2019 Forest River SALEM: complaints, problems and recalls

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 FOREST RIVER SALEM TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RV WAS TILTED AND THAT ONE SIDE WAS LOWER THAN THE OTHER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY NOTICED THE LEAK SPRINGS HAD FAILED ON PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE TIRE TO HIT THE ROAD. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE TRAILER TO THE DEALER DUE TO THEM NOT PURCHASING THE TRAILER AT THAT PARTICULAR DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE, HOWEVER, THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE AS OF YET. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11340398 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE PULLING OUR CAMPER ON I-10 IN FLORIDA AT 65 MPH, OUR TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING US TO BE STRANDED.. IT ALSO DAMAGED THE RIM AND PART OF OUR CAMPER. AFTER PUTTING THE SPARE TIRE ON, WE NOTICED IT LOOKED WARPED AND DROVE SLOWLY TO OUR CAMPING LOCATION. AFTER SETTING UP FOR CAMP, WE NOTICED THE REMAINING TIRE LOOKED STRANGE TOO. WE HAD TO BUY A NEW TIRE AND RIM TO GET HOME. BOTTOM LINE IS, ALL THREE TIRES THAT CAME ON OUR NEW CAMPER WERE SUSPECT. WE BOUGHT THIS CAMPER NEW AND EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO USE IT MORE THAN 3 TIMES BEFORE NEEDING TO REPLA…

Owner-reported narrative. 900 miles reported. Look up ODI 11377379 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A 2019 FORREST RIVER SALEM CRUISE LITE FROM CAMPER WORLD THAT CAME WITH CASTLE ROCK ST 205 75R14 TIRES ON IT. I HAVE HAD ALL (4) TIRES EXPLODE GOING 60 MPH. I HAVE REPLACED ALL TIRES. THESE TIRE ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I ALWAYS CARRY A SPARE NOW I CARRY TWO. CAMPER HAS VERY LOW MILES ON IT. IS THERE ANYTHING TO BE DONE TO GET THESE TIME BOMB TIRES OFF THE ROAD?

Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 11386623 at NHTSA ↗

1. Furnace 2. Fire hazard 3. No 4. No 4. No warnings Our RV furnace was putting out a burnt wood smell every time it kicked on. After inspecting it multiple times it wasn’t until taking off the vent duct to get a look inside, we saw the bottom was open and completely exposed to the plywood that the furnace sits on and not covered by metal. This caused the furnace to burn the plywood every time the heat kicked on. There were 2 pieces of plywood under the furnace and then the main floor covered in linoleum. The first board was completely char…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11493464 at NHTSA ↗

St205/75r15 Tread separating on the spare tire. Out of 5, this is second tire to fail. Ist incident, Oct 15, 2022. Tread separated from rear passenger trailer tire. Put spare tire on and after 50 miles, tread is raised on 1/2 of the circumference of the tire on inside half

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11519607 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2018-06-08 (June 8, 2018)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Forest River Salem and Wildwood recreational trailers. These vehicles are equipped with an axle equalizer that can allow the axle to contact the chassis.

Consequence: If the axle contacts the chassis, it could result in axle failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River has notified owners, and dealers will replace the axle equalizer kit with a taller equalizer kit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-4058. Forest River's number for this recall is 72-0753.

Reported: 2018-06-25 (June 25, 2018)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Forest River Wildwood and Salem recreational trailers. The break-away safety switch may have been improperly wired such that it is not connected to a constant power source, thereby possibly preventing the trailer brakes from automatically applying if the trailer were to separate from the tow vehicle.

Consequence: If the trailer does not brake when it becomes detached from the tow vehicle, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a new wiring harness, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-4058. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-0764.

Reported: 2018-06-27 (June 27, 2018)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forest River Wildwood, and 2016-2019 Forest River Salem recreational trailers. The outside auxiliary shower faucet cover may cover the water heater exhaust panel when opened.

Consequence: The covered water heater exhaust panel could increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Forest River has notified owners, and dealers will install a replacement outside shower, free of charge. The recall began on July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 44-0762.

Reported: 2018-08-21 (August 21, 2018)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Forest River Salem, Wildcat Maxx, Wildwood, Vibe, and Rainier recreational trailers. The break-away safety switch may not have been wired to a constant power source, and, as a result, the switch may be inadvertently disconnected from the trailer house battery causing the brakes to not engage if the trailer detaches from the tow vehicle.

Consequence: If the trailer brakes cannot engage if the trailer detaches from tow vehicle, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a new wiring harness to reroute the wiring, free of charge. The recall began September 25, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5410. Forest River's number for this recall is 22/30-0824.

Reported: 2018-09-13 (September 13, 2018)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Coachmen Catalina and Apex travel trailers and Forest River Shasta, Wildwood, Salem, Vibe, Sierra, Sandpiper, XLR and Prime Time travel trailers. The axles may be missing inner bearing races on the hubs, which can cause the bearing to burnout or cause the hub to overheat.

Consequence: The missing bearing race may cause premature hub bearing failure, possibly resulting in a separation of the hub from the axle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace the defective hubs with new hubs or replace the axles, free of charge. The recall began October 9, 2018. For customer service, Catalina owners may contact Coachmen at 1-574-825-8657, Apex owners should call 1-574-358-0401, Shasta owners: 1-574-825-8717, Wildwood and Salem owners: 1-574-534-3167, Vibe owners: 1-574-296-2084, Sierra and Sandpiper owners: 1-574-534-4574, XLR owners: 1-574-642-0432, Prime Time owners: 1-574-862-1025. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-0851.

Reported: 2018-12-03 (December 3, 2018)

Forest River, Inc (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Forest River Salem and Wildwood recreational trailers. The clearance lights on these vehicles may not work due to being incorrectly wired. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence: Inoperative clearance lights can reduce the trailers visibility to others, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will correct the clearance light wiring, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-6127. Forest River's number for this recall is 63-0921.

Reported: 2018-12-27 (December 27, 2018)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Salem and Wildwood recreational trailers. The power cord hatch is located above the water heater exhaust, possibly resulting in the cord or the hatch melting.

Consequence: A melted cord may result in bare wiring, increasing the risk of fire.

Remedy: Forest River has notified owners, and dealers will secure the power cord away from the water heater exhaust, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 574-534-6127. Forest River's number for this recall is 44-0929.

Reported: 2020-08-14 (August 14, 2020)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Salem and Wildwood motorhomes. The fresh water tank may not be properly secured to the vehicle's frame.

Consequence: A fresh water tank that detaches from the frame could increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will properly secure the holding tank, free of charge. This recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5410. Forest River's number for this recall is 22-1219.

Reported: 2020-09-18 (September 18, 2020)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Wildwood, Salem, and 2020 Sonoma travel trailers. The break-away safety switch may not be wired to constant power, which can cause the trailer brakes to not activate in the event of a trailer separation from the tow vehicle.

Consequence: If the brakes of the trailer do not engage, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will rewire the breakaway switch, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2020. Owners may contact Forest customer service at 1-909-873-3777. Forest River's number for this recall is 67A-1230.

Reported: 2021-08-09 (August 9, 2021)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Salem, Wildwood and 2020-2021 Stealth EVO travel trailers. The fresh water tank may not be properly secured to the vehicle's frame.

Consequence: A fresh water tank that detaches from the frame could increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will properly secure the holding tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 23, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5410. Forest River's number for this recall is 22-1400.

Reported: 2025-10-10 (October 10, 2025)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Forest River Aurora, Coachmen Catalina, 2026 Coachmen Viking, Coachmen Clipper, 2016-2026 Wildwood, and Salem recreational trailers. The distribution panel wire may be connected to the battery without over current protection.

Consequence: Unprotected wiring can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will relocate the distribution panel wire to the correct side of the breaker, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 205-1987.