2019 Forest River WILDWOOD: complaints, problems and recalls

I RECENTLY PURCHASED AT 2019 WILDWOOD FSX 280RT. WHEN I TOWED IT EMPTY I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TRAILER. ONCE LOADED WITH A SIDE BY SIDE THE TRAILER BECAME VERY UNSTABLE AND SWAYED GREATLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. I STOPPED AND FILLED THE FRESHWATER TANK TO TRY AND OFFSET THE WEIGHT TO NO AVAIL. I HAD A LOCAL RV PROFESSIONAL LOOK AT THE TRAILER AND THEY ADVISED THAT THE AXLE PLACEMENT OF THIS TRAILER APPEARS TO BE A CAUSE OF CONCERN. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE AXLE PLACEMENT ON THIS UNIT APPEARS WAY TO FAR FORWARD AND WHEN LOADED REMOVES THE MAJOR…

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 11209153 at NHTSA ↗

FAULTY INTERIOR WALL SEPARATETION, EXTERIOR DOORS NOT ALIGNING PROPERLY, GROUND WIRES IN CIRCUIT BREAKER. 12 GROUND WIRES MELTED TOGETHER. MAJORITY OF THE GROUND WIRES CAME FROM THE AC UNIT BASED OFF OF THE DIAGRAM. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL WAS WARPED FROM THE BURNT WIRING. MULTIPLE GROUND WIRES SCREWED INTO ONE ONE GROUND WIRE SLOT. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND IT WAS PLUGGED INTO A 30AMP OUTLET. I USED A 30 AMP CONVERTER WITH THE 50 AMP POWER CABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11210096 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 (NA) FOREST RIVER WILDWOOD. WHILE OPERATING THE RV AND TOWING A SECOND VEHICLE, THE AUTO ELECTRIC BRAKE FEATURE USED TO STOP THE TOWED VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED. THE DRIVER HAD TO MANUALLY ACTIVATE THE BRAKE TO PREVENT THE TOWED VEHICLE FROM CRASHING INTO THE REAR OF THE RV. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ROSE CITY RV (2228 SM 33, ROSE CITY, MI) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE TRAILER WIRES WERE FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT A…

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11234729 at NHTSA ↗

These campers have under rated ply tires. The tires should have a higher ply rating then what they come with. I had 5 tires blow out while the camper wasn't even full. I've tried to discuss this with Forest River and they basically said they don't care. The 14" 8 ply tire is under rated for the weight of the camper. This does cause unsafe issues on the highway. It could cause accidents, serious injuries or worse

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11461551 at NHTSA ↗

Within the last week, the tire on my camper exploded. It has been sitting winterized since last fall and hasn’t moved. I checked the other three tires and they were all right at 60 psi. I have pictures of the belts coming out of the tire I do not at all feel this is normal for a tire to blow out, sitting still. Upon looking online I also signed a petition for a recall. It seems these tires have a significant blowout problem.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11518690 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: 2018-08-21 (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: 2019-02-11 (February 11, 2019)

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Forest River Wildwood recreational trailers. The Federal Placard indicates an incorrect front tire pressure of 110 PSI. The correct PSI of the front, rear and spare tires is 80 PSI. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire selection and Rims." Additionally, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."

Consequence: Overinflating a tire may result in tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River has notified owners, and supplied a corrected Federal Placard, free of charge. The recall began February 25, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-6127, extension 10917. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-0949.

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.