2016 Forest River Cardinal reviews

Purchased our Cardinal Estate new in 2016. Lived very comfortably in it for 9 months, through one of the coldest winters on record for Kentucky. Very satisfied with construction, ease of setup, and comfortable luxury interior. Full size residential refrigerator, 3 A/C units, multiple ways to heat, upgraded hot water heater, the list goes on and on. Cannot say enough positive things about this particular model of camper. If you are looking to travel and spend your nights and days in comfort, this is the unit for you. Show less

We purchased our RV to live in it full time, that's why this model was so attractive. The front living space and kitchen are wonderful. The workmanship is superficially good, bit the wiring and plumbing is very sloppy and not well restrained for moving around all the time. We had 2 fairly major problems. 1. The rear has a 12' overhang beyond the rear axle so bouncing is huge and broke our washer and clothes rack. We built a wooden shelf above the dryer which kept pressure on the pair to prevent bouncing. 2. The frame broke above the hitch pin due to big bumps. Granted we put a lot of miles on rough roads but didn't expect the frame to break. There was movement from day one as the entertainment center always had trim coming loose and I could see the bouncing from the back window of my truck. Warranty covered it luckily. Overall the unit is as good as any, they are all cheap in my opinion Show less

Great camper. Bed is unbelievably comfortable. Front living is nicer than most homes. Tows like a dream. Washer and dryer work better than in most homes. The Furrion TV 58 inch, is also better than most homes. Show less

Purchased in SC. Unit manufactured October 2015. Unit came with E tires. Had selling dealer remove tires and rims from trade in and swap with new unit. Contact at forest river indicated E rated tires were adequate for unit even though all units built November 2015 onward have G tires. Have re caulked the shower, Replaced back air conditioner, re caulked all slides, fixed slide seals, tightened numerous fittings, re caulked nose cap, replaced 2 of 3 gate valves, re hung trim that has come loose, removed lots of construction debris from water piping when it plugged up the faucets. Have to remove everything from closet in rear before towing. And a normal hanger will not fit in closet with door closed. On the upside it tows nicely and has a lot of openness to the floor plan. No more forest river for us. Planning on trading this year. Show less