Forest River Cardinal reviews

Awesome camper that I lived out of for three years in Montana. I will miss it. The experience was like no other. My wife, my dog, and myself all made it together almost two years and allowed us to explore Montana while living cheaply and simple. Show less

As the owner of a 2017 Forest River Cardinal Estate, aka the lemon, I am beyond frustrated. We purchased the unit, new , in July of 2017. Our maiden voyage the shower doors smashed into smithereens due to poor installation. We paid to have them fixed/replaced on site. Our rear windows were falling out, thanks to tape we got them home. Second trip, the roof peeled back. Third trip major crack bedroom slide. Last year we parked at a seasonal site. This year again, seasonal site. Now we have another crack on the same side as the first, bit Between the other slide and side rear window . Forest River/ Cardinal did help with the previous issues, but not now. With all the issues we have had, I truly believe these problems are due to manufacturing/quality control issues. I worry about the structural integrity of this unit. Any advice / suggestions would be appreciated. Show less

I have a 2019 Forest River Cardinal luxury 3456 RLX love the camper but six months in had to take back to dealer window was leaking and it rotted out the slide floor they kept three months waiting on one piece floor to be installed why I make the payments on it never heard from forest river always had to call them finally got it back and the fold down door steps hang crooked because the installed the door crooked from the factory so the tec at dealer grabs the steps and bends them the opposite way to make them look level I knew then this was going to be bad deal and now I have delamination problem in two different areas and the first thing forest river said OO your out of warranty not take from me dont spend your money on these by the cheaper and just plan on working on it you fill better just for the money you save. Show less

Would enter sub-zero for support and quality if available. it is the lousiest piece of crap I've seen. We've had many different rv units, none with the bad quality of of this Cardinal, which we thought was a top of the line unit. Too many issues to mention, but WORST is using interior drywall screws to attach the slide out rubbers that keeps water out. As they deteriorated, rusted and pulled away, unknown to us until inside paneling stated falling apart. Cant believe a company would be that stupid. SO IF IN THE MARKET FOR AN RV, RECOMMEND AVOIDING FOREST RIVER. Show less

My wife and I have some wonderful memories of our annual trips in this. Absolutely the most comfortable RV we have ever owned and we have been camping over 40 years now. We love the floor plan and the spacious interior. The only negative would be the water heater switch which is very difficult to see and if you forget to switch it off without water in it and power up you'll burn out the heater element. Its very easy to change though. Show less

I absolutely love this RV! The floor plan was perfect! The interior wood cabinets is so beautiful has an extra skylight window and more kitchen counter space than any other 5th wheels we looked at plus the bedroom was giant! Large shower, private toilet, cabinets and storage everywhere! Full size closet! Underbelly all sealed so never had an issue with critters. The only problem we had was orders from black tank at certain times but we easily fixed that. Overall, the best 5th wheel we ever saw Show less

We purchased our beautiful Cardinal 2021 25th Anniversary Edition in October 2020. We have thoroughly enjoyed the time we have had it although it has never left the RV resort where we have an annual space. Weekend retreats to Myrtle Beach have been so much fun! Our little home away from home has offered lots of home comforts from the king sized master bedroom with luxury master bath with two sinks and upgraded shower. The massaging reclining love seat positioned in front of the TV and fireplace have offered cozy night for us. The farm house sink and residential refrigerator have made cooking and grilling out one of our favorite things to do. The outdoor TV positioned beside the fire pit have also made evenings by the fire so enjoyable. We will miss our little slice of heaven and regret medical issues have interfered with our traveling adventures. Show less

The new floor plan offered as the Forest River Cardinal Mid bunk is amazing. Period. The love stops there. My brand new Fifth Wheel was delivered and Floyd's RV, Norman OK assured me that all my needs would be met just as if I had been in their facility for a walk through during the onset of a PANDEMIC. 100 thousand percent a falsehood. The vehicle both arrived with and developed highly problematic issues in the first 30 days. Floyd's was non responsive as was Forest River when I finally contacted them in desperation months later. Bottom line is when you have major appliance failures, heating and cooling disasters, and a dealership who has charged you $1,300 for the INSTALLATION of a generator you found tossed into your storage bay, in an unopened box,trust me....you have a problem. So friends..save yourself a trip to court and many many "RECREATIONAL" nightmares. Do not buy a Forest River. Show less

We purchased this Fifth Wheel in October of 2019 in New Mexico, we did not get to use it until October of 2020 when we moved to TN. We loved the floor plan an the space this unit has, it is easy to tow with our 2018 3500 truck. That is the good points. Issues as follows; Front door has never opened or shut properly no matter how much adjustments are made. Leak in the roof above the shower; Most of the issues have been with items that are not structural but are part of the big picture; We had a stacking washer an dryer installed by the dealer,both have quit working an had to be replaced, The Jenson stereo system is a total joke, has not worked properly since we started using it, has a high squealing pitch from the speakers. DVD player doesn’t work and yes we’ve read the instructions. TV in living room will not pickup any channels although bedroom gets 12, The clean out valve for the septic leaks; The Furrion oven and stove top will not work at the same time so you can use the oven or the stove top but not both at the same time. Furnace went out within 2 months, this was still covered by warranty so we only had to pay a 200.00 service call. Bath room an kitchen faucets have had to be replaced. Material used on walls is horrible, went to take a sticker from the wall that manufacture put on an it pealed the color off. Kitchen table super cheap, looks horrible with little use, paint chipping an bits of wood coming off. Flooring horrible, cracks an splits where your slides go in an out. If you buy this unit, use it frequently before your warranty is out so your not stuck with the costs. Show less

We have a 2019 Cardinal Luxury Fith wheel. I bought it in late 2018 from Demontron, RV In Texas City. The quality of this unit is not what you would expect for a high in the wheel trailer. Multiple warranty issues and shoddy quality repairs. The worst part, after two year, the siding is eliminating. When I contacted Forest River I was told it was potential a upper frame issue and the warranty was on one year and they have no Financial obligation to repair. Show less