The Forest River Cherokee is one of the best-selling travel trailer families in North America, which means there are huge numbers of used ones for sale at every condition and price point. The concerns buyers most often raise and inspect for are roof and seam sealant aging, slide-out seals and mechanism wear, Lippert frame and suspension components, water heater and plumbing fittings, lightweight cabinetry and trim that loosens with road vibration, and the usual water-intrusion, soft-floor, and delamination risks that hit any towable. None of these are guaranteed defects on the unit in front of you, so treat each as an area to inspect and a question to ask, then verify recalls on that specific VIN before you pay.
The Cherokee name spans a wide lineup: standard Cherokee and Cherokee Grey Wolf travel trailers, the Wolf Pack and Black Wolf toy haulers, and Arctic Wolf fifth wheels. They sit in the high-volume, value-priced part of the market, which is exactly why there are so many used ones out there and why condition varies so much. A clean, garage-kept Cherokee with service records is a genuinely sensible buy. A neglected one that sat outside through several winters with a leaking seal can cost you thousands in hidden water damage. This guide walks you through what owners commonly report, what to physically check, what to ask the seller, and when to walk.
Everything below is framed as a buyer concern or an inspection point, not an accusation against the brand. The Cherokee competes on price and volume, and a well-maintained unit holds up fine. Your job is to confirm that this particular trailer was actually maintained. For context on the parent company, see our overview of Forest River.
Roof, seams, and water intrusion (check this first)
Water is the number one killer of any towable, and value-priced trailers like the Cherokee give you no margin for a deferred reseal. The trailer's defense against water is a thin layer of sealant around every roof penetration, every window, and every seam. That sealant is consumable. It dries, cracks, and lifts with sun and age, and many owners skip the resealing schedule entirely.
What to do:
- Get on the roof (or use a ladder and your phone camera). Look at the sealant around the vents, antenna, AC shroud, refrigerator vent, and the front and rear cap seams. Cracked, peeling, or chalky sealant means water has had a path in.
- Inside, press firmly on the ceiling near the front cap, around any skylight, and in the corners. Sponginess, staining, or a wavy ceiling is a red flag.
- Open every overhead cabinet and feel the back walls and the underside of the roof. A musty smell is water damage until proven otherwise.
- Check the slide-out roof and the floor at the slide's leading edge, a common entry point.
Resealing the roof yourself runs roughly $150 to $400 in materials, with a verify-on-the-unit caveat since membrane condition varies. Having a shop do a full reseal and inspection is more like $500 to $1,200. Real water damage that reached the framing or floor is a different universe, often $3,000 to $10,000 or more, and frequently a walk-away. Learn the tells in our guide to RV water damage signs before you go look.
Slide-out seals, motors, and alignment
Most Cherokee floorplans have at least one slide, and the larger Grey Wolf and Arctic Wolf units often have two or three. Slides add a lot of moving parts and a lot of sealing surface, so they show up often in used-buyer concerns.
Cycle every slide fully in and out, more than once. Watch and listen for:
- Hesitation, grinding, or a motor that strains. The Schwintek-style and rack-and-pinion mechanisms used in these trailers can wear or bind, especially if the slide was operated dirty.
- A slide that does not sit flush or seal evenly when closed. Gaps let water and air in.
- Torn, flattened, or missing wiper and bulb seals along the slide perimeter.
- Water staining on the floor directly under the slide opening.
A worn seal kit is a modest fix at $100 to $300. A failed slide motor or controller is more like $400 to $1,500 installed. A slide that has racked out of alignment and damaged the floor or wall is the expensive scenario. Read up on what goes wrong in RV slide-out problems so you can tell a $200 seal job from a $2,000 mechanism repair.
Frame, suspension, and axles (the Lippert questions)
Like most of the industry, the Cherokee rides on Lippert frame and suspension components. Owners commonly raise questions about leaf-spring wear, equalizer bushings, the wet-bolt versus dry-bolt setup, and axle alignment after years of towing. On the heavier Arctic Wolf fifth wheels and Wolf Pack toy haulers, the loaded weight is higher, so suspension wear matters even more.
Crawl under the trailer (bring a flashlight) and look for:
- Sagging or uneven ride height side to side, which can point to a tired spring or equalizer.
- Worn, egg-shaped bushings and bolt holes at the suspension pivot points.
- Any cracking or repair welds on the frame, especially near the A-frame and where the frame meets the body.
- Tire wear that is uneven across the tread, which signals alignment or axle issues.
A suspension refresh (wet-bolt kit, new bushings, new shackles) is a common upgrade that runs $400 to $900 done by a shop and is often money well spent on a high-mileage trailer. Frame cracking or a bent axle is a serious finding. Lippert components show up in safety recalls across many brands, so this is exactly the kind of thing to confirm on the specific VIN. Check NHTSA recalls and complaints by make, model, and year, and confirm whether each recall was actually completed on this unit.
Tires, brakes, and the "it sat for years" problem
RV tires age out before they wear out. A trailer that looks barely used may be riding on dangerous tires simply because of how long the rubber has been exposed to sun and time. Value-priced trailers like the Cherokee sometimes ship on lower-tier tires that buyers commonly upgrade.
Find the DOT date code on the sidewall (the last four digits are the week and year of manufacture). Tires more than five to seven years old should be treated as suspect regardless of tread, and many buyers budget to replace them on purchase. A full set of quality trailer tires runs roughly $600 to $1,200 installed, with the exact number depending on size and how many axles. Our RV tire age guide shows you how to read the date code and judge the risk.
While you are at the wheels, have the electric brakes tested. Worn magnets and shoes are common on used trailers and are a safety item, not a someday item.
Appliances, cabinetry, and plumbing
The Cherokee's systems are mostly off-the-shelf RV components, and they fail in predictable, checkable ways. Test every single one, because a non-working appliance is both a repair bill and a negotiating lever. Owners of value-priced trailers also commonly note that cabinet hardware, drawer slides, trim, and fasteners loosen with road vibration, so check those too.
- Refrigerator: Run it on both shore power and propane. Absorption fridges can take hours to cool, so ask the seller to have it running before you arrive. Verify any open recall on the fridge by make and model.
- Water heater: Check both electric and propane operation, and look for rust or scale at the tank and fittings. Pay attention to reports of fitting and connection leaks, a common plumbing concern.
- Furnace and AC: Run both. Listen for a furnace that fails to ignite and an AC that does not cool or rattles.
- Plumbing: Pressurize with city water and check every faucet, the toilet, the outside shower, and under every sink and the underbelly for drips.
- Cabinetry and trim: Open and close every drawer and door. Loose hinges, sagging shelves, and lifting laminate edges are common and easy to negotiate against.
- Slide and awning power, leveling jacks, converter, and all 12V lights: test them all.
Cherokee used-buyer inspection checklist
| Area | What to check | Concern level | Rough cost if bad (verify on the unit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof and seams | Cracked sealant, soft ceiling, musty smell | High | $150 to $1,200 reseal; far more if framing is wet |
| Slide-out | Smooth cycle, flush seal, intact wipers | High | $100 to $1,500 |
| Frame and suspension | Sag, worn bushings, frame cracks, weld repairs | High | $400 to $900 refresh; frame damage = walk |
| Tires | DOT date code, age over 5 to 7 years | Medium | $600 to $1,200 set |
| Brakes | Magnet and shoe wear, even braking | Medium (safety) | $150 to $500 |
| Water heater and plumbing | Fitting leaks, dual-mode operation | Medium | $100 to $700 |
| Refrigerator | Cools on shore power and propane | Medium | $300 to $1,800 |
| Cabinetry and trim | Loose hinges, sagging shelves, lifting laminate | Low to medium | $50 to $400 |
| Delamination | Bubbling or waves in exterior walls | High | $1,500 to $8,000+ |
Delamination and floor soft spots
Cherokee models built with fiberglass exterior walls can suffer delamination, where the outer fiberglass separates from the substrate behind it, usually because water got in. (Some Cherokee trim levels use aluminum or corrugated siding instead, which does not delaminate the same way but can dent and hide leaks behind the panel.) In low-angle sunlight, sight down the exterior walls. Bubbles, waves, or a rippled look mean the layers have separated, and that is structural and expensive. Inside, walk the entire floor, especially at the entry door, around the slide, and near the wet bath, feeling for any spot that flexes or feels soft underfoot.
Our RV delamination guide explains how to tell cosmetic blistering from a structural failure. If you find real delamination or a soft floor, that is usually a walk-away unless the price reflects a major repair.
Questions to ask the seller (and walk-away lines)
Ask these directly, and watch how they answer:
- "Was it stored indoors or covered? How did it winter?"
- "When was the roof last resealed, and do you have receipts?"
- "Has it ever had any water intrusion, soft spots, or delamination?"
- "Any open recalls, and were the fridge and any chassis or Lippert recalls completed?"
- "Has the suspension or any frame component ever been serviced or repaired?"
- "Why are you selling, and is the title clear with no lien?"
Run the title and lien situation before money changes hands using our RV title and lien check guide. Walk away if you find soft framing, active water intrusion, real delamination, frame cracks or amateur weld repairs, a slide that will not seal, or a seller who dodges the storage and service questions. For more warning signs across any rig, see our list of RV red flags and the full used RV inspection checklist.
FAQ
Are Forest River Cherokee trailers reliable used buys? They can be. The Cherokee is a high-volume, value-priced line, so build quality is built to a price and condition varies enormously across used units. "The brand sells a lot of them" does not mean "this unit is good." A neglected Cherokee with a leaking roof can be a worse buy than a well-kept trailer from a pricier brand. Inspect the individual unit and judge it on its own condition.
What is the most expensive problem to watch for on a used Cherokee? Hidden water damage that reached the framing or floor, and delamination on fiberglass-sided units, are the costliest. Both can run several thousand dollars and are often hard to fully repair. That is why roof seals, soft spots, and exterior wall rippling are the first things to check.
How do I check a Cherokee for recalls? Check the trailer's VIN against NHTSA recalls and complaints by make, model, and year, and separately check appliance brands like the refrigerator and any Lippert frame and suspension components. Confirm whether each recall was actually completed on this unit, not just issued.
Can my truck tow a used Cherokee? Many Cherokee and Grey Wolf floorplans are aimed at half-ton trucks, but the Arctic Wolf fifth wheels and Wolf Pack toy haulers are much heavier, and you must tow the loaded weight, not the dry weight. Weights vary widely by model. Check the trailer's GVWR against your truck's real numbers using our RV towability calculator before you buy.
How much should I offer on a used Cherokee? Start from comparable sold prices, then subtract for every issue you find: tire age, seal work, brake service, loose cabinetry, and any appliance that does not work. Our used RV offer calculator helps you turn your inspection findings into a fair, defensible number. You can also budget the long-term picture with the RV ownership cost calculator.
Found a Cherokee you like? Paste the listing and get your RV verdict before you call the seller.