Forest River Salem Grand Villa reviews

This camper is a complete nightmare. We purchased it brand new in 2022 and were blinded by how "beautiful" it was. We were naive new camper owners who did not know what to look for. Every time we go camping, something breaks or falls apart. Tons of trouble with electrical components in the camper, none of the USB ports work on the inside, and some of the outlets do not work. The buttons for the electric jacks have broken 3 times in the 3 years we've had the camper. The awning is coming unattached on one side. The shower has leaked out the corner of the floor since the first time we used it. The biggest issue that we have run into is that the storage compartment door on the underbelly storage was installed incorrectly from the manufacturer (according to a service tech who looked at it) which caused a leak. The leak has now caused floor rot. We got a quote to fix this and it was quoted to us at $8000. This is INSANE! When I reached out to Forest River about getting this replaced as it was due to faulty install/manufacturing, they stated that because the warranty was over there was nothing they can do. They do NOT back their brand and they do NOT care about customer service. Run far, far away before ever purchasing a Forest River. Show less

Model: 2024 Forest River Salem Cruise-Lite 28VBXL Pros: Family‑friendly floorplan with bunkhouse and king bed Good storage and outdoor kitchen setup Manageable towing weight Cons: Slide‑out malfunctions (multiple failures) Bed collapse and soft spots in flooring Microbial contamination concerns Six extended repair shop visits, leaving us with less than 15 days of use in over a year Warranty and Forest River communication dismissive and misleading Bottom line: The layout is appealing, but the execution has been a major disappointment. Reliability issues and lack of accountability have overshadowed the positives. We cannot recommend this model based on our experience. Show less

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

We purchased out of state for a large discount on a Unit that we ordered from a customer wholesale dealer. We had it delivered to our property for a reasonable $. When I went in to sign off I found the stackable WD tilted on the bed. Being out of range I found an Authorized repair shop I had them inspect it to find dryer hose snapped, improper clamp down, pulled out hoses. Opening bed platform to storage pass thru holding cylinders won’t hold it up Severe injury possible. One of the slides will not seal when out. Mattress is 2 two inch fiber pads which collapses when you use it TV picture dead showing colored stripes, ac vent door fell off screws missed frame to attached, Sliding windows need the Hulk to open and close ,Shower roll up door leaks all over floor and the UNDERBELLY IS. NOW FILLED WITH BLACKWATER REPAIR SHOP COMING THIS WEEK There was no way of finding these items on delivery, real good at putting lipstick on the pig 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

We bought this 2021 camper late in the 2021 season and didn't pick it up from dealer until 2022 season. Had problems with the bedroom slide out since we got it home. Come to find out, the welds are snapped and is catching causing problems with slide out. Manufacturer won't sand behind this $67,000 purchase and its only been used 8 times. Filing lawsuit! This is absurd. Its been in the shop more than it has been used since day 1 and Forest River won't help at all. Show less

We are at a permanent site in a camp ground, with the sides out you can not get to the dumping valves without crawling under trailer. Dead blot lock on kitchen door would not unlock, had to go through other door and remove dead bolt lock. Front kitchen window frame fell off, was stapled on, fixed ourselves. King size mattress on a 55 inches wide board, mattress made out of string fiber, bought a queen mattress to replace it. Like the trailer but very cheap item's, poorly made and bad drainage design Show less

We went from a 2007 to 2025 camper so it was a huge change for us. After we seem to get all of the bugs out, we can finally enjoy our camper.(the hidden closets travel latch did not lineup with a hole, the cupboard wasn’t secured on the island. The slide outs needed to be adjusted and have a few links taken out so they would close properly and the light socket needed to be adjusted so they were flush with the ceiling,) . One of the big issues that I have found is that the solar panels do not keep up with the refrigerator. I’m sure if you have sunny skies every day it would be fine but realistically that just doesn’t happen here. I also found that we needed to turn the motion lights off as they will come on every time the heater kicks in and even with a strong breeze. The water heater is bipolar. One second it is coaching hot and the next it is freezing cold. i’m sure this is something we will have to tweak to make it just right, but for now showers are not pleasant. I have to say the thing that pissed me off the most about this camper was the closet doors in the bathroom were missing. When we looked at it, the hardware was there and we were told that they would be put on before we picked it up. When we picked it up the holes spackles, the hardware was gone, and there were no doors. The manager told me they no longer come with doors so I will have to have some custom-made. Show less

I repeat do not buy one of these units. We have a Salem bunkhouse which we bought brand new from. Camping world neither camping world or forest river will back their product this travel trailer has basically fallen around from us. Our first trip out shower floods the floor blinds don’t go up and down. Water traps left out of bathroom, zinc, damage underneath, zinc in kitchen outside big gaps in trailer just basically pearly made, and they don’t stand behind their product please don’t bother this product. You will regret buying it. We are sitting with a white horse that we paid a tremendous amount of money for that cannot be used. Forest River has given me the runaround and refuses to fix it. Show less

Great floor plan for families. Love the panoramic windows and huge slide out. Tires should be replaced as they are not safe. Spacious bunk room for kids and private front bedroom. Our s has the 15000 btu air conditioning, which I would highly recommend in rv this size. Show less