NHTSA Complaint #10330488 — 2004 WILDCAT 510

2004 WILDCAT FOREST RIVER 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER IN GETTING PREPARED FOR A TIP, NOTICED CRACKS IN THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH AREA, [ODI NOTE: BASED ON CONVERSATION WITH OWNER, SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION FOUND THAT SCREWS WERE MISSING OR HAD FALLEN OUT; NOT A PIN BOX ISSUE] TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, CAMPER CLINIC IN BUDA TEXAS......DEALERSHIP INFORMS ME THAT FRAMING HAS COME LOOSE FROM WALLS, CORRECTION WILL BE TO WELD IN NEW ANGLE AIR AND REINFORCE AND THEN REINSTALL.....FOR A TOTAL COST OF $2374.14 TURNED INTO INSURANCE CO, INS CO SAYS NOT COVERED THAT THIS IS A MFG DEFECT AND TO HAVE MFG CORRECT FOREST RIVER HAS INSTRUCTED DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE SCREWS IN FRONT AND PUT LONGER SCREWS ON THE SIDES AND HOPE IT HELPS. I AM UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MFG OF THE FRAME, LIPPERT IS WELL AWARE OF FRAME FLEX ISSUES ON TRAVEL TRAILERS, AND AWARE OF MAJOR PIN BOX FAILURES, BUT THEY FAIL TO REPAIR THESE ISSUES AND ALLOW THESE TRAILERS TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON THE OPEN HWY. APPARENTLY IF YOU LOOK UP IN THE PIN BOX YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE HITCH POINTS AND SPOT ANY CRACKS. APPARENTLY LIPPERT IF AWARE OF THE CRACKS/BAD WELDS THAT CAN BE FOUND AT THE KING PIN ATTACH POINT BUT WILLNOT REPAIR. NEITHER FOREST RIVER OR LIPPERT IS OFFERING TO PAY FOR THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR