Forest River Wolf Pup 16FQ 16FQ reviews

Our Cherokee Wolf Pup 16FQ is just the perfect size for 2 adults. We downsized in 2021 from a 27’ Newmar Class A coach to this little camper and could not have been happier with our decision. I towed our Pup with my 2013 Honda minivan and had no problems utilizing a sway bar and a load leveler. This model makes very good use of a 16 ft. camper. I have removed the very uncomfortable original sofa bed and replaced it with a full queen size mattress. We have seen other 16FQ owners who have replaced the fold up with a real mattress also. I added a custom-made removable backrest to rest on the bed. The 16FQ floorplan is wonderful and includes a large 11 cubic foot 12V refrigerator that can run off the installed solar panel and battery for days! The fold down rear bumper rack is perfect for strapping on bikes, coolers or whatever else you need to take along! I have added lots of extra small storage shelves to our Pup to keep favorite things within handy reach, including, one above the stove built for a toaster oven. I wish I had replaced the factory tires sooner. The original tires, I recently learned, were only rated for speeds up to 65 MPH. Fortunately, a recent tire blow out didn’t damage the camper, and our camper now has quality replacement tires installed in 2023. I have done dozens of little upgrades to ours to make camping more fun, but the 16FQ is a good solid little camper! Show less

I wish I could give our trailer five stars for everything, but the design ergonomics let it down somewhat, but not nearly as much as the diabolical quality. Starting with the design, it is the lack of attention to detail that spoils things for me. For example, the fridge door hits the bathroom doorknob, and sooner or later it’s gonna get dented. The jackknife sofa works fine, but the stupid armrests just constantly fall off. And the fold out mattress that sits on top of the sofa is horrendously uncomfortable. And then there are the panels inside the cabinets that have been installed at an angle, eating up precious space - ridiculous given there is plenty of room hidden behind them. And the legs of the door steps catches on the rivets holding the door frame. And why is the shower pan, shower head and toilet white, when the sink in the vanity is grey with black taps? And let’s not overlook the fact that the taps themselves preclude all logic - the hot and cold turn in different directions! While on the subject of the bathroom, why on earth didn’t Forest River put the skylight over the shower? Not everyone is sub 5’10”. As for the fan in the bathroom, it’s useless. As for the quality, it’s dreadful. I nearly cut my wrist on a piece of siding poking up in the access to the storage compartment. In there, there is s panel “protecting” the water tank, but it is flimsy as hell and only fixed to the floor, so it’s gonna break soon. The bathroom door is curved, so while it fits the frame at the hatch, there is the thick end of an inch gap at both the top and bottom. The stereo speakers are not wired correctly, so you just get one channel inside and the other outside. The wall coverings (some kind of sticky back plastic) are bubbling in places, and trim strips are coming away from the ceiling and walls, too. The biggest shock was today when, following the advice of other Wolf Pup owners, I looked through the tiny access panel under the shower pan, only to find a hole of around a square foot that was partially covered in some plastic fabric. Luckily, rodents and other critters have not yet made the space under the shower home, but now I have a major headache trying to figure out how to effectively fill it, as it is too big for steel wool and spray foam, the access panel is too small to put boards in there, and the outside is rendered inaccessible by a waste tank. The TV mount is not centered on the wall, meaning we can only put the smallest TV in. There are numerous screws that aren’t even gripping, and you can see streaks where the staple gun was run - those don’t even polish out. Also, there is no sealant around the kitchen sink which means the countertop is likely to swell. However, for the price point (we paid €21k for a “new” dealer stock 2022 model), it’s acceptable, and we enjoy using it. We haven’t had any warranty work done yet, so don’t know what our experience there will be. The layout is pretty good, and the 12v fridge is awesome, although if you want to boon dock, the standard ‘Juice Pack’ will need beefing up. The sofa is comfortable (apart from the annoying armrests), and now we have replaced the stock mattress with a better one, the bed is pretty comfy, too. There’s plenty of storage space inside the camper, although much of it is hidden under the sofa and dinette. The power awning is useful, as is the outside TV bracket, and we love the outdoor mini fridge. Would we buy another? Possibly. We have only had this one for three months so far, and despite its faults, we have fun trips in it. Let’s see what our opinion of it is after a longer period. Show less

We are thoroughly enjoying our Wolf Pup! We have an extended warranty, however we have not had to access our warranty for any issues. Great lightweight trailer, easy to tow. Spacious washroom and functional layout. Show less

I purchased this model based on weight and floor plan. The walk around queen was appealing as was the large rear bath with centered toilet (provides more leg room than a corner placement). I also wanted a larger fridge that wasn't sitting on the floor. I like this more than I could have imagined. I also made sure to get a year that had a PROPANE fridge. Gas is nice and cold, reliable and easy. They try to sell you on your battery/solar power only, don't do it. I think we will be all set when we sell simply based on having a 3 way fridge. Our biggest complaints are: 1) The mattress is an absolute joke, it's more like a box spring. They do this so that the weight is as low as possible when advertising. You will need to spend some serious money to actually get comfortable. A topper isn't going to cut it. Plus once you add height to the mattress, the side closet doors will not open as they open inward against the bed. 2) The "walk around" is more like a squished side shimmy at best. I find myself scooting to the end and getting up more often than not. This is also due to the fact that you will slam your head on the sharp corner of the upper kitchen cabinet. You WILL do this more than once and it's no joke. Talk about a rude awakening. 3) The queen appears large but due to the cabinets mounted on either side you are really wedged in there from the arms up. It feels coffin-esque. You don't appreciate this until you've slept in it a few times. We removed these cabinets and we are so happy we did. Now we have an actual bedside area large enough to actually set things on and the upper cabinets that run the length are more than sufficient storage. 4) The sensor placement for the black water tank is not placed in the correct area. Therefore it will always read as full as soon as you basically start to use it. Thankfully we have a plumber in the family. 5) The radio and the outside speakers are junk. No biggie but don't think you will ever actually use them, you will end up bringing your own. 6) The storage area under the bed is hard to get to when you have to lift your 5 layers of bed material. I took a page from a youtuber and mounted a hydraulic hinge. Much better. There are a bunch of other annoying things that you will spend time and money on adjusting but I think that's par for the course i.e. the faucet handles have to be turned ass backwards. We figured out this was because they used knob faucets instead of levers like they were supposed to etc. etc. I have realized that all of these types of trailers are cheaply made so don't expect top quality, I feel bad for the people that buy new. If you get a good deal, the towing weight and floor plan are the key reasons to purchase but have some $$ set aside for all of the additions/adjustments that you WILL be doing to have comfort. After all, it was kind of the whole point right? I hope this helps! Happy camping! Show less

Took 2 big trips. Baltimore to Des Moines Iowa 4 a week 2021. Then Florida keys for 5 weeks in Jan. 2022. Only problem was Check valves in both Sink faucets Stuck closed. towing trailer was a dream. Very easy to set up. Overall very happy with layout and functionality. Have had trailer for a year now. Spent about 9 weeks camping. Just found out the solar panel is not charging the battery. Hoping it's something simple. Love this camper. Show less

I really like the Murphy bed/sofa combination layout because this is a small trailer with no slide out. The space is good for a couple or couple with a small child or pet. My husband and I brought our two kitties and they thought it was purrrrrfect. The awning with lighting, refrigerator and speakers made a great outdoor space to hang out and listen to music while enjoying your campsite. And the sofa/Murphy bed made the indoor space useful and versatile. We would lay on the bed and watch movies or play Uno at the dinette when it rained. Both the bathroom and kitchen size for this trailer is great and functional. This is our first trailer and is great for short trips but even with it’s short length I never felt comfortable pulling a trailer so we are going to upgrade to a small class C RV. Looking at the Jayco 22A as it’s short and has a great layout as well. Show less

Wife and I Travelled 2500 miles up and down east coast twice and lived in our Wolf Pup a month each time. Strong points: The Murphy bed gave us great comfort when sleeping and more living space when made up. The bathroom with sink vanity mirror, toilet and shower across back end was great, Full sized battery operated solar charged refrigerator, 2 burner attractive stove, deep sink, dining area, ease of cleaning, lighting, large windows, awning, outside convenience lighting, phone charge outlets, tv adapted locations, rear rack, ease of towing, water , black/ grey storage tanks ample, We modified by removing panels and adding access to upper shelf over dining table and installed holding latch, replaced poor original tires after SEVERE blow out on US 95 near Richmond, upgraded tv antenna and modified rear carrier for generator box, A/C does great job but very loud, need more access doors instead of panels to shelves over Murphy Bed and draw for utensils underneath sink, improvement for difficult storage compartment locks. We felt very comfortable and confident towing into Smokey mountains with our F-150 2.70 engine. Rating for service at Gander Bartow Fl. And fort Pierce Fl. POOR. I still have an issue with a factory call back for shore line connection box which I intend to take up with Mr Lemonis President of Camping World. Show less

We've had everything from pop-up campers to a 40' diesel pusher. We finally sold it because it was just too big for folks getting just a little too old to handle a beast like that any longer. Still wanted to travel so we bought a Ford truck and after a lot of shopping, chose the Forest River Wolf Pup 16FQ. This is a great little trailer and just right for us, with a lot a features packed into a small package. We see a lot of folks making a laundry list of petty complaints but these frustrations most often come from people who are first-timers or haven't been in the RV travel game all that long. Literally all RVs, even our diesel pusher, had its share of quirks and issues. It's part of choosing to stay in an RV instead of hotel rooms. With an RV motorhome or towable,learning to become handy is an absolute must. Make sure that you learn about RV electrical and plumbing and inspect those features so if you experience trouble while on the road you can make the repair if necessary. There's typically not an RV center around every corner. Be certain to put together an RV first-aid kit for your rig as well, ie fuses, washers, fittings, heavy duty tarp with tie-downs and a tool set with what you need to make repairs. Don't expect to purchase a lightweight 16ft. towable and act as though it should have been crafted by artisans and ace technicians. It's just not reality, folks. The manufacturing plant is churning out these trailers as fast as possible and if you're lucky, you'll get one without any hiccups. Just don't become frustrated because you bought a $15K trailer and begin inspecting it for flaws. Hook it up, get on the road and forget about the small stuff. It's why you purchased it in the first place. We went over our trailer when we first purchased it and it's built like any of the others on the market so don't forget that you're using it to get away from it all and not bring misery with you on the trip. Did we see imperfections and lack of attention to details when we inspected it? Sure we did. If you're expecting perfection, stay clear of purchasing an RV. If you want to simply buy an alternative form of recreation, get to meet new folks on the RV circuit and kick back with more privacy and self-sufficiency than hotel rooms, then go get yourself an RV rig and have fun. If something breaks, learn to fix it or take it to a dealer while you're on the road or when you get back home. The Wolf Pup 16FQ is perfect for a couple, with or without a couple of small pets or kids. Plenty of bathroom space for such a small package but very functional. Kitchen is just right for the rig and the murphy bed/jackknife couch is ingenious when it comes to function and space utilization. The electric awning is a real treat for a low-end package and perks like the backup camera, outdoor refrigerator and entertainment features, the 4-jack stabilization and storage capacity all make this small RV trailer an excellent choice. Don't forget, however, that regardless of what you're using to tow this rig to invest in a proper weight distribution/anti-sway hitch system. It will be the best money you've ever spent and provide you with the towing safety you will be glad you installed. We'll give the rig a 5 in all categories. We haven't yet faced a warranty issue with this new rig but have done so many times with all of our others. It's just part of the RV world. You work with them to get the issue resolved and move forward. Best advice is to stop all the complaining, get yourself a rig if you want to have some fun and go hit the road. At our age, we're here to tell you that life is indeed short so don't waste it being so negative. Nothing is perfect. RVs are no exception by any means. Go get yourself one and loosen your hatband a notch or two. Show less

Size and layout is great for two people. Good sized bathroom and walk around queen. The main problem is the Murphy bed design causes a two to three inch drop between jack knife sofa level and the hard surface when weight is applied making it impossible for anyone with back issues. Could not find any good remedies. The dinette cushions will not stay in place when used. I have heard that they may have worked on the design problem with the bed in newer models. Show less

We bought this after years of being away from RVing, we had a big Jayco monster camper years ago with the kids which we sold a long time back. This is marketed as a "couples camper", and it fits the bill nicely. As with any camper, after using it you can go through and nit-pic little things you WISH they had done differently, but overall this is a wonderful camper and we look forward to many years of happy camping with it. It's easy to pull, easy to setup, and there are quality touches inside throughout. This is my first RV with a power awning, which I didn't think much of but after having it, I really appreciate. The A/C and heater both are more than sufficient for a camper this size, the USB ports throughout are wonderful, and the upgraded steps are really nice. My only real honest-to-goodness complaint is the lack of a simple winterizing kit for the water lines, but I guess they had to prioritize room wherever they could, this is a smaller RV after all. As with ALL RVs, you'll want to get a good topper for the horrid factory mattress, and why do all manufacturers put this weird atomic level light just above faces of people laying in bed? We're wrapping up a 7day camping trip to the Porcupine Mts, and couldn't be happier with our Wolf Pup 16FQ. Show less