NHTSA Complaint #10366915 — 2007 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT

I OWN A 2007 FOREST RIVER 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. IT IS A WILDCAT MODEL 28RKBS. THE MANUFACTURE OF THE FRAME FOR THE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER IS A COMPANY CALLED LIPPERT COMPONENTS, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH PIN BOX TO WHERE IT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME CROSS MEMBERS. THERE WAS CRACKS IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR CROSS MEMBER THAT SUPPORT THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH, THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER WAS CRACKED BY MORE THAN 90% OF THE WIDTH OF THE CROSS MEMBER. THE REAR CROSS MEMBER WAS CRACKED ACROSS THE TOTAL WIDTH OF THE PIN BOX. WHEN I AM REFERRING TO CROSS MEMBERS THAT IS THE STEAL BEAM OF THE FRAME THAT SPANS THE WIDTH OF THE TRAILER AND SUPPORTS THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH. I WAS LUCKY THAT I NOTICED THE PROBLEM WITH THE HITCH PRIOR TO A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE HITCH. IF THE HITCH HAD COMPLETELY FAILED IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE, INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH. TO ME THIS LOOKS LIKE A WEAKNESS IN THE DESIGN OF THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH ON LIPPERT COMPONENTS FRAMES. AFTER THIS HAPPENED, I CONTACTED FOREST RIVER AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS LIPPERT COMPONENTS PROBLEM . I THEN CONTACTED LIPPERT COMPONENT AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM, BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MUCH INFORMATION THERE WAS ON THE WEB ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH LIPPERT FRAMES AND ABOUT THE LACK OF SUPPORT FROM LIPPERT TO CORRECT THEIR PROBLEMS. I THINK IT IS TIME FOR SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM WITH FRAMES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED FROM A LIPPERT PIN BOX TO FRAME FAILURE. IF YOU NEED TO SEE PICTURES OF THE FAILURE TO MY 5TH WHEEL PIN BOX, I CAN SEND THEM TO YOU, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *TR