2013 Palomino Columbus Owner Complaints

THE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER WE PURCHASED CAME WITH SUPPLIED 6000 PND LIPPERT AXLES. THE AXLES ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE WEIGHT CARRIED ON THIS TRAILER. 7000 OR 8000 POUND AXLES SHOULD BE STANDARD. IN 2013 THIS IS WHAT THEY USED. IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, THEY USED HEAVIER AXLES. WE ARE EDUCATED TO THIS AND ARE SENSITIVE TO BRAKE, AXLE SEAL, AND OVERALL TIRE MAINTENANCE. LIPPERT SEALS ARE ALSO KNOWN TO BE INFERIOR. WE HAD THE SEALS REPLACED WITH HIGHER QUALITY DEXTER SEALS ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO SO THAT WE COULD AVOID ANY ISSUES. ON 11/26/16 WE WERE RETURNING FROM A TRIP WHEN WE LOST A WHEEL WEST OF CLAYTON NM ON A STATE HIGHWAY. WE ARE ASSUMING THE AXLE BEARING FAILED, WHICH CAUSE THE ENTIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO BECOME SO HOT, IT BEGAN TO SMOKE AND CATCH FIRE. THE WHEEL, HUB, LUGS, TIRE CAME AWAY FROM THE AXLE. AND BOUNCED ACROSS THE NM STATE HIGHWAY. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, IT DIDN'T HIT ANYONE.

NHTSA ID

10936422

Incident

Nov 26, 2016

Mileage

20,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FOREST RIVER COLUMBUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLOOR IN THE KITCHEN OF THE RV HAD BECOME VERY SOFT. THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80.

NHTSA ID

10864568

Incident

May 1, 2016

Mileage

80 mi

THE TRAVEL TRAILER IS UNABLE TO STOP DUE TO FAULTY SEALS LEAKING AND GETTING GREASE ON THE BRAKE HARDWARE. I AM AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THESE SEALS DUE TO OTHER TRAILERS IDENTIFIED WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE OF THE AXEL ASSEMBLY LCI (LIPPERT) AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY TRAILER WAS 2 YEARS OUT OF WARRANTY NOTHING COULD BE DONE. ALSO I WAS MADE AWARE THAT LETTERS WHERE SENT OUT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND I NEVER RECEIVED ONE, AGAIN I WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY TRAILER WAS 2 YEARS OUT OF WARRANTY I WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED ONE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10706113

Incident

Apr 15, 2015

Mileage

5,000 mi

BRAKES WERE NOT STOPPING 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER. PULLED OFF BRAKE HUB AND FOUND GREASE ON BRAKE SHOES FROM FAULTY GREASE SEALS. I AM IN CONTACT WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS AT THIS TIME, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THEY WANT TO HELP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10705823

Incident

Apr 3, 2015

Mileage

3,000 mi

BOTH TRAILER AXLES, 6000#, WERE INSPECTED AND FOUND TO HAVE GREASE CONTAMINATION ON BRAKE SHOES AND HARDWARE. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF BRAKING ACTION. THE GREASE FROM THE WHEEL BEARINGS PASSED THE SEAL, CAUSING THE CONTAMINATION. *JS

NHTSA ID

10661860

Incident

Oct 20, 2014

Mileage

5,000 mi

ALL AXLE SEALS LEAKING ON 2013 COLUMBUS 320 RS...6000# AXLES. APPROXIMATELY 6000 MILES ON UNIT THAT WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH OF 2014....THIS IS BEING REPORTED IN NOVEMBER 2014. GREASE LEAKED THROUGH AXLE SEALS INTO HUB ASSEMBLY, CONTAMINATING BRAKING MECHANISM CAUSING REDUCED TO NO BRAKES ON 14,000# 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. THIS 5TH WHEEL IS USED PRIMARILY IN COLORADO, ON MOUNTAIN ROADS. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH LITTLE TO NO ACTION BEING TAKEN BY LIPPERT INDUSTRIES TO ISSUE A RECALL OF THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10659688

Incident

Nov 19, 2014

Mileage

6,000 mi

RV BRAKES FAILED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP FOR TRAFFIC LIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10659202

Incident

Sep 29, 2014

WHEEL SEALS FAILED ALLOWING BEARING GREASE TO SPREAD AROUND ALL BRAKE SURFACES. ALL 4 BRAKES WERE EFFECTED. ALL EFFECTED PARTS ARE BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10654850

Incident

Nov 13, 2014

Mileage

2,500 mi

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM LIPPERT INC. INDICATING THAT THERE WERE ISSUES WITH BRAKE COMPONENTS INSTALLED ON MY COLUMBUS 320RS FIFTH WHEEL THAT COULD LEAD TO A FAILURE TO STOP THE TRAILER. I TOOK IT INTO BERRYLAND CAMPERS AND HAD THEM INSPECTED. THE LIPPERT SEALS USED ON THE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES HAD LEAKED GREASE, CONTAMINATING THE BRAKE PADS WITH GREASE. LIPPERT COVERED PAD AND SEAL REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10653641

Incident

Oct 21, 2014

Mileage

1,200 mi

DURING ANNUAL MAINTENANCE I HAVE FOUND ALL FOUR OF MY BRAKE DRUMS TO HAVE SIGNS OF GREASE IN THEM. IT APPEARS THE REAR SEAL HAS FAILED AND IS ALLOWING GREASE TO PENETRATE THE INNER BRAKE AREA. I HAVE PICTURES UPON REQUEST. THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ID

10587690

Incident

May 11, 2014

THIS IS A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. IT IS TOWED BY A 2012 F250 WITH FACTORY BRAKE CONTROLLER. THE BRAKES ON THE TRAILER SEEMED TO BE GETTING WEAKER EACH TIME I TOWED IT AND I KEPT INCREASING THE GAIN ON THE CONTROLLER TO COMPENSATE. HOWEVER ON THIS DATE AS I WAS EXITING HWY. 101 AT EL CAPITAN STATE BEACH AT 55 MPH THERE WAS LITTLE-TO-NO BRAKING VIA THE TRAILER, I HAD TO BRAKE HARD WITH THE TRUCK'S BRAKES TO MAKE A TURN AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMP. IT WAS QUITE CONCERNING. AFTER THE WEEKEND CAMPING WE RETURNED HOME CAUTIOUSLY AND CALLED BARBER RV IN VENTURA, CA AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT UNDER WARRANTY. WE DROPPED IT OFF AT BARBER RV ON AUGUST 26, 2013. UPON INSPECTION BARBER RV FOUND GREASE ALL OVER THE INSIDES OF THE DRUMS AND SATURATED BRAKE PADS, PROBABLY FROM FAULTY SEALS. THE BAKES WERE CLEANED AND NEW PARTS INSTALLED. BARBER RV USED AFTERMARKET PARTS AS THEY ARE NOT IMPRESSED WITH PARTS FROM THE AXLE/BRAKE MANUFACTURER LIPPERT COMPONENTS. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE BRAKES STILL DON'T STOP LIKE OUR PREVIOUS 5TH WHEEL, OR LIKE THIS COLUMBUS DID WHEN WE FIRST TOOK DELIVERY IN FEB. 2013. WE EVEN TOOK IT BACK TO BARBER RV TO VERIFY THAT THERE WEREN'T OTHER ISSUES, I ALSO HAD THE F250'S CONTROLLER CHECKED BY A FORD FACILITY. I AM IN COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER COLUMBUS OWNERS ON FORUMS AND A NUMBER OF THEM ALSO HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH GREASE ON THE BRAKES. BARBER RV DID NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS ON THE WARRANTY WORK, AND SINCE THIS IS A FOREST RIVER TRAILER WE WERE ULTIMATELY REIMBURSED THE $775 THAT WE PAID OUT-OF-POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS. THESE TRAILERS WEIGH A LOT AND BRAKING IS IMPORTANT, I BELIEVE THAT THE AXLE AND BRAKE CAPACITY USED IS NOT ENOUGH, LET ALONE WHEN GREASE CONTAMINATES THE BRAKES. EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED, AND QUALITY PARTS INSTALLED, I STILL DON'T HAVE MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE BRAKES. UPDATED 3/31/14*CN *TR

NHTSA ID

10567696

Incident

Jul 17, 2013

Mileage

5,500 mi

GREASE CONTAMINATION ON BRAKE LININGS --- 7000 LBS CAPACITY LIPPERT AXLES [COMPLAINT FILED BY BOWMAN (ODI) AFTER PHONE CONVERSATION WITH OWNER].

NHTSA ID

10566135

Incident

Oct 1, 2013

WHILE TAKING OUR FIRST LONG TRIP IN OUR NEW COLUMBUS 5TH WHEEL TRAILER EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE QUICKLY DISCOVERED THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. AT FIRST IT SEEMED MINOR, BUT THE MORE WE TRAVELED, THE MORE EVIDENT IT BECAME. IT CULMINATED WITH A TRIP INTO A STATE PARK IN TEXAS THAT HAD A STEEP WINDING ROAD DOWN IN TO THE CAMPGROUND. PART WAY DOWN REALIZED THAT I HAD ALMOST NO BRAKING ABILITY FROM MY TRAILER. AFTER LEAVING THIS PARK I FOUND A SHOP IN KENTUCKY THAT COULD INSPECT MY BRAKES. UPON PULLING ALL 4 DRUMS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ALL BRAKE ASSEMBLIES WERE COATED WITH GREASE, AND THE MAGNETS HAD BEEN STICKING TO THE DRUMS CAUSING BRAKE SHOW DRAG. 3 OUT OF THE 4 WHEELS HAD ALMOST NO BRAKE PAD REMAINING. THE OPINION OF THE TECH WAS THAT ALL OF THE WHEEL GREASE SEALS HAD FAILED. THE TRAILER WAS ABOUT 4 MONTHS OLD AND HAD ABOUT 1000 MILES OF USE AT THIS POINT. THE SHOP CONTACTED LIPPERT COOMPONENTS, THE MANUFACTURER OF THE CHASSIS.LIPPERT SENT THE SHOP 4 BRAND NEW COMPLETE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. I WATCHED THE TECH REMOVE AND INSTALL THE 4 NEW ASSEMBLIES. NO ADDITIONAL GREASE WAS ADDED, OR NEEDED AS THEY WERE ALL COMPLETE FROM LIPPERT. WE LEFT KENTUCKY AND HEADED FOR YUMA TENNESSEE, A DISTANCE OF APPROX 250 MILES. IN ROUTE I WAS ALERTED BY MY ON BOARD TPMS SYSTEM THAT ONE OF MY TRAILER TIRES WAS RUNNING SIGNIFICANTLY HOTTER THAN THE REST. I PULLED INTO A REST STOP AND CHECKED THE TIRES AND DRUMS WITH A INFRARED THERMOMETER. 3 OF THE TIRES WERE IN THE 95-105 DEGREE RANGE, BUT THE LEFT REAR WAS AT 246 DEGREES. I CRAWLED UNDER THE RIG AND BACKED OFF THE STAR ADJUSTER ON THE BRAKE THINKING THAT THE BRAKE WAS ADJUSTED TOO TIGHT. UPON ARRIVAL TO YUMA TN I CHECKED THEM AGAIN. THERE WERE STILL THE SAME. I PULLED THE CONCERNED WHEEL AT THE CAMPGROUND AND FOUND THE NEW ASSEMBLY COATED WITH GREASE. THE BRAKE SEAL HAD FAILED YET AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10563464

Incident

Sep 17, 2013

Mileage

1,500 mi

FROM THE TIME WE BOUGHT OUR NEW FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER, IT HAD NOT APPEARED TO STOP LIKE PREVIOUS TRAILERS WE HAD OWNED. I EVEN WENT AND TRADED IN A ONE YEAR OLD F-250 FOR A F-350 DUALLY AND IT STILL DID NOT SEEM TO STOP PROPERLY. AFTER OUR ONLY TRIP OF APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES, WE FIGURED OUT THAT WE TRULY HAD NO TRAILER BRAKES. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT BACK TO OUR DEALER WHO PULLED ALL THE WHEELS AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. ALL OF THE BRAKES WERE COVERED WITH GREASE AND EVIDENTLY THE REAR SEALS WERE BLOWN. LIPPERT WAS CONTACTED AND THEY SENT FOUR ENTIRELY NEW BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN PULLING A TRAILER WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 13,000 POUNDS. WE HAVE NOT USED IT SINCE THE BRAKES WERE CHANGED AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THE SEALS DO NOT FAIL AGAIN AND ARE OF A DIFFERENT TYPE. *TR ## VIN PASSED ## PALOMINO COLUMBUS 2013 RS320 ##

NHTSA ID

10561961

Incident

Jun 10, 2013

Mileage

200 mi

THE LIPPERT 6K AXLE ON THE LISTED 5TH WHEEL TRAILER, WHEEL SEALS FAILED ALLOWING GREASE TO CONTAMINATE THE BRAKE SHOES, DIMINISHING OR ELIMINATING BRAKING ABILITY OF THE TRAILER. THIS IS AN ON GOING AND RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH THESE AXLES, NOT JUST ON THE COLUMBUS/FOREST RIVER LINE. PHOTOGRAPHS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *TR

NHTSA ID

10560304

Incident

Jan 16, 2014

Mileage

6,000 mi

I HAVE NOTICED SINCE WE FIRST PURCHASED OUR COLUMBUS 340RK FIFTH WHEEL THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT FEEL ADEQUATE. HOWEVER, BEING A FIRST TIME OWNER OF SUCH A BIG TRAILER I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS NORMAL OR NOT. ON OR ABOUT 2 SEPTEMBER 2013 WE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DESCENDING A STEEP GRADE. UPON INSPECTING THE BRAKES I DISCOVERED THAT THREE OF THE FOUR WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES HAD DEFECTIVE INNER WHEEL GREASE SEAL THAT ALLOWED GREASE TO COMPLETELY COAT THE BRAKES. I CALLED LIPPERT (LCI) TO REPORT MY SITUATION AND THE FACT THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER COLUMBUS OWNER'S THAT I WAS AWARE OF THAT CAME ACROSS THE SAME ISSUE WITH ONE OR MORE BRAKES HAVING BEEN COATED WITH GREASE. I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] IN THE LCI WARRANTY DEPARTMENT THAT THIS DIDN'T CONSTITUTE A RECALL AND TRIED TO MAKE LIGHT OF THE SITUATION. I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE COLUMBUS OWNERS OUT THERE WITH LESS EXPERIENCE THAN ME THAT MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW TO INSPECT THEIR BRAKES OR KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD INSPECT THERE BRAKES. HOPEFULLY THE NHTSA CAN FORCE SOME SORT OF REQUIRED SAFETY INSPECTION OR RECALL TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL RV OWNERS THAT HAVE THESE SAME TYPE OF BRAKES AS THEY ARE COMMON THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY. LIPPERT HAS AGREED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR OF MY BRAKE ASSEMBLIES UNDER WARRANTY; HOWEVER, I FEEL THEY COULD DO MORE TO PROTECT THE UNKNOWING OWNERS OF THESE RV'S. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10546092

Incident

Sep 2, 2013

Mileage

500 mi