AI Damage2005 Forest River Travel Trailer: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Forest River Travel Trailer filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 21
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 29% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 24% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 24% of all complaints
- 4 Equipment 10% of all complaints
- 5 Wheels 10% of all complaints
- Suspension: 6 complaints (29% of all).
- Structure: 5 complaints (24% of all).
- Tires: 5 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Equipment: 2 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 2 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 21 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Three blew out both on the tread and sidewall. On the fourth tire the tread came off. Carlisle tires, st235/85r16. They blew out at different locations on the trailer. Consumer has not been able to get in touch with the manufacturer. On july 31, 2005, the trailer got off the road swiftly.
On april 18, 2005 I picked up my car trailer from the dealer. I began towing my trailer home and noticed an extreme amount of instability with the way it was towing. I proceeded towards my house and slowed way down. I continued traveling and the trailer continued to sway.
At about 3:00 pm on the 29th of july, 2009 my wife myself and two grandchildren departed our home in bel aire, ks destined for taylor park, co. We were driving our 2002 ford e-350 van with v-10, towing a work and play trailer made by forest river (frame by lipert components).
The recall was to possibly prevent a fire "in the event this did happen ". The company, keyston rv/dometic refrigerators are aware of this situation. It is my contention, that since this is a related problem, it should be covered and replaced at no cost to the owner.as of this date, they refuse to pay for this repair…
Tongue on these trailers are made of a material too thin to support their weight. My tongue folded up while enroute from a camping trip. It was less than 3 inches from the ground by the time I got home. I had no knowledge this occurred. Any bump in the road could have grabbed the trailer and ripped us apart.
Tl contact owns a 2005 forest river all american sport fifth wheel (na) with carlisle wheels. The wheels are cracking at the point where the center of the wheel is welded to the outer rim. Previously, another wheel experienced the same failure and was replaced by the dealer.
Tl contact owns a 2005 forest river wild wood (na) travel trailer. While driving 55-60 mph, the passenger side wheel detached from the vehicle. The failure caused minor body damage to the vehicle, which the contact repaired himself.
Thirty miles later, the rear driver side tire blew out. The remaining tires were inspected and it was found that the tread on all the tires was beginning to separate. The repair shop replaced all six carlisle tires. The tire failure mileage was approximately 1,500. No other vehicle information was provided.
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 8,077 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Travel Trailer has 15 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 21, above average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Forest River Travel Trailer?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, structure, tires. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (24%), smoke, burning smell, fire (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.