Forest River 5th Wheels Best To Worst: What Is The Quality Ranking?

It’s hard to pick the best and the worst fifth wheel RVs made by Forest River in the market due to the huge roster of RV’s owned by the company.

From our research, the best fifth wheels by Forest River are the Forest River Wildcat, Forest River Cardinal, Forest River Salem Hemisphere, Forest River Cedar Creek and the Forest River Riverstone Legacy 38RE.

Conversely, the worst fifth wheels are the 2017 Forest River SIERRA 357TRIP Fifth Wheel, 2021 Forest River RIVERSTONE LEGACY 39RKFB Fifth Wheel and the Forest River Sandpiper 378FB.

Below I go through why I believe the vehicles we chose to include in the list of the best and the worst fifth wheels produced by Forest River.

What Are The Best Forest River 5th Wheels?

Forest River comes with a lot of great luxury fifth-wheel vehicles as well as some great ones at a more affordable price but with great value for the buck. The table below gives you my top 5 best fifth wheel RVs from Forest River.

FF fifth wheel trailer	What we like about it
Forest river wildcat	Versatile floor plan, great option for families, nice exterior appearance, plenty of storage.
Forest River Cardinal	Abundant storage space, built-in refrigerator, washer and dryer, nickel fixtures etc.
Forest river salem hemisphere	One of the biggest luxury wheels, eye-catching appearance, attractive interior, wide-view windows.
Forest river cedar creek	Luxurious residential style kitchen, large entertainment center with large stereo and television, large king-size bedroom.
Forest river riverstone legacy 38re	One of industry’s largest maximum basement storage capacity, king sized bedroom connected to walk in closet and large bathroom, large kitchen, entertainment center.

1. Forest River Wildcat

The biggest selling point for the Forest River Wildcat is the versatile flooring options as it offers floor sizes between 30 and 43 feet in length. This makes it perfect for families.

2. Forest River Cardinal

One of the longest serving fifth wheel RVs by Forest River, what makes the Forest River Cardinal so attractive is the amount of storage space on offer.

Not only does it offer more than enough space to cover all your equipment and gear, you are also able to enjoy impressive features such as nickel molding as well as built-in refrigerator, washer and dryer etc.

3. Forest River Salem Hemisphere

The Forest River Salem Hemisphere is not only one of the biggest luxury fifth wheel vehicles out there, but also one of the most eye-catching visually with its attractive interior and windows that offer a wide horizon-stretching view.

If that is not enough to excite you, you also get a large kitchen and pantry, two large bathrooms, a king-sized bedroom and a big entertainment center.

4. Forest River Cedar Creek

One of the best luxury fifth wheel RVs is the Forest River Cedar Creek. You get a residential style kitchen with plenty of space for storage and counter.

You also get a vast entertainment system living room area with plenty of space for a family to relax and enjoy the wide stereo TV while sitting by the comfort of a fireplace.

On top of all that, you have a large, 5-star king size bedroom to relax and sleep in comfortably after a long day of work.

5. Forest River Riverstone Legacy 38re

One of the key selling points for the Forest River Riverstone Legacy 38RE is its maximum basement storage which is the largest in the industry.

It also offers other great amenities that you expect in luxury vehicles such as king-sized bed connected to the walk-in closet and bathroom, multiple slide-outs for expanded storage, a large kitchen as well as a big entertainment center.

What Are The Worst Forest River 5th Wheels?

While Forest River generally provides top quality fifth wheel vehicles for the prices they charge, I have also found some bad apples in the bunch.

The table below shows 3 of the worst vehicles I have come across.

FF fifth wheel trailer	What we don’t like about it
2017 Forest River SIERRA 357TRIP Fifth Wheel	Faulty electrical wiring, fire hazard,
2021 Forest River RIVERSTONE LEGACY 39RKFB Fifth Wheel	Occasional fire hazard, malfunctioning smoke detectors,
Forest River Sandpiper 378FB	Weak floors, flooding, appliances not working

1. 2017 Forest River SIERRA 357TRIP Fifth Wheel

The 2017 Forest River SIERRA 357TRIP Fifth Wheel offers an attractive living room cum entertainment space, a master bedroom suite and 6 slide outs for amazing storage.

But the reason you find this vehicle in this list is because of its faulty electrical wiring that users have experienced.

The vehicle is otherwise fine unless you try to plug in an appliance, and it starts malfunctioning or even catching fire. For safety concerns, you must avoid this vehicle.

For a vehicle that costs over $60000-70000, this type of problem is unacceptable.

2. 2021 Forest River RIVERSTONE LEGACY 39RKFB Fifth Wheel

For a vehicle that costs over $40000, the Forest River Riverstone Legacy 39RKFB is a massive disappointment. Users report incidents of fire coming from the internal wiring on the trailer.

Moreover, what makes it worse is that the smoke detectors fitted inside the vehicle are not reliable enough to detect smoke from the fire whenever a fire breaks out.

3. Forest River Sandpiper 378FB

The Forest River Sandpiper 378FB is a vehicle that causes users nothing but disappointment. The floor continues to give way as the tanks are not held properly.

There is also constant flooding that continues to happen and the appliances don’t work as well.

FAQs.

As Forest River is a household name in the world of RV’s, there are a lot of questions that users have when it comes to their wide product line. I am here to answer some of those frequently asked questions.

Are Forest River fifth wheels reliable?

Forest Rivers do not give you the best or the worst fifth wheel RVs in the market. They are right in the middle and you get what you ordered most of the time.
They are generally affordable and for the money you pay, the quality you get is generally quite satisfying.

What is the Arctic package on a Forest River RV?

In an Arctic Package, you will find additional features to keep the vehicle extra heated. The features include added insulation, holding tanks that are heated and kept shut, sealed underbelly, high circulation ceiling fan etc.

What is the life expectancy of a fifth wheel camper?

You do not want to buy a 5th wheel and only be able to use it for a few years due to water infused damage or other issues. You can expect most vehicles to last at least a decade with some lasting as long as 30 years.

Can you live in a fifth wheel in the winter?

5th wheels are generally only suitable for summer camping. But if you want a fun experience in winter, you can enjoy that by making some slight adjustments.

Conclusion

What makes Forest River vehicles so popular is the fact that there is a wide variety of their fifth wheels available in the market for a diverse price range.

And because of this, you need to be careful about the vehicles that you make so that you make sure to purchase the right one. The list I provided here should give you an idea of which vehicles to look for and the ones to avoid.

Zayan

Zayan is an accomplished author and a go-to expert for all things RV and camper-related. With a passion for adventure and a knack for problem-solving, he has spent years exploring the open road and fine-tuning his knowledge of recreational vehicles.

Zayan’s writing is a testament to his expertise, offering readers practical solutions to common RV dilemmas. Whether it’s troubleshooting mechanical issues, optimizing space, or planning the perfect road trip, Zayan’s insightful advice and engaging storytelling make him an invaluable resource for both seasoned travelers and newcomers to the world of RVing.

Forest River 5th Wheels Best to Worst: What is the Quality Ranking?