Forest River Salem Grand Villa reviews

Do not buy! Right after we bought our camper, our refrigerator, furnace, air conditioner all went out. The dealer and Forest River were very challenging to deal with - replaced some but not all . We spent HOURS to get anything. Then our beautiful “pleather” recliners and couch started peeling - in a brand new RV!!! I was told that was due to the hot weather and that the dealer had it on the lot too long before we purchased and it wasn’t going to be covered. We take EXCELLENT care of our camper and it looks great - except for the seat covers we have on all of the peeling furniture (and now the bench seats too!). Our first camping trip this year - our outside lights don’t work. We had been told Forest River was a great camper. We do love the lay out, cabinets, and stainless appliances. Unfortunately camping becomes a reminder of all of the things wrong! Show less

Cheap enough at $20,000 new. Cheaply made but you get what you pay for. Has a lot of nice features such as installed Solar, outside griddle, outside hot and cold shower, rear camera ready, Wifi Booster ready, Antanea booster, But best of all its only 23 foot including tongue and tows like a dream. Show less

When I saw this little trailer I fall in love with it because for the size even is a small one can sleep up to eight peoples even is just my husband and I. In less than a month start the problem the trailer has been more in services than what we enjoyed it. The first trip to service because the refrigerator later a leaked in the AC damage the sealing they had to replace it after the fresh tank the water pump a propane leakage a wood behind the stove was getting burn the cabinet topper in the kitchen the sink came loose because didn’t have the parts to support another gas leakage now we need a new refrigerator the shades never stay up. I don’t know if I mentioned everything the point my experience has been horrible I don’t to know of rv’s not more as soon I can I’m going to get rid of this. Show less

First off, we bought a 2021 Forest River fifth wheel back in October 2021. Within two weeks, our cable to the electricity box caught on fire. If we had not been home, our RV and parent's home beside the camper would have burned. Next, within a few days of our purchase, our master toilet had clogged. We used only RV toilet paper….we contacted Crowder and they told us it might be the septic tank we were hooked into. We had it pumped, but that did not fix the problem. During attempted use of the toilet after pumping, sewage spewed up into the sink and shower and spewed out the back of the RV several times. We persisted that Crowder come get the RV and check it out. Even though the contract that we signed says we have to bring the RV to them, we felt that since we had issues within a few days of buying, Crowder should come to us. Also, with it only being a 2021 camper. After much persistence and a bad review, Crowder came. Crowder cut out a piece of clogged plumbing and told us it was the toilet paper we were using. We used the correct paper from the start and knew this was not going to solve the problem. Crowder then asked us to put up a review that they fixed it. We did. But, within the next three days, the toilet clogged again. Crowder had us take pictures of the black tank and they sent it to Forest River; then it was discovered the black tank was on backward. Crowder had to come back and get the RV again and replace it with a new black tank. This took about three weeks. Crowder says they went above and beyond when they came to get our RV, three times. First off, they had to come get it that many times because of a misdiagnosis on their part. If our RV had not had a second-half bathroom, we would not have been able to stay in it. This has been a very big inconvenience! So far, that issue is resolved. However, as soon as we hooked the RV back up the heating unit would not work. It’s wintertime now. We called an RV repair company to come to take a look. They could not find the problem onsite and had to take the heating unit into their shop. They took it apart and found a huge hole burnt inside the unit. The man said in his 15 yrs' experience that, he had never seen that before. Our warranty paid part, and the manufacturer replaced the heating unit, and the repair man reinstalled it. But it cost us $300. He then informed us that the 20-21 RVs were hodge-podge together because during Covid, supplies were short, and the manufacturers used whatever they could get. He also informed us that the hose was leaking gas and carbon monoxide and our monoxide detector never went off!!! Therefore, it was defective. We feel we could have lost our lives, and with all the issues we have had with this RV, we do not feel we can sell it, rent it or live in it with good conscience. We have asked Crowder and Forest River to either take the unit back at no money lost to us or put it on Crowders' lot and resell the unit. So far, Crowder has responded with. You have a warranty. Get the problems fixed as they come about, and enjoy your RV. There is no enjoyment here, it has been one issue after another and we don’t want to deal with any other issues that may arise. Or put anyone else through what we have been through. Crowder did not respond to our request to sell the unit on their lot. Forest River continues to say their warranty is not transferable to a second owner. Crowder's mission statement and values is on a card they gave us when we purchased: Why we exist; our MISSION STATEMENT: Equipping our region with the resources needed to enjoy the RV lifestyle by serving with excellence those God brings our way. What we stand for; our VALUES: with co-workers, with customers, with vendors. In all we do. Positive Attitude - Honoring God with my best each day Respect - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you Honesty - The truth will set you free Diligence - Going the second mile Generosity - It is better to give than receive Show less

1st time camping, discover the black tank has a crack in it, the awning is detaching also... 2nd time camping, loose all power, find out the converter is bad, must be replaced so we can survive the four day weekend, discover a crack in bunk house shower floor. Other small issues has well, still waiting for repairs. Bottom line, we want our money back, we will NEVER purchase a Forest River again. Show less

WE like camper as a whole. But lots of problems first time out was cooking on outside grill smelt gas we did get recall on Quick connect in gas line. Upon looking into leak found rubber gas line was not properly secured and ended up being almost cut completely in half could have been very serious. We took ownership last October got call in March to bring unit in for service I said what for we haven't used it yet come to find out shower pan was cracked no told us.Dealer said unit was gone through when it arrived to make sure everything works.Tried our air first time out in May that didn't work got it looked at they said it was wired wrong at thermostat but it still doesn't work. Drains in lavatory leaked at every joint fixed them myself. Not happy with service. Show less

We absolutely love our Salem Villa 4092 bfl So spacious and feels like home. The loft is perfect when family and grandkids come We were fortunate to find some hidden extra compartment space for 5 gallon water and spout to fit and be hidden inside cabinetry And a couple other things. Its amazing the space you can find behind some of those panels lol Overall it’s a great unit. Show less

I bought an Rv from Santa Paula RV May of 2022. That RV is a Forest River Salem Hemisphere 356QB. During the time that I had it, I had 3/4 slide outs leak. I've had a lower sweeper seal completely ripped off. I've had a water leak behind the wall of the bunkhouse leading into the back bathroom. I've had a water heater fire from poor placement of the 115v plug for the water heating element. The plug was placed directly under the shower drain on the deck. Water completely pooled around the plug in and caught fire. I've had studs try to poke through the rubber roof when walking on it (Im nowhere near the weight limit.) I've had so many issues that aren't even named here. I finally was able to get repairs on the coach. Forest River honored my repairs that needed to be done. I had the RV delivered to Fontana CA for all repairs. The RV was turned in early May, and here I am heading into August. I've been in contact with the repair facility in Fontana as well as the parts department for Forest River. Today I was notified that the Water Heater had arrived last week (finally.) Today, 25Jul2022 I learned that the water heater was damaged. Not because of the shipper, but because of the way the water heater was packaged. Today again, I contact the parts department to notify them of the damaged water heater that they pulled from their production department. The phone was answered and that person was laughing while she answered the phone. I'm fine with having fun in the work place, however, In a job where you provide customer service, that is the incorrect way to answer the phone. Then I hear cursing in the background and also it sounded like this woman was trying to impress her friends by the way she was talking to me. My time was wasted completely in this process. It sounded like the mailroom from the movie elf.. It's no wonder I've been waiting on my parts for so long. Their is zero accountability held. I asked to speak to the Manager who had worked out a deal to get me this broke water heater. She had immediately said that he was busy, trying to make me feel stupid. I'm a full time RV'er as well as Active Duty Navy. Im not going to sit here and say that I'm special, but I obviously rely on this RV. I can say that if this were the case in my workplace I would certainly get hemmed up for it. I've had nothing but a negative experience with Forest River. Forest River does not supply proper quality assurance walk around so prior to sending these units out. The entire organization or company is a complete joke. I will never buy another Forest River product. No person should have to rely on a company who has owned a system that just doesn't work. The people don't work either and do not care about you. They've already gotten your money. Don't waste your time. Buyers beware. These people don’t even deserve a star. Show less

The dealer that we purchased this camper at did nothing to prepare or set it up for use. We've spent a total of more than 90 nights in it over the past 3 years and had some issues, but nothing major after fixing everything the dealer failed to set up. Build quality is extremely low. You can tell it was put together by someone new, someone who didn't care or some mix of the two. There are gaps between every surface that meets with another. Nothing is square. If you're the type of person who is bothered by inconsistencies or visible cosmetic issues then I wouldn't buy anything from forest river. One of my biggest complaints is how they cut holes to run power and water lines through the floor. Instead of cutting a 3 inch hole for a 2 inch pipe they cut a 12 inch hole and don't fill it at all. That means mice and other even larger animals can essentially walk right in. We've had endless issues with mice and the only solution is to drop the tanks, remove the underbelly liner and seal every sloppy attempt at running utilities I can find. I've also found many wiring issues, mainly reversed color wires being connected. Show less

We bought this unit in April, 2022, because we loved the floor plan. I traded in a smaller travel trailer that did not have a slide, and was nervous about a larger unit with a slide. My concerns were valid. During our first trip, we discovered that the hot water heater was wired backwards. Although we have 3 different types of warranties and "road side assistance " , we weren't able to get anyone to actually assist until we were able to get through to the service department at a different RV sales company. Our second outing is where the nightmares really began. We were not able to get the slide to go out. Again, multiple calls to Forest River, the dealership, and Good Sams. No one would help. We finally were told by a "RV repair person " to go under the slide and turn the handle to manually open it. The handle broke! We cut our trip short to take it in for service. What a nightmare that was! 3 weeks later we're told it was fixed, the slide was not mounted correctly. Since then we have had seals come off on the slide and windows, the roof on the slide needs to be replaced, the sides of the slide are all scraped up, one of the stabilizer switches is broken, we are constantly replacing screws throughout. And don't even get me started on the "prewired King wifi extender ". It wasn't prewired!! That was a month of fighting before returning the system to King! I wanted to return it after the second trip, but with all the socalled warranties, exchanging it for another unit is not an option. Sadly, campers are thrown together to meet demand. I am still waiting for parts to arrive. But we love camping, and continue to repair what we can with minimal cursing. Show less