NHTSA Complaint #10189391 — 2004 FLEETWOOD ADVANTAGE

1. WE WERE RETURNING TO SC FROM FL ON JAN 20, 2007 TOWING A FLEETWOOD 36' 5TH WHEEL RV. WE WERE ALMOST HOME (2MILES AWAY) WHEN I FELT THE TRUCK STARTING TO LEAN TO THE RIGHT. I LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW THE ENTIRE TRAILER LURCH TO THE RIGHT, STOP AND LURCH TO THE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES. I STOPPED, LOOKED AND COULD SEE NOTHING WRONG. WE COMPLETED THE TRIP VERY SLOWLY TO OUR HOME WHERE THE UNIT IS KEPT. 2. THE FOLLOWING DAY I CLIMBED UNDER THE TRAILER AND DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE "TRUSSES" SUPPORTING THE MAIN SIDE-TO-SIDE FRAME HAD SNAPPED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REAR CROSS MEMBERS. THE METAL WAS ACTUALLY RIPPED AWAY FROM THE MAIN SIDE PARALLEL FRAMES. THE TWO PARALLEL MAIN FRAMES, WERE NO LONGER PARALLEL. THE COACH HAD MOVED ABOUT 2 INCHES TOWARD THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE. TIRES WERE RUBBING ON THE COACH AND THE FRAME. 3. I SENT AN ENTIRE PACKAGE TO FLEETWOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS IN RIVERSIDE, CA AND HAVE A RECEIPT THAT THEY RECEIVED IT. THEY LOST IT. AFTER 30 DAYS I SENT ANOTHER PACKAGE, COMPLETE WITH PICTURES, TO FRAN HOFFA, FLEETWOOD, CRAWFORDSVILLE IN. AFTER NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS, SHE SAID THAT THE FRAME MANUFACTURER WAS SENDING AN EXPERT OUT TO INSPECT IT. TWO DAYS LATER A WELDER SHOWED UP AND TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO WELD THE TWO SIDES TOGETHER. I ASKED HIM HOW HE WAS GOING TO MAKE THE TWO MAIN FRAMES PARALLEL AND HE SAID HE WASN'T, HE WAS JUST GOING TO WELD MORE SUPPORTS. I TOLD HIM TO RETURN TO GA AND NOT TO TOUCH MY TRAILER. THE FRAMES WOULD NOT BE PARALLEL, THE COACH WOULD NOT BE ATTACHED (IT CAN'T BE NOW) AFTER SLIDING TO ONE SIDE. COMPLAINTS TO FRAN HOFFA, WHO APPARENTLY IS IN A DECISION-MAKING POSITION, FELL ON DEAF EARS. FLEETWOOD IS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING. THIS TRAILER IS NOT ROAD WORTHY, IT CAN'T BE MOVED AND IF THIS EVENT HAD HAPPENED ON I 95, TWO HOURS BEFORE IT HAPPENED, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD. I STILL OWE ABOUT @20,000.00 ON THIS UNIT AND IT CAN'T BE MOVED. IT'S A TOTAL LOSS. *TR