Driving along I-40, 15 miles West of Winslow Arizona, the tire pressure monitor system had a sudden temperature increase on one tire and then all of a sudden boom, the tire blew out. I slowed down and took the next exit ramp, approximately 400 yards, I began to investigate and noticed that the brake caliper had come loose and wedged on the inside of the rim. This caused friction between the caliper and rim and that is where the excess heat came from. The bleeder valve was also damaged and leaking brake fluid and rendered the trailer brakes ineffective. The brake system is held into place by two flimsy metal tabs that become bent during normal use of the braking system. I believe this to be an ongoing problem with the DRV fifth wheel travel trailers and it is very dangerous. My trailer has approximately 3000 miles on it and was purchased new around 6 months ago.
- NHTSA ID
- 11517376
- Incident
- Apr 15, 2023