Service Brakes. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Suspension. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes, Electric. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

16 reports

5,500 miles · Mar 6, 2014

Service Brakes

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THIS IS A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. IT IS TOWED BY A 2012 F250 WITH FACTORY BRAKE CONTROLLER. THE BRAKES ON THE TRAILER SEEMED TO BE GETTING WEAKER EACH TIME I TOWED IT AND I KEPT INCREASING THE GAIN ON THE CONTROLLER TO COMPENSATE. HOWEVER ON THIS DATE AS I WAS EXITING HWY. 101 AT EL CAPITAN STATE BEACH AT 55 MPH THERE WAS LITTLE-TO-NO BRAKING VIA THE TRAILER, I HAD TO BRAKE HARD WITH THE TRUCK'S BRAKES TO MAKE A TURN AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMP. IT WAS QUITE CONCERNING. AFTER THE WEEKEND CAMPING WE RETURNED HOME CAUTIOUSLY AND CALLED BARBER RV IN VENTURA, CA AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT UNDER WARRANTY. WE DROPPED IT OFF AT BARBER RV ON AUGUST 26, 2013. UPON INSPECTION BARBER RV FOUND GREASE ALL OVER THE INSIDES OF THE DRUMS AND SATURATED BRAKE PADS, PROBABLY FROM FAULTY SEALS. THE BAKES WERE CLEANED AND NEW PARTS INSTALLED. BARBER RV USED AFTERMARKET PARTS AS THEY ARE NOT IMPRESSED WITH PARTS FROM THE AXLE/BRAKE MANUFACTURER LIPPERT COMPONENTS. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE BRAKES STILL DON'T STOP LIKE OUR PREVIOUS 5TH WHEEL, OR LIKE THIS COLUMBUS DID WHEN WE FIRST TOOK DELIVERY IN FEB. 2013. WE EVEN TOOK IT BACK TO BARBER RV TO VERIFY THAT THERE WEREN'T OTHER ISSUES, I ALSO HAD THE F250'S CONTROLLER CHECKED BY A FORD FACILITY. I AM IN COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER COLUMBUS OWNERS ON FORUMS AND A NUMBER OF THEM ALSO HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH GREASE ON THE BRAKES. BARBER RV DID NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS ON THE WARRANTY WORK, AND SINCE THIS IS A FOREST RIVER TRAILER WE WERE ULTIMATELY REIMBURSED THE $775 THAT WE PAID OUT-OF-POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS. THESE TRAILERS WEIGH A LOT AND BRAKING IS IMPORTANT, I BELIEVE THAT THE AXLE AND BRAKE CAPACITY USED IS NOT ENOUGH, LET ALONE WHEN GREASE CONTAMINATES THE BRAKES. EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED, AND QUALITY PARTS INSTALLED, I STILL DON'T HAVE MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE BRAKES. UPDATED 3/31/14*CN *TR

NHTSA ODI #10567696

Mileage unknown · Feb 20, 2014

Service Brakes, Electric

GREASE CONTAMINATION ON BRAKE LININGS --- 7000 LBS CAPACITY LIPPERT AXLES [COMPLAINT FILED BY BOWMAN (ODI) AFTER PHONE CONVERSATION WITH OWNER].

NHTSA ODI #10566135

1,500 miles · Feb 8, 2014

Service Brakes

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WHILE TAKING OUR FIRST LONG TRIP IN OUR NEW COLUMBUS 5TH WHEEL TRAILER EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE QUICKLY DISCOVERED THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. AT FIRST IT SEEMED MINOR, BUT THE MORE WE TRAVELED, THE MORE EVIDENT IT BECAME. IT CULMINATED WITH A TRIP INTO A STATE PARK IN TEXAS THAT HAD A STEEP WINDING ROAD DOWN IN TO THE CAMPGROUND. PART WAY DOWN REALIZED THAT I HAD ALMOST NO BRAKING ABILITY FROM MY TRAILER. AFTER LEAVING THIS PARK I FOUND A SHOP IN KENTUCKY THAT COULD INSPECT MY BRAKES. UPON PULLING ALL 4 DRUMS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ALL BRAKE ASSEMBLIES WERE COATED WITH GREASE, AND THE MAGNETS HAD BEEN STICKING TO THE DRUMS CAUSING BRAKE SHOW DRAG. 3 OUT OF THE 4 WHEELS HAD ALMOST NO BRAKE PAD REMAINING. THE OPINION OF THE TECH WAS THAT ALL OF THE WHEEL GREASE SEALS HAD FAILED. THE TRAILER WAS ABOUT 4 MONTHS OLD AND HAD ABOUT 1000 MILES OF USE AT THIS POINT. THE SHOP CONTACTED LIPPERT COOMPONENTS, THE MANUFACTURER OF THE CHASSIS.LIPPERT SENT THE SHOP 4 BRAND NEW COMPLETE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. I WATCHED THE TECH REMOVE AND INSTALL THE 4 NEW ASSEMBLIES. NO ADDITIONAL GREASE WAS ADDED, OR NEEDED AS THEY WERE ALL COMPLETE FROM LIPPERT. WE LEFT KENTUCKY AND HEADED FOR YUMA TENNESSEE, A DISTANCE OF APPROX 250 MILES. IN ROUTE I WAS ALERTED BY MY ON BOARD TPMS SYSTEM THAT ONE OF MY TRAILER TIRES WAS RUNNING SIGNIFICANTLY HOTTER THAN THE REST. I PULLED INTO A REST STOP AND CHECKED THE TIRES AND DRUMS WITH A INFRARED THERMOMETER. 3 OF THE TIRES WERE IN THE 95-105 DEGREE RANGE, BUT THE LEFT REAR WAS AT 246 DEGREES. I CRAWLED UNDER THE RIG AND BACKED OFF THE STAR ADJUSTER ON THE BRAKE THINKING THAT THE BRAKE WAS ADJUSTED TOO TIGHT. UPON ARRIVAL TO YUMA TN I CHECKED THEM AGAIN. THERE WERE STILL THE SAME. I PULLED THE CONCERNED WHEEL AT THE CAMPGROUND AND FOUND THE NEW ASSEMBLY COATED WITH GREASE. THE BRAKE SEAL HAD FAILED YET AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10563464

200 miles · Jan 29, 2014

Service Brakes

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FROM THE TIME WE BOUGHT OUR NEW FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER, IT HAD NOT APPEARED TO STOP LIKE PREVIOUS TRAILERS WE HAD OWNED. I EVEN WENT AND TRADED IN A ONE YEAR OLD F-250 FOR A F-350 DUALLY AND IT STILL DID NOT SEEM TO STOP PROPERLY. AFTER OUR ONLY TRIP OF APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES, WE FIGURED OUT THAT WE TRULY HAD NO TRAILER BRAKES. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT BACK TO OUR DEALER WHO PULLED ALL THE WHEELS AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. ALL OF THE BRAKES WERE COVERED WITH GREASE AND EVIDENTLY THE REAR SEALS WERE BLOWN. LIPPERT WAS CONTACTED AND THEY SENT FOUR ENTIRELY NEW BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN PULLING A TRAILER WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 13,000 POUNDS. WE HAVE NOT USED IT SINCE THE BRAKES WERE CHANGED AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THE SEALS DO NOT FAIL AGAIN AND ARE OF A DIFFERENT TYPE. *TR ## VIN PASSED ## PALOMINO COLUMBUS 2013 RS320 ##

NHTSA ODI #10561961

6,000 miles · Jan 16, 2014

Service BrakesSuspension

THE LIPPERT 6K AXLE ON THE LISTED 5TH WHEEL TRAILER, WHEEL SEALS FAILED ALLOWING GREASE TO CONTAMINATE THE BRAKE SHOES, DIMINISHING OR ELIMINATING BRAKING ABILITY OF THE TRAILER. THIS IS AN ON GOING AND RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH THESE AXLES, NOT JUST ON THE COLUMBUS/FOREST RIVER LINE. PHOTOGRAPHS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10560304

500 miles · Sep 29, 2013

Service Brakes

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I HAVE NOTICED SINCE WE FIRST PURCHASED OUR COLUMBUS 340RK FIFTH WHEEL THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT FEEL ADEQUATE. HOWEVER, BEING A FIRST TIME OWNER OF SUCH A BIG TRAILER I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS NORMAL OR NOT. ON OR ABOUT 2 SEPTEMBER 2013 WE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DESCENDING A STEEP GRADE. UPON INSPECTING THE BRAKES I DISCOVERED THAT THREE OF THE FOUR WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES HAD DEFECTIVE INNER WHEEL GREASE SEAL THAT ALLOWED GREASE TO COMPLETELY COAT THE BRAKES. I CALLED LIPPERT (LCI) TO REPORT MY SITUATION AND THE FACT THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER COLUMBUS OWNER'S THAT I WAS AWARE OF THAT CAME ACROSS THE SAME ISSUE WITH ONE OR MORE BRAKES HAVING BEEN COATED WITH GREASE. I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] IN THE LCI WARRANTY DEPARTMENT THAT THIS DIDN'T CONSTITUTE A RECALL AND TRIED TO MAKE LIGHT OF THE SITUATION. I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE COLUMBUS OWNERS OUT THERE WITH LESS EXPERIENCE THAN ME THAT MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW TO INSPECT THEIR BRAKES OR KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD INSPECT THERE BRAKES. HOPEFULLY THE NHTSA CAN FORCE SOME SORT OF REQUIRED SAFETY INSPECTION OR RECALL TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL RV OWNERS THAT HAVE THESE SAME TYPE OF BRAKES AS THEY ARE COMMON THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY. LIPPERT HAS AGREED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR OF MY BRAKE ASSEMBLIES UNDER WARRANTY; HOWEVER, I FEEL THEY COULD DO MORE TO PROTECT THE UNKNOWING OWNERS OF THESE RV'S. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10546092

Official recalls

16V828000 · Equipment

Nov 15, 2016

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 FR3 motorhomes manufactured September 24, 2014, to May 12, 2016; 2015-2017 Prime Time Spartan toyhaulers manufactured June 10, 2014, to May 31, 2016; 2013-2016 Palomino Columbus toyhaulers manufactured October 4, 2012, to December 4, 2015; and 2015-2016 XLR Thunderbolt and Nitro toyhaulers manufactured May 23, 2014, to November 23, 2016. These vehicles were equipped with certain aluminum, black, ladders manufactured by Christianson Industries. The affected ladders have retractable hinges, each with a welded 'top hat' that can separate from the hinge.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the hinges separate from the ladder while in use, the ladder may fall from the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a remedy kit to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began on January 3, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-11102016-0271.

13V203000 · Equipment

May 17, 2013

Forest River is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Forest River models Blue Ridge, Cardinal, Cherokee, Columbus, EVO, Georgetown, Flagstaff, Forester, Lexington, Puma, Rockwood, Sabre, Salem, Sandpiper, Sandstorm, Sierra, Stealth, Sunseeker, Wildcat, Wildwood, Work and Play and XLR; Coachmen models Brookstone, Catalina, Chaparral, Concord, Encounter, Freedom Express, Freelander, Leprechaun, Mirada, Pursuit, and Sportcoach; Prime Time models Avenger, Crusader, Lacrosse, Saniber, and Tracer; Palomino model Maverick Truck Camper; Cargo Mate model Eliminator and Shasta models Revere, Phoenix recreational vehicles manufactured from February 13, 2013, through April 18, 2013. Due to a design change in the power awning motor assembly, the motor assembly screws may unknowingly shear.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the motor assembly screws shear, it is possible that the awning can unfurl unexpectedly, either while the vehicle is at rest or while in transit, increasing the risk of personal injury or a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners and Dometic staff will replace the affected motors with motors of a different design. The safety recall began on July 29, 2013. Owners may contact Forest River at 1-574-389-4600 or Dometic at 1-888-447-0003 for more information. Owners are being instructed not to drive their vehicle until repairs can be performed.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

PE14008 · Brake Surface Grease Contamination

Opened Mar 20, 2014 · Closed Oct 7, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Electric

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 8 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) alleging grease contamination on the trailer brake shoes or drums.This condition could potentially increase the towing vehicle's stopping distance and therefore increase the risk of a crash.During the investigation, ODI received 2 additional VOQs alleging the same problem.ODI sent Information Request letters to Forest River and the component supplier, Lippert Components, Inc. (LCI).In response, each provided complaint and warranty information for the subject & peer vehicles and components respectively.ODI visited multiple Recreational Vehicle (RV) dealers to survey their pre-delivery and maintenance inspections.In addition to local dealerships, ODI visited the Columbus, Forest River and LCI axle plants.ODI observed the hub assembly process at LCI and noted that the hub and bearings are assembled at a subassembly station and greased before transferring them to the main line for assembly on the axle.This allows for grease to escape the seal before ever being assembled.If the grease is not completely removed by the employee just prior to assembly, it may remain on the braking surface. A thorough review of the available data revealed one crash.The crash was minor and although an injury was reported, ODI was not able to confirm as no police report had been generated.ODI attempted to interview both parties; however, the subject vehicle owner was the only respondent.At the time of the incident, no injuries were apparent and the police therefore did not respond.The subject vehicle owner later learned that the other party claimed an injury.ODI's review of warranty data indicated that most owners recognized an issue with their trailer brakes early in the life of the trailer.RVs are typically returned to the dealer for warranty work after the first month or two of ownership.Many units were corrected during this initial break in period.Others were corrected when receiving the first annual service, as is recommended in the owner's manual.Grease on the vehicle's braking surface can diminish the vehicle's brake performance.However, as this issue exists at the time the trailer is originally purchased and does not get progressively worse over time and given that the trailers have one to two years in service with no significant events as the result of brake degradation, ODI does not believe this condition presents an unreasonable risk to safety.Forest River has initiated an Owner Notification Program (ONP) and will alert each subject vehicle owner that their unit should be inspected for grease on the braking surfaces if they have not already done so. LCI claims to have improved their training and material handling practices to reduce future issues.This investigation is closed as further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following complaint identification numbers: 110546092, 10560304, 10561961, 10563621, 10563591, 10564143, 10563464, 10567696, 10577479, 10587690

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes, Electric

Service Brakes