NHTSA Complaint #10542693 — 2009 DUTCHMEN DENALI

2009 DUTCHMEN DENALI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AXLE ASSEMBLY ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER LEARNED THE TIRES WERE FILLED WITH NITROGEN, RATHER THAN REGULAR AIR. IN NOVEMEBR 2010, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE TIRES WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE WEAR AFTER HAVING DRIVEN LESS THAN 1800 MILES. LOOKING AT ALL FOUR TIRES, HE NOTICED THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD THE MOST EXCESSIVE WEAR, THAN THE OTHERS ON THE INSIDE. SO MUCH, THAT THE CORD COULD BE SEEN. HE LATER DISCOVERED THE WHEEL HAD BEEN WELDED CROOKED ON THE AXLE. HE CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE WITH HIS GAUGE AND TO HIS SURPRISE, EVEN THE SPARE, STILL MOUNTED UNDER THE TRAILER WERE UNDER THE RECOMMENDED PSI. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE TRAILER TO A CERTIFIED NITROGEN CENTER, WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THE REASON FOR THE EXTREME WEAR, WAS DUE TO THE TIRES BEING UNDER-INFLATED. THE TIRES WERE PROMPTLY FILLED WITH THE CORRECT PRESSURE OF 65 PSI. THE CONSUMER THEN LEARNED, THE TIRES WERE TOO SMALL FOR THE RV. ALL THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. ON SATURDAY APRIL 30, 2011 WHILE DRIVING, THE RIGHT AXLE HIT THE DIRT, AND SOON AFTER THE CONSUMER WAS ALERTED BY ANOTHER MOTORIST, THE REAR WHEEL HAD FALLEN OFF. THE ENTIRE WHEEL HAD BLOWN OFF THE AXLE, LEAVING THE HUB NUT IN PLACE AND THE RAKE WIRES DANGLING AND THE MOTOR SWITCH FOR THE STABILIZER LEGS WERE TORN OUT. WHEN THE WHEEL FLEW OFF, IT RIPPED A GAPING HOLE IN THE RIGHT REAR OF THE RV AND RIPPED THE LICENSE PLATE FROM THE RV. ON APRIL 13, 2013, THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH THE WHEEL COMING OFF. THE CONSUMER HAD BEEN DRIVING ON ONE WHEEL FOR AT LEAST THREE MILES, BEFORE HE WAS ALERTED. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE AXLES WERE TWO DIFFERENT SIZES. WHEN THE RV ARRIVED AT THE DEALER, THE SERVICE PERSONNEL STATED, THE RV SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT THE FACTORY, AS THE WHEELS, SPRINGS, SHACKLES AND AXLES WERE ALL UNDER-RATED FOR THE SIZE OF THE TRAILER. PER THE LABEL ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TRAILER, THE TRAILER WEIGHED 12,192. HOWEVER, ALL THE COMPONENTS ON THE RV WERE RATED FOR 8000-9000 LBS.