2015 FOREST RIVER WILDWOOD — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

THIS PAST AUGUST 2020 THE BACK LEFT WHEEL BEARING SNAPPED OFF TAKING THE TIRE WITH IT WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY AND THE MECHANIC SAID ALL THE BACKING ASSEMBLYS, HUBS AND BEARINGS AND 2 TIRES NEEDED TO REPLACED BECAUSE OF A BEARING ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAMPER. THE TIRE LITERALLY SNAPPED RIGHT OFF THE CAMPER. THERE WERE CARS ALL AROUND US, IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, ON 290 E IN TONAWANDA, NY. WE WERE VERY LUCKY WE PULLED OVER RIGHT BEFORE THE WHEEL SNAPPED OFF. I KNOW THAT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IS NOT UNUSUAL, BUT THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A BAD ACCIDENT. I DID FIND A RECALL ON THESE CAMPERS BECAUSE OF WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE SAME ISSUE THAT WE HAD, ON THE SPECIFIC MAKE MODEL AND YEAR OF THE CAMPER. I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE ME SOME INSIGHT ON NEXT STEPS TO TAKE AND POSSIBLE COMPENSATION. I HAVE INCLUDED A RECALL NOTICE I HAVE FOUND AND RECEIPT FOR THE PAST TOWING AND BEARING REPAIR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FOREST RIVER WILDWOOD TRAVEL TRAILER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RELEASE THE WASTE BLACK TANK, THE CONTACT PULLED THE VALVE AS NORMAL, BUT ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF WASTE WAS RELEASED BEFORE IT COMPLETELY STOPPED RELEASING. THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FORWARD AND FORCEFULLY SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO JERK IN ORDER FOR MORE WASTE TO RELEASE. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO REPEAT THE ACTION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO JOHN'S RV (242 BLASTMASTER ROAD LEXINGTON, SC, 29072; 803-359-2957) WHO REDIRECTED THE VALVE THAT THE WASTE WAS RELEASED FROM; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BY EMAIL AND BY PHONE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

ON OR NEAR APRIL 27TH OF THIS YEAR I TOOK DELIVERY OF A BRAND NEW WILDWOOD CAMPER AND WAS SO EXTREMELY PROUD AND HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE. ON MAY 6TH I AND MY FAMILY WENT CAMPING AT A LOCAL STATE PARK. LESS THAN 15 MILES FROM MY RESIDENCE. DURING THE DRIVE TO THIS PARK I WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH SPEEDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH DUE TO THE TRAILER 'FISH TAILING'. AFTER DISCUSSING WITH OTHER CAMPERS THEY HAD ALL STATED THAT A 'EQUALIZER HITCH' IS WHAT WAS NEEDED TO CALM THE FISH TAILING DOWN. THIS WAS PURCHASED AND APPLIED TO MY TRUCK AND CAMPER. ON A TEST DRIVE I WAS ABLE TO ATTAIN A SPEED OF 45 MPH HOWEVER IT WAS WITH FISH TAILING. I DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH LIEBELT RV, THIS IS THE COMPANY THAT I HAD PURCHASED THIS CAMPER FROM AND THEIR MECHANIC THOUGHT THAT ALL WAS NEEDED WOULD BE A SWAY CONTROL BAR. AFTER SERIOUS DISCUSSION WITH THE MECHANIC WE HAD DECIDED TO LEAVE THE TRAILER THERE AND MY TRUCK TO VERIFY CORRECT INSTALLATION OF THE EQUALIZER HITCH AND TO INSTALL THE SWAY CONTROL BAR. IT ALSO WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MECHANIC WOULD TEST DRIVE AND VERIFY THE FISH TAILING PROBLEM THAT I WAS HAVING. A DETERMINATION WAS MADE TO INSTALL TWO SWAY CONTROL BARS AND TO CHANGE THE TIRES FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMPER TO A HEAVIER DUTY WIDER CROWN TIRE. WITH ALL THIS DONE TO MY BRAND NEW CAMPER, I AND MY FAMILY TOOK IT CAMPING. THE STATE PARK WAS 100 MILES FROM MY HOME AND THE TRAILER FISH TAILED ALL THE WAY WITH TOP SPEED OF 55 MPH AND THIS WAS SKETCHY. WE TOOK IT ON A SECOND CAMPING TRIP WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 125 MILES AWAY AND AGAIN THE TOP SPEED WAS 55 MPH AND SKETCHY. MY TRUCK IS A RAM 1500 LARAMIE WITH HEAVY DUTY UPGRADES TO INCLUDE 5000 LB AIRBAGS AND THE HEAVY DUTY TOWING PACKAGE. ALL DRIVING WAS ON HIGHWAY WITH POSTED SPEED LIMITS OF 65 MPH / 70 MPH AND 80 MPH

BRAND NEW ONLY 1 YEAR OLD USED ONLY 5 TIMES. DRIVING AND KEPT HEARING A LOUD NOISE DRIVING DID NOT FEEL LIKE WE WERE IN TOTAL CONTROL. HE SLOWED DOWN AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE CAMPGROUND ABOUT 15 MILES FROM OUR HOUSE HE SAW THE LEAF SPRING WAS HANGING. COULD HAVE CAUSE MY TWO YEAR OLD AND THREE YEAR OLDS LIVES HAD WE HAVE BEEN ROLLING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND AT A HIGHER SPEED THAN 40 MPH . THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM IN PREVIOUS FOREST RIVER MODELS AND KNOW I AM CONCERNED WITH THIS TRAILER. WE ARE TALKING OUR FIRST BIG TRIP TO MOUNTAINS IN JULY AND I AM SCARED. MY DEALER SAID THAT MANUFACTURER AL,OST 90% OF TIME SAYS PPL OVERLOADED TRAILER AND I CAN SAY FOR A FACT WE DID NOT I WAT TO GET THIS ON RECORD AND SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN OTHER ISSUES AND TO WARN DRIVERS. I HAVE ATTACHED PICTURES AND I ALSO HAVE TWO VIDOES IF NEEDED