The vehicle sidewall has separated from the frame. Approx 4 feet of the passenger frontside, from the front to the door. This has caused a gap between the floorboard and sidewall. It has also caused the entrance steps to move out of alignment. While driving down a highway, we heard two loud pops. Upon arriving at our campsite, we noticed the damage to the motorhome. An online search revealed this to be a common problem with Forest River motorhomes as they use self tapping screws to attach the sidewall to the frame.
The worst 2018 Forest River FR3 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Body1
- Electrical1
- Suspension1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Body1
- Electrical1
- Suspension1
Recalls 2
Visibility
- What is wrong
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Forest River Georgetown and FR3 motorhomes, 2018-2019 Berkshire motorhomes and 2018 Charleston motorhomes. The motorized windshield roller shade at the driver's seating position may unroll without warning while driving.
- Risk
- If the windshield roller shade unrolls while driving, it could block the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a fastener to ensure the motor will not allow the shade to roll down during while driving. The recall began November 28, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1‑574‑206‑7605. Forest River's number for the recall is 68-0822.
Recall number 18V768000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Forest River FR3 and Georgetown recreational vehicles. The entry door latch may not engage fully, allowing the door to open unexpectedly while moving.
- Risk
- If the entry door opens unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Forest River will notify owners and dealers will install shims between the entry door frame and the wall frame, two additional screws will be added through the entry door frame to secure the door frame to the sidewall frame and will verify that the entry door latch pawl is properly contacting the striker bolt, if required the dealer will adjust the striker bolt, at no charge to the owner. The recall began on May 9, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1‑574‑206‑7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 68-0700.
Recall number 18V234000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2018 Forest River FR3
Defect investigations
Trimark 060-1650 Door Latch Failures
On November 23, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE20021 to investigate allegations of inoperative Trimark THP 060-1650 door lock/latches originally equipped on model years (MY) 2015-2017 Class A and Class C motorhomes.ODI received forty-six Vehicle Ownerâs Questionnaires (VOQs) describing consumers being locked in or out of their vehicles.The door latch, containing a die-cast zinc plunger, was produced by Equality during calendar years 2014-2016. The die-cast may become porous and brittle over time and can break without warning, causing the vehicle owner to be unable to open the recreational vehicle door equipped with the latch.If the motorhome does not have any other doors such as some Class A models, occupants could be trapped inside, needing to climb out using the emergency exits. If locked out, owners would be unable to easily get in and retrieve children and pets. ODI analyzed the data provided by Trimark in response to its January 27, 2021 information request letter.Although an elevated failure rate was evident on a specific combination of plunger bolt, door lock/latch assembly and door, the data showed that most failures occurred within the first two years of service on the affected 2015-2017 vehicles.This data suggests that component failures generally would have already occurred.Further, ODI data reflects a downward trend in complaints after calendar year 2018 and for post- MY 2016 vehicles.This downward trend may be attributed Trimark's actions in 2016 such as changes in the manufacturing process of its zinc plunger component for the relevant population and its 2016 decision to switch to a steel plunger. In view of the nature of early-life failure, and failure rate trending downward for model years 2017 and newer, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
PE20021
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Forest River FR3 1
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 2018 Forest River FR3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Front entry door lock failed and it could not be opened from the inside or outside. Lock had to be removed from the door to open. Vehicle was parked. I had to exit from the passenger front window. No issues with the door prior to the failure.*dt*dt consumer stated vehicle was not part of the recall.
Overhang too much for suspension and shocks placed on vehicle. Vehicle bottoms out when not loaded, or pulling anything, when utilizing common simple driveways (common angles found in homes, shopping centers and related). The defect causes the hitch to be dragged causing sparks and it damages the seven way plug and housing rendering them useless. The bottoming out impacts the frame causing unknown damage to the suspension, fuel tank mounting, frame, and unknown other critical components based on the defective design.
Compare the 2018 Forest River FR3
Other model years
Questions about the 2018 Forest River FR3
Is the 2018 Forest River FR3 reliable?
Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2018 Forest River FR3, 1.5 times a typical FR3 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Forest River FR3?
Body and structure, with 1 complaint. Next is electrical (1).
How many recalls does the 2018 Forest River FR3 have?
2 recalls, covering visibility and latches/locks/linkages.
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