NHTSA Complaint #10136598 — 2004 FLEETWOOD WILDERNESS

NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 05V-289 I CONTACTED LIPPERT AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN# DOES NOT MATCH THOSE IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED RECALL. HOWEVER, MY FLEETWOOD WILDERNESS 365 ADVANTAGE AX6 FIFTH-WHEEL WAS TOWED 9/14/05 TO LIPPERT DUE TO BROKEN WELDS ON THE CHASSIS. MY HUSBAND WAS TOWING THE VEHICLE WHEN A PASSERBY FLAGGED HIM (ON THE FREEWAY) AND SAID TO PULL OVER DUE THE EXCESSIVE WEAVING OF THE TRAILER. HE DID SO AND SAW THAT THE UNIT HAD ACTUALLY SEPARATED FROM THE CHASSIS AND A BEND WAS VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THE INSIDE. HE SAW THE BROKEN CROSS STRAPS AND CALLED FLEETWOOD, WHO AFTER MUCH DEBATE, CONTACTED LIBBERT AND SENT TECHNICIANS TO WELD BACK TOGETHER. LIPPERT STATED AFTER WELDING IT WOULD BE TOWABLE, BUT MY HUSBAND REFUSED AND HAD A PROFESSION TOW COMPANY TAKE TO LIPPERT IN RIALTO, WHERE THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO FIX IT. THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY THE TRAILERS IN THE RECALL AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT RESEARCHED FOR THIS RECALL...THE POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHE WAS HUGE AND WE WERE FORTUNATE THE PASSERBY WAS ABLE TO ALERT MY HUSBAND BEFORE THE TRAILER DISINTEGRATED ON THE 101 FREEWAY. *NM