRAILERS BROUGHT IN FOR THE TRADE OUT AS WELL. I ALSO KNOW OF PEOPLE WHO OWN THE SAME TRAILER IN THE LAS VEGAS AREA WHO HAVE EXPERIANCED THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS ACTION SEEMED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A YEAR. SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE SEVERAL MORE BLOW OUTS. EACH AND EVERY TIME CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE RV AND CAUSING A SAFETY PROBLEM TO OUR SELVES AND OTHER VEH'S TRAVELING NEAR TO US. FOREST RIVER HAS CHANGED THE DESIGN ON THESE TRAILERS AND NOW IS SELLING THEM PROVIDED WITH A TRIPLE AXEL TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. I BELIEVE THIS HAS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, WE AND MANY OTHERS OR STUCK WITH THE TANDOM AXEL TRAILERS THAT WERE PRODUCED BEFORE THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT FOREST RIVER CAN DO TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR US AND MAKE THIS TRAILER SAFE TO OPERATE AND USE. AS OF THIS DATED WE HAVE REPLACED APROX 12 TIRES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10221749

Incident

Jul 21, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOREST RIVER SALEM. THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE IN HIS FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. HE DETECTED SMOKE AND IMMEDIATELY WENT OUTSIDE TO DISCONNECT THE WIRES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED AND THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS APPLICABLE.

NHTSA ID

10217290

Incident

Nov 9, 2006

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE FIFTH WHEEL (NA). WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE GREY WATER TANK FELL OFF. THE TANK, WHICH COULD WEIGH UP TO 400 POUNDS, WAS SECURED WITH ONLY FOUR SCREWS. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, POWERTRAIN, AND FUEL INFORMATION WERE INAPPLICABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 300.

NHTSA ID

10203598

Incident

Sep 15, 2007

Mileage

300 mi

PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATED TIRE WEAR ON A 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER. I HAVE A CEDAR CREEK 5TH WHEEL MODEL YEAR 2003, MANUFACTURED 11.02, MODEL # 30RLBS. THE TRAILER HAS 5200# AXLES MANUFACTURED BY AL-KOBER AND THEY ARE CAUSING EXTREME TIRE WEAR ON THE INSIDE EDGES OF THE TIRES. HAVE SPOKEN TO AL-KO AND THEY DENY ANY PROBLEMS BUT IT HAS BEEN DETAILED ON QUITE A FEW WEB SITES THAT THEY HAD A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND THAT THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM IS RAPID WEAR ON THE INSIDE EDGES OF TIRES CAUSING BLOW OUTS AND DAMAGE AND SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO THESE DEFECTS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO CEDAR CREEK, STEVE HICKS, AND HE AGREES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAS SENT ME REPLACEMENT AXLES NO CHARGE BUT I THINK THAT AL-KOBER SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND FORCED TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED COMPONENTS AND REPLACE THE TIRED DAMAGED BY THIS DEFECT AND POSSIBLY CAUSING MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES. I STILL HAVE THE OLD AXLES AND THE TIRES ARE STILL ON THE TRAILER AS I ONLY MAKE 1 MAJOR TRIP EACH YEAR, PUTTING LESS THAN 3,000 MILES EACH YEAR ON UNIT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10197143

Incident

May 15, 2007

DROVE OVER TWO OR THREE ROUGH BRIDGES. LEAF SPRINGS ON LEFT SIDE OF TRAILER FLATTENED & LOST THEIR SUPPORT, CAUSING THE TIRES TO RUB ON UNDERSIDE OF TRAILER WITH A BREAKING ACTION TO THAT SIDE, CAUSING TRAVEL TRAILER TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. TRAILER WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY INSURANCE COMPANY DUE TO BENT FRAME AFTER LOSS OF CONTROL. NO ONE WAS INJURED NOTHING WAS HIT NOTHING HIT TRAILER. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A STOP ON THE UNDERSIDE OF EVERY TRAVEL TRAILER ON THE ROAD, TO STOP THE AXLE BEFORE THE TIRE CAN BREAK ON THE UNDERSIDE OF ANY TRAILER. THIS IS NOT ONLY A DANGER TO PEOPLE TOWING TRAILERS BUT TO EVERYONE DRIVING ON THE ROADWAYS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10157832

Incident

Apr 21, 2006

Mileage

7,500 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOREST RIVER SALEM TRAVEL TRAILER. WHEN THE TRAILER WAS TOWED THE LEFT TIRES RUBBED AGAINST THE FRAME SUPPORTS. ALTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE.*AK UPDATED 3/28/2006 - THE MANUFACTURER HAS AGREE TO REPAIR THE UNIT AND REPLACE THE TIRE AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *NM

NHTSA ID

10152106

Incident

Mar 7, 2006

Mileage

15,000 mi