Forest River Folding Trailer reviews

Do not let the cute design fool you. Unless you prefer visits to the repair shop over camping, do not purchase one of these (looks like the "premier" line is the same). These are poorly constructed - not just lower grade materials, but lack of good assembly. We've had leaks in the ceiling fan, the kitchen bump, the window over the beds. The screw in the two of the jacks bowed. Every trip is now tainted with the fear something else will be faulty. Such a shame because the original design is excellent but until Forest River steps up and fixed the manufacturing process, we can not recommend purchase. Also note - I have contacted Forest River Inc directly concerning our disappointment and I know we have been assigned to a customer service rep. We have NOT heard from that rep.

The build quality was horrible. Had to replace lift system after 3 years. The black tank valve Broke off in my hand. Worst of all the front wall of the camper broke away from the sidewall causing the front bunk and wall to peel away from the rest of the camper. I believe it's a design flaw with the bunk end supports. I had high hopes that we would use this camper for many years but was fortunate to trade it in for what we paid for it. Also blew two tires . I feel the tires were at or near there max load carrying capacity. Also had to replace awning pole when one was bent.also microwave became dislodged from it's bracket causing the microwave to fall out.

From day one this trailer has been a money sucking disaster. Almost the moment the trailer was out of warranty things started to go wrong. The roof leaked through the roof rack, causing rot and forced the replacement of roof, not covered. The pop up winch sheered, making it unusable after a 3 hour drive to a campground. Not covered. Screws rip out easily and parts break. Wires have come loose, the weatherstripping is useless, and it is impossible to plug all of the gaps to keep insects out. Overall the Rockwood ESP belongs in the scrap pile. It is certainly not with the price paid.

I bought new in 2005. They still sell the same unit. The Rockwood 1640 and the Flagstaff 176 are the same unit. I paid like 4700 bucks, the least expensive new one now is 10K. I got electric brakes and an air conditioner. The airco was an accident and they shrugged their shoulders and said well you got airco as they accidently put it on. The electric brakes involved giving me the axle off of a 12 box (pre set up for electric brakes) and they only charged me like 300 bucks. The biggest advantage with a small pop up now days is that you can find a spot and you can get places others can't in their travel trailers etc. This size unit can literally go anywhere, anytime, anyplace. And you can pull it with a small SUV like a Jeep Cherokee with the trailer package. The build quality was excellent. In the 13 years I had it, all I did was grease the bearings and lift system every spring and tighten screws, period.. And I never figured out where all those screws on the floor came from but had em ready for when one would disappear. I went through three sets of tires in 13 years. Never had a blowout. The "Filon" soft top was bulletproof. I towed with a Subaru Forester then a Ram 1500. As an FYI, the best mileage I ever got was with the Ram at a solid 20 mpg in Montana. This trailer is like exactly the same height and width as a Ram1500 and creates some kind of perfect aerodynamic set up for driving through the wind. Just an fyi. One of the mid size pick ups out now would be PERFECTION. This is a perfect first camper for people NOT into a lot of creature comforts. It works best as a rolling bedroom and was how we used it. One of the best features was the electric mattresses when you had power. It goes well with a small generator. Fridge works fine but you do need power, so... and so does furnace. But all you need is a regular plug. Even my airco would work on that. It wasn't supposed to... That little cabinet by the door fits a porta potti perfect. Don't skimp on this. Thetford has it down to a science so it is NOT a major mess with some gloves. So, if you have one or two small kids (I'd put up to about 12 years old) and want to camp, this is a good choice. Used ones would be the best buy IF you can find one. Flip the axle for off road dry camping... but even then they are fine irrespective. Now days, there is a lot to be said for this type of camping. This is a good choice as it has been around forever and Forest River has worked the bugs out of it with improvements over time. YOU should be able to find a site due to its size vs everyone else now days. AND it appears to run around half of the newer "hard side" pop ups with the same space. It's a good choice.

Given that many companies are short handed and back logs are significant, the consumer has to do many repairs themselves..so having such poor customer service who tells you that they are not bonded to work with the public, is just that…poor customer service…When screws fall out, bungees cords fray, making order of frequent replacement parts or recommendation would be helpful, especially when local dealers are 6 months out on repair work. I will never buy another rock wood/forest River product for this reason.. A liner has much better customer service..in this regard.

This is a great pop-up. I like to get off the beaten path. I have had this in some very remote places at the end of some very rough trails. Done quite a bit of spring/fall camping where the weather gets cooler at night and the heater works great and warms up the camper very quickly. This unit packs up small but opens up to create all kinds of space. Has plenty of room for 2 adults and 3 kids (2 teen). Holds 20 gallons of water which can last a whole weekend with 5 people if you don't let the water run constantly. The hose on the outside is super handy for cleaning up dishes and yourself. Never had any issues with the battery going dead but do have it connected to a solar panel.

Bought the freedom just about 1 year ago. Wife and I take the grandkids with us. Can’t say anything bad about this pop up. Sets up easy and pulls great behind our Jeep Wrangler. The A/C cools without any problem and when the temps drop to 37 the heater keeps us warm and toasty. The frig is small so we just keep our drinks in it. I did add an extra propane tank with auto changeover regulator. In heavy rains we stayed dry and cleaning the Vinyl when closing up to go home was the easiest. Had to order a part from rockwood and I would do business with this people again and again. They were great DM

This 36’ Rockwood, without slide outs, its interior design has been functional for 3 people for 5 years and could accommodate more. Prior sole owner, a mechanic, for 27 made some improvements like adding an automatic parking brake when in the gear park” it stays that way. We overhauled ours a year ago and only needed a “mild” one. We replaced all auto electric major items, all with ease, to have reliability as those items wear with age. It’s like new and Vroom. Big powerful Ford 460cu.in. engine using unleaded gas, is easy to maintain from either front or between driver

We searched a long time for this camper and were excited to find one and purchase it. The dealer we bought it from was a pleasure to deal with and when we picked it up there were a few items missing (cap for the sewer tube, 1 light, pantry and clothes pantry) and a poorly installed awning support (3' short of where it should be). The Dealer informed that it might take a while to get them but they would be in touch. After about 1 month of trying to get some details I finally contacted Rockwood. They were helpful in getting someone at the Dealer to speak with but once I was connected with that person they also stopped calling and emailing me back. I am more upset with the Dealers lack of response and lack of caring than I am with Rockwood. We have taken our camper on 2 trips and really enjoyed it but I am concerned about the lack of communication from the Dealer and Rockwood.

The hard side a-frame is a bad design. The actuator motor will burn out every 1-2 years. Sooner the better if you want Flagstaff to replace it. The bubble plastic window on the roof will leak. Flagstaff suggests getting it inspected at a dealer every 6 months. They know it will leak. When the dealer finds the leak - you will pay for it. You will also pay to have all the water intrusion damage fixed. Moldy mattress-rotten wood, etc. Flagstaff does not stand behind this product. They understand its awful. I gave it the lowest score because its a bad product. It failed dramatically in 2 years. That is its usable lifespan before its being repaired constantly.