AI Damage2004 Forest River Travel Trailer: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Forest River Travel Trailer filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 58% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 26% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 21% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 5% of all complaints
- Tires: 11 complaints (58% of all).
- Structure: 5 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 4 complaints (21% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Dt*: the contact stated while pulling the 5th wheel trailer 20 mph, the pin box sheered. As a result the trailer collapsed onto the truck and caused a separation between the trailer and the truck. Both the trailer and truck sustained significant damage; however no injuries occurred.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 forest river travel trailer. While riding in the travel trailer, there was an abnormal squeaking noise coming from the trailer. While having the vehicle serviced by an independent mechanic, the contact was made aware of cracks in the frame of the rear driver side.
Dometic refrigerator recall .06e076000 company recall letter on this issue shows a recall number of 07v85000 this number does not come up on your web site. I feel they did not comply with recall and repair my problem correctly. They only put in what they called a heat shield instead of replacing defective tube.
Fortunately, we noticed the failure prior to being involved in a blowout or accident. The manufacturer of our 5th wheel, cedar creek, took it upon themselves to replace the axles and tires. Also kober has known of this issue for a number of years now and continues to deny their faulty axles!
4th tire tread was separating at time of removal. Tires have less than 10,000 miles all tires were inflated to proper pressure, speed was 55-60 miles hour and roads were clear and dry. Dot number a3ul 3cu 0804 tires caused body damage to trailer. All tires shipped to manufacturer.
Imminent blowout averted on 2004 forest river sandpiper travel trailer, which was manufactured with alko-kobler axles. The inside of the front tire on the driver's side was worn smooth, and the rear tire also had evidence of wear. Tires have approximately 4,000 miles on them.
Noticed unusual worn tires, brought into dealer for inspection, dealer said the axles were defective. Causing excess ware on the mounting hardware and tires. If I had not taken the trailer into the dealer, the axles could have broken loose from the frame and caused an accident.
From 3000 to about 3500 miles I have experienced 3 catastrophic blowouts. Each failure was identicle in appearance. I recently read in a trailer periodical that carlisle has had a recent history of this type of failure and was being very cooperative with consumer complaints.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,437 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Travel Trailer has 15 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 19, above average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Forest River Travel Trailer?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, structure, suspension. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (26%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Forest River Travel Trailer?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2004 Forest River Travel Trailer from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2004 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.