NHTSA Complaint #10437722 — 2007 KEYSTONE MONTANA

I HAVE A 2007 KEYSTONE MONTANA FIFTH WHEEL WITH BAL "C" JACKS (NORCO INDUSTRIES) ON THE REAR FRAME. WHILE TRAILERING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA I WAS SIGNALED TO PULL OVER BY ANOTHER DRIVER. WHEN I DID, I NOTICED THE BOTH C JACK WERE DRAGGING ON THE PAVEMENT. IT WAS NOT THE PEDESTAL END OF THE JACKS BUT THE ENDS TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE TRAILER AND THE T BRACKETS BRACKETS WERE BENT. I HAD TO REMOVE BOTH JACKS TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO MY HOME IN ARIZONA. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE JACKS AND I DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A SUPPORT CHANNEL THAT WAS MISSING. I PURCHASED THE NECESSARY PARTS THROUGH A DEALER AND INSTALLED THEM MYSELF. APPARENTLY THE SUPPORT CHANNEL FELL OUT SOMEWHERE ON THE FREEWAY, I KNOW NOT WHERE. ACCORDING TO THE INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE JACKS, THE SUPPORT CHANNEL SHOULD BE WELDED OR SECURED BY SCREW. IT WAS NOT. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF A SCREW EVER BEING PRESENT. I HAVE SINCE MET TWO OTHER MONTANA OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME C JACK SYSTEM AND THEIR SUPPORT CHANNELS ARE STILL PRESENT BUT NOT SECURED. ONE WAS WITHIN AN INCH OF FALLING OFF! I CALLED KEYSTONE CUSTOMER SERVICE IN AUGUST AND RELAYED THE INFORMATION TO THEM. TO MY SURPRISE THEY DID NOT APPEAR TO CARE ABOUT THE INCIDENT. I SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS A POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS IF SOMEONE WAS HIT BY OR RAN OVER A SUPPORT CHANNEL WHICH COULD FALL ONTO THE ROADWAY. IT DIDN'T PHASE THEM AND SINCE THE 5TH WHEEL WAS ALMOST 4 YEARS OLD AND OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. I DON'T CARE THAT THEY WOULDN'T HELP ME WITH PARTS OR LABOR, I FIXED IT MYSELF WITH ABOUT $20 WORTH OF PARTS AND MY OWN LABOR TIME. I FIND IT ABSOLUTELY IRRESPONSIBLE THAT THEY WON'T ADMIT THAT THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THEIR METHOD OF INSTALLING THE JACKS. SOMEONE SHOULD GET THE WORD OUT! *KB