NHTSA Complaint #10176407 — 2004 NATIONAL RV SEABREEZE

POSSIBILITY OF OVER-WEIGHT PROBLEMS. 2004 NATIONAL RV, INC. LITERATURE STATES A DOLPHIN LX MODEL 6355 THAT THE 'MAXIMUM CARRYING CAPACITY' IS 2340 LBS AND 'CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY' IS 896 LBS., HOWEVER, THIS EVIDENTLY DOES NOT ADDRESS THE INSTALLATION OF A 'WASHER/DRYER COMBINATION' THAT THE MOTORHOME IS PLUMBED FOR NOR INSTALLATION OF THE FOLLOWING: SATELLITE DISH, TOW BAR, PERSONAL BELONGINGS, FOOD STORAGE, DRIVER AND PASSENGER, PETS ETC. I HAVE HAD MY MOTOR HOME WEIGHED 4 TIMES BOTH LOADED AND EMPTY AND ALL TIMES WITH A 'FULL FUEL, WATER AND 'LPG' TANK'. IT EITHER EXCEEDS OR BORDERLINE THE PUBLISHED WEIGHTS. (WEIGHT SLIPS ARE AVAILABLE) NATIONAL RV WEIGHED THE MOTOR HOME AND DISAGREES WITH THE 'CERTIFIED SCALE' WEIGHTS. BOTH 'WORKHORSE CHASSIS MANUFACTURING, AND ,MICHELIN TIRE MANUFACTURER' STATE OVERLOADING OF ANY KIND COULD AND PROBABLY WOULD 'VOID THE WARRANTY'. THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF THE 'STORAGE COMPARTMENTS' GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF AVAILABLE STORAGE CAPACITY. THIS IS A FALLACY. AT THE VERY LEAST, NATIONAL RV SHOULD CONTACT ALL 'MOTOR HOME' OWNERS AND SUPPLY LABELS FOR 'STORAGE COMPARTMENT DOORS' DETAILING THE POSSIBILITY OF OVER LOADING ISSUES. OVER LOADING OF A CHASSIS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO HANDLING PROBLEMS AND OVERLOADING OF THE TIRES CAN LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE. THIS COMBINED WITH THE OVER-WEIGHT PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO A MAJOR ACCIDENT. NATIONAL RV HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM AND THAT I AM FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DOLPHIN LX 6355 IS NOT IN THE NHTSA DATABASE. *JB