NHTSA Complaint #10903773 — 2013 KEYSTONE BULLET

I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH MY TRAILER BRAKES WHILE ON A TRIP. MY BRAKE CONTROLLER SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING. WHILE IT SHOWED A SHORT I HAD NO BRAKES. THE PROBLEM EVENTUALLY CLEARED UP. WHEN I GOT HOME I STARTED CHECKING OUT THE BRAKE WIRING UNDER MY TRAILER. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE SHORT I DISCOVERED THAT KEYSTONE USED 14 GAUGE WIRE FOR THE WIRING TO THE BRAKES. THE AXLES AND BRAKES ARE MANUFACTURED BY DEXTER AXLES. DEXTERS SERVICE MANUAL SPECIFICALLY RECOMMENDS THAT A TRAILER UNDER 30 FEET WITH FOUR BRAKES USE A MINIMUM OF 12 GAUGE WIRE.MY TRAILER MEETS THAT CRITERIA.I DO NOT THINK THAT THE UNDERSIZED WIRE CAUSED MY PROBLEM. BUT IT IS APPARENT THAT KEYSTONE IS USING A SMALLER GAUGE WIRE TO SAVE MONEY IRREGARDLESS OF WHAT THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS ARE. THIS COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE BRAKING PROBLEMS. AS A CONSUMER I KNOW THAT MY BRAKES WORK BUT BECAUSE OF THE UNDERSIZED WIRING I DO NOT KNOW HOW WELL THEY MIGHT WORK IF THE WIRING WAS SIZED PROPERLY.