2004 Haulmark Trailer

DURING PE04-059, ODI IDENTIFIED AN APPARENT PROBLEM WITH WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRING IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES(EA04-009 AND EA04-019).IN AUGUST 2004, ODI EXTENDED THE INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY TO INCLUDE CARGO TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH SIMILAR WHEEL END COMPONENTS AS THERECREATIONAL TRAILERS THAT HAD EXPERIENCED WHEEL SEPARATIONS. (SEE EA04-032, KEYSTONE AND EA04-033 PACE AMERICAN).AS PART OF THIS INVESTIGATION, ODI, ON JANUARY 21, 2005, INITIATED A MONITORING PROGRAM AT HAULMARK REQUIRING THEM TO NOTIFY ODI OF ALL NEWLY REPORTED WHEEL SEPARATIONS.DURING THIS ELEVEN MONTH MONITORING PERIOD (THROUGH DECEMBER 2005), HAULMARK STATES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW REPORTS OF WHEEL SEPARATIONS FROM HAULMARK VEHICLES SINCE MONITORING BEGAN IN JANUARY 2005.ACCORDINGLY, ODI IS CLOSING THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

IN 2003, ODI IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRING IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES (EA04-009, EA04-019).IN AUGUST 2004, ODI EXTENDED THE INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY TO INCLUDE CARGO TRAILERS THAT HAD BEEN EQUIPPED WITH SIMILAR WHEEL END COMPONENTS AS THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THAT HAD EXPERIENCED WHEEL SEPARATIONS.HAULMARK HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ODITHAT INDICATES A SMALL BUT PERSISTENT NUMBER OF SEPARATION INCIDENTS (ONE INCIDENT INMODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES AND TWO INCIDENTS IN MODEL YEAR 2004 VEHICLES) HAVE OCCURRED IN HAULMARK VEHICLES.THE OVERALL INCIDENT COUNT IS SMALL.HOWEVER, ALL THREE OF THE WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRED WITHIN THE 1,323 MODEL YEAR 2003-2004 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ALUMINUM WHEELS, WHEREAS NO WHEEL SEPARATIONS OCCURRED WITHIN THE 24,861 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH STEEL WHEELS.ODI IS UPGRADING PE04-059 TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO REQUEST FURTHER INFORMATION FROM HAULMARK.ODI WILL ALSO CLOSELY MONITOR THE WHEEL SEPARATION PERFORMANCE AT HAULMARK FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS.

I HAVE BROKEN A TOTAL OF 5 GOOSENECK TRAILER HITCHES DUE TO THIS TRAILER BEING EXTREMELY OVERWEIGHT, EMPTY. THE LAST HITCH BROKE IN JUNE OF 2012. THE 2 5/16" BALL WAS PILE DRIVEN COMPLETELY THROUGH THE 1/2" THICK MOUNTING PLATE DUE TO THE EXTREME TONGUE WEIGHT (6880 DRY) OF THE 21,000 LB. PLUS (DRY) TRAILER. THIS TRAILER WAS A PROTOTYPE WHICH THE MANUFACTURER (HAULMARK) WILL NOT ADMIT TO. THE ORIGINAL SHIPPING WEIGHT ON THE MSO READS 14380 LBS. BUT IN REALITY, THE TRAILER WEIGHS OVER 21,000 LBS. DRY. THIS TRAILER HAS BECOME LOOSE ON THE BACK OF THE TRUCK SEVERAL TIMES. THE EXTREME GOOSENECK WEIGHT HAS KEPT IT FROM SEPARATING FROM THE TRUCK COMPLETELY. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE KILLED MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ADMIT OR HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE COMPLETE DOCUMENTATION. *TR.. UPDATED 10/09/12 *BF UPDATED 1/30/13 *CN UPDATED 02/08/13*LJ THE HITCH BALL ON THE CONSUMERS WAS PUSHED THOUGH THE HITCH PLATE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED IT WAS CAUSED BY TOO MUCH TONGUE WEIGHT ON THE TRAILER. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE VERTICAL WEIGHT WAS EXCESSIVE. THE EXCESSIVE VERTICAL WEIGHT CONTRIBUTED TO THE HITCH BALL BEING OVERLOADED, WHICH COMBINED WITH OVER EIGHT YEARS OF USE, CAUSED THE HITCH BALL TO SIMPLY WEAR OUT. UPDATED 02/13/13

NHTSA ID

10477194

Incident

Jun 5, 2006

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HAULMARK WT5 TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD RECURRING FAILURES WITH HIS TIRES. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICED FOR THE FOURTH BLOWOUT, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ORIGINAL TIRES INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE WERE E RATED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EQUIPPED WITH G RATED TIRES. THE G RATED TIRES ARE MANUFACTURER TO SUPPORT A HEAVIER LOADING WEIGHT THAN THE E RATED TIRES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THEY WOULD ONLY REPLACE ONE OF THE TIRES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 12/7/10 *CN

NHTSA ID

10330802

Incident

Jun 28, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HAULMARK TRAILER. THE VEHICLE HAS MISSION ST, SIZE 225/75R15 TIRES (NA). THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT TWO OF THE FOUR TIRES (ONE FRONT AND ONE REAR) HAD TREAD AND BELT SEPARATION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRAILER WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS APPLICABLE. UPDATED 04/16/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED ALL 4 TIRES WERE BEING REPLACED AT NO CHARGE.

NHTSA ID

10222891

Incident

Mar 30, 2008