NHTSA Complaint #10660327 — 2013 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN

ON OCTOBER 2014, WHILE DRIVING OUR GEORGETOWN CLASS A RV WITH A CAR IN TOW HEADING SOUTH ON I-95 NEAR VERO, FLORIDA, WE CAME UPON TWO VERY LARGE PIECES OF SEMI-TRUCK TIRE TREAD IN THE HIGHWAY AND COULD NOT AVOID HITTING ONE OF THEM. THE RUBBER IMPACTED THE RV MAIN EXHAUST TAIL PIPE AND DROVE IT UNDER THE LEFT REAR DUAL WHEEL WHICH RESULTED IN THE MUFFLER AND EXHAUST PIPING SYSTEM BEING RIPPED FROM THEIR MOUNTS AND BECOMING WRAPPED AROUND THE REAR DRIVE SHAFT. THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS BENT BY THE IMPACT FROM THE MUFFLER. THE EXHAUST PIPE FOR THE AUXILIARY GENERATOR WAS ALSO RIPPED LOOSE. THE RUBBER PASSED UNDER THE RV REAR WHEEL AND THEN DAMAGED THE SIDE OF THE TOW CAR. WE HAD TO HAVE A GOOD SAM ROAD SERVICE MECHANIC CUT THE EXHAUST PIPE FROM AROUND THE BENT RV DRIVE SHAFT SO WE COULD LIMP HOME AT 30 MPH FROM VERO TO STUART. THE COST TO REPAIR THE RV WAS $2,269. THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL CAME TO THE SCENE BUT TOLD US THAT THEY HAD NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHAT TRUCK THE RUBBER DEBRIS CAME FROM. IF A SMALLER VEHICLE HAD STRUCK THIS LARGE PIECE OF RUBBER IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A ROLL-OVER OR OTHER MUCH WORSE ACCIDENT. *TR