NHTSA Complaint #10197186 — 2005 FOREST RIVER TRAVEL TRAILER

SUBJECT VEHICLE IS A 2005 WILDCAT 28RK FIFTH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER. IN JULY, 2006, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES OF SERVICE, I NOTICED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. I CALLED THE AXLE MANUFACTURER, AL-KO KOBER, STATED THAT I HAD EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, AND THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIVE, TO MY SURPRISE, AND IMMEDIATELY SHIPPED A NEW AXLE TO MY DEALER, AND THEY INSTALLED. OVER THE NEXT YEAR, I PUT AN ADDITIONAL APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES ON THE TRAILER, AND AGAIN, NOTICED THE SAME EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AT THE SAME LOCATION. I TOOK THE TRAILER TO AN ALIGNMENT SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS TOE IN, AND THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS SLIGHTLY TOE OUT. I FAXED THE ALIGNMENT REPORT TO MY DEALER, WHO THEN FAXED THE REPORT TO AL-KO. AL-KO OFFERED TO SHIP ME TWO NEW AXLES, WHICH I MUST PAY TO HAVE INSTALLED, ($300.00), AND SHIP THE OLD AXLES BACK TO THEM FOR EVALUATION. I REQUESTED AL-KO PAY TO HAVE AN ALIGNMENT DONE, BUT THEY ONLY AGREED TO AXLE REPLACEMENT. NOW, THE INTERESTING PART... AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALER, AND THE MANUFACTURER OF THE LASAR ALIGNMENT MACHINE THAT DISCOVERED MY ALIGNMENT PROBLEM, IT WAS STATED THAT TRAVEL TRAILERS, IN GENERAL, GO OUT THE DOOR WITHOUT WHEEL BALANCING, OR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THIS PRACTICE IS UNSAFE, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MISALIGNMENT CAUSES RAPID, EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR, CAUSING, IN TURN, TIRE FAILURES WHICH CAN LEAD TO A CRASH. I OFFER AS A SOLUTION: REQUIRE THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER TO PERFORM A WHEEL ALIGNMENT, AND PROVIDE THE END USER, THE CONSUMER, WITH A BEFORE AND AFTER CERTIFIED, ALIGNMENT REPORT. I WILL FAX YOU MY ALIGNMENT REPORT, UPON REQUEST. *TR