NHTSA Complaint #10891562 — 2010 PETERSON EXCEL WILD CARGO

TRAVELING I90 WEST, APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES EAST OF SHERIDAN, WYO, I HAD A WARNING MESSAGE THAT INDICATED MY TRAILER BRAKES WERE DISCONNECTED. AFTER SAFELY PARKING, I DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC WHEEL COVER HAD MELTED. I CONTACTED A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHO IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED WHEEL BEARING. THE BEARINGS WERE LCI "NEVER LUBE BEARINGS", AND THERE IS NO WAY TO MAINTAIN OR SERVICE THEM. SINCE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AXLE, THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE BEARING, BUT WAS TOLD BY THE AXLE MANUFACTURER (LIPPERT COMPONENTS, INC) THAT THE BEARINGS WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE AXLE USED A NON-STANDARD SIZE BEARING, SO THERE WERE NO OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE EXCEPT TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE AXLE. TO MINIMIZE MY RISK OF ADDITIONAL FAILURES, I DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL 3 AXLES. WHILE INSTALLING THE NEW AXLES, THE TECH DISCOVERED THAT 2 OTHER BEARINGS ON ANOTHER AXLE WERE NEAR FAILURE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, AN RV LIKE MINE ARRIVED IN THE RV PARK. THE OWNER HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE WITH HIS LCI AXLES. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IN SOME OF THE RV COMMUNITY FORUMS HAS SHOWN THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHERE THESE NON-SERVICEABLE PARTS HAVE FAILED. HTTP://WWW.IRV2.COM/FORUMS/F116/LIPPERT-AXLES-ARE-A-POS-189426.HTML HTTP://WWW.TURBODIESELREGISTER.COM/THREADS/251504-LIPPERT-TRAILER-AXLE-BEARINGS THERE ARE MANY OTHER EXAMPLES OF THESE FAILURES. LCI COMPONENTS ARE USED ON MANY RVS, AND SINCE THESE "NEVER LUBE" BEARINGS CANNOT BE MAINTAINED (OR EVEN REPLACED FOR LESS THAN $650 PER AXLE), THERE APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY RISK ASSOCIATED WITH AN UNDETECTED FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.