2006 Blue Bird Wanderlodge M450 Lxi Owner Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE M450 LXI RV. IN 2010, THE RV RECEIVED A PARTIAL REPAIR ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V586000 (POWER TRAIN). IN 2016, THE OTHER PORTION OF THE REMEDY WAS PERFORMED, WHICH INCLUDED THE APPROPRIATE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT TIRES. THE STEERING WHEEL STUDS WERE ALSO REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS DISPLEASED THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LABOR COST, WHICH WAS NOT MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

10852013

Incident

May 11, 2010

BLOWN LEFT FRONT TIRE CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING, IMPACT LEFT FRONT OF COACH IN THE CENTER DIVIDER. $87000.00 DAMAGE. THIS COACH IS STILL OUT OF SERVICE AT THIS WRITING. THIS COACH HAS HAD ALL PHASES OF CAMPAIGN 07V-586 BLUEBIRD BODY COMPANY. THIS CAMPAIGN IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS FRONT AXEL WEIGHT ISSUES. I MADE 3 TRIPS OVER A 1 YEAR PERIOD TO ADDRESS CONCERNS OF BLUEBIRD TO MEET TARGET WEIGHT. LOSS OF SERVICE 6 WEEKS TOTAL. NEW MICHELIN TIRES(SPECIFIED IN CAMPAIGN) JUST LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD WHEN FAILURE OCCURRED. ALL WHEEL POSITIONS HAD REQUIRED PRESSURE MAINTAINED. CONDITION OF COACH WAS PERFECT, STORED IN TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED BUILDING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10594501

Incident

May 31, 2013

Mileage

42,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES REPLY TO RESPONSE BY BLUE BIRD TO REQUEST DEFECT PETITION. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEFECT IS THE UNDER CAPACITY OF THE FRONT AXLE. THE TRUE FIX, WHICH WAS INITIALLY OFFERED WAS A R REPLACEMENT AXLE. AS A COST SAVING MEASURE, THE NEW AXLE PLAN WAS SCRAPED AND THE RECONFIGURATION OF THE COACH WAS PLANNED. *JB UPDATED 10/25/12

NHTSA ID

10318626

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

PETITION FOR THE INCOMPLETE, UNSAFE REPAIRS AND MODIFICATION TO THE 2006 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE 450 LXI THAT ARE BEING DONE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE CONDITIONS FOR THE NHTSA RECALL 07V586000. *NJ THE ORIGINAL RECALL STATED THE FRONT AXLE WAS OVERWEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE WITHOUT CARGO, BUT WITH THE STANDARD 4 PASSENGERS AND FULL WATER. BLUEBIRD STATED THE TIRES SHOULD HAVE 130 PSI, BUT MICHELIN STATED IS SHOULD BE 120 PSI. MICHELIN STATED IF 130 PSI WAS PUT IN EACH TIRE THEY WOULD BLOW OUT EASILY. IN DOING THE MANY LEVELS OF FIXING THE RV, BLUE BIRD FOUND IT NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE NO CARGO WEIGHT OF THE MOTOR HOME IN ORDER TO SHOW APPARENT DECREASED FRONT AXLE LOAD AND TO SHOW SOME CAPACITY IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENTS. THE UNLOADED WEIGHT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO A NON-STANDARD, 2 PASSENGER AND 1/2 TANK FRESH WATER. SOME OF THE RV'S THAT ARE BEING RELEASED AS FIXED ARE OVERWEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE WHEN THEY ARE WEIGHED WITHOUT CARGO BUT HAVE 4 PASSENGERS AND FULL WATER.

NHTSA ID

10292809

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

FAILURE IN THE ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY RECALL 07V586000. *TR THE TIE ROD WEAKNESS WAS NOT A CAUSE OF THE RECALL, BUT WAS A RESULT OF THE NEED TO INCREASE THE AXLE RATING. THE TIE RODS WERE SAFE AT AN AXLE LOAD OF 16,000LBS AND NO TIE ROD RECALL WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE 16,000LB AXLE WAS SUFFICIENT AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED. THE RECALL WAS BASED ON THE AXLE BEING IN EXCESS OF ITS RATING AND THE MOTORHOME COULD NOT BE SAFELY USED WITH REASONABLE LOADING. SOME OF THE COACHES THAT ARE BEING RELEASED AS FIXED ARE OVERWEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE WHEN THEY ARE WEIGHED WITHOUT CARGO, BUT HAVE 4 PASSENGERS AND FULL WATER. THIS OVERWEIGHT STATE WOULD SATISFY THE CONDITIONS AND CAUSE OF THE INITIAL RECALL. UPDATED 11/04/09

NHTSA ID

10289185

Incident

Oct 20, 2009

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE LXI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS NOTIFIED MARCH 2008 ABOUT RECALL 07V586000 ABOUT AXLE WEIGHT LIMIT. THE MANUFACTURER SENT SOMEONE TO REPLACE THE FRONT TIRES AND TOLD HIM TO HAVE THE VEHICLE ALIGNED AND WEIGHED. HE DID THIS AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S POSSESSION. HE MADE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TRIPS TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO FINALLY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, HE WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME EXCESSIVE WEIGHT ISSUE. MOST RECENTLY, THE MANUFACTURER WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. HE WAS NEVER GIVEN FINAL WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 17,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

NHTSA ID

10266596

Incident

Mar 18, 2008

Mileage

12,000 mi

SIR, THIS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE PUBLICATION OF THE RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 07V586000. AS YOUR SITE INDICATES THAT CCW AND BLUE BIRD KNEW OF AN OVERWEIGHT ISSUE IN SEPT.2007. THE RECALL OF DECEMBER 2007 BASED ON A TIE ROD WEAKNESS APPEARS TO BE A DIVERSION FROM THE UNSAFE AND IMMEDIATE PROBLEM OF SIGNIFICANTLY OVERWEIGHT FRONT AXLE AND THE RV'S WERE STILL ALLOWED TO BE DRIVEN. TWO OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE CRASHED WITH FRONT TIRE FAILURES: BOTH WRITE-OFFS AND ONE FATAL. THE UPDATED SUMMARY DOES NOT YET SHOW THE EXTENT AND DANGER OF THE VEHICLE. THE AMENDED DEFECT NOTICE(PART 573) - 3-11-2008 SHOWS AN INVALID REMEDY AS THE FRONT AXLE WEIGHT IS OVER 17,000 POUNDS IN MANY CASES. ONLY THE ATTACHMENTS IN THE OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER(PART 577) SHOW THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. THE SUMMARY SHOULD HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAT OVERWEIGHT IS THE MAJOR CONCERN AND THAT A NEW 18,000 POUND AXLE IS BEING DESIGNED AND IS REQUIRED. IT SHOULD ALSO BE POINTED OUT THAT THE 315/80X22.5 TIRES ARE MINIMUM FOR A 17,000 POUND AXLE. A 4% PRESSURE DROP TO 124 PSI IS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE 17000 POUND LOAD. NOTE THAT INTERNAL RV AIR SYSTEMS AND MOST SERVICE STATIONS CANNOT GO OVER 120 PSI. SINCERELY, ROSS MACKILLOP *TR

NHTSA ID

10226544

Incident

Dec 11, 2007