NHTSA Complaint #10170081 — 2004 DUTCHMEN TRAILER

OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE EXPERIENCED FOUR TIRE BLOWOUTS ON MY 2004 5TH WHEEL RV. THE FIRST TIRE THAT BLEW I JUST TOOK IT AS POSSIBLE ROAD HAZARD. THIS YEAR ENROUTE TO NEW YORK ON VACATION, I HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE RV. I REPLACED IT WITH A SPARE. ON THE WAY BACK HOME I HAD ONE REAR TIRE ON DRIVER SIDE OF RV BLOW OUT AND THE OTHER REAR TIRE ON PASSENGER SIDE LOSE ALL THE TREAD IN THE MIDDLE OF TIRE. I STARTED CHECKING INTO THE PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND TWO PROBLEMS. I HAVE AL KO AXLES, WHICH I FOUND ARE A POSSIBLE DEFECT. I CONTACTED AL KO REF. THE PROBLEM AND THEY SENT TWO NEW AXLES, BUT WHEN I QUESTIONED THEM THEY STATED THEY HAD NO RECALL AS THEY COULD NOT SAY IF THE AXLES WERE A PROBLEM OR IF THERE WERE SOME OTHER PROBLEM. THE TRAILER REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE AXLES TAKEN OFF WERE FLAT, COMPARED TO THE NEW AXLES THAT HAVE A SLIGHT BOW TO THEM. I UNDERSTAND HAVING THE BOW IS THE WAY THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO BE. THE OTHER PROBLEM WHICH I FIND OCCURR QUITE FREQUENTLY IS CARLISLE TIRES BLOWING OUT. I HAVE EXPERIENCED FOUR CARLISLE TIRES BLOWING OUT. THEY EACH HAD PROPER AIR IN THEM 80 PSI, AND THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER WAS UNDER THE WEIGHT. THE TIRES WERE SENT BACK TO CARLISLE AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS DUE TO ROAD HAZARDS. I DID FINALLY GET THEM TO SEND ME A CHECK FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES, BUT AGAIN NO REPAIR OF THE DAMAGES. DUTCHMAN COMPLETELY HAS WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THIS PROBLEM. *NM