NHTSA Complaint #10928890 — 2016 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR

I HAVE A 2016 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR MOTOR HOME MODEL 4018. IT'S A 40 FT LONG DIESEL PUSHER ON A FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS WITH TOYAL WEIGHT OF 39600 LBS. THE PROBLEM IS POTENTIAL OVERLOADING OF THE FRONT TIRES DUE TO WEIGHT. THE MOTOR HOME WAS JUST WEIGHED AT THE NEWMAR CORP. FACTORY AND THE WEIGHT ON THE FRONT LEFT TIRE WITHOUT PASSENGERS WAS 7355 LBS. THE FRONT TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE ARE MICHELIN 305/70R22.5 LRL SERIES XRV. THEY HAVE A MAXIMUM LOAD RATING OF 7830 LBS.. ADDING THE WEIGHT OF A PASSENGER AND I SITTING IN THE TWO FRONT SEATS I ESTIMATE 7651 LBS. ON THE FL TIRE. THAT IS ONLY 179 LBS AWAY FROM THE MAXIMUM TIRE RATING WITHOUT ANY PASSENGERS SITTING ON THE SEAT BELT EQUIPPED SOFA. IT ALSO DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ROUGHLY 1000 LBS OF ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO INSTALL. WITH EQUIPMENT, PASSENGERS AND THEIR LUGGAGE, THE FL TIRE WEIGHT WOULD INCREASE TO 7976 LBS. OR 146 LBS OVER THE MAXIMUM LEFT TIRE LOAD RATING. NEWMAR ADJUSTED THE SIDE TO SIDE FRONT WEIGHT TO BALANCE WEIGHTS BETWEEN FRONT TIRES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BY FINELY ADJUSTING THE CHASSIS RIDE HEIGHT ON EACH SIDE. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE ADJUSTMENTS CHANGE AND I EARLIER HAD TO GET ONE LINKAGE RE-TIGHTENED. IF THE ADJUSTMENTS CHANGE, THE WEIGHT ON THE FRONT LEFT TIRE COULD INCREASE BY AT LEAST SEVERAL HUNDRED POUNDS EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM TIRE RATING EVEN WITHOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT OR PASSENGERS ON THE SOFA. THIS CURRENTLY APPEARS TO BE A DANGEROUS CONDITION IF I CARRY PASSENGERS AND WILL ONLY GET WORSE IF I INSTALL THE ADDITIONAL PLANNED EQUIPMENT. NEWMAR REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THEY HAVE UPGRADED THE TIRE SIZE AND CAPACITY ON THE 2017 MODEL. AT THE PRESENT TIME, I AM FEELING UNSAFE ABOUT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH PASSENGERS AND I ALSO AM AFRAID TO ADD THE PLANNED ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT. *TR