Forest River GRAND LODGE 42DL reviews

We were initially drawn to this RV by its great floorplan. The front kitchen with a huge counter, large pantry, and big refrigerator were all huge selling points for us. We also loved the tons of seating, with bar chairs, a comfy couch, and a bench table. However, despite these positives, our experience with this camper has been far from ideal. First, the outside storage is surprisingly small for an RV of this size. While we were willing to make it work because we loved the layout, it's been a real challenge, especially for long-term travel. Additionally, while we liked the idea of the fireplace in the bedroom, we would have preferred more storage space in that area instead. The biggest issue, though, is the poor build quality. After only a few months of ownership, we already have over 15 items on our warranty claim list. The barn door to the bedroom and the pocket door to the bathroom both came off their tracks. The medicine cabinet is falling off the wall, and several other items were either installed poorly or have broken altogether. It’s clear that the construction quality is cheap and not built to last. We were really disappointed by how quickly things started to fall apart. On top of that, towing this RV has been a nightmare. We've tried two different trucks, both with the capacity to pull its weight, but towing is still a major challenge. The camper has too much weight in the front, causing it to sway dangerously—even with a weight distribution hitch and sway bar. You have to be extremely cautious when towing, driving slower than usual and constantly keeping a close eye on the trailer. We've owned four different campers, so we're no strangers to towing, but this one has been a struggle from day one. We purchased this RV with the hopes of using it for travel during our retirement, but it has turned out to be more work than fun. The constant issues with towing and the poor build quality have made it far less enjoyable than we had hoped. Sadly, based on our experience, we would not recommend this camper to others. Show less

🌟 Honest Review: 2025 Forest River Grand Surveyor – Disappointed RV Experience We purchased our 2025 Forest River Grand Surveyor in February 2025 from Outpost RV in Indiana, excited to start our journey with what we expected to be a quality camper. Unfortunately, our experience since day one has been filled with ongoing issues, delays, and a lack of accountability that has left us extremely frustrated — especially considering we live and travel full-time in our RV for work. 🚨 Immediate Problems After Pickup After picking it up and driving to Kentucky, we noticed: * The toilet paper holder was loose, with stripped screws, unable to be secured. * A cabinet door came loose, also due to stripped hardware. * These are basic quality control issues that should never happen on a brand-new unit. 💥 Tire Blowout & AC Failure On our trip to Oklahoma for work, we suffered a blowout on the rear left tire, and shortly after, the thermostat for the AC stopped displaying any information. Though it still technically ran, we couldn’t read the temperature. Working 13-hour days, 7 days a week, we had no option but to reach out remotely. We contacted Justin at Outpost RV’s warranty department, who promised a new thermostat face plate and reimbursement for the tire. However: * The tire was sent to our home in Mississippi, not to our work location in Oklahoma. * The thermostat replacement didn’t fix the issue — it continued to display only 72 degrees and eventually caused the AC to freeze. * After receiving a second face plate, the issue persisted. A local mobile RV repair company quoted $500 just to show up, and couldn’t confirm warranty coverage — so we had to wait until we returned to Mississippi. ⚠️ Warranty Runaround at Camping World (Biloxi) We dropped the RV off at Camping World in Biloxi in July, explaining that we were moving into the camper full-time and had a strict deadline to leave our home and get to Texas for work. We also paid to have a second AC installed and a ladder purchased/installed. Although we were promised the unit would be ready within a month, the following issues delayed our plans: * Forest River initially denied warranty coverage, claiming they hadn’t approved the thermostat replacement. We provided email proof, but Camping World still declined the work. * After multiple calls and a 3-way with Justin from Outpost, Forest River finally approved the claim. However, parts were delayed and we missed our planned move-out date and lost valuable work time. * Despite being told parts were in and installation would be quick, we weren’t notified the unit was ready until we called ourselves after waiting all day. * When we picked it up, we were told the issues were fixed. The cabinet door, thermostat, and TP holder were repaired — for now. 🔧 Ongoing Issues Since “Repair” Within a week of picking up our RV: * The opposite side of the same cabinet door came loose again. * After arriving in Texas for work, we experienced a leak from the stove vent area during rain. * Our carbon monoxide alarm began going off without cause (verified by fire department). * The bedroom curtain won’t retract, and the shower door is sticking. * As of this week, another cabinet hinge has broken, and more screws are pulling out. 🧾 Summary: We understand RVs endure movement and wear — but this is unacceptable for a brand-new unit under 6 months old. Between the factory quality issues, warranty headaches, and delays that directly impacted our work schedule and ability to move, this has been a costly and frustrating experience. We’re grateful to Justin at Outpost RV for doing what he could, but overall the Forest River customer service, warranty communication, and Camping World’s handling of the repair timeline have left a lot to be desired. We’ve now been in this RV for just 6 months, and issues continue to pile up — leaks, electrical concerns, and structural problems. We hope this review helps others be better prepared or consider alternative options if they expect reliability and customer support. Show less

Let's first say. Do not buy this rodent welcome home p.o.s. there are holes everywhere. Not just holes but 5 inch up to 10 inch holes left with nothing to protect from the outside environment. Mice RATS and snakes have total free will to the inside. So if they drilled a hole for anything but was off, they drilled another 1 or 2 times next to it leaving the rest totally open. I've found 20 of these in mine so far. Now as to quality. Doors are wall paper and pealing off. Drawer have all broken cracked, split, or just the rails completely fall out. Plumbing leaks underneath. Propane line with holes in it. P traps installed wrong. Shower panels not glued to the wall. Shower floor cut way to big and falling in and leaking. Counter top pulled out from the wall. Awning broke completely down. Getting a reimbursement from them is like pulling teeth. Bedroom fireplace quit working. Lights over stove and pantry quit working. Oh. Did I say we've only had this for 6 months??? Let's not stop there. Bedroom dresser drawer, sides, and frame have all broke. Screen door does not slide. Gaps on the bottom of the slide outs. Refrigerator growls loudly ha,ha, no not at 2am it's not!!! So please BID THIS WARNING. DO NOT BUY FROM FOREST RIVER. Show less

The Grand View is the worst money that we have spent on any camping equipment. Forest River is hard to get payment for warranty work that has to be done, and believe me, there has been more problems with this camper than any we have owned. Be smart and stay clear of this poorly made camper. It is not worth half of what they sale for. Show less

I liked the larger gas oven and 4 burner cook top. I also liked the colors. I've had several leaks which most have been taken care of by the dealer, Camping World of Asheville, until the shower was never fixed. It still leaks from underneath and the sliding glass door leaks profusely when the rain comes from that side. I called again to have them come out and fix what they hadn't fixed and they said it would cost $200 for the service call. I said it was never fixed. Come to find out this Camping World doesn't have a mobile repair van. So I'm at their mercy, until I contacted Forest River they informed me that, that Camping World doesn't have a mobile, that's why I have to pay. During the email they sent me what I needed to do for the warranty work and a list of the mobile repair places that they authorize and they will reimburse me whatever the cost. So I'm awaiting the phone call for the repair people to come out and do the repairs. My unit is a permanent unit therefore I can't tow it. Show less

We purchased the 2024 grand villa 42 view. My husband and want to love it! It’s beautiful to look at. Which is why we ordered one without looking at one in person. It came from Ohio and delivered to Utah. We have lived in it about 3 weeks, now. BUT… here is the list of things which would lead me to not recommend buying this RV. When the wind blows, you can feel it come through the windows. The cold as well. Not insulated well. The fireplace in the bedroom rarely works. There is no heat vents in the lofts. Walls in the shower are coming away from the wall. Sound bar is not hooked up, electrically. Island countertop scratches so easy. The couch is vey, very thin material, will not last long and is very uncomfortable. Will most likely replace. A few of the blinds already stopped working. The furnace and pump are in the bedroom. It’s so loud when heater turns on. Very bad placing of the furnace. Plan on getting a new mattress. The bathroom door does not shut correctly, we have to wiggle it to shut. The frame around the door is very crooked. The curtain rods are secure on the top but have already pulled out of the wall on the bottoms of 3 windows. It is very sloppily put together if you look closely. Now we’ll see if we can get the nearest dealership of these RVs to come to us to fix these problems. I’ve noticed there is a Hampton brand of this exact floor plan, I wish I’d seen that one first. It has 3 tip outs. If I could return this RV I definitely would. Make sure you see this RV in person. Not worth the money, sadly. Show less

Just got our 2023 Forest River Grand Villa 42 View. Few things wrong. Bar stools are nice leather in all videos but ours is fabric, no vacuum hose to use w vacuum system, no tray for outside, cannot get propane to work, counter top had scratches, few minor cosmetic flaws that were missed, scratch in door, etc. Overall happy w the camper and layout but wish they did better inspections before selling them. We are in our camper and hungry bc cannot get our propane tanks to work. Make sure you get a walk thru and make sure everything is working correctly as we are finding out the hard way. Show less

Had major issues with our new brand new trailer. Has a soft floor , camper is level but tub is not draining poor insulation. Camper has faulty wiring. The outlets were not grounded and blew fridge , fireplace , inverter, few small appliances. We been calling warranty to place a claim for a mnth now leaving messages and emails and they are ignoring us. 0 call backs Show less

They have a bill board out on the toll rd that says they pride them selves in customer service yet you can never get a hold of anyone to talk to. Also warranty only good for one year and our window just shattered for no reason on the exact side of the trailer that the slide would not go in correctly. The extended warranty does not cover glass of course. Now out about 800 and still trying to get the window to replace it our selves. This trailer is only a year and half old Show less

The size is great for us! We sold our house and purchased this 2022 Forest River Salem Grand Villa 42DL. We love how updated and modern it is. It has everything we need and more. The fireplace will be awesome when it snows here in indiana! It has great space for our kids with the loft bedroom for our son and our 2 girls share the other bedroom upstairs. The storage in the kitchen and bathroom are great. The shower is also awesome! The microwave is good sized and everything being new is the reason we wanted this RV. The cons are the master bedroom is a very tight fit. Even when the slide out is extended in the bedroom; it’s small. If you go for the optional washer and dryer hookup which we did; make sure the washer and dryer are already installed! It’s more than a pain to put it in. We got a stackable unit with and indoor vent that we clean every time we do laundry since we didn’t want to make a hole to vent it ourselves. Our refrigerator went out within 3 weeks of owning this RV. Luckily; the fridge came with a factory warranty since it was new and we’re waiting for the parts to come in to have that fixed: fee free. The 2 AC units can’t keep up if the weather is hot out. If the weather stays around 80-84 degrees- they are great. If it’s hotter than that you will need something more. It was currently 99 in indiana with a feel degree outside of 106. We had to purchase a stand up ac unit for our bedroom, a window unit for the living room and 3 fans to circulate the air. We honestly feel like we got ripped off on this RV. We paid over $65,000 - CASH. This RV shouldn’t be more than $45,000 honestly. It’s poor craftsmanship, very flimsy parts for what is paid. Show less