NHTSA Complaint #10871052 — 2012 FOREST RIVER ROCKWOOD

ON A RETURN TRIP HOME FROM INCIDENT #1 WE BLEW A TIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ON OUR FIFTH WHEEL AND WE WERE STRANDED ON VERY BUSY INTERSTATE 25. A NM DEPARTMENT TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE STOPPED AND HELPED CHANGE TO THE SPARE TIRE. HE DIRECTED US TO THE CLOSEST RV REPAIR DEALERSHIP. THEY DID NOT DEAL IN TIRES SO THEY SENT US TO ANOTHER SERVICE. WE THEN WENT TO A TIRE DEALER FOR A TIRE REPLACEMENT. PHOTOGRAPHS WERE SENT TO FOREST RIVER OF THE BLOWN TIRE WHILE WE WERE IN NEW MEXICO. THE TIRE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THE TIRES HAD BEEN COMPROMISED FROM OVERHEATING OF AXLES AND BRAKES IN PRIOR INCIDENT #1. ALSO, WE WERE ADVISED THAT ORIGINAL 6 PLY TIRES WERE INSUFFICIENT PLY FOR THIS FIFTH WHEEL UNIT. HE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE WITH A 10 PLY TIRE BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO PUT ANOTHER 6 PLY ON DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES. HE RECOMMENDED ALL TIRES BE REPLACED WITH 10 PLY WHEN WE RETURN HOME. WE TOOK THIS ADVICE AND UPON RETURNING HOME HAD THE THREE ADDITIONAL 6 PLY TIRES REPLACED WITH 10 PLY TIRES. EACH TIRE COST $119.00 ($476.00). FOREST RIVER PROVIDED A CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT OF $320.00 TOWARDS REPLACEMENT OF TIRES. HOWEVER WE FEEL OUR SAFETY WAS AGAIN COMPROMISED AND, NEED WE SAY, OUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS 5TH WHEEL WAS CONTINUING TO ERODE. PHOTOGRAPHS WERE SENT OF THE BLOWN TIRE TO FOREST RIVER WHILE WE WERE IN NEW MEXICO. SERIAL#: RL1844723 UNIT MODEL#:8289WS THIS IS INCIDENT #2 OF 5 THAT WE WILL BE POSTING.