2022 Forest River Salem

Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues

Equipment is the leading concern among 13 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 11 Salem model years with reports.

Complaints by model year
  1. 13
Primary concernEquipment6 reports · 46% of complaints
Owner complaints13Filed with NHTSA
Recall relationship7 safety recallsNHTSA campaign records

What owners report most often

  1. Equipment6
  2. Structure4
  3. Electrical system3
  4. Other or unspecified3
  5. Tires2
  6. Suspension1
  7. Wheels1

Recalls and investigations

  1. Electrical system, wiringOct 10, 2025

    Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Forest River Aurora, Coachmen Catalina, 2026 Coachmen Viking, Coachmen Clipper, 2016-2026 Wildwood, and Salem recreational trailers. The distribution panel wire may be connected to the battery without over current protection.

    Unprotected wiring can increase the risk of a fire.

    Dealers will relocate the distribution panel wire to the correct side of the breaker, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 205-1987.

    Campaign 25V682000 on NHTSA.gov

  2. Equipment, recreational vehicle/trailer, plumbing, potable water, storage tankSep 30, 2022

    Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Salem, Wildwood, and Ozark travel trailers. The fresh water tank may dislodge from the vehicle and fall to the ground when full or overfilled.

    A tank falling to the ground while in transit can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.

    Dealers will inspect the fresh water tank for straps. and install straps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2022. Owners may contact at Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 72-1559.

    Campaign 22V729000 on NHTSA.gov

  3. Structure, bodyAug 2, 2022

    Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Salem and Wildwood fifth wheel travel trailers. The awning rail may not be attached to a backer in the sidewall, which can allow the awning to detach while the vehicle is in motion.

    An awning that detaches increases the risk of a crash.

    Dealers will inspect for backers and reattach the awning if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1538.

    Campaign 22V562000 on NHTSA.gov

  4. Equipment, recreational vehicle/trailerJul 29, 2022

    Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Coachmen Catalina, Cross Trail, Pursuit, Sportscoach, East to West Della Terra, Silver Lake, Forest River Forester, FR3, Sunseeker, Wildwood, 2022 Coachmen Adrenaline, Apex, Brookstone, Chaparral, Chapparral Lite, Clipper, Freedom Express, Independence Trail, Mirada, Spirit, Viking, Work and Play, East to West Ahara, Tandara, Forest River Aurora, Cardinal, Cedar Creek, Cherokee, Flagstaff, Georgetown, Ibex, Impression, Ozark, Puma, R-Pod, Rockwood, Sabre, Salem, Sandpiper, Sandstorm, Shockwave, Sierra, Solera, Stealth, Stealth Evo, Surveyor, Vengeance, Vibe, Wildcat, XLR Toyhauler, Prime Time Avenger, Crusader, Lacrosse, Sanibel, Tracer, Shasta Oasis, and Phoenix fifth wheel and travel trailers. The electric retractable awning has a welded seam on the fabric that may separate, potentially allowing the awning to drop beyond normal operation.

    An awning that drops or extends beyond normal operation can increase the risk of injury.

    Dealers will replace the fabric roll or complete awning, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact the customer service numbers listed in the recall report for their designated model. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1532. This recall supersedes and expands NHTSA recall number 22V-486.

    Campaign 22V556000 on NHTSA.gov

  5. Equipment, recreational vehicle/trailerJul 8, 2022

    Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2022 Prime Time Avenger, Crusader, Lacrosse, Ozark, Tracer, Sanibel, East to West Della Terra, Silverlake, Forest River Cherokee, Flagstaff, IBEX, RPod, Rockwood, Salem, Sierra, Sandpiper, and Wildwood fifth wheel and travel trailers. The electric retractable awning has a welded seam on the fabric that may separate, potentially allowing the awning to drop beyond normal operation.

    An awning that drops or extends beyond normal operation can increase the risk of injury.

    Forest River will replace the awnings, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at the following numbers: 1-574-862-1025 (Prime Time Avenger, Crusader, Lacrosse, Sanibel, Tracer, and Ozark), 1-574-264-6664 (East to West Della Terra and Silver Lake ), 1-260-499-2100 (Cherokee), 1-574-642-8943 (Rockwood and Flagstaff), 1-574- 642-3119 Option 2 (IBEX & RPOD), 1-574-534-3167 (Salem & Wildwood), 1-574-534-4574 (Sierra & Sandpiper). Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1532. This recall has been superseded by NHTSA recall 22V-556.

    Campaign 22V486000 on NHTSA.gov

  6. Equipment, recreational vehicle/trailer, lpg systems, lines and fittingsApr 13, 2022

    Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Coachmen Adrenaline, Apex, Catalina, Freedom Express, Spirit, East to West Alta, Della Terra, Silver Lake, Forest River Cedar Creek, Cherokee, Columbus, Flagstaff, Impression, Ozark, Rockwood, Sabre, Salem, Sandstorm, Shockwave, Stealth, Stealth Evo, Vengeance, Vibe, Wildwood, XLR Toyhauler, Palomino Puma, Prime Time Avenger, Crusader, Lacrosse, Sanibel, Shasta Oasis, 2022 Coachmen Cross Trail, Prism, Forest River Aurora, Rainier, Wildcat, Work and Play, Prime Time Tracer, 2021-2023 Coachmen Leprechaun, and 2022-2023 Coachmen Freelander fifth wheel and travel trailer recreational vehicles. The quick disconnect fittings in the LP gas system may be cracked, causing a gas leak.

    A gas leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

    Dealers will replace the quick disconnect and perform a LP system check, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2022. Owners may contact the applicable customer service number for their vehicle model. Please see the recall report for the list of phone numbers.

    Campaign 22V243000 on NHTSA.gov

  7. Equipment, other, labelsSep 24, 2021

    Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Salem and Wildwood fifth wheel trailers. The Federal Placard lists a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) that exceeds the load carrying capacity of the pin box, which could result in an overloaded pin box.

    An overloaded pin box can fail, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Forest River will mail owners a new Federal Placard, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 8, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1423.

    Campaign 21V745000 on NHTSA.gov

Representative owner complaints: structure

4 reports, newest first. Show all

  1. Structure, Sep 8, 2026

    Front section of frame or A frame broke/ bent in front of main frame rails while driving! I was only going 25 mph, but on the interstate this could have killed us and others. There are many other reports of this online, the camper was not overloaded rusty or damaged. The rv .manufacturer and frame manufacturer continue to blame each other while nobody will take responsibility and and there seems to be ZERO oversight! These frames MUST be built not just to support the camper, but also the abuse the frame takes from rough roads! You dont see semis and automobiles breaking in half! Please get involved and set some standards for the RV travel trailer industry. 1/8" steel isn't enough the frame manufacturer is Lippert.

  2. Electrical system, Structure, Other or unspecified, Mar 29, 2026

    I am filing a safety complaint regarding a 2022 Forest River Salem Cruise Lite travel trailer, purchased July 21, 2022. At the time of sale, the unit had an open federal safety recall (NHTSA Recall 22V-243) involving a fire/explosion hazard. The recall was not remedied prior to sale. The vehicle was presented for service multiple times, and the recall was not identified or addressed until May 2025. At that time, the manufacturer directed that the recall repair be completed; however, the issue has not been resolved. The manufacturer’s owner portal continues to show the recall as open, despite NHTSA’s system not showing an unrepaired recall for this VIN. The vehicle has been out of service for an extended period and is currently unusable. Request: Investigation into failure to remedy a safety recall within a reasonable time, potential reporting discrepancies regarding recall status, and the sale of a vehicle with an open safety recall.

  3. Suspension, Structure, Wheels, Aug 17, 2023

    Front window just cracked like a flaw in the manufacture process nothing struck it. Axles are really close together like one maybe put on backwards. I have photos but won’t let me upload

  4. Structure, Equipment, Sep 5, 2022

    I have a 2022 Salem FSX170SS. While traveling on our first trip with this vehicle, the fresh water tank fell out of the trailer and dragged on the pavement. I was fortunately traveling through a construction area at low speed and damage was limited to the loss of the tank and underbelly. This same model had a safety recall in 2021 for the very same problem. The remedial action was for the dealer to verify and if necessary correct any installation defects e.g. poorly fitting tank. A cursory examination of the unit quickly revealed that the design is minimal and has near-zero redundancy in the event of a minor installation issue. The weakness presents a clear danger to human injury and death. The fact that I had this problem in 2022 would seem to make it clear that the company's response to this issue is woefully inadequate. I have reported this incident to Transport Canada and there is an open file. An inspector has been to my home to assess the trailer. Because I am not a US resident, I was unable to submit the form (it requires a US address). I therefore used the address of a friend. My actual address is 654 Glen Cedar Cr., Innisfil Ontario Canada L9S2J5.