2005 Forest River Travel Trailer

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL FIFTH WHEEL, MODEL# 29TS. WHILE DRIVING 55MPH, THE DRIVER OBSERVED THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR THAT THE TREAD OF THE RIGHT DRIVER SIDE TIRE SEPERATED FROM THE WHEEL. THE TREAD OF THE TIRES ALSO DAMAGED THE VEHICLE. GOOD SAM ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE OWNERS SPARE TIRE. AFTER DRIVING TWENTY MILES, THE SECOND REAR TIRE TREAD SEPERATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES WERE KENDAL KLEVE AP TIRES, DOT# 7Y9J, AND SIZE LT235/85R16. GOOD SAMS ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE WAS NOTIFIED AGAIN; HOWEVER, THE TIRE WAS REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. AFTER REACHING HIS DESTINATION, THE DEALER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY DON'T USUALLY REIMBURSE SECOND OWNERS. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR.

HAD OPERATED SURVEYOR TRAVEL TRAILER, BY FOREST RIVER, FOR TWO YEARS, ACCUMULATING ABOUT 10,000 MILES OF SERVICE. ON TRIP THIS SUMMER WE NOTICED ON 6/24/06, ONE TIRE WAS WORN DOWN ON INSIDE SURFACE, TO THE POINT WHERE THE STEEL CABLE WAS VISIBLE (PHOTOS AVAILABLE). REPLACED TIRE. FURTHER ON THE TRIP ON 7/2/06 WE NOTED THAT ANOTHER TIRE WAS WORN SMOOTH ON THE INSIDE 2 TO 3 INCHES. REPLACED TIRE. ON 7/8/06 WE NOTICED THAT THE TIRE INSTALLED ON 6/24/06 WAS ALREADY WEARING SMOOTH ON THE INSIDE AFTER TRAVELING ONLY 1,400 MILES. REPLACE THIS TIRE. LUCKILY WE OBSERVED THE WORN TIRES BEFORE THE TIRE FAILED, SO WE NARROWLY AVOIDED A BLOWOUT. I COMPLAINED TO THE TRAVEL TRAILER DEALER WHO SOLD THE TRAILER (WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNERS. NO RESPONSE. I CONTRACTED AL-KO AND THEY OFFERED TO SHIP REPLACEMENT AXLES, HAVE THEM RETURNED FOR INSPECTION AND HAVE THE NEW AXLES INSTALLED. I GOT A VERBAL REPORT THAT THREE OF THE SPINDLES WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT, BUT ONLY TWO HAD PRODUCED UNEVEN WEAR. AL-KO CLAIMED THAT THE ARM HOLDING THE SPINDLE SHAFT WAS BENT. I REQUEST A DESCRIPTION OF THE DEFLECTION BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT. THE AL_KO REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THE WHEEL MUST OF HIT A STUMP OR CURB. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAVE DRIVEN ALL THE MILES ON THE TRAILER AND DO NOT RECALL HITTING ANY SUCH OBJECTS. NOTE THAT AT THE TIME OF SALE I OBSERVED MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN ADJACENT WHEELS AND THE DEALER SAID THAT WAS NORMAL WHEN TRAILER TAKES A TURN. *JB

THIS FAILURE IS OF A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. WHILE THIS VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED AS A RESULT OF ANOTHER FAILURE, THE REPAIR FACILITY DISCOVERED THE TRAILER AXLES WERE BENT/OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THIS CONDITION REQUIRED THE MANUFACTURER TO REPLACE BOTH AXLES. ANECDOTAL INFORMATION: THIS OWNER HAS MET TWO OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TRAILER MAKE AND MANUFACTURER THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR FAILURES. IN EACH CASE THOSE OWNERS ALSO HAD THE MANUFACTURER REPLACE THE AXLES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED IN A REST AREA THE FIFTH WHEEL COLLAPSED AROUND THE PIN BOX INTO THE BED OF THE TRUCK. THE DEALER WENT TO THE LOCATION AND DETERMINED THE PIN BOX HAD FOUR CRACKS AND WILL WELD THE CRACKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS EITHER CARRIED OR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS A 2005 FOREST RIVER CEDAR CREEK 36RLTS. *AK

1. I WAS TOWING A 2005 WILDWOOD TRAVEL TRAILER ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF THE IMPENDING FAILURE. 2 THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN THE AXLE SUSPENSION. THE SPRING EQUALIZER THAT LINKS THE TANDEM AXLE LEAF SPRINGS TOGETHER CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE TRAVEL TRAILER FELL ONTO THE SPINNING TIRES, AND THE TIRES WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE TRAILER. ONCE THE EQUALIZER BROKE, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AXLE WAS ONLY HELD ON BY ONE BOLT. IT COULD HAVE MADE THE TRAILER BECOME UNSTABLE, SWERVE AND ROLLOVER; HOWEVER, I WAS TOWING WITH A DUAL REAR WHEEL PICKUP AND THE TRAILER REMAINED BEHIND THE TOW VEHICLE. 3. THE TRAILER WAS TAKEN TO COE ALIGNMENT IN JAMESTOWN, KY. A NEW SPRING EQUALIZER WAS INSTALLED. I STILL HAVE THE OLD EQUALIZER AND CAN SEND YOU PICTURES IF YOU LIKE. IT APPEARS THE EQUALIZER HAD PREVIOUSLY CRACKED AND LOST A SECTION, MAKING IT WEAK. *JB

FROM PURCHASE CREAKING UNDER TRAILER, BELLY PAN FELL OFF ON THE ROAD TWICE, THEN FOUND 5-6 LENGTHWISE CRACKS IN THE FRAME ( WELDED BY LIPPERT'S MANUFACTURER OF THE FRAME) TWICE. TRAILER NOW DOG TRACKS. TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED FROM RUBBING ON FRAME. MOTION CAUSES EVERYTHING TO MOVE DRAWERS FALL OUT EVERY TRIP. COUNTER REPLACED BECAUSE IT CRACKED, PULLS AWAY FROM WALL. MULTIPLE OTHER PROBLEMS. *JB

DT: 2005, FORREST RIVER WORK AND PLAY 5TH WHEEL. CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH FOUR TIRES. THREE BLEW OUT BOTH ON THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL. ON THE FOURTH TIRE THE TREAD CAME OFF. CARLISLE TIRES, ST235/85R16. THEY BLEW OUT AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ON THE TRAILER. CONSUMER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MANUFACTURER. ON JULY 31, 2005, THE TRAILER GOT OFF THE ROAD SWIFTLY. THIS FORCED THE VEHICLE INTO THE DITCH AND THE BED OF THE TRUCK WAS DAMAGED.*AK

ON APRIL 18, 2005 I PICKED UP MY CAR TRAILER FROM THE DEALER. I BEGAN TOWING MY TRAILER HOME AND NOTICED AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY WITH THE WAY IT WAS TOWING. I PROCEEDED TOWARDS MY HOUSE AND SLOWED WAY DOWN. I CONTINUED TRAVELING AND THE TRAILER CONTINUED TO SWAY. I WRECKED THE TRAILER SHORTLY BEFORE I GOT HOME WITH IT. I IMMEDIATELY HAD THE TRAILER TAKEN TO A REPAIR FACILITY TO BE MEASURED FOR IMPROPRIETIES TO WHICH THEY FOUND MANY PROBLEMS. I CONSULTED MIKE OF TEAM SPIRIT TO WHICH HE INSTRUCTED ME THAT THEY DID NOT USE THOSE PARTICULAR MEASUREMENTS. HE SAID THEY MEASURED FROM THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL TO THE CENTER OF THE OTHER WHEEL AND HE GUARANTEED TO ME THAT THESE MEASUREMENTS WOULD BE CORRECT. I IMMEDIATELY HAD THESE MEASUREMENTS TAKEN AND I CONTACTED MIKE AGAIN. I INFORMED HIM THAT THESE MEASUREMENTS WERE 1/2" OFF AND I ASKED HIM WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. HE SAID THE AXLES NEED TO BE PROPERLY PLACED AND TOLD ME THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS TRYING TO PUT THE BLAME ON HIM. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT HIS ATTORNEY WITH ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. I CONTACTED HIM A FEW DAYS LATER FOR THE NAME OF HIS ATTORNEY. I AM NOT SATISFIED THAT THIS TRAILER IS SAFE AND THAT CAN BE EASILY REPAIRED. I HAVE BEEN MISLED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THIS TRAILER AND COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED BY THE MANUFACTURERS CARELESSNESS. THE TRAILER IS MANUFACTURED BY TEAM SPIRIT OF ELKHART, INC. 56616 ELK PARK DRIVE, ELKHART, IN 46516 (574) 266-2966 MODEL NO:TSCE-10222T2

I PURCHASED A 2005 LEXINGTON MOTORHOME FROM A DEALER IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA WHICH WAS MANUFACTOURED BY FOREST RIVE, INC. I STARTED A TRIP AROUND THE COUNTRY AND SHORTLY INTO MY TRIP I DISCOVERED THAT APPARENTLY DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT, UNDER THE MOTORHOME SLIDEOUT 4 HOLES ALLOW CARBON MONOXIDE INTO THE CABIN. AT FIRST THE CARBON MONOXIDE CAME FROM THE GENERATOR EXHAUST BUT LATER WE DISCOVERED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE PARKED NEXT TO THE MOTORHOME ALSO PRESENTED A PROBLEM. MEASURMENTS OF OVER 450PPM WHERE REGISTERED ON THE CO2 ALARM. I ENDED UP IN EMERGENCY TWICE AND HAD THREE EXPOSURES AND CONFIRMED POISONINGS OF CARBON MONOXIDE. FOREST RIVER INC. MANUFACTURED THE MOTORHOME AND HAS YET BEEN WILLING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR MY CO ALARM, I FEEL I WOULD BE DEAD TODAY. THE FACTORY (OF COURSE) DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR DESIGN. BECAUSE OF THIS LIFE THREATENING DEFECT, I AM NOT MORALLY ABLE TO SELL THIS MOTORHOME AS IT IS A DEATH TRAP. I FEEL THE FACTORY HAS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO NOTIFY THE OWNERS OF THE MANY MODELS THAT USE THIS SLIDEOUT DESIGN IN THEIR MOTORHOME OF THIS POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE DOES DIE OR SUFFERS SERIOUS DAMAGE FROM THIS VERY DANGEROUS POISION. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURE APPARENTLY DID NOT DO THE FORD RECOMMENDED ALIGNMENT OF THE BODY AFTER BUILDING THE MOTORHOME AND THE VEHICLE WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I WAS HOWEVER ABLE TO GET A FORD DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR THE SAFETY PROBLEM.