2005 Holiday Rambler Presidential

IN RESPONSE TO THE PRODUCT FAILURES THAT PROMPTED ODI TO INITIATE INVESTIGATION PE05-026, MONACO COACH HAS FILED DEFECT NOTICE 05V-418 THAT PROPOSES TO CONDUCT A PRODUCT RECALL TO REPLACE CERTAIN 16 CHROME PLATED STEEL WHEELS THAT WERE INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BETWEEN MARCH 2005 AND JULY 2005 IN APPROXIMATELY 290 2005 AND 2006 MODEL YEAR FIFTH WHEEL TRAILERS. TREDIT TIRE, MONACO COACH'S SUPPLIER OF TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES, HAD INVESTIGATED THE REASONS FOR THE CRACKED AND BROKEN WHEELS, DETERMINED THE CAUSES, AND NOTIFIED MONACO AND ODI (05E-051) OF THEIR FINDINGS.IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INQUIRIES IN INVESTIGATION PE05-026, MONACO COACH HAS INFORMED ODI THAT SOME WHEELS INSTALLED IN MODEL YEAR 2003, 2004, AND 2005 VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY ADDRESSED BY CAMPAIGN 05V-418 HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED CRACKED, BROKEN, AND/OR LEAKING. ACCORDINGLY, ODI WILL EVALUATE WHETHER ADDITIONAL ACTIONS APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED FOR WHEELS INSTALLED IN MONACO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO MARCH 2005 AND NOT ADDRESSED BY CAMPAIGN O5V-418.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) WHEEL FAILURE (CHROME WHEEL): 2005 HOLIDAY RAMBLER MOD: 30SCD PRESIDENTIAL CHASSIS VIN [XXX]. 5 MARCH 2010 WHEN LEAVING OVERNIGHT PARKING OBSERVED LEFT FRONT TRAILER WHEEL WOBBLING INSPECTION INDICATED WHEEL CENTER WAS BROKEN FROM RIM THREE OF FIVE WELDS FAILED. INFORMATION STAMPED ON RIM MADE IN USA 16 X 6.0 J.J. DOT CT&W 08 26 2004. REMOVED WHEEL MOVED GOOD TIRE TO SPARE WHEEL, INSPECTED OTHER THREE WHEELS NO CRACKS OBSERVED HOWEVER WHEELS NOT REMOVED FROM TRAILER (FAILED WHEEL IS IN MY POSSESSION. 10 MARCH 2010 REMOVED RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FROM TRAILER TO FILL AIR AT SERVICE STATION, FOUND TWO (2) OF FIVE (5) WELDS CRACKED, PURCHASED A NEW WHEEL MOVED GOOD TIRE TO NEW WHEEL AND INSTALLED. AGAIN INSPECTED THE REMAINING TWO CHROME WHEELS NO CRACKS OBSERVED. THIS TRAILER WAS TOWED ONE MORE DAY THEN PARKED ON A FLAT CONCRETE SURFACE UNTIL 3 MAY 2010 AGAIN INSPECTED REMAINING CHROME WHEELS FOR CRACKS AND DEFORMATION INDICATIONS WERE NEGATIVE. 6 MAY 2010 WHILE DRIVING NOTICED THAT THE RT SIDE TRAILER WHEELS DID NOT LOOK CORRECT AS OBSERVED IN REARVIEW MIRROR. STOPPED AT A SAFE LOCATION AND INSPECTED WHEELS, FOUND A VERY FINE DARK BROWN POWDER (IRON OXIDE IS MY GUESS) ON RIM, I RAN MY FINGER TIPS AROUND THE WHEEL CENTER TO CHECK FOR DISPLACEMENT THIS INDICATED ANOTHER FAILED WHEEL. ON 7 MAY 2010 HAD BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT REAR WHEELS REPLACED; RIGHT WHEEL THREE OF FIVE WELDS BROKEN AND LEFT WHEEL TWO OF FIVE WELDS CRACKED. I DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT SPACE TO KEEP THE LAST THREE FAILED WHEELS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE HOLIDAY RAMBLER WHEEL FAILURE RECALL WHICH I REVIEWED FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY 29 MAY 2010 THE VIN OF THIS UNIT WAS NOT LISTED IN THE DOCUMENTATION THAT I HAVE REVIEWED. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING THE TIRE/WHEEL/WEIGHT LABEL ON THE PIN BOX CALLS FOR 16 X 8 WHEELS AND ALL WHEELS THAT FAILED WERE 16 X 6.0. I PURCHASED THIS UNIT USED IT APPEARS TO HAVE FEW MILES AS OF 15 DECEMBER 2009. *TR

NHTSA ID

10333836

Incident

Mar 5, 2010

Mileage

1,681 mi

PURCHASE A MONACO 2005 PRESIDENTIAL WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE REAR AXLES CAME OFF TWICE, ONE IN SLC UTAH AND ONE IN TEXAS. THEY WERE REWELDED IN THE FIELD. WE HAVE PICTURES SHOWING THE AXLE WAS NOT WELDED PROPERLY FROM THE FACTORY TO BEGIN WITH. WE BLEW TWO SETS OF TIRES DUE TO THE AXLES DROPPING WHICH CAUSED THE REAR TIRES TO RUB THUS CAUSING SMOKE. WE TOOK THE RV TO A FACTORY DEALER IN DRAPER UTAH WHO REFUSED TO TOUCH HE AXLE DUE TO LIABILITY. WE HIRED A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR WHO GOT MONACO TO COME OUT AND SUPPOSEDLY RE DO ALL THE WELDS AND PLACE AN UPGRADE TO STABILIZE THE RIG. WE TOOK THE RIG TO BUY NEW TIRES AND WERE TOLD WE HAD A HUGE PROBLEM BY THE TIRE EXPERTS. WE TOOK THE RIG TO A SPECIALIZED ALIGNMENT SHOP WHO POINTED OUT NUMEROUS INFERIOR WELDS THAT HAD BEEN DONE BY THE FACTORY GENTLEMAN. THEY DEEMED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS. THEY ALIGNED IT, AND WE HIRED AN ENGINEER TO CHECK THE VEHICLE FOR STRESS AND TO INSPECT THE WELDS. HE DEEMED THEM UNSATISFACTORY AND NOT SAFE. THEY MUST BE ALL REDONE TO MEET AMERICAN SOCIETY OF WELDERS CODES. HE ALSO STATED NUMEROUS OTHER VIOLATIONS IN HIS DOC'S WE DON'T HAVE SPACE HERE TO WRITE. WE FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THE RIG IS UNDER A NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 04V483000 AND MONACO RECALL R02233. IN OUR CONVERSATION TODAY WITH THE MONACO EXECUTIVE HE TOLD OUR INVESTIGATOR AND US THIS RECALL IS ALL WRONG AND MONACO WILL DO NOTHING MORE. " THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER HELPED US", THEY SHOULD HAVE LEFT US ALONE AND NEVER SENT OUR THERE MAN TO HELP. NOW WE HAVE AN UNSAFE FIFTH WHEEL HE CLAIMS "HE DOES NOT CARE WHAT THE WELDS LOOK LIKE" AND MONACO HAS NO RECALL. WE CALLED NHTSA TO VERIFY AND WE ARE LOST AND NEED YOUR HELP. *TR UPDATED 07/23/08. *KB THE WELD ON THE REAR BRACE OF THE REAR AXLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BROKE OFF TWICE. UPDATED 07/23/08

NHTSA ID

10232436

Incident

May 31, 2007

DT: 2005 HOLIDAY RAMBLER 36SKQ PRESIDENTIAL. THE SUPPORT HOLDING UP THE STRUT BROKE FREE, IT WAS NOT WELDED IN. THE OTHER SUPPORT WELDS CRACKED AS WELL. WHILE DRIVING HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND THE TWO TIRES WERE RUBBING TOGETHER ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY SO THE MANUFACTURER SENT A MECHANIC, AND IT WAS REPAIRED ON SITE. ALL FOUR SUPPORTS WERE THEN WELDED. ON OCTOBER 12, 2005 THERE WAS A SHORT OVERLOAD IN THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONNECTIONS. THEY REPLACED THE CONNECTOR'S AT ALL FOUR WHEELS. *AK UPDATED 1/19/2006 - THE BRAKE PROBLEM RECURRED ON NOVEMBER 24 WITH A SHORT AND OVERLOAD MESSAGE ILLUMINATING ON THE DASH. *NM

NHTSA ID

10140372

Incident

Sep 22, 2005