NHTSA Complaint #10936336 — 2016 DRV ELITE SUITES ALL

WE WERE TRAVELING FROM PENNSYLVANIA TO ARIZONA AND HAD STOPPED FOR THE DAY AT A CAMPGROUND IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. WE HAD JUST UNHOOKED OUR TRUCK FROM THE COACH AND WERE GETTING READY TO PUT OUR SLIDES OUT WHEN THE FRONT OF THE COACH SANK TO THE GROUND. I COULDN'T GET THE HYDRAULICS TO RAISE IT SO I CALLED DRV. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY THE HYDRAULIC PUMP THAT FAILED. WE HAVE OWNED THE UNIT SINCE MAY OF 2015 BUT THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. WE ENDED UP GETTING A LOCAL SHOP WITH A BACKHOE TO HELP RAISE THE COACH UP SO WE COULD HOOK TO IT. THIS COST US $400. WE TRAVELED TO OUR DESTINATION IN MESA, ARIZONA THE NEXT DAY AND GOT HELP FROM A LOCAL RV REPAIR SHOP TO UNHOOK THE UNIT AND PUT IT ON JACK STANDS. THE TECHNICIAN PROCEEDED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM, LIPPERT, IN INDIANA. THEY TOLD HIM THAT IT WASN'T THE PUMP, RATHER IT WAS THE CYLINDERS. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD OTHER OF THIS MODEL FAIL. THE TECH ASKED IF THEY WOULD COVER THIS AND THEY SAID NO, IT WAS ONLY WARRANTED FOR ONE YEAR. WE ENDED UP PAYING FOR THE NEW CYLINDERS. TOTAL COST OF THE CYLINDERS AND LABOR WAS $1790.85. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MANUFACTURERS ONLY WARRANT THEIR PRODUCTS FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, BUT FEEL THAT IF THEY KNEW THAT THEIR CYLINDERS WERE FAILING THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT KNOWN TO US, AND REPAIRED IT BEFORE WE HAD THIS PROBLEM. HAD I BEEN UNDER THE FRONT OF THE COACH WORKING ON THE BATTERY OR GENERATOR, WHICH ARE BOTH LOCATED UNDER THE FIFTH WHEEL, I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN CRUSHED. ALSO IF THEY HAD FAILED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE ROAD THEY COULD HAVE DROPPED AND CAUSED DAMAGE OR AN ACCIDENT. *TR*DT*JB