2015 Palomino Columbus reviews

After owning two Highland Ridge Travel trailers ..which we had no issues with and great costumer service we wanted to upgrade to a fifth wheel and found the Columbus 1492 366rl. It is a beautiful fifth wheel with great amenities. The problem is the customer service and quality if workmanship for what you pay. 3 days into our first trip the refrigerator and freezer went out. We were going to be gone 3 weeks so we had to outcast a small refrigerator freezer. No help from customer service from the dealer we purchased it from (Funtown RV Cleburne Texas) from the time we pi ked this RV up the customer service and lack of was apparent. So on the road the refrigerator freezer went iut the pipe that drains the washing machine slooded the bedroom. The bedroom door came off its hinges and broke. The exhaust fan in kitchen stop working, handles on shower doors fell off and to cap it off the auto leveling system failed halfway through the trip. Other small items as well. Got home. Complained to Palomino. No help there. Ended up in the repair shop with Funtown for 3 months. Finally got it home and you guessed it . Nothing was fixed properly. Auto leveling didn't work as told. Door fell and broke..again. etc etc. The only that got fixed was the refrigerator which LG had to come out to them and fix. So unhappy with this company and it's product. Going to try and sell it and go back yo Highland Ridge Show less

Love the floor plan. The large shower is a huge plus for us. That is where the positives end. Landing gear problems three times the first year resulting in replacing everything except the legs themselves. The second year we had to have four of the six legs rebuilt as they were jammed or had broken their shear pins. The dealer was no help. The black tank coupler in the belly of the unit came loose and was dripping waste into the belly of the unit. They cut open the the belly to fix the leak and only taped the opening instead of a more permanent fix. The coupling worked loose again a year later so I took it to an RV repair shop instead of the dealer. The black tank valve does not seal tight and therefore you get a big surprise when you remove the waste cap to attach the hose. I have had a gate installed on the waste pipe so I don't get any more surprises. The third year The brakes worked loose and ruined the the backing plate. The second year I noticed a bulge in the fiberglass at the bottom right of the bedroom slide. Fought with the dealer to address the issue. It was finally addressed by sending the unit back to the factory to have it fixed. It turned out to be a broken frame and pressure on the exterior wall causing the bulge. The floor in the kitchen area in front of the sink and stove are soft and feel like they will give way. I had the dealer look to see if there was any water leak causing the issue. The dealer said nothing looks water damaged. Since I had issues with he dealer I then took the unit to an RV repair shop and he confirmed no water damage. It turns out, after research on line, this is a known issue. (https://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f96/palomino-columbus-320-soft-floor-124438.html) The dealer will not address the issue and Forest River/Palomino will not return my calls on this. The third year again I inspected the roof half way through the season. There were several cracks in the bathroom skylight around the screws that fasten it to the roof and up into the skylight dome. The dealer said the warranty was expired and the extended warranty would not cover it. Two of the dual day/night roll up shades quit rolling up and are not useable. The two largest windows. The replacements are $235 and $275. This unit has been the biggest piece of crap I have ever purchased! I will never buy another Forest River product! Show less

Took deliver on June 18 2014. It was back in the shop two weeks later with self- leveling landing gear issues. I went to pick it up three weeks later and the landing gear worked great. Got to my seasonal site and the landing gear would not lower. Back to the shop it goes. All in all, the unit was in the shop a total of six weeks the first year all for landing gear. Next year I noticed a bulge in the sidewall below the bedroom slide. Fought with the dealership all summer long to get it looked at. I sent the unit back to the factory that fall for a broken weld in the frame. The third year there was a brake malfunction and ruined the brakes and backing plate on one of the axels. Warranty argument and then repaired. Mid-season the fourth year the landing gear would not self- level. Some of legs would not operate at all. Dealership wanted $300 deposit $60 trip charge and "maybe" warranty would cover it. ( I purchased the 5 year extended warranty.) I politely told them what they could do could do with their deposit and trip charge. I bought hydraulic jacks and concrete blocks and removed the legs myself. I took them to a RV repair only shop and he rebuilt them. While removing the jacks I noticed a drip from the middle of the unit right under the bathroom. I took the unit to the dealer. Turns out the tank shifted and the coupling from the sewer line to the black tank came loose. It was repaired under warranty. Three weeks later after returning from a one week trip I noticed it was leaking under the bathroom again. This time I took it to the repair only shop. The tank shifted again and the coupling came loose. The coupling was to short so the repair only shop put in a longer full rubber coupling. No problems with tank leak since. Last year I noticed the floor in the kitchen in front of the sink was soft. I took it in the repair only shop that fixed the landing gear and had him inspect the RV for water leaks. None found. Turns out Forest River changed the design and went with a 5/8 inch sub floor instead of the 3/4. They also did not add any additional bracing to help support the thinner sub floor. This is a known issue I found through the Forest River web site. Warranty is over so I don’t know what I am going to do to get this fixed. I will never buy another Forest River product. They are junk! Show less

Our experience has been very good. This 5th wheel is built very well. I have had 1 or 2 minor problems, but with a quick phone call I was able to resolve them myself. This floor plan is very liveable for 2 and it is quite comfortable, especially with the recliners directly across from the large flat screen TV. Yes, I would recommend this brand. Thank You Show less

We purchased this unit in Oct. 2018 and moved in May 2019. It was winterized and stored on our property during that time. I am sure the previous owners laughed all the way to the bank and happy with their new Solitude. Self-levelers and jacks don't work, had been worked on at least 3 times under warranty. Heater failed first week of needing it in Nov. 2019. After moving in: Seals on windows failing and moisture inside panes, all window latches required repair so windows would stay open when needed, trim pieces falling off, poor cabinet finish and trim more noticeable and apparent, floor in living room very flexible, front door crooked and loose wall frame, fiberglass in tub showing signs of damage on seat, frig was very warm and freezer hardly working. Upon further investigation, outside vent was blocked due to improper installation by factory. (heat sync was blocked). Bathroom skylight loose and leaking,(repaired by husband and scary to see actual construction when removed) paint on front cap fading and ugly, ..list goes on. We are stuck with this as this was our retirement. It is out of warranty at this point. Husband thought he had done his homework. Wish we'd kept our Keystone Challenger. Show less

We are wrapping up our 6th summer in this RV. We loved the floorplan when we first bought it and still do. The problems we had over the years were minor and did not stop us from using it. Our first outing, the a/c units did not cool well, refrigerator doors came open during travel and rear self leveling jacks kept running out of stroke before leveling. Dealer said nothing wrong but did replace fridge latches (didn't work). We solved all problems--found large chunks of styrofoam in a/c vents; sealed refrigerator doors by placing a short stiff rubber tube between doors to keep them shut while traveling; found we had to lower front end jacks close to ground after removing unit from truck and then hit level button. All works great now. We have had problems with drawers on both sides of fireplace and below fridge falling out while traveling. Solved by slipping a yard stick down thru the handles of the three drawers on each side of fireplace and crisscrossing bungy cords across face of fireplace; blocked the lower fridge cabinet with an ice chest we carry in which we store bottled water. After 35,000 towing miles and a combined 18 months of full-time summer living, we came close to replacing this trailer this 2019 summer with another "high end luxury" unit but found none that had all the same features (especially storage and closet space) as our Columbus. Plus the models we were considering all had some horrible reviews in terms of quality control and service. So we are saving $50-$80K after trade-in by keeping this one to spend what we hope will be several more summers in, avoiding the heat at home in Las Vegas. None of these 5th wheels are perfect. Recognize you need to get to know your unit and many problems can be worked around without the agony of fighting with dealers and probably waiting months for repairs that may do nothing to solve the problems. Show less

Loved this unit. We lived in it through two winter seasons in the Keys and used it for camping through the summer. The only reason we sold it was because of health issues. Quality throughout and a great floorplan. Show less

Have been out with the unit 6 times the frame is cracked and know one seems to be willing to do anything mean while the payments keep coming and I have know idea who can make a repair the dealer says they can fix it Good times. Show less

We've enjoyed this RV and the quality of it. It's so easy to set up and offers so much storage and countertop prep area.We enjoy the fire place and ambience of the living room. We've replaced the theater seating (very uncomfortable) with 2 Lazy Boy recliners. The kitchen area is spacious and there is a large 4 door refrigerator, oven and microwave/ convection. Show less

I bought a 2015 385 bunkhouse brand new. The day of the walkthrough I found trim falling off in the second bathroom the outdoor kitchen stove the slider arms were broke took four times before they came in they also told me that the holding tank had a crack in it had to be replaced before I could take it took two weeks for thim to fix it in the first year the spare tire came off I lost it from underneath,the door to the bunks will not stay shut had to have it fixed the shower leaks and biggest issue is the bedroom slide-out side has a crack underneath of it Show less