2005 Fleetwood Prowler

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF A CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENT.THE CONSTITUENT REPORTED INCIDENTS WHERE THE SLIDE OUT ROOM OF HIS MOTOR HOME WOULD INADVERTENTLY MOVE (EXTEND) DURING HIGHWAY USE.ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT A FULLY EXTENDED SLIDE OUT WOULD DEGRADE THE VEHICLE'S DYNAMIC HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND/OR POSSIBLY IMPACT AN OBJECT OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH.ODI CONTACTED FLEETWOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT SLIDE OUT ROOMS WERE INSTALLED IN MOTOR HOMES, TRAVEL TRAILERS AND FOLDING TRAILERS. AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION ODI VISITED A RV SHOW AND THE FLEETWOOD PAXINOS PLANT TO EXAMINE SLIDE OUTS IN VARIOUS NEW MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES AND GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK.DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI LEARNED THAT THERE ARE TWO METHODS USED TO EXTEND SLIDE OUT ROOMS.SOME MANUFACTURERS USE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS AND OTHERS, SUCH AS FLEETWOOD, USE AN ELECTRIC MOTOR. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

I HAVE 2005 POWERLER AND THE WELDSON THE X MEMBERS WERE NOT WELDED ALL THE WAY I CHECKED IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS AND THERE WAS BUT THE RECALLS DO NOT COVER MY TRAILER BUT THIS IS A LIPPERT FRAME AND IS THE SAME FRAME THAT WAS RECALLED I AM THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS OWNED THE TRAILER AND I WAS NEVER TOLD ANYTHING ABOUT THE RECALL I KNOW THAT IT WAS NOT ON THE LIST BUT I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE WITH THE PROBLEM AND AFTER READING THE RECALL IT COULD HAVE HURT SOMEBODY AND PROWLER DOES NOT MAKE TRAILERS ANYMORE THERE COULD BE MORE TRAILERS OF THE SAME YEAR WITH THE SAME ISSUE WHEN I BOUGHT TRAILER BRAND NEW I HAD IT AT THE DEALER SHIP ACOUPLE TIMES IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS AND WHY DID THEY NOT CHECK THE FRAME WHEN THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH LIPPERT FRAMES I KNOW THAT TRAILER IS TEN YEARS OLD BUT MOST PEOPLE ONLY USE THERE TRAILER A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR SO THEY NEVER HAVE A LOT OF MILEAGE ON THEM IS THERE ANY OTHER SER #'S ON THE RECALL LIST. *TR

NHTSA ID

10655335

Incident

Oct 10, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FLEETWOOD PROWLER RV. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND NOTICED IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE BRAKE WIRE HAD MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

NHTSA ID

10463564

Incident

Jun 27, 2012

Mileage

6,000 mi

1. WELDING FAILURE ON ALL FOUR WELD POINTS. TRAVEL TRAILER HITCH TONGUE. 2. CONSEQUENCES: TRAVEL TRAILER BREAK AWAY FROM TOW VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. 3. MUST INSPECT AND REWELD ALL FOUR WELD POINTS ON FRAME AND HITCH TONGUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10227526

Incident

Mar 25, 2008

RE: CARLISLE TIRE & WHEEL COMPANY. TIRES ON ASPEN TRAVEL TRAILER PURCHASED OCTOBER, 2005 ON AUGUST 4, 2007 WE WERE ON A TRIP TO WEST TEXAS VIA I-20 WHEN THE 1ST TIRE BLEW. MILEAGE ON THIS TIRE WAS 4,870. THIS BLOW OUT CAUSED DAMAGES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR RV. THE SPARE TIRE THAT HAD NEVER BEEN ON THE GROUND WAS PUT ON. THIS TIRE BLEW AFTER ONLY 822 MILES. I HAD PURCHASED A TIRE TO REPLACE THE SPARE AND NOW PLACED IT ON THE RV, AND PURCHASED ANOTHER TIRE. THE 3RD CARLISLE TIRE BLEW WITH A TOTAL OF 6,100 MILES AND DID UNDERBELLY DAMAGE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RV. DAMAGES TO OUR RV WAS $2,799.04 PLUS COST FOR REPLACEMENT OF ALL 5 CARLISLE TIRES. I WAS NOT GOING TO DRIVE ANOTHER MILE ON A CARLISLE TIRE. FORTUNATELY, THE FIRST 2 BLOW OUTS HAPPENED IN AREAS WHERE THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM TO PULL OFF THE ROADWAY. THE 3RD BLOW OUT TOOK PLACE ON A STRETCH OF I-20 WITHOUT MUCH OF A SHOULDER. I WAS UNABLE TO PULL THE RV COMPLETELY OFF THE VERY BUSY INTERSTATE, MAKING FOR A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHILE CHANGING THE TIRE. I FILED A CLAIM WITH CARLISLE TIRE & WHEEL FOR 5 TIRES AND DAMAGES TO MY RV. CARLISLE REQUESTED THE TIRES TO BE SHIPPED TO THEM (AT THEIR EXPENSE) SO THEY COULD EXAMINE THEM. THESE TIRES ARE IN THEIR POSSESSION AT THEIR AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA PLANT. CARLISLE AT FIRST REFUSED OUR CLAIM. FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE AND WORD THAT OUR INSURANCE COMPANY HAD PAID THE DAMAGES TO THE RV, THEY NOW WILL REIMBURSE THE COST OF TIRE REPLACEMENT. AFTER, TALKING TO OTHER RV'ERS AND SEARCHING THE INTERNET I HAVE HEARD AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT CARLISLE TIRE FAILURES. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I BELIEVE CARLISLE RV TIRES TO BE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS TO BE ON A TRAVEL TRAILER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10206208

Incident

Aug 4, 2007

WELD FAILURE ON THE REAR AXLE OF MY FIFTH WHEEL. THE AXLE TWISTED CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ALL FOUR TIRES. A TEMPORARY REPAIR WAS DONE IN KANSAS WHERE I WAS STAYING AT THE TIME SO THAT I COULD GET THE RIG TO A AXLE REPAIR SHOP IN OKLAHOMA. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AXLES WERE HUNG OUT OF TRUE ORIGINALLY WITH IMPROPER HANGERS FOR THE WEIGHT SPECS FOR THE AXLES. THE AXLE WAS REPLACED WITH BEEFED UP HANGARS AND ADJUSTED TO BE IN TRUE. THE TECHNICIANS AT THEAXLE COMPANY THAT DID THE REPAIR WERE AMAZED THAT THE 5VER ONLY HAD 2 AXLES. THEY TOLD ME THAT FOR THE WEIGHT AND LENGTH OF THE UNIT IT SHOULD HAVE 3 AXLES. WHEN I CONTACTED FLEETWOOD THEY TOLD ME THE MANUFACTURER DEFECT WARRANTY WAS FOR ONE YEAR AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. (2005 UNIT PURCHASED IN 9/05.) LOW TOWING MILAGE OF ABOUT ONLY 5,000 MILES OR LESS. LUCKILY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY ABSORBED MOST OF THE COSTS BUT I STILL HAD TO PAY OVER $1,800 OUT OF POCKET. *TR

NHTSA ID

10192242

Incident

Feb 16, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FLEETWOOD PROWLER. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED DISSATISFACTION WITH THE REPAIR PERFORMED UNDER RECALL # 06E076000 FOR DOMETIC REFRIGERATORS. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD CATCH ON FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS CHARGED $40 FOR THE REPAIR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10188163

Incident

Apr 17, 2007

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT STRUCTURE FAILURE ON A FIFTH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER . WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH FELT A SWAY IN THE TRAILER. A PASSERBY MOTIONED TO HIM TO PULL OVER. UPON INSPECTION OF THE FIFTH WHEEL THERE WAS A SHIFTING OF THE FRAME TO THE POINT OF SEPARATION. THE WELDS BROKEN OFF THE FRAME BODY. THE TRAILER WAS UNABLE TO BE TOWED DUE TO INSTABILITY. A WELDER CAME AND MADE SOME CORRECTIVE WELDS SO THAT VEHICLE MAY BE TOWED. THE TRAILER WAS TOWED TO THE ORIGINAL FLEETWOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY. THE CONTACT LATER DISCOVERED THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL 05V289000. HOWEVER THIS TRAILER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH IT EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. FLEETWOOD WAS WILLING TO MAKE CORRECTIONS , BUT THE CONTACT DID NOT WANT THE TRAILER BACK. *AK

NHTSA ID

10140447

Incident

Oct 3, 2005

WE WERE DRIVING ON US 64 IN COLUMBIA, NORTH CAROLINA. OUR SON WAS FOLLOWING BEHIND US WHEN MY SON NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER OUR 2005, REGAL PROWLER FIFTH WHEEL. WHEN MY HUSBAND PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED OUR RV, HE SAW THAT TWO OF THE SHOCK MOUNT WELDS BROKE OFF FROM THE FRAME OF THE RV. ONE OF THE MOUNTS DUG INTO THE TIRE. LUCKILY FOR US OUR SON NOTICED THE SMOKE, OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE SURELY HAD A BLOWOUT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10133229

Incident

Aug 5, 2005