2018 Palomino Columbus reviews

Wow! Difficult to accurately convey the level of cheap workmanship and chaep parts used on our fifth wheel. We had stuff failing, falling off the walls and coming off (trim) the walls on our very first outing. I am not sure how the others rate but Forest River should be avoided! Show less

We bought a 2018 366RL 1492 in 06/21 as a used unit from a private seller. Due to the pandemic it was only used for 6 months. It still smells new. We paid $45k which included 3 years remaining on the factory warranty and a Reese Goosebox hitch thrown in. The dishwasher and outside burner top had never been used. The sellers were very nice, and the unit had not had time to delapidate from owner neglect, which we had ran into so many times it was ridiculous. We had it out camping about 6 times last year, and just opened it up after wintering over. The only issue we had so far was a wiring problem with the outdoor microwave. My husband and the neighbor were able to fix it. It was mis-wired from factory. I love the kitchen and layout of the RV. Our unit was ordered with two upgrade packages, so there are a lot of bells and whistles that we now would not want to be without. The outdoor kitchen is handy. I love the dishwasher, the on-demand water heater means adequate hot showers without waiting, leveling happens in seconds at the push of a button, and setup is quick and simple. We have no complaints. I do feel bad for those who've had issues with their units. We are part of the Columbus FB group, so we get to see when problems arise. So far, so good, thankfully. I was dismayed when we were still looking to buy and I saw more negative reviews than I thought for the Columbus units. I was afraid but all has worked out thus far. Do watch if you buy one that the sealant was applied to the bottom outside trim piece on the bed slideout. I've heard of a rotted bedroom slideout floor due to missing sealant on the exterior bottom trim piece. Another common problem is soft floors in earlier models, which is remedied by adding additional floor joists and is relatively simple as a DIY project. Our neighbors bought a new, inexpensive stick and tin trailer just before the pandemic broke out, and it gave them numerous problems and was cheaply made, then the dealer gave them a hard time about doing warranty repairs. They won't recommend a stick and tin trailer to anyone now. They were surprised that we did not find a bunch of problems with our trailer every time we took it out, but I think for the most part you get what you pay for. I would not buy anything made during the pandemic or since. The RV industry as a whole needs to be regulated, and I am not one to advocate for government intervention. Do your due diligence and try to find a seller who took care of their unit. We had no warranty issues so far that were not minor and that we could not remedy more quickly ourselves, so that's why I left three stars for that. Show less

Columbus 383FB offered a terrific interior design but TERRIBLE QUALITY IN DESIGN. WATER SEEPAGE has become a disaster for us due to POOR EXTERIOR DESIGN on the bedroom and bathroom slides which has created MAJOR DAMAGE to the floors of both. The lower trim plate allowed RAIN traveling down the exterior walls to GO DIRECTLY into the bottom WOOD PANEL of each slide. This issue would not be evident for 2 years since the damage could not be seen on inspection. The cause of this situation was the fact that there was NO CAULKING at the seam between the wall and the trim plate FROM THE FACTORY. The evidence of this issue became apparent only after the second year of ownership when items stored under the bed were moved and finding BLACK MOLD on the plywood shelf and throughout the linens. The MOLD also TRAVELED under the carpet across to the WOODEN DRESSER on the opposite wall. We had a local RV mobile service inspect and fix any caulking. THEY even MISSED the seam on the slides and only CAULKED them when WE POINTED it out. We also went to the CLOSEST DEALER who only suggested an INTERIOR MOLD TREATMENT. The REAL DAMAGE was YET TO BE SEEN.. This problem RESULTED in COMPLETE DETERIORATION of the bedroom slide bottom panel due to DRY ROT. The same is true under the bathroom slide. FOREST RIVER DENIED any responsibility saying the issue was not reported during the warranty period. However POOR FACTORY PERFORMANCE in 2017 ALLOWED WATER TO INVADE our unit for 2 years before any problem was found. NOW we are returning to the original dealership to see : IF ANY REPAIR IS EVEN POSSIBLE. THIS FEELS LIKE A CAMPER'S WORST NIGHTMARE. Show less

Bought new in 2018. Have had many issues. Some easy to take care of, other require getting out the major tools for a weekend repair. All taken care of by myself because of the bad experiences with dealers response. Some want you to pay and they also bill the factory. That is true. Latest issues are keeping the unit level. Must relevel every other day and yes I use pads under jacks. Now try to believe this. We lost warm air flow to our front bedroom and bathroom. Temps in 50’s. After opening up the basement rear wall and exposing the air ducts for everything, what a mess, I found the correct duct and when I tried to move it it felt like it was full of debris of some kind. I disconnected the upper end and WOW it was completely full of water. Water in a heating duct????? About 6-8 qts of debris filled water. Well that solved my issue with the heating. About 90 minutes of twisting, turning and getting bloody scratches. This is not made up. Show less

Absolutely the worst quality of craftsmanship. Floor does not have enough nails or screws, the floor is soft and lifting everywhere, the electrical has had so many shorts taking out a few plugs at a time. Window covering frames are in square, some are up to an inch off. Surround sound that came with unit is junk. The convection/ microwave lasted 2 months, probably because of electrical. Water leaks under sink and bathroom, their has been so many things wrong it sucks how bad this 5th wheel is. Warranty is worthless. Buy a different camping trailer , forest river is pure junk. Show less

We have owned several RVs and this one has been great and by far the best one yet. It tows exceptionally well since it's a 5th wheel and has the special tongue you barely know it's back there. With 4 slides it's very roomy, comfortable, and easy living for extended vacations. We love the half bath in the main cabin as well as the double sinks in the master bath.The full size fridge is also a plus and very convenient to stock up for long trips. The panty in kitchen, walk in closet, central vac and finally the on board washer and dryer takes this coach to the next level. It's truly the complete vacation package. Show less

This is an absolutely beautiful and excellent functioning, well laid out fifth wheel! Feels huge inside! We love the Mid Bunk Layout. The Kitchen is very nice with a big island and full size refrigerator. Show less

Day one after hauling from dealer in sweetwater TX~ Big spring Texas. Cracked windows “spider webbed”. Get set up and water turned on,instant water leak from front sink drains into understorage. The front entrance door will not close without being slammed very hard. The kitchen sink has pre-cut pieces to cover the sink. They are not cut properly and you have to yank on them with all your power to get them out. Slides sound like death when being retracted or extended. Noticed soft spots in the floors due to the A/C and heat ducts. In the bedroom beside the bed wires are exposed with 1/4” holes exposed. Latches don’t close and lock properly on the outside compartments. All in all it’s liveable for now but needs serious attention from the factory. Hopefully Monday we will make headway. But by all means family RV in sweetwater is top notch. There is no way to catch these things in the little time we had when picking up the trailer. Show less