Is Forest River a Quality RV?

Forest River RVs is a brand that has been around for a while – since 1996. It is now owned by Berkshire Hathaway and gained a pretty good reputation overall. There is also a group that goes by FROG, or Forest River Owners’ Group, which is an association comprised of RV owners of the brand that span the U.S. and Canada.

So, is Forest River a quality RV?

The short answer:

Yes, Forest River is a quality RV brand. We give them a 4 out of 5 stars rating. Out of 5 stars, we’d give it a 4-star rating. Their products are affordable with some high-end options. They have a massive selection of different types of RVs and hundreds of dealerships throughout the country to help you with warranty issues.

The brand is one of the largest, and there is no doubt about its popularity, but are these factors enough to ensure quality? Let’s find out.

Forest River – An Overview

As said, Forest River is currently a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, and the brand itself also has a number of other RV brands under its umbrella including:

• Dynamax
• Coachmen
• Shasta
• Palomino

The FROG has about 700 RVs and more than 1400 members. The group holds rallies annually in the brand’s hometown of Indiana. Other than RVs, Forest River also has other product lines that extend to motorhomes.

Forest River Product Lines

Speaking of product lines, let’s take a closer look at the products you can find by Forest River.

Class A Motorhomes

Class A motorhomes are larger in size, and they have a cockpit attached to the living area, which is much more spacious than other types. The size can be comparable to a bus and is quite a bit more expensive.

Class C Motorhomes

Class C motorhomes are medium-sized, so not as big as class A but offer larger bathrooms than class B, which are not offered by Forest River.

Travel Trailers

A travel trailer is living quarters that need to be towed by a vehicle, what differentiates it from a motorhome is the lack of a cockpit.

Fifth Wheelers

A fifth wheeler is a hitch component that attaches to a towing vehicle, very similar to a travel trailer.

Toy Haulers

A toy hauler is also a hitch that is used to tow anything you need for your trip and doesn’t really provide a living area.

Camping Trailers

A camping trailer is similar to a travel trailer but they are typically smaller and do not exceed 16 feet.

Destination Trailers

A destination trailer is similar to larger than camping and travel trailers and is usually packed with more features.

Overall Quality of Forest River RVs

We’re not going to sweep the negative reviews you may have read about Forest River under the rug. We will be completely honest and unbiased and tell you that Forest River isn’t renowned for its build quality, unlike Airstreams, but they definitely aren’t the worse either.

In fact, we think that Forest River works hard to balance the quality of the products with the price they command. You can choose to pay for the highest tier lines from the brand and end up with an exceptional vehicle.

As for settling for the entry to mid-level products, we sincerely feel that you do get value for your money.

As for the amount of maintenance and repairs required, we don’t feel that Forest River needs an obscene amount of work done over the years and the RV’s prime can last for over 10 years.

 

Forest River owns over 45 RV brands, including the likes of Cherokee. In short, Forest River has hundreds of models to choose from with various floor models and build qualities to suit your needs.

Among the over 45 brands, many of them have won awards over the years. Now, that’s not something a brand of poor quality can say. Let’s take the Berkshire RV models for example.

They are a great representative for the higher-tier units from Forest River. More specifically, the Berkshire Class A XLT had won an award in 2020 for Top RV Debut of the year.

Other award-winning trailer brands from Forest River include:

• Cardinal
• Cherokee
• Flagstaff
• Ibex
• Riverstone
• Sabre
• Salem
• Wildcat
• Sierra
• The Cost of Forest River RVs

As you can imagine, for a brand that casts as wide a net as Forest River, encompassing 45+ brands and hundreds of options, the cost can range quite a bit. It all depends on the level of luxury you want, the style, and the build.

The Berkshire line is one of the top-tier lines and its products can cost over half a million dollars.

If that price tag is staggering to you, which it is for most, then you can opt for more entry to mid-level options including the very basic campers that are closer to $10,000.

Forest River has selections with a wide range of built quality, price, and amenities for audiences with different needs. As we mentioned, Berkshire is a top-tier line, but most of Forest River’s products are more mid and entry-level, which is what most consumers look at from the brand.

The most popular RVs from Forest River are between $20,000 to $50,000.

What We Think of Forest River RVs

What do we think of Forest River? Out of 5 stars, we’d give it a 4-star rating. Most of the brand’s products are affordable with some high-end options. We like the selection it provides for consumers of all walks of life, and the hundreds of choices available make sure Forest River will have something for everyone.

Forest River’s products are also widely accessible as they have hundreds of dealers across 2 countries.

Are there cons? As with any brand, there are some drawbacks to Forest River, one of which is some consumers’ opinions about subpar quality. Another one is the craftsmanship you would expect for the price is average, but that’s quite normal.

Final Thoughts

Forest River is still a brand we would recommend. You have the option to go for higher-priced options that generally feature more robust craftsmanship to avoid poor build quality.

Even for the price of the entry to mid-level units, we still believe the construction is decent for the price you are paying.

Don’t forget about the awards multiple sub-brands have racked up over the years, which are testaments to the brand’s standing in the industry.

 

Up Next:

What is the Most Popular Travel Trailer? (top 6 ranked)

What is the Life Expectancy of a Travel Trailer?

What is the Most Reliable Brand of Travel Trailer? (top 5 picks)

 

(featured image: forestriverinc.com)

Share this article!