2006 Keystone Cambridge

IN RESPONSE TO THE PRODUCT FAILURES THAT PROMPTED ODI TO INITIATE INVESTIGATION PE05-022, KEYSTONE RV HAS FILED TWO DEFECT NOTICES (1) 05V-201 ON MAY 5, 2005 TO ADDRESS 174 MODEL YEAR 2006 CAMBRIDGE VEHICLES AND (2) 05V-424 ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2005 TO ADDRESS 834 MODEL YEAR 2005 AND 2006 MOUNTAINEER, COUGAR, SPRINTER, AND TAIL-GATOR MODEL VEHICLES.BOTH CAMPAIGNS PROPOSE TO REPLACE CERTAIN 16 CHROME PLATED STEEL WHEELS THAT WERE INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT IN THESE VEHICLES.TREDIT TIRE, KEYSTONE RV'S SUPPLIER OF TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES, HAD INVESTIGATED THE REASONS FOR THE CRACKED AND BROKEN WHEELS, DETERMINED THE CAUSES, AND NOTIFIED KEYSTONE AND ODI (05E-051) OF THEIR FINDINGS IN AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 2005.KEYSTONE RV HAS REPORTED FIVE INCIDENTS OF WHEEL CRACKS IN 2004 AND 2005 MODEL YEAR MONTANA BIG SKY FIFTH WHEEL VEHICLES. THESE REPORTS INDICATE THAT CERTAIN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO MARCH 2005 MAY ALSO BE EXPERIENCING CRACKED, BROKEN, OR LEAKING WHEELS.ACCORDINGLY, ODI WILL EVALUATE WHETHER ADDITIONAL ACTIONS APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED FOR WHEELS INSTALLED IN KEYSTONE RV VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO MARCH 2005 AND NOT ADDRESSED BY CAMPAIGN O5V-201 OR 05V-424.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KEYSTONE CAMBRIDGE RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BECAME FLAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WHEELS WERE CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V201000 (WHEELS) BUT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA ID

10573055

Incident

Mar 15, 2014

Mileage

20,000 mi

TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED WITH A MISSION LOADMAX T-108 RADIAL TUBELESS TRAILER TIRE, SIZE ST235/80R-16E, MANUFACTURED BY NANKANG IN CHINA, AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE US BY TIRE CO, INC. THE TIRE WAS ONE OF FOUR LIKE TIRES ON MY 2006 KEYSTONE MONTANA FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER, MODEL 3400RL, PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL 2006 AND WITH LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON THE TIRES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH. THE DEFECTIVE TIRE DID NOT LOSE AIR, BUT THE SEPARATED TREAD FLEW OFF THE TIRE AND DAMAGED THE SHEET METAL FENDER SKIRT OF THE TRAILER. NO LOSS OF CONTROL, INJURIES, OR OTHER DAMAGE OCCURRED. BEFORE TAKING ACTION TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TIRE, I SEARCHED THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS FILE ON THE WEB AND FOUND FOUR REPORTS ON SEPARATED OR BLOWN OUT MISSION TIRES. I ALSO SEARCHED DISCUSSION FORUMS (RV.NET, TRAILER LIFE.COM, AND OTHERS) AND FOUND DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS OF SEPARATED OR BLOWN OUT MISSION TIRES ON TRAVEL TRAILERS AND 5TH WHEELS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I DECIDED NOT TO TAKE ANY FURTHER RISK WITH THE MISSION TIRES AND REPLACED ALL TIRES INCLUDING THE SPARE, WITH BF GOODRICH COMMERCIAL T/A LIGHT TRUCK TIRES. AT THE TIME OF REPLACEMENT, I FOUND OVER 18" OF TREAD BULGING AND SEPARATED FROM THE CASING OF ANOTHER OF THE FOUR MISSION TIRES, AND 2" X 8" BLISTER ON THE INSIDE OF THE CASING OF THE THIRD MISSION TIRE. THE FOURTH MISSION TIRE THAT WAS ON THE GROUND AND THE SPARE (A NANKANG TIRE BRANDED MILESTAR M-108) APPEAR TO HAVE NO DEFECTS. I NOTIFIED MY KEYSTONE MONTANA DEALER OF THE INCIDENT, AND I AM IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING A CLAIM WITH TIRECO, INC OF CALIFORNIA (CLAIM # PL-10449) WITH THE EXPECTATION OF BEING REIMBURSED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE MISSION TIRES AND DAMAGE TO MY TRAILER. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE TIRES MUST BE SHIPPED TO TIRECO, INC. FOR THEIR INSPECTION AND JUDGMENT WHETHER A MATERIAL OR WORKMANSHIP DEFECT EXISTS THAT WOULD SUPPORT REIMBURSEMENT.*JB

NHTSA ID

10175231

Incident

Oct 22, 2006

Mileage

4,000 mi

DT: A TRAILER CAUGHT ON FIRE ON THE BACK END OF THE AXLE. THE MANUFACTURER IS MONTONE . *AK

NHTSA ID

10123948

Incident

Jun 2, 2005