NHTSA Complaint #10494585 — 2007 KEYSTONE MONTANA

TOOK DELIVERY OF A NEW 2007 KEYSTONE MONTANA 3400RL (JANUARY 11, 2007) THAT IS STAMPED WITH A GAWR OF 7,000 LBS AND GVWR 15,500 LBS. THE FACTORY TREDIT T6 WHEELS HAVE A CASTING STAMP OF 3,042, BUT A STICKER ON THE RIM INDICATING 3,750 LBS @ 110 PSI. (AT LEAST 3,500 LBS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MEET THE GAWR AND GVWR). WHEN WE REPLACED TIRES IN 2008, THE TIRE DEALER SAID THE STICKER LOOKED SUSPICIOUS AND REQUESTED THE RATING FOR THE T6 WHEEL TO BE IN WRITING FROM TREDIT. WE OBTAINED THAT VERIFICATION IN THE FORM OF AN EMAIL FROM TREDIT IN 2008, WHICH WE HAVE. WE AGAIN NEED TO REPLACE THE TIRES AND WE REQUESTED VERIFICATION IN WRITING FROM TREDIT, HOWEVER THIS TIME WE LEARN VIA EMAIL FROM TREDIT THAT THE RATING ON THE STICKER HAS BEEN RESCINDED AS THAT WHEEL NEVER ACTUALLY PASSED THE LOAD TEST. WITHOUT THE STICKER RATING, OUR STAMPED 3,042 WHEELS ARE 500LBS UNDER-RATED FOR THE LOAD, OR 2,000 LBS OVERLOADED FOR THE GVWR AS DELIVERED FROM THE FACTORY, NOT TO MENTION THAT THE FACTORY TIRES EXCEEDED THE LOAD CAPACITY ON THE WHEELS AS WELL. THERE WERE NO NOTIFICATIONS OR RECALLS RECEIVED ABOUT CHANGES IN THE WHEEL RATING, AND WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNERS. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE DISCREPANCY ON THE KEYSTONE WEBSITE UNDER NOTIFICATIONS AND RECALLS, EVEN THOUGH THIS ISSUE EXTENDED THROUGH AT LEAST ONE MODEL YEAR, POSSIBLY TWO. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE WAY THE STICKER WAS HANDLED. OUR MODEL MONTANA WAS BUILT WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH THAT KEYSTONE/MONTANA SWITCHED TO 7,000 LB CAPACITY AXLES, YET THE WHEELS WERE THE SAME TREDIT T6 USED SINCE 2005 ON THE 6,000 LB CAPACITY AXLES. I BELIEVE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES LEADING TO THE STICKERS TO ALLOW THE WHEELS TO MEET THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY OF THE NEW AXLES. *TR