2004 Forest River Wildcat

THIS 2004 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT 26FBS TRAVEL TRAILER SUFFERED FROM A FAILURE OF THE TRAILER FRAME, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE HANGER BRACKETS THAT SERVE AS THE ATTACHMENT POINT FOR TORSION AXLES TO THE TRAILER ITSELF. THE DAMAGE INITIALLY WENT UNNOTICED, BUT UPON ARRIVAL AT HOME I NOTICED THAT THE REAR-MOST TIRES OF THE TRAILER WERE NOT MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND ON AN INCLINE.CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE TRAILER REVEALED THAT THE REAR MOST HANGER BRACKETS HAD BROKEN ON THE TRAILER (NOT THE AXLES THEMSELVES) AND THE AXLE HAD SPUN INTO A LOCKED POSITION, STILL ATTACHED BY THE FRONT TWO RETAINING BOLTS. THERE ARE A TOTAL OF FOUR ATTACHMENT BOLTS PER AXLE, THE RESULT WAS THAT THE AXLE ONLY REMAINED ATTACHED BY TWO BOLTS AND HANGERS. INSPECTION AND REPAIR BY A CERTIFIED WELDER INDICATED THAT THE HANGER BRACKETS SUFFERED FROM WEAK WELDS AND THIS RESULTED IN THE FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY, THE WELDER REPAIRED ONE OF THE TWO REMAINING FUNCTIONING ATTACHED HANGER BRACKETS NOTING ITS WEAKNESS. *JS

I AM AN OWNER OF A 2004 WILDCAT, 28? FIFTH WHEEL. DURING A TRIP I NOTICED ONE OF THE TIRES WAS WORN TO THE CORD ON THE INSIDE EDGE, WHILE STILL HAVING TREAD ON THE OUTSIDE. IF THIS HAD NOT BEEN NOTICED, I?M SURE THAT WITHIN THE NEXT 100 MILES I WOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGING A TIRE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH RUBBER FROM THE TIRE EVERYWHERE. THE TIRE WAS CHANGED AND TRIP CONTINUED. UPON RETURN, I DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE RV DEALER AND HE REFERRED ME TO A SPECIALIST SHOP THAT HAD THE EQUIPMENT TO CHECK THE SUSPENSION. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ?TOE IN? ON BOTH AXLES WERE OUT BY 1/2 INCH AND THE PROBLEMS WERE OUTSIDE THE SPRING HANGERS (SPINDLE TO AXLE ALIGNMENT). PRIOR TO MAKING THE REPAIRS, I CONTACTED AL-KO KOBER BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ON THE INTERNET (RV.NET) ABOUT DEFECTIVE AXLES BEING MANUFACTURED IN THAT TIMEFRAME. THE INFORMATION ON THE AXLE STATED (MODEL T52 3, DATE 25?03, SLR 373MM, 5200 LBS). THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECALL, AXLES WERE OUT OF WARRANTY (2 YEARS) BUT THEY DID REPLACE DEFECTIVE AXLES IF: 1.THE AXLES WERE SHIPPED TO THEM 2.THEY VERIFIED THAT THE AXLES WERE DEFECTIVE 3.THEY WOULD SHIP NEW AXLES. OF COURSE, THIS DID NOT INCLUDE LABOR, TIRES, TRAVEL TIME OF HAULING TRAILER TO DEALER, SUSPENSION SHOP, OR ANY OTHER COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AXLES. SINCE THE ABOVE RESPONSE WAS VERY ?IFFY? AND TIME CONSUMING AND SINCE I HAD THE TRAILER AT THE SUSPENSION SHOP, I CHOSE TO UPGRADE AXLES TO 6,000# AND THE SPRINGS TO SIX LEAVES VS THE FOUR THAT WAS THE STANDARD EQUIPMENT. WHEN THE ?TOE IN? ON THE NEW AXLES WAS CHECKED, IT WAS WITHIN 1/16?. I HAVE DOCUMENTED THIS UNDER FOREST RIVER BECAUSE THERE IS NO PROVISION TO DOCUMENT AS AN ?AXLE? ISSUE. REFERENCE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS 10199333, 10174036, 10169948,10169990. *TR