NHTSA Complaint #10447180 — 2011 FOREST RIVER SALEM

THE MAIN FRAME OF THE TRAILER HAS FAILED DOE TO A GROSS ERROR OF THE MECHANICAL DESIGN IN MAKING THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER TOO THIN TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. ADDITIONALLY, THE REQUIREMENT TO USE A LOAD LEVELER BY THE DEALER AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER INCREASES THIS LOAD TO THE POINT THAT THE CALCULATED SAFETY MARGIN OF THE CROSSMEMBER THAT SUPPORTS THE TONGUE IS 1:1. THE CROSSMEMBER MATERIAL IS STANDARD A36 STEEL WITH A NOMINAL THICKNESS OF .1 INCHES AND IS BENT IN THE SHAPE OF A C CHANNEL, WELDED TO THE FRONT OF A 10 INCH I-BEAM WHICH COMPRISES THE MAJORITY OF THE LOAD BEARING STRUCTURE OF THE MAIN FRAME. THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER IN QUESTION IS USED AS A SUPPORT POINT FOR THE UNDERSLUNG TONGUE THAT IS WELDED TO THE LOWERMOST POINT OF THE I BEAM AND THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER CREATING A FULCRUM RATIO OF APPROXIMATELY 2.896 : 1. THE LEVER BEING THE TONGUE TUBING ITSELF THAT IS THEN PUSHED UPWARD INTO THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER WITH A FORCE OF 2400 POUNDS AS CALCULATED USING A MEASURED TONGUE WEIGHT OF 830 POUNDS WITH THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY UNLOADED OF ALL CARGO AND WASTEWATER AND WITH EMPTY PROPANE CYLINDERS. THIS FORCE IS SUPPORTED BY A TONGUE COMPRISED OF A 2X6 RECTANGULAR TUBING WITH A NOMINAL WALL THICKNESS OF .098 INCHES THAT HAS DEFORMED LONGITUDINALLY AND EXPANDED LATERALLY ACROSS THE SHORT AXIS DIRECTLY UNDER THE FRONT CROSSMEMEBER. THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER HAS THEN RECEDED INTO THE UNDERBELLY OF THE CAMPER AND BEGUN A VERTICAL CRACK THAT HAS COMPROMISED THE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF BOTH THE TOW VEHICLE AND THE TRAILER AT SPEED. ADDITIONALLY, THE ELECTRICAL BRAKING SYSTEM HAS FAILED DUE TO OTHER DESIGN FLAWS IN THE PROTECTION OF WIRING WITHIN THE WHEEL AND THE DESIGN OF THE MECHANICAL ACTUATION THAT IMPINGES ON THE WIRING HARNESSES FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT WHILE BEING ACTUATED. *TR