NHTSA Complaint #10325250 — 2011 GULF STREAM VISTA CRUISER

YOUR SITE WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO SELECT CORRECT MAKE AND MODEL WHICH IS LISTED BELOW. THE TRAILER BRAKES DID NOT WORK ON NEWLY PURCHASED 2011 VISA GULF STREAM TRAVEL TRAILER PRIOR TO LEAVING 83 RV DEALER WITH THE TRAILER ON MARCH 23 2010. DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS OUR TOW VEHICLE CAUSING PROBLEM AND SAID IT WAS OK FOR US TO LEAVE WITH TRAILER BRAKES NOT WORKING. AFTER GOING THROUGH ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM BY OURSELVES, WE FOUND THE MAIN ELECTRIC BRAKE WIRE WAS PINCHED IN THE RIGHT SIDE AXEL FLANGE AT THE FACTORY CAUSING THE TRAILER BRAKES NOT TO WORK. HAD TO REMOVE ONE FLANGE BOLT TO RELEASE WIRE, CUT OUT SMASHED WIRE AREA AND SPLICE IN A NEW SECTION OF WIRE. TRAILER BRAKES THEN WORKED. ON MARCH 27, AFTER PULLING 2011 VISA GULF STREAM 500 MILES ON FIRST TRIP IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, UPON REACHING DESTINATION, FOUND A BIG HOLE WORN THROUGH FRONT OF RIGHT PLASTIC WHEEL WELL WHICH LEFT AN OPENING DIRECTLY INTO CABINETRY INSIDE OF TRAILER (CABINET WAS EMPTY WHILE TRAVELING.) HOLE WAS CAUSED BY TIRE HITTING AND RUBBING ON WHEEL WELL DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO TRAVEL TRAILER AND MAY EVENTUAL CAUSE A TIRE BLOW OUT. REMOVED RIGHT WHEEL WELL AND TOOK TO D & N CAMPER SALES IN MEMPHIS WHICH WAS RECOMMENDED BY GULF STREAM. D & N CAMPER SALES REPAIRMAN SPOKE VIA PHONE WITH GULF STREAM AND SOLD US $15 WORTH OF BLACK UNDERCOATING TAPE SO THAT WE COULD SEAL HOLE IN WHEEL WELL OURSELVES FOR RETURN DRIVE HOME. IN LOOKING AT TRAILER, IT APPEARS THAT WHEEL WELL IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH OR CENTERED CAUSING WHEEL TO HIT WELL IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. ALSO APPEARS THE PLASTIC WHEEL WELL EITHER DIDN'T FIT PROPERLY OR WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AND WAS 'FIXED' BY USING GLOBS OF BLACK SILICONE SEALANT TO FILL THE SPACES. FRONT OF LEFT WHEEL WELL IS ALSO SHOWING RUB MARKS FROM TIRE. CONCERNED THAT SIDE WALLS OF TRAVEL TRAILER ARE BEING DAMAGED BY WHEEL RUBBING OR HITTING WELL. ALSO CONCERNED THAT CONTINUED RUBBING WILL CAUSE TIRE BLOW OUT