2006 Pilgrim Open Road

PINBOX FAILED WHERE CONNECTED TO MAIN FRAME. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE TRAILER FRONT TO FALL APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES, ALMOST CONTACTING THE TOP OF THE TRUCK BED RAILS. FAILURE WAS NOTICED WHEN WE STOPPED AT AN RV PARK AT THE END OF DAY. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES FAILED AT THE CONNECTION OF THE PINBOX TO THE MAIN FRAME. THE WELDS AT THE POINT OF CONNECTION DID NOT FAIL, RATHER IT WAS THE BASE METAL THAT CRACKED AND ALLOWED THE TRAILER FRONT TO DROP DOWN. EITHER THE STEEL WAS TOO LIGHT FOR THIS APPLICATION OR WAS INFERIOR IN SOME OTHER WAY. I SEE THAT LIPPERT HAS EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE MANY TIMES BEFORE. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION TO ALERT ME TO THIS PROBLEM WHEN A PROBLEM LIKE THIS THAT HAZARDS HUMAN LIVES EXISTS WHY HASN'T SOMETHING BEEN DONE TO CORRECT IT. AT THE VERY LEAST THEY COULD HAVE WARNED ALL PEOPLE THAT HAVE A LIPPERT FRAME TO BE ON THE WATCH FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. LIPPERT SHOULD HAVE TO CORRECT DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY HAVE FOISTED ON A PUBLLIC THAT PUT THEIR TRUST IN THEM. THE MANUFACTURER THAT USED THEIR PRODUCT SHOULD HAVE TO STEP UP AND ACCEPT THEIR SHARE OF THE BLAME ALSO. IS THERE NO SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY OR HONOR IN THESE COMPANIES INVOLVING THEIR PRODUCTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN PRODUCTS THAT FAIL MAY COST SOMEONE THEIR LIFE ?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PILGRIM OPEN ROAD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, SHE NOTICED THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER DROPPED ONTO THE BED SIDE RAILS OF THE TRUCK AND KING PIN. THE HITCH WENT INTO THE TRAILER. THE METAL HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO FATIGUED. THE RV WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT TRAILER REPAIR SHOP. THE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE RV AND NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS FRACTURED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THAT THE FRAME WOULD HAVE TO BE RE-WELDED. THE RV WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. UPDATED 01/13/12*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PILGRIM INTERNATIONAL OPEN ROAD CAMPER RV WITH THE ORIGINAL DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL NUMBER M-332RKS-5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REFRIGERATOR WAS REPAIRED UNDER A MANUFACTURER RECALL IN WHICH A SECONDARY SHIELD WAS INSTALLED AROUND THE BURNER. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT WITH THE REMEDY, GAS COULD STILL LEAK AND CAUSE A FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD ONLY DO A SECONDARY RE-ENFORCEMENT, BUT NOT REPAIR THE POSSIBLE LEAK. THE REFRIGERATOR WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

2006 PILGRIM INTERNATIONAL OPEN ROAD 5TH WHEEL PIN BOX WELDING BROKE ON RIGHT SIDE AND AS A RESULT THE METAL AROUND THE WELDING ON THE LEFT SIDE HAS ALSO BROKEN IN A COUPLE OF SPOTS. THE PIN BOX APPEARS TO BE READY TO GO THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE 5TH WHEEL. HAD WE NOT DISCOVERED THIS PRIOR TO PULLING IT WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO NOT ONLY OURSELVES BUT ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH LIPPERT RV FRAMES AND YET NO ONE SEEMS TO BE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE HAVE CONTACT LIPPERT VIA EMAIL AND WILL CONTACT THEM ON MONDAY TO ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE AND GET IT CORRECTED. *TR

R.V.FRAME FAILURE, IPPERRTT MFG. MANUFACTURERS THE MAJORITY OF ALL FAMES FOR TRAILER MFG'S AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE POOR WELDING AND THE FRAMES BREAKING. LIPPERT WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THERE FRAMES BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY ARE BUILDING THEM TO THE MFG. SPECS. MY FRAME BROKE AND LIPPERT SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT BECAUSE THE FACTORY THAT BUILT MINE HAS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND THEY HAVE NO ONE TO CHARGE IT BACK TO. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AS THERE ARE PLENTY ON RV.NET WHICH IS A RV FORUM. THANK YOU GENE SMITH. *TR

MY 2006 PILGRIM OPEN ROAD 394RD4S-5 5TH WHEEL TRAILER, PURCHASED IN CALGARY, AB, CANADA, SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC PIN-BOX FAILURE WHILE MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON VACATION IN CALIFORNIA IN JULY OF THIS YEAR. ON ARRIVAL IN SAN DIEGO, WE DISCOVERED THE PIN-BOX HAD GONE FROM A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO HORIZONTAL AND WAS PUSHED UP INTO THE FRONT CAP OF OUR TRAILER, RESULTING IN THE TRAILER NEARLY SITTING ON THE GUNWHALES OF OUR DODGE RAM 3500 AND THE FLOOR OF THE BEDROOM ABOVE THE HITCH BUCKLED UPWARDS. THE STRUCTURE WAS FIELD-REPAIRED ON-SITE BY LIPPERT COMPONENTS INC., THE FRAME MANUFACTURER, AND THE UNIT MOVED TO LA FOR SHOP REPAIRS. ON RETURN TO CANADA, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT OF EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AT OUR DEALERSHIP AND SEVERAL MORE DISCUSSED ON THE INTERNET ON USER SITES (ONE OF WHICH IS ALSO A 2006 OPEN ROAD). NEITHER PILGRIM INTERNATIONAL NOR LIPPERT COMPONENTS INC. ARE ABLE TO CONFIRM THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM (MATERIAL, DESIGN, WORKSMANSHIP), SO OUR 'REPAIRED' UNIT CONTINUES TO BE A LIABILITY AND WE ARE RELUCTANT TO TAKE IT ON THE ROAD AGAIN. THE PROSPECT OF 8 TONS OF TRAILER COMING LOOSE AND TAKING OUR TRUCK WITH IT INTO EITHER ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR OFF THE ROAD IS A CONCERN, TO PUT IT MILDLY. *NM