NHTSA Complaint #10327791 — 2005 HOLIDAY RAMBLER NEPTUNE

WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 HOLIDAY RAMBLER NEPTUNE MOTORHOME AT APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MILES PER HOUR IT BEGAN TO SHUDDER VIOLENTLY. WHEN I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE I DISCOVERED THAT BOTH REAR TRAILING ARMS HAD CRACKED OFF CAUSING THE ENTIRE REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY TO SHIFT REARWARD. DAMAGE TO THE MOTORHOME INCLUDED A BENT FRAME RAIL, MOTOR MOUNTS, UNIVERSAL JOINTS, SHOCK ABSORBERS AND BOTH TRAILING ARMS. THESE ARMS WERE INSPECTED IN 2006 AFTER RECEIVING A SAFETY NOTICE FROM HOLIDAY RAMBLER AT WHICH TIME THEY WERE FOUND IN GOOD ORDER. THE PARENT COMPANY OF HOLIDAY RAMBLER, MONACO CORPORATION, WAS GRANTED BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION JUST PRIOR TO MY INCIDENT, THUS DODGING THE LIABILITY ISSUE, HOWEVER THEY WERE ABLE TO SUPPLY REPLACEMENT ARMS AT MY COST. THE ARMS APPEAR TO BE OF THE SAME DESIGN AS THE ORIGINALS THAT FAILED. I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THOSE WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY STRONGER VERSION AS I UNDERSTAND FAILURE OF THE REPLACEMENT ARMS IS IMMINENT. IT IS MY CONCLUSION THAT WHEN MONACO CORPORATION BECAME AWARE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE TRAILING ARM PROBLEM A FULL REPLACEMENT PROGRAM WITH RE-ENGINEERED ARMS SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF THE ARMS MAY FAIL, BUT RATHER THEY WILL FAIL AND WITHOUT WARNING. PHOTOS OF THE FAILED PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR