2005 Forest River Travel Trailer Problems

SUBJECT VEHICLE IS A 2005 WILDCAT 28RK FIFTH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER. IN JULY, 2006, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES OF SERVICE, I NOTICED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. I CALLED THE AXLE MANUFACTURER, AL-KO KOBER, STATED THAT I HAD EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, AND THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIVE, TO MY SURPRISE, AND IMMEDIATELY SHIPPED A NEW AXLE TO MY DEALER, AND THEY INSTALLED. OVER THE NEXT YEAR, I PUT AN ADDITIONAL APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES ON THE TRAILER, AND AGAIN, NOTICED THE SAME EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AT THE SAME LOCATION. I TOOK THE TRAILER TO AN ALIGNMENT SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS TOE IN, AND THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS SLIGHTLY TOE OUT. I FAXED THE ALIGNMENT REPORT TO MY DEALER, WHO THEN FAXED THE REPORT TO AL-KO. AL-KO OFFERED TO SHIP ME TWO NEW AXLES, WHICH I MUST PAY TO HAVE INSTALLED, ($300.00), AND SHIP THE OLD AXLES BACK TO THEM FOR EVALUATION. I REQUESTED AL-KO PAY TO HAVE AN ALIGNMENT DONE, BUT THEY ONLY AGREED TO AXLE REPLACEMENT. NOW, THE INTERESTING PART... AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALER, AND THE MANUFACTURER OF THE LASAR ALIGNMENT MACHINE THAT DISCOVERED MY ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, IT WAS STATED THAT TRAVEL TRAILERS, IN GENERAL, GO OUT THE DOOR WITHOUT WHEEL BALANCING, OR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THIS PRACTICE IS UNSAFE, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MISALIGNMENT CAUSES RAPID, EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR, CAUSING, IN TURN, TIRE FAILURES WHICH CAN LEAD TO A CRASH. I OFFER AS A SOLUTION: REQUIRE THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER TO PERFORM A WHEEL ALIGNMENT, AND PROVIDE THE END USER, THE CONSUMER, WITH A BEFORE AND AFTER CERTIFIED, ALIGNMENT REPORT. I WILL FAX YOU MY ALIGNMENT REPORT, UPON REQUEST. *TR

HAD OPERATED SURVEYOR TRAVEL TRAILER, BY FOREST RIVER, FOR TWO YEARS, ACCUMULATING ABOUT 10,000 MILES OF SERVICE. ON TRIP THIS SUMMER WE NOTICED ON 6/24/06, ONE TIRE WAS WORN DOWN ON INSIDE SURFACE, TO THE POINT WHERE THE STEEL CABLE WAS VISIBLE (PHOTOS AVAILABLE). REPLACED TIRE. FURTHER ON THE TRIP ON 7/2/06 WE NOTED THAT ANOTHER TIRE WAS WORN SMOOTH ON THE INSIDE 2 TO 3 INCHES. REPLACED TIRE. ON 7/8/06 WE NOTICED THAT THE TIRE INSTALLED ON 6/24/06 WAS ALREADY WEARING SMOOTH ON THE INSIDE AFTER TRAVELING ONLY 1,400 MILES. REPLACE THIS TIRE. LUCKILY WE OBSERVED THE WORN TIRES BEFORE THE TIRE FAILED, SO WE NARROWLY AVOIDED A BLOWOUT. I COMPLAINED TO THE TRAVEL TRAILER DEALER WHO SOLD THE TRAILER (WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNERS. NO RESPONSE. I CONTRACTED AL-KO AND THEY OFFERED TO SHIP REPLACEMENT AXLES, HAVE THEM RETURNED FOR INSPECTION AND HAVE THE NEW AXLES INSTALLED. I GOT A VERBAL REPORT THAT THREE OF THE SPINDLES WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT, BUT ONLY TWO HAD PRODUCED UNEVEN WEAR. AL-KO CLAIMED THAT THE ARM HOLDING THE SPINDLE SHAFT WAS BENT. I REQUEST A DESCRIPTION OF THE DEFLECTION BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT. THE AL_KO REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THE WHEEL MUST OF HIT A STUMP OR CURB. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAVE DRIVEN ALL THE MILES ON THE TRAILER AND DO NOT RECALL HITTING ANY SUCH OBJECTS. NOTE THAT AT THE TIME OF SALE I OBSERVED MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN ADJACENT WHEELS AND THE DEALER SAID THAT WAS NORMAL WHEN TRAILER TAKES A TURN. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FOREST RIVER TRAVEL TRAILER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE MIDDLE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE. THE TIRE DAMAGED THE TURN SIGNAL. THIRTY MILES LATER, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE REMAINING TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TREAD ON ALL THE TIRES WAS BEGINNING TO SEPARATE. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED ALL SIX CARLISLE TIRES. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,500. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FOREST RIVER TRAVEL TRAILER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE SPARE WAS PLACED ON THE VEHICLE. THE BRACES WERE DAMAGED. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT TWICE BEFORE. THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THE TIRES WERE UNKNOWN, BUT THE TIRE SIZE WAS ST22575R15. THE CONTACT CONDUCTED HIS OWN INVESTIGATION AND DETERMINED THAT THE AXLES CANNOT SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS 11,500 LBS. AND THE AXLES ARE ONLY RATED FOR 5,080 LBS. THE TIRES CAN ONLY HOLD 2,540 LBS. A PIECE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 3,000. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REFUSED TO ADD AN AXLE AND REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TIRES. THE DEALER WAS WILLING TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE THE TIRE CAUSED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE RV IS OVERWEIGHT FOR THAT TYPE OF AXLE. UPDATED 09/12/07.*JB

AT ABOUT 3:00 PM ON THE 29TH OF JULY, 2009 MY WIFE MYSELF AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN DEPARTED OUR HOME IN BEL AIRE, KS DESTINED FOR TAYLOR PARK, CO. WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2002 FORD E-350 VAN WITH V-10, TOWING A WORK AND PLAY TRAILER MADE BY FOREST RIVER (FRAME BY LIPERT COMPONENTS). THIS TRAILER CONTAINED A HONDA RINCON 4-WHEELER LOADED DIRECTLY OVER THE TANDEM AXLES AND 5000 WATT HONDA GENERATOR LOADED JUST BEHIND IT. IN THE VERY REAR WAS A HIGH CHAIR, GARDEN HOSE AND SEVERAL LAWN CHAIRS. NEAR THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER IN THE CLOSET THERE WERE SHIRTS AND COATS. ON THE FLOOR NEAR THE FRONT THERE WERE A FEW GROCERIES (WE ALWAYS SHOP FOR THE BULK OF OUR GROCERIES IN BUENA VISTA, CO BEFORE CROSSING THE COTTONWOOD PASS INTO TAYLOR PARK) THE FRESH WATER TANK WAS LESS THAN ONE THIRD FULL. ON HIGHWAY I-135 NORTH OF NEWTON, KS, MY WIFE HEARD A LOUD SCRAPING NOISE WHICH LASTED ABOUT 10 TO 20 SECONDS AND CEASED. WE AGREED THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT HAVE GONE WRONG BUT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY CONTINUED A FEW MILES TO THE "MOUNDRIDGE" EXIT. AFTER STOPPING SAFELY ON THE EXIT RAMP, I DISCOVERED THAT THE TONGUE OF THE TRAILER HAD COLLAPSED JUST IN FRONT OF THE TRAILER BOX AND ALLOWED THE TRAILER TO HIT THE PAVEMENT. THE ONLY REASON THE TRAILER DID NOT COMPLETELY DRAG THE GROUND WAS THE ALUMINUM BOX ON THE TRAILER TONGUE WAS IN "COMPRESSION" AS IF IT WERE AN AIR BAG. THIS FORCE WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO TEAR THE ALUMINUM MATERIAL AT THE CORNERS BUT FORTUNATELY DID NOT FAIL COMPLETELY. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT. THE PROPANE VALVES WERE IN THE OPEN POSITION AND THE GAS PIPE FEEDING THE REFRIDGERATOR DRUG THE GROUND. OUR GRANDCHILDREN WERE STRAPPED INTO THEIR CAR SEATS AND LIKELY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN EXTRICATED IN TIME HAD THE TRAILER CAUGHT FIRE AND TANKS EXPLODED. THIS WAS DIRECTLY A RESULT OF POOR DESIGN. WALL THICKNESS OF THE TONGUE WAS .100" TO .110" ON MY 2005 24' MODEL. THE THICKNESS OF A 2008 18' MODEL HAD A WALL THICKNESS OF .180 TO .200". *DT

TONGUE ON THESE TRAILERS ARE MADE OF A MATERIAL TOO THIN TO SUPPORT THEIR WEIGHT. MY TONGUE FOLDED UP WHILE ENROUTE FROM A CAMPING TRIP. IT WAS LESS THAN 3 INCHES FROM THE GROUND BY THE TIME I GOT HOME. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THIS OCCURRED. ANY BUMP IN THE ROAD COULD HAVE GRABBED THE TRAILER AND RIPPED US APART. THE MANUFACTURE HAS TOLD ME THEY HAVE HAD TO INCREASE THE THICKNESS OF THE METAL SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR OWN DISCOVERY OF THIS ISSUE - BUT NO RECALL. ALSO, THEY SENT ME A NEW TONGUE OF THE SAME GAUGE METAL AS THE ONE I HAVE THAT FAILED TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE A STRONGER TONGUE. I HAD TO HIRE A WELDER TO BUILD ONE FROM SCRATCH AT MY COST. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS INVESTIGATE THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE PRODUCED THESE TRAILERS THAT ARE AT RISK OF COLLAPSING ON THE ROADWAYS WHILE STILL BEING PULLED BY PASSENGER VEHICLES. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND SO CAN OTHERS WHO HAVE THESE LIGHT WEIGHT TONGUES ON #12,000 LB TRAILERS. I STILL HAVE THE TONGUE FOR YOUR INSPECTION. I ALSO HAVE PLENTY OF PICTURES EVEN THOSE WHILE STILL ATTACHED TO MY VEHICLE AFTER THE CAMPING TRIP. I WOULD HAVE FAILED TO CLEAR A SPEED BUMP. *TR

WHILE PERFORMING A SAFETY RECALL ON THE REFRIGERATOR IN MY RV, THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT THE BURNER TUBE WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING AMMONIA. THE RECALL WAS TO POSSIBLY PREVENT A FIRE "IN THE EVENT THIS DID HAPPEN ". THE COMPANY, KEYSTON RV/DOMETIC REFRIGERATORS ARE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION. IT IS MY CONTENTION, THAT SINCE THIS IS A RELATED PROBLEM, IT SHOULD BE COVERED AND REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER.AS OF THIS DATE, THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR ACTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FOREST RIVER ALL AMERICAN SPORT FIFTH WHEEL (NA) WITH CARLISLE WHEELS. THE WHEELS ARE CRACKING AT THE POINT WHERE THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL IS WELDED TO THE OUTER RIM. PREVIOUSLY, ANOTHER WHEEL EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WOULD LIKE THE DEALER TO REPLACE ALL WHEELS. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. UPDATED 04/16/08 *BF UPDATED 04/16/08 *TR