NHTSA Complaint #10236292 — 2005 FOREST RIVER TRAVEL TRAILER

TONGUE ON THESE TRAILERS ARE MADE OF A MATERIAL TOO THIN TO SUPPORT THEIR WEIGHT. MY TONGUE FOLDED UP WHILE ENROUTE FROM A CAMPING TRIP. IT WAS LESS THAN 3 INCHES FROM THE GROUND BY THE TIME I GOT HOME. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THIS OCCURRED. ANY BUMP IN THE ROAD COULD HAVE GRABBED THE TRAILER AND RIPPED US APART. THE MANUFACTURE HAS TOLD ME THEY HAVE HAD TO INCREASE THE THICKNESS OF THE METAL SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR OWN DISCOVERY OF THIS ISSUE - BUT NO RECALL. ALSO, THEY SENT ME A NEW TONGUE OF THE SAME GAUGE METAL AS THE ONE I HAVE THAT FAILED TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE A STRONGER TONGUE. I HAD TO HIRE A WELDER TO BUILD ONE FROM SCRATCH AT MY COST. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS INVESTIGATE THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE PRODUCED THESE TRAILERS THAT ARE AT RISK OF COLLAPSING ON THE ROADWAYS WHILE STILL BEING PULLED BY PASSENGER VEHICLES. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND SO CAN OTHERS WHO HAVE THESE LIGHT WEIGHT TONGUES ON #12,000 LB TRAILERS. I STILL HAVE THE TONGUE FOR YOUR INSPECTION. I ALSO HAVE PLENTY OF PICTURES EVEN THOSE WHILE STILL ATTACHED TO MY VEHICLE AFTER THE CAMPING TRIP. I WOULD HAVE FAILED TO CLEAR A SPEED BUMP. *TR