2017 Forest River Cherokee

Leaf spring fractured and failed twice on the same side of RV following NTHSA mandated recall repair 16V579, and safety modification kit part# 425750. This time the leaf spring failure caused the tire to rub the wheel well and create enough friction to start the interior wheel well carpeting and a garment bag on there to ignite and smolder filling the interior cabin with smoke. Contacted manufacturer Forest River regarding this issue and to obtain information including torque settings and recall kit spacer dimensions on their installed recall modification kit. After not hearing back from Andrew at Forest River- Cherokee customer service for a week regarding (claim reference # [XXX]) I contacted him again and he claimed to have no resolution/answers for me. Following that telephone conversation , It has been well over 2 weeks and he has not responded back to my request regarding the NHTSA safety recall kit issues. If my personal safety is at risk while pulling this travel trailer I would like to know about it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Forest River Cherokee Toy Hauler. The contact stated that he was informed by an independent mechanic that the box on the rooftop of the RV frame had detached and slipped to the passenger’s side of the RV. The contact also stated that the sliding door inside the RV had pierced the ceiling of the RV. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The RV was taken to a second dealer United RV Center (5100 Airport Fwy, Haltom City, TX 76117) who diagnosed that the substructure of the RV was not cut and aligned properly which caused the box on the rooftop to slip due to vibration while driving the RV. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the RV was out of warranty. The RV was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT, SMOOTH ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE TRAILER AXLE SUDDENLY BROKE FREE, CAUSING THE TRAILER TO FLIP ONTO ITS SIDE. THE TRAILER APPEARS TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. THE TOWING VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED SLIGHTLY. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THE RIDE SIDE LEAF SPRING BROKE, CAUSING THE AXLE TO BREAK FREE. THE AXLE TUBE BENT AND BROKE COMPLETELY NEAR THE LEFT SIDE LEAF SPRING. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF AN ISSUE PRIOR TO THIS. THE TRAILER WAS RIDING LEVEL AND NOT PULLING OR JERKING THE TOWING VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE SPONTANEOUS, CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FOREST RIVER ARCTIC WOLF 285DRL4 CHEROKEE RV (NA). THE CONTACT OBSERVED MELTED PLASTIC AND WATER LEAKING FROM THE RV WITHOUT WARNING. THE WATER HEATER MELTED THE WATER HOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL CHEYENNE CAMPING CENTER, LOCATED AT 2960 N PLAINVIEW RD, WALCOTT, IA, 52773. THE RV WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO WAIT TO HEAR FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TWICE AT 574-825-7000 AND LEFT MESSAGES, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25.

THIS GREY WOLF 29TE 2017 TRAILER IS 36.5' LONG AND IT RIDES LOW AND BOTTOMS OUT A LOT. I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF SPOTS WHERE THE CHAINS DRAGGED ON THE FRONT AND THE BACK END BOTTOMED OUT. WHEN IT IS SITTING LEVEL, THERE IS ONLY 13"-14" OF CLEARANCE FROM THE FRAME TO THE GROUND. IT IS A BIG ENOUGH OF A PROBLEM THAT IT ACTUALLY BROKE THE BRACKET ON THE BACK END OF THE TRAILER (SEE ATTACHED PICTURE). TO ME, THE AXLES APPEARS TO BE UNDERSIZED FOR THE TRAILER. THIS IS MOST PROBABLY WHY THE TRAILER RIDES VERY LOW AND BOTTOMS OUT A LOT. LOOKING AT THE INFO ON THE PLACARD (IMAGE ATTACHED), THE GVWR IS 7,837LBS, BUT EACH AXLE IS ONLY RATED FOR 3,500 LB. BASED ON THESE NUMBERS, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE MANUFACTURER USED AN UNDERSIZED AXLE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER, AND IF YOU SAW THE TRAILER, I THINK THAT YOU WOULD AGREE. LOOKING AT THE AXLE, SPRINGS, AND FRAME WHILE THE TRAILER IS HOOKED UP FOR TOWING, THE FRAME IS JUST AN INCH OR TWO ABOVE THE AXLE. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS ONLY 2.5 INCHES OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE WHEEL WELL. AND THIS IS WITH THE TRAILER DRY (NO WATER, EMPTY BLACK AND GREY TANKS, ETC). I AM USING A RAM 1500 TO TOW IT AND AM SETUP WITH THE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION HITCH AND THE TRAILER IS LEVEL WHEN I TOW IT.