NHTSA Complaint #10147896 — 2000 NEWMAN SLED BED TRAILER

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LOAD A SNOWMOBILE ON A 10FT NEWMAN SLED BED TRAILER, THE TRAILER REARED UPWARD. THE CONTACT INITIALLY SUSPECTED THE TRAILER CAME UNHITCHED. AFTER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THE TONGUE COMPLETELY FRACTURED FROM THE TRAILER AND REMAINED INTACT ON THE HITCH. THERE WERE SMALL VISIBLE FRACTURES THROUGHOUT THE TONGUE ASSEMBLY. THE TRAILER WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. A WELDER DETERMINED THERE WERE SEVERAL WEAK POINTS ALONG THE TONGUE AND FRAME. THE WELDER REPAIRED THE TONGUE BY REINFORCING THE TONGUE WITH ADDITIONAL HEAVY ALUMINUM ALONG THE SIDES. *NM UPDATED 02/07/06 *JB