Forest River Salem Grand Villa reviews

The Grand View is the worst money that we have spent on any camping equipment. Forest River is hard to get payment for warranty work that has to be done, and believe me, there has been more problems with this camper than any we have owned. Be smart and stay clear of this poorly made camper. It is not worth half of what they sale for. Show less

This camper is exactly what my family needed. It allowed our son to bring a friend and gave me and my husband plenty of space. Loved the slide out dinette and the outside grill and fridge area. It was perfect weight to pull with our Pilot. I can’t say enough about how much we loved our Salem FX Show less

The rv, it’s a great floor plan. The problem is quality has been left out. Problem #1 the 2x2 framing under the master bedroom broke . When this happened it also broke the right side cabinet next to the bed. The framework was stapled together just barely holding together. I gutted the entire master bedroom and rebuilt it using 2x4 lumber with deck screws. Problem #2 same thing happened with the seat boxes and the couch. I completely rebuilt this entire area. Problem #3 the pocket door came off the upper track. I took care of this also. Problem #4 the underbelly panels came off. Again I took care of this with replacement panels. Problem #5. Brakes did not work properly I replaced all brakes with self adjustment brakes after repeated attempts to repair original brakes also the wire going to the brakes was #18 gauge wire. I went with#14 wire. Problem #6 all seals on the slide were either torn on the sides with no seals on top. Again I rebuilt all the slide seals. Problem #7 the cables for the entertainment system feel apart. I’m still working on that problem Show less

Unable to use as rodent infested. Lots of gaping holes in the floor panel, that enable rodents to make it home. Excessive use of gas. Was changing 20lb cylinder weekly for just few days recreational use. Unable to tow, as wrongly informed by dealership that my truck was strong enough to tow it. Control panel faulty, fluctuating battery power within minutes. States tank empty when full and vice versa. Show less

My husband had the idea of us living in an RV while building our house. Honestly I was not crazy about the idea. Then I saw this RV and my response, "That I could do!" This RV is so very nice and spacious. The refrigerator is huge compared to others I've seen. Plus it has a large freezer space too. The shower is full size and we installed a washer/dryer. The TV is so nice and large and the seats are very comfy. We lived in this RV for over a year. Whether you are wanting something for fun weekend trips, or something more long term, you've got it right here! Show less

I liked the larger gas oven and 4 burner cook top. I also liked the colors. I've had several leaks which most have been taken care of by the dealer, Camping World of Asheville, until the shower was never fixed. It still leaks from underneath and the sliding glass door leaks profusely when the rain comes from that side. I called again to have them come out and fix what they hadn't fixed and they said it would cost $200 for the service call. I said it was never fixed. Come to find out this Camping World doesn't have a mobile repair van. So I'm at their mercy, until I contacted Forest River they informed me that, that Camping World doesn't have a mobile, that's why I have to pay. During the email they sent me what I needed to do for the warranty work and a list of the mobile repair places that they authorize and they will reimburse me whatever the cost. So I'm awaiting the phone call for the repair people to come out and do the repairs. My unit is a permanent unit therefore I can't tow it. Show less

Love the floor plan the most The Queen size murphy bed is both comfortable and versatile. The 11 cu ft refrigerator freezer works great and runs on 12volt as well as 120vac . The outside mini fridge is perfect for cold drinks qnd snacks. you can even keep a few popsicles in the freezer compartment too. The rear bathroom is large and has its own vanity with sink and medicine caninet. The dinette folds into a bed to sleep an adult or two kids. There is an outside shower with hot and cold water, Also a hookup for an lp gas grill. Also a black tank flush. The holding tanks are ample fir this camper. The AC is powerful, and each roof vent has a small fan. The camper is easy to tow. Dry weight is only 3,100 lbs. It has a rechargeable portable bluetooth speaker to listen to music wherever you want. The cabinet doors over the dinette needed two dampers installed to stay up, but those were less than ten dollars. Show less

If I could leave 1/2 a star I would. This camper is just like a stereotypical trophy wife in the movies. Pretty, but doesn't work. In 2022, we purchased a brand new Salem 26DBUD, that was delivered to our home. It has been nothing but problems from day 1. If the service department completed the "mandatory" 8 hour walk through, prior to delivery, they would've seen broken latches, blinds not installed, wood cracked, wall wasn't attached to frame, slide out leaked, and the water tank hooked up wrong. We had to turn it in for repairs, before it was even used! Since then, something has broken every time we used it. Indoor and outdoor kitchen fridge's didn't cool, master bed support beam snapped, underbelly tore off, kitchen sink collapsed, main door won't lock, trim/molding separating, slide out roof leaked, shore power inlet caught on FIRE TWICE while on vacation, developed hot foot, which shocked my dog every time he touched the steps. Poor guy is scared of the camper now and won't enter or exit. We had to carry him in and out, and he's 70+ lbs. All of the issues we've had are manufacturer defects due to poor workmanship and while most were covered under the initial warranty, it shouldn't be happening to a brand new camper! This is a complete lemon, and not worth the hassle to use! It's in the shop more than we've used it! We've spent a lot of money on something that falls apart every time we take it out of our yard! We even had to find a new dealer to complete the repairs, as our nearest one doesn't get paid in full from Forest River, and they refuse to work on them anymore. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone! Do not waste your money! Show less

Run! Do not buy this brand at all! We loved the floor plan which is why we bought it to begin with but had I read reviews I would have ran. We spent $40,000 on a brand new camper that we have had 0 successful trips in where something wasn’t Broken. To start, NONE of the electric worked. The pocket door has fallen off 6 times, thankfully my husband is a custom home builder and could fix it. The shower leaked all over the bathroom floor our very first time using it. Again he fixed that. The belly pans to make the camper a “ 4 seasons camper” all flew off on the highway putting us at risk to cause an accident. We winterized our camper for the first time, and a month later we went inside only to find the faucet sink was completely broken in half! ( HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN?!) the master bedroom crossmember boards for the bed completely broke in half the very first time even laying on the bed, ( I am 120 lbs and my husband is 160 lbs so that should have not happened at all. So on top of the 40,000 we have spent we have spent a ton of time and more money fixing the thing that we can’t even enjoy. It’s a piece a junk. Do not buy this camper. Find another brand that hopefully is put together better than this. Show less

We purchased new with extended warranty. Great for a couple, or family with young kids. Easy to tow, and comfortable. I did many simple upgrades myself to make it more homely. We sis have an issue with the slide out the second year but was repaired under warranty. They also did a couple of recalls, so it feels really solid (ours is 170SSX Platinum with fiberglass walls). Wish it had more outdoor compartments, but it is very practical. Show less