2013 FOREST RIVER SIERRA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHEN UNWINTERIZING MY RV I NOTICED THE WHEEL ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE OF MY 2013 FOREST RIVER SIERRA 365SAQ WAS PITCHED SEVERAL INCHES SO THAT THE BOTTOM OF THE WHEEL WAS 'OUT' FROM THE TRAILER AND THE TOP WAS LEANING TOWARDS THE TRAILER. I JACKED THE TRAILER UP TO REMOVE WEIGHT FROM THE AXLE AND THE PITCH DID NOT IMPROVE. I REMOVED THE WHEEL AND THE HUB TO INSPECT THE AXLE. THE END OF THE AXLE, THE SPINDLE, WAS SLIGHTLY BENT. THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY EXPIRED SO I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT LINE FOR THE AXLE MANUFACTURER, AL-KO. AL-KO REQUESTED VEHICLE INFORMATION AND INFORMATION FROM THE WEIGHT LABELS ON THE VEHICLE. I WAS THEN ADVISED THAT I WOULD NEED TO CONTACT FOREST RIVER AS THE AXLES WERE POTENTIALLY OVERLOADED AND AS THEY WERE INSTALLED IN A POTENTIALLY IMPROPER APPLICATION AL-KO WOULD NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE. I WAS ADVISED TO REVIEW ECFR TITLE 49, SUBTITLE B, CHAPTER V, PART 571.120 AND FEDERAL REGISTER, VOLUME 72 ISSUE 232 BEFORE CONTACTING FOREST RIVER. FOREST RIVER INITIALLY SUGGESTED THAT I MIGHT NEED TO BRING THE TRAILER (WITH THE BENT AXLE) TO THEIR PLANT IN INDIANA FROM MY HOME IN NEW JERSEY; THOUGH WHEN MANAGEMENT WAS ASKED TO APPROVE THE REPAIR THE REPAIR WAS REJECTED ENTIRELY BASED ON THE AGE (32 MONTHS) OF THE VEHICLE. BASED ON MY REVIEW OF ECFR TITLE 49 I DON'T BELIEVE THEY PROPERLY CALCULATED WEIGHT OR IS DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE TRAILER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY EQUIPPED WITH 6K POUND AXLES, ITS LABELED GVWR 14060, ITS FACTORY DRY WEIGHT IS 12570, 12720 AFTER DEALER OPTIONS. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SUPPLIED STATES THAT THE PIN WEIGHT IS 10%-15% OF THE GVWR, BUT THE LOW SIDE (10%) WOULD LEAVE 12654 ON THE AXLES; 654 POUNDS OVERLOADED AT A MINIMUM. EVEN AT 15% 11951 IS ON THE AXLES, BUT 15% TRANSFER IS DOUBTFUL AS THE MAJORITY OF STORAGE IN THE TRAILER IS IN THE REAR OF THE UNIT. I AM STILL WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM FR. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2013 FOREST RIVER 356 SAQ IN AUGUST OF 2012. I USED IT DURING THE REST OF THAT SEASON. COME TO FIND OUT FOREST RIVER ONLY PUT 6 THOUSAND POUND AXLES UNDER A 40+ FOOT CAMPER. IN THE SPRING I PULLED IT TO A CAT SCALE AND WEIGHED THE UNIT. MY VERY UNLOADED CAMPER REAR AXLE WEIGHT WAS 11,500 LBS. THIS POSES A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE VERY EASY TO OVER LOAD AND NOT EVEN KNOW. IF I WERE TO FILL MY FRESH WATER TANK THIS WOULD SURELY PUT ME VERY CLOSE TO THE AXLE WEIGHT RATINGS AND OVER ONCE I LOAD MY UNIT WITH ALL THE THINGS WE NEED FOR A FAMILY OF 4 TO GO CAMPING. IN THE LATER 2013 MODELS FOREST RIVER CAME OUT WITH THE OPTION OF 7 THOUSAND POUND AXLES. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. I CONTACTED FOREST RIVER SIERRA DIVISION VIA E-MAIL ANY THEY SAID IF I WOULD TOW MY UNIT FROM MAINE TO INDIANA (ON MARGINAL AT BEST AXLES) AND THEY WOULD DO THE WORK FOR $2500. *TR