NHTSA Complaint #10705465 — 2015 NORTHWOOD ARCTIC FOX

PRIOR TO A PLANNED TRIP, A TEST OF THE BRAKES OF THE TOWED 5TH WHEEL RV TRAILER (PULL TEST) WAS PERFORMED AND BRAKES FOUND TO BE NOT FUNCTIONING. INSPECTION OF THE 4 HUBS AND BREAK DRUMS ON BOTH AXLES SHOWED THAT GREASE FROM THE WHEEL BEARINGS HAD FLOWED PAST THE WHEEL BEARING SEALS AND CONTAMINATED THE BRAKE DRUMS, BRAKE MAGNETS, AND BRAKE SHOES. MANUFACTURER OF THE RV SAYS THE AXLES ARE PURCHASED FROM AL-KO USA A.K.A. AL-KO AXIS, INC. AS A COMPLETE UNIT AND CLAIMS NORTHWOOD MANUFACTURING IS NOT RESPONSIBLE. AL-KO USA WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER 2014 BY DEXTER AXLE. THE AXLES IN THIS APPLICATION ARE 7,000 LB. RATED 12" X 2" DRUMS WITH ELECTRIC BRAKES. THE AL-KO DESIGN FEATURES A "ULTRULUBE" SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS GREASE TO BE PUMPED IN THROUGH A GREASE FITTING ON THE END OF THE SPINDLE. IT HAS BECOME WIDELY KNOWN IN THE RV USER COMMUNITY THAT THIS SYSTEM CAN EASILY ALLOW OVERFILLING THE HUB/SPINDLE CAVITY. THIS CAN OVERCOME THE GREASE SEAL AND ALLOW GREASE TO ENTER THE BREAK DRUM. THE GREASE IS THEN SLUNG ACROSS THE FACE OF THE BRAKE DRUM WHICH LUBRICATES THE BRAKE MAGNET AND BRAKE SHOES, EFFECTIVELY COMPROMISING ALL BRAKING FORCE UNTIL THE HUB AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY IS REBUILT. THERE IS NO WARNING TO THE DRIVER OF THIS FAILURE AND COULD RESULT IN A 16,000 GVW TRAILER WITHOUT ANY BRAKES. IN THIS CASE IT IS LIKELY THIS OVER-FILLING HAPPENED AT THE AL-KO ASSEMBLY FACTORY IN LA GRANDE, OR WHICH SUPPLIES AXLES FOR NORTHWOOD MANUFACTURING, ALSO OPERATING IN LA GRANDE, OR. NORTHWOOD CLAIMS THEY DO NOT SERVICE THE AXLES, JUST INSTALL THEM AS PROVIDED BY AL-KO USA. IN THIS CASE THERE WAS NO AXLE SERVICE PERFORMED SINCE MANUFACTURE OF THE TRAILER, WHICH AL-KO SPECIFIES AT 12,000MI / 12 MONTHS. NORTHWOOD MANUFACTURERS ARCTIC FOX, NASH, SNOW RIVER, DESERT FOX AND FOX MOUNTAIN TRAVEL TRAILERS / 5TH WHEEL TRAILERS WITH SIMILAR AXLES FROM AL-KO. SINCE ABOUT 2012 MODEL YEARS. *TR