2021 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE Structure Problems

The contact owns a 2021 Forest River Cherokee Toy Hauler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the frame was flexing at the RV pin box location. The contact stated that while unhitching the trailer, the contact noticed that there was weld separation on the left and right sides of the tow hitch outer frame. Additionally, the contact stated that the cargo door holding the propane tank was opening unintendedly while driving. The trailer was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with spring damage, and the contact was informed that the cargo door that held the propane tank was opening unintendedly because the frame was flexing at the RV pin box location. The Lippert manufacturer that installed the frame was contacted and advised the contact to send pictures of the failure. The manufacturer, Forest River, was notified of the failure and advised the contact to apply gel in the weld gaps. The trailer was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

The slide mechanism and gear rack are out of spec per their manufacturer of the component (schwintek inverted gear rack). On my unit the “shoe” part of the rack has failed (possibly because of improper installation) and I am afraid that if the slide is not secured by the gear rack that it could slip out while the vehicle is in motion. Lippert does have a TSB for this, but apparently doesn’t apply to my date range. Lippert TSB is 146-001-2022. Forest river tells me “this can happen over time from usage.” Lippert (schwintek mfg) says: “The concern appears to stem from an out-of-spec installation. We recommend reaching out to the coach manufacturer, as they may participate in resolving the issue” Neither company appear to be concerned for safety

Front entry door opens while driving down the road. I have started deadbolt locking it. Lucky the hand rail folded in has caught the door from swinging out. Still could be dangerous for other drivers if something inside falls out of the RV.

Front entry door opens while driving down the road. I have started deadbolt locking it. Lucky the hand rail folded in has caught the door from swinging out. Still could be dangerous for other drivers if something inside falls out of the RV.

Noticed interior night stand and paneling buckled. Upon inspection, found multiple welds on frame and hitch area that had separated due to poorly performed welds. Contacted both Forest River and Lippert. Neither were interested in this safety concern. The failures of these welds will result in this RV detaching from tow vehicle if not identified soon enough. Mine was very close to this!

We have had our travel trailer for about 1 year and have had it in for service to the bedroom door as we noted it was sticking. This weekend the bedroom door failed. The frame of the door itself came away from the door making it difficult to open. At the same time the other entry door was stuck shut. My wife was unable to open the door. I was able to open it with great difficulty. The door side of the trailer was in direct afternoon sunlight it it appeared to have swollen and jammed itself in the doorway. It did not resolve itself until the outside temperature dropped and we ran the air-conditioning inside the trailer. If my wife would have been inside alone and would have needed to escape the trailer should would not have been able to. In researching forums and forest river related Facebook groups this appears to be a common issue.

Mounting nuts from body to frame are loose after only 2 years of use.

On my camper, there are bolts from the body through the frame to hold the two together. While inspecting my camper nearly all the bolts could be unscrewed by hand, with a few having a noticeable gap where they had backed away. There were only 3 bolts on the entire camper that were tight. If these bolts had continued to loosen it is possible the body could separate from the frame while driving. I contacted the manufacturer over this issue and was told to inspect those bolts each time. Nowhere in the owners manual could I find where this is a requirement.

Our travel trailer door on a 2021 forrest river fell off while driving and is stuck open. They have been trying to fix it for since April 17th but are now ghosting me after telling me it was a known issue with the new door system they are using. 2ndly there is metal shards and shavings under my sink in the fridge area and no one seems to know why there is busted metal all over some electrical components. Also the outdoor shower door and the side compartment door are falling off and will not stay closed during operation.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAFETY CHAINS WERE WELDED INCORRECTLY ON THE HOOKUP AREA OF RV. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE LOCAL DEALER AC NELSEN RV WORLD - OMAHA (11818 L ST, OMAHA, NE 68137, (402) 333-1122) AND WAS INFORMED TO TOW THE RV IN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.*DT CONSUMER STATED SAFETY CHAINS FELL OFF IN FRONT OF THE CAMPER.*JB*DT*JB*DT