2004 National RV Rage'N

I OWN A 2004 RAGE'N LX 3435-5J 5TH WHEEL TOY HAULER MANUFACTURED BY NATIONAL RV. THE FRAME OF THIS TRAILER IS MANUFACTURED BY LIPPERT SOMETIME IN 2003. AROUND OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR I NOTICED THAT THE FIBERGLASS EXTERIOR AROUND THE HITCH PIN WAS DISTORTING WHEN I WOULD LOWER THE TRAILER ONTO MY TRUCKS HITCH. I ALSO BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE INTERIOR FLOOR CABINETS OVER THE HITCH PIN WERE BEGINNING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE SIDE WALLS. I TOOK THE TRAILER TO JOHNNY WALKER SERVICE AND THEY PEELED THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER AND DID A REPAIR THE "MANUFACTURER", (I DON'T KNOW WHICH), SAID WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I PUT APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 200 MILES ON THE TRAILER AND NOTICED THAT THE SAME CABINETS ARE NOW PULLING AWAY FROM THE FRONT WALL. JOHNNY WALKER SERVICE STILL HAS THE TRAILER AND IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THIS IS OCCURRING BUT THIS STRUCTURAL FAILURE HAS NOW REAPPEARED AFTER WHAT WAS A MANUFACTURERS "SOLUTION" WAS APPLIED. THE MANUFACTURER OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THAT THERE IS SOME KIND OF PROBLEM OR THEY WOULDN'T HAVE SUGGESTED A "FIX". I DON'T FEEL SAFE KNOWING THE POSSIBILITY OF A 10,000 TO 12,000 TRAILER MAY BREAK LOOSE ON THE BACK OF MY TRUCK WHILE MOVING. I HAD PICTURES TAKEN OF THE REPAIRS MADE PRIOR TO THE EXTERIOR BEING REAPPLIED. *TR

AFTER EXITING A 20 MPH LEFT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH THE RIGHT SIDE TIRES BOTH BLEW. AFTER PULLING TO THE SHOULD OF THIS NARROW ROAD I INSPECTED THE TIRES AND FOUND THE CENTER BRACKET FOR THE TRUNNION HAD COLLAPSED INWARD. THIS CAUSED BOTH TIRES TO RUB ON THE FRAME AND FAIL. I PUT THE SPARE ON TO MOVE TRAILER OUT OF THE ROADWAY IT TO BLEW, BUT WAS ABLE TO LAST LOG ENOUGH TO PARK TRAILER AT A SAFER LOCATION. AS A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER I HAD INSPECTED THE TRAILER PRIOR TO OUR TRIP AND FOUND NO SIGNS OF FATIGUE OR DAMAGE. A MOBILE TRUCK REPAIR PERSON CAME OUT AFTER 4 DAYS AND FIXED THE BRACKET TEMPORARILY SO I COULD GET IT TO A CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP. DEALER FOUND THAT THE OTHER 5 BRACKETS HAD ALSO BEEN BENT DUE TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE TRUNNION BRACKET. *TR

THIS RV/TOY HAULER IS TOWED ON THE HIGHWAY BEHIND A PROPERLY EQUIPPED FORD F250 CREWCAB SHORT BED TRUCK. THIS RV/TOY HAULER HAS NEVER BEEN OVERLOADED OR ABUSED IN ANY MANNER AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. THE FAILURE I'M REPORTING INVOLVES THE TRAILER FRAME AREA THAT SUPPORTS THE FIFTH WHEEL HITCH. WHILE TOWING THE TRAILER BACK FROM A WEEKEND TRIP THE TRAILER FRAME AREA THAT SUPPORTS AND SECURES THE HITCH FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED BY CRACKING AND COLLAPSING WHICH RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT RISK TO THE PASSENGERS OF THE TOW VEHICLE AND DAMAGE TO FRAME AND THE INTERIOR OF THE TRAILER. AT THIS POINT THE MANUFACTURE IS UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY PERIOD AND WANTS THE INSURANCE COMPANY OR ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, WHAT A RACKET BUILD A PRODUCT THAT FAILS UNDER NORMAL USE AND GET THE INSURANCE CARRIER TO COVER THE REPAIRS. *TR