The Coachmen Clipper spans 2010–2026 with 8 recorded NHTSA recalls and a 3.5/5 ForCar reliability score. The years to approach with caution are 2016, 2022, 2021 (most owner complaints); the cleanest are 1995, 1996, 1997. It delivers competitive fuel economy and NHTSA-rated safety.
How we score: NHTSA crash-test safety (40%), recall frequency across all years (25%) and the share of owner complaints involving a crash, fire or injury (35%). Based on NHTSA & EPA data — not user reviews.
Overview
The Coachmen Clipper is one of the most popular vehicles in its class, produced from 2010 to 2026 across multiple generations.
How to read a Coachmen Clipper VIN — every digit explained
Every Coachmen Clipper carries a unique 17-character VIN stamped at the factory. Each position is a code — together they spell out where, when and how your car was built. Here's exactly what every digit means.
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Coachmen and the country it was built in (real Coachmen codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled this Clipper.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- —1MW · 1TC · 1TE · 1TJ · 1TX
Digits 4–17 — the engine code (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard, identical on every car. For the full year-code table (2001–2026), country codes and where the VIN is stamped on your Clipper, see the complete guide to reading a VIN.
How many recalls does the Coachmen Clipper have?
The Coachmen Clipper has 8 recorded NHTSA recalls across 2010–2026. Pick a year below to see its recalls — then verify open recalls against your specific VIN.
2026 Coachmen Clipper recalls 1
Electrical System:wiring
What's wrong. 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.
Risk. Unprotected wiring can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix. 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.
2024 Coachmen Clipper recalls 1
Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
What's wrong. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Coachmen Clipper and Viking Travel Trailers. The tail light bezel may not have been installed on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk. A missing tail light bezel may reduce visibility of the trailer, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix. Dealers will install the tail light bezel, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 6, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-269-467-4600. Forest River's number for this recall is 120-1729.
2022 Coachmen Clipper recalls 2
Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer
What's wrong. Forest River, Inc. (Forest) is recalling certain 2022 Coachmen Viking, Clipper, and VTREC camping trailers. The pull-out bunk bed may not be laminated and therefore not support weight as intended, causing the pull-out bunk to fail.
Risk. A pull-out bunk that fails during use can increase the risk of injury.
Fix. Dealers will inspect the bunk(s) for lamination and replace them if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-269-467-8281. Forest River's number for this recall is 120-1540.
Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer
What's wrong. 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.
Risk. An awning that drops or extends beyond normal operation can increase the risk of injury.
Fix. 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.
2021 Coachmen Clipper recalls 1
Equipment:appliance:oven/stove/cooktop
What's wrong. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Coachmen Viking and Clipper Travel Trailers. The cooktop may not be isolated properly from the furnace return air, which can cause the flame to become inverted.
Risk. An inverted flame can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix. Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a panel and seal it, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-269-467-4600. Forest River's number for this recall is 121-1305.
2020 Coachmen Clipper recalls 1
Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer
What's wrong. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Surveyor, NO BO, Cherokee, R. POD, Clipper, Viking, Independence, Puma and East to West trailers. The spare tire carrier U-bolts may fail allowing the spare tire carrier and spare tire detach from the vehicle.
Risk. If the spare tire carrier and spare tire detach from the vehicle while in motion, it can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix. Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace U-bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 20, 2020. Owners may contact Surveyor, NO BO, R. and POD customer service at 1-574-642-3119, Independence, Viking, and Clipper customer service at 1-269-467-4600, Puma customer service at -574-642-0606, East and West customer service at 1-574-264-6664 or Cherokee customer service at 1-877-426-5337. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1133.
2019 Coachmen Clipper recalls 2
Equipment:other:labels
What's wrong. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Coachmen Viking recreational trailers, models T17BHS and T17FQS. The Federal Placard states that the tires have an inflation pressure of 65 PSI, when the tires actually require 75 PSI. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk. The incorrect Placard could cause the operator to underinflate the tires, possibly causing tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix. Forest River has notified owners and provided a corrected Federal Placard, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-269-467-8281. Forest River's number for this recall is 121-0734.
Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer
What's wrong. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Surveyor, NO BO, Cherokee, R. POD, Clipper, Viking, Independence, Puma and East to West trailers. The spare tire carrier U-bolts may fail allowing the spare tire carrier and spare tire detach from the vehicle.
Risk. If the spare tire carrier and spare tire detach from the vehicle while in motion, it can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix. Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace U-bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 20, 2020. Owners may contact Surveyor, NO BO, R. and POD customer service at 1-574-642-3119, Independence, Viking, and Clipper customer service at 1-269-467-4600, Puma customer service at -574-642-0606, East and West customer service at 1-574-264-6664 or Cherokee customer service at 1-877-426-5337. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1133.
Best and worst years for the Coachmen Clipper
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint volume across 32 tracked years, the worst years are 2016, 2022, 2021 and the best (fewest complaints) are 1995, 1996, 1997.
ForCar aggregate — our own analysis of complaint volume, not published by NHTSA.
| Year | Owner complaints | Top issue | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 Clipper | — | Best | |
| 1996 Clipper | — | Best | |
| 1997 Clipper | — | Best | |
| 1998 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 1999 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2000 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2001 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2002 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2003 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2004 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2005 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2006 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2007 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2008 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2009 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2010 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2011 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2012 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2013 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2014 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2015 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2016 Clipper | Electrical System | Avoid | |
| 2017 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2018 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2019 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2020 Clipper | Suspension | Average | |
| 2021 Clipper | Trailer Hitches | Avoid | |
| 2022 Clipper | Tires | Avoid | |
| 2023 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2024 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2025 Clipper | — | Average | |
| 2026 Clipper | — | Average |
What are the most common Coachmen Clipper problems?
The most-reported Coachmen Clipper problems are Tires (1 reports), Structure (1 reports) and Suspension (1 reports) — out of 5 owner complaints NHTSA holds for the model. Here's how they break down:
Most-reported components — tap a category to read what owners actually experienced:
Electrical System 2 Read
All the brake wiring on my travel trailer burned up. Reason unknown.
Driving down pacific coast highway, we heard a loud noise. When we pulled over at a rest area, we noticed the camper sitting lopsided. It had been sitting level when we started our trip that morning. The frame was bent on the passenger side. We have had multiple tire blow outs on the passenger side prior to this incident. This camper has also had a history of electrical problems which it has been in the shop for warranty repairs for at least twice. The electrical problems result in the battery being completely drained, despite having full charge just hours prior and nothing being used inside. The co detector would also go off when the batteries were drained, forcing us to hook the camper up to the tow vehicle for power.
Tires 1 Read
The contact owns a 2022 Coachmen Clipper RV equipped with Castle Rock Tires, Tire Line: Radial ST 226, Tire Size: 205/75/R14, and DOT Number: JUJTYMT2321. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the passenger's side tire blew out. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road, where the contact replaced the tire with a spare tire. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 55 MPH four weeks later, the driver's side tire blew out. The contact pulled to the side of the road, where the contact noticed that the tire tread blew out. The contact was able to replace the tire with a spare tire. The contact then drove to the dealer and notified the dealer of the failure. The tires were original tires. The tires were replaced with spare tires. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The tire failure mileage was 2,000. The RV failure mileage was 2,000.
Trailer Hitches 1 Read
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia hauling a 2021 Coachman Clipper travel trailer. The contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the contact hit a bump in the road and the travel trailer detached from the vehicle. The contact depressed on the brake pedal after hearing a loud noise and the travel trailer crashed and damaged the vehicle's rear bumper. Prior to the failure, the contact had properly secured and locked the travel trailer hitch to the vehicle. The travel trailer was towed to a trailer equipment dealer. During the tow, one of the travel trailer safety chains was fractured, but the trailer hitch was still latched with a pin through it. The dealer replaced the coupler hitch, safety chains, sidewind jack, and jack sensor. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
Suspension 1 Read
Driver side leaf string of trailer broke causing tire to rub on frame. This "friction" resulted in a fire that destroyed the trailer. State Farm Insurance paid the claim and suggested this be reported to NHTSA.
Structure 1 Read
Driving down pacific coast highway, we heard a loud noise. When we pulled over at a rest area, we noticed the camper sitting lopsided. It had been sitting level when we started our trip that morning. The frame was bent on the passenger side. We have had multiple tire blow outs on the passenger side prior to this incident. This camper has also had a history of electrical problems which it has been in the shop for warranty repairs for at least twice. The electrical problems result in the battery being completely drained, despite having full charge just hours prior and nothing being used inside. The co detector would also go off when the batteries were drained, forcing us to hook the camper up to the tow vehicle for power.
Service Brakes 1 Read
All the brake wiring on my travel trailer burned up. Reason unknown.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, all model years. Bar = share of total complaints. Full reports searchable on NHTSA.gov.
Coachmen Clipper specifications & dimensions
The 2026 Coachmen Clipper. Full dimensions below — engine, horsepower and trim decode from your VIN. For the original factory build — MSRP, trim and standard equipment — rebuild the Coachmen Clipper window sticker.
| Specs cache warming… |
Source: NHTSA vPIC / Transport Canada vehicle specifications. Metric values converted to imperial; generation ranges approximate.
Coachmen Clipper cargo space, seating & interior room
How much the Clipper holds — passengers and cargo. Seating, cargo and interior dimensions vary by trim and seat configuration — decode your VIN for the exact build.
Exact seating capacity, third-row availability, legroom and headroom decode from your VIN or vary by trim — the original factory equipment & options list shows what each trim included.
Passenger & cargo volume from EPA fueleconomy.gov (largest configuration). Seats, legroom and headroom from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
Coachmen Clipper tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What MPG does the Coachmen Clipper get?
MPG cache warming… reload in a moment.
What engines does the Coachmen Clipper have? Power & range
Powertrain data warming… reload in a moment.
How much does a Coachmen Clipper cost to own?
A Coachmen Clipper depreciates at about an average rate. A typical example keeps roughly 46% of its value after five years — losing about 54% to depreciation. Check what a used Clipper is worth today or browse current used-market prices before you buy or sell. Fuel, maintenance and insurance add to the total cost to own.
| Age | Value retained | Est. resale value | Lost to depreciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 80% | $24,000 | −$6,000 |
| Year 2 | 70% | $21,000 | −$9,000 |
| Year 3 | 61% | $18,300 | −$11,700 |
| Year 4 | 53% | $15,900 | −$14,100 |
| Year 5 | 46% | $13,800 | −$16,200 |
What goes into the five-year cost to own:
- Depreciation — the biggest cost: this Clipper loses about 54% of its value over five years. See the full depreciation curve by age.
- Fuel — based on EPA economy at roughly 15,000 miles a year.
- Maintenance & repairs — routine service, tires and wear items as the Clipper ages.
- Insurance — varies by driver, state and trim; get a quote for your exact figure.
Resale & depreciation are ForCar estimates from typical segment value-retention curves — not a live market quote. Fuel from EPA fueleconomy.gov at ~15k mi/yr.
Is the Coachmen Clipper safe?
NHTSA crash-test ratings aren't published for the Clipper yet — see the top-rated safest cars instead.
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How many miles does a Coachmen Clipper last?
A well-maintained Coachmen Clipper typically lasts 250,000–300,000+ miles. It's exceptionally durable — with routine maintenance many owners report 250k+ on the original powertrain. Its ForCar Reliability Score is 3.5/5.
Check your Coachmen Clipper’s VIN — history, recalls & specs
Title records, open recalls, build details and paint code — straight from the VIN. Free.
Check this Clipper’s VIN free →All Coachmen Clipper model years
A year-by-year snapshot of the Coachmen Clipper — recalls, best EPA fuel economy and NHTSA safety. Tap a year for full details.
| Year | Recalls | Best MPG | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Clipper | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2025 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2024 Clipper | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2023 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2022 Clipper | 2 recalls | — | — |
| 2021 Clipper | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2020 Clipper | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2019 Clipper | 2 recalls | — | — |
| 2018 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2017 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2016 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2015 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2014 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2013 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2012 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2011 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
| 2010 Clipper | 0 | — | — |
Recalls = NHTSA campaigns that year · MPG = best EPA combined · Safety = NHTSA overall stars (tested years).
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Clipper?
By owner-complaint volume, 2016, 2022, 2021 drew the most reports. 1995, 1996, 1997 have the cleanest records.
How many recalls does the Clipper have?
8 recorded NHTSA recalls across 2010–2026. Always check open recalls by your VIN.
How many miles does a Clipper last?
A well-maintained Clipper typically reaches 200,000–300,000 miles with regular maintenance.
Is the Clipper reliable?
Our ForCar Reliability Score for the Clipper is 3.5/5, based on NHTSA safety, recall history and complaint severity.
What's the Coachmen Clipper warranty?
New Coachmen models carry a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic (bumper-to-bumper) warranty and a 5 years / 60,000 miles powertrain warranty. Coverage can vary by model year and market — confirm with a Coachmen dealer.
Where is the Coachmen Clipper made?
The assembly plant is encoded in the VIN — the 11th character. Decode your Clipper's VIN above to see exactly where it was built; Coachmen may build it at more than one plant depending on the year.
How much ground clearance does the Clipper have?
Ground clearance varies by trim and drivetrain — AWD/4WD versions often sit higher. Decode your VIN or check the specific trim for the exact figure.