Forest River Salem Hemisphere Lite reviews

We purchased a 2023 Vibe rear kitchen in October 2022. Love the floor plan, beautiful to look at . We have used the camper 9 times and in August of 2024 we went to use the over the bed cabinets and saw that the "wood look" paper was peeling from the sides of the cabinet. Looking further we found the same paper peeling in various places including the entire top of the pull out section. We called the dealer who said it was no longer under warranty. My husband called Forest River directly and they said oh yeah, we had a bad batch of glue. Two days later we found the entire bedroom closet door and jam had fallen off the wall. There is a crack in the top corner of the shower wall. The bathroom faucet handles are cracking and falling off. The camper jack fell down when we were coming home from a trip - scraping the highway all the way home. We had to buy and install a new one. The kitchen seats broke with the first use as the screws were not completely in the correct place. We have since had to reinforce both booth bottoms. Just one issue after another. I have never been so disappointed in such poor use of materials and workmanship for something that we still owe $30,000 on. We paid $50,000. What a complete waste of hard earned money. Do NOT buy a Forest River product!! Show less

It was purchased new and mainly a couples camper, but have had others stay a night. Had to have the bulb seal around the slide out replaced before purchase as it was coming off near the bottom of one side. Also had to return to the dealer, for a water line behind the shower that was not correctly installed. I noticed the noise when connecting to water and quickly shut it off. It was fixed while I waited. The slide fuse was installed too deep and the electric tongue jack went bad in about month 7, both were repaired/replaced while I waited (about 2 hours). There are odd and ends things that have needed attention that I have addressed (door hinges, latches, etc.) The TV antenna doesn't seem to work which we typically stream so have not addressed. Show less

Upgraded from a Flagstaff Microlite as we wanted something larger with a better floorplan. Found exactly that with this unit. We tow it with a 1/2 ton F-150 with the max tow package and really have very little issues with it other than occasional minor sway in higher winds. KEY to our towing experience was going with a WeighSafe weight distribution hitch system which I consider to be the best one out there. I have tried three other wd towing systems and this one is far superior as this trailer is very heavy; especially in the tongue. Build quality and durability have proven to be outstanding thus far and we are very happy with this travel trailer. Show less

This travel trailer has everything, thats a fact. Unfortunately every time we use it, we think "why the heck didn't they put it right" The quality is tge worst I've ever seen ln an RV Everything is fitted with Brad nails or staples (screws might have been too expensive) Overall built quality 2/10 Insulation 0/10 AC 0/10 Bathroom quality 2/10 Shower 1/10 Kitchen 3/10 Range 0/10 (boil don't cook) Outdoor kitchen layout 9/10 but quality 1/10 Show less

Easy to tow. Loved the layout and the storage spaces. Fridge a little small for a longer trip. Murphybed top and easy to handle. The outside light on top was good and the blue lights on the bottom gave a cozy ambiente. Disappointed in the warranty work. Never able to fix a wallpaper problem. 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

Spacious and well designed and laid out travel trailer, including a full size bathroom which is a rare yet greatly appreciated. The cabinet finish, kitchen sink, stove backsplash adds a modern touch. The amount is storage space allows you to organize anything you'd like to bring along for a trip before hitting the road and without having to unpack and reorganize once you've reached your destination. Makes for a fuss-free, enjoyable getaway. Lots of storage kitchen utensils, dishware, pots , pans, small appliances, bakeware, bath towels, toiletries, full kitchen pantry, "his and hers" closets, plus large under bed storage space and overhead cabinets. Small door next to bed can be utilized as a laundry shoot that's accessible from a separate exterior door. Interior and exterior speakers offer great sound with option to watch TV outside as well. Great trailer!!! Show less

Custom ordered unit in 2020, picked up in 2021. From the get-go we had issues. Items added to order were not added when it arrived the dealer had to add them on site, the fit and finish was horrible, door and cabinets did not open and or close correctly, main entrance door didn't lock (the holes didn't line up). after 3 months the slide out started making noises like it was going to fall out of the camper, the front lower facia started coming off on the bottom, the propane tanks were leaking. there were Mutiple water line leaks. took it into the dealer didn't have it for almost 4 months, had to reseal multiple windows. 3 years in we opened it up after winter. did our inspection and there were multiple cracks in the roof seals. resealed them took to dealer reached out to Forest River. Should not have to completely reseal a roof on a 3 year old unit. Forest River kindly told me pound salt that the roof is my issue. FFW sitting in camper notice an odd looking spot on master bedroom wall, poke it finger goes through. open wall up entire master bedroom ceiling and walls are covered in back mold. unit had been leaking for a long time. Took back to dealer opened case with Forest River, again forest river states that I didn't do inspections on it in the time I owned it and it's my fault. Inspections we performed 3 times a year or else I wouldn't have found the need to start resealing windows. Unit is not a giant lawn ornament. I DO NOT RECCOMEND PURCHASING ON! 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