NHTSA Complaint #10135871 — 2005 DOUBLE TREE 36TK3

TWO OF FOUR WHEELS ON MY 2005 MOBILE SUITES 5TH WHEEL CRACKED WHILE ON A TRIP. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR OUR REMOTE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR WHICH NOTIFIED US OF THE TIRES LOSING PRESSURE BEFORE A BLOW-OUT COULD OCCUR, WE COULD VERY WELL HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC BLOW-OUT ON THE MOUNTAIN ROADS WE WERE TRAVELING. SINCE THE EQUIPMENT FAILURE OCCURRED,I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY SUSPENSION EXPERTS THAT THE SUSPENSION AND AXLES ARE UNSAFE ALSO. THE MANUFACTURER CHOSE TO USE TWO 7,000 POUND AXLES INSTEAD OF THE NECESSARY 8,000 POUND AXLES THAT ARE WARRANTED FOR A GVWR OF 16,000. THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CANNOT SUBTRACT OUT THE "PIN WEIGHT" FROM THE GVWR WHEN SIZING THE AXLES BECAUSE THE DYNAMIC FORCES THAT ARE TRANSMITTED TO THE SUSPENSION WHILE IN MOTION ARE FAR GREATER THAN SIMPLY THE STATIC WEIGHT. THE MANUFACTURER, DOUBLETREE RV, OF HOWE, INDIANA. REFUSES TO ANSWER MY REGISTERED LETTERS. I HAVE ASKED THE MANUFACTURER TO REPLACE THE CURRENT SUSPENSION WITH THE TWO 8,000 DEXTER AXLES WITH 17.5 INCH WHEELS AND "H" RATED TIRES AT NO COST TO ME. MY RETIREMENT 5TH WHEEL IS NOT SAFE TO USE. --JAMES WESTON. *NM