NHTSA Complaint #10176398 — 2007 NATIONAL RV DOLPHIN

5000 LB. RECEIVER HITCH ATTACHMENT FAILURE. RECEIVER HITCH ATTACHED TO MOTOR HOME CHASSIS WITH 4 RIVET TYPE FASTENERS. THESE FASTENERS HAVE WORKED LOOSE IN LESS THAN 32 MONTHS AND 14000 MILES. THEY CAN NOT BE TIGHTENED. THE LOOSENESS HAS CAUSED THE HOLES IN THE CHASSIS TO ELONGATE. IF THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN DISCOVERED BY A UTAH HIGHWAY PATROLMAN, THE RECEIVER HITCH COULD HAVE COME LOOSE FROM THE MOTOR HOME. BECAUSE THE SAFETY CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THIS ATTACHMENT AND NOT THE CHASSIS, COMPLETE FAILURE WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE TOWED VEHICLE TO ALSO BECOME COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE MOTOR HOME. IF THIS CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT SHOULD OCCUR, INJURY OR FATALITY COULD OCCUR DUE TO THE TOWED VEHICLE MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT A DRIVER. TEMPORARY REPAIRS WERE MADE BY WELDING THE RECEIVER HITCH ASSEMBLY DIRECTLY TO THE MOTOR HOME CHASSIS. PHOTOGRAPHS OR THE MOTOR HOME ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. NATIONAL RV, INC. HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM AND THAT I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT. THE HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO MY LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY EXCEPT TO SAY THEY WOULD LOOK INTO THE MATTER. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM, I FEEL THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I FEEL A CURE FOR THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE EXPEDITED BY NATIONAL RV. PLEASE NOTE, I HAVE SENT 2 LETTERS TO NATIONAL AS WELL AS PHOTOS OF THE PROBLEM AND THE REPAIRS. THE MODEL OF THIS MOTOR HOME IS A DOLPHIN LX 6355 AND IS NOT IN THE NHTSA DATABASE. *JB