NHTSA Complaint #11121281 — 2014 CROSSROADS REDWOOD

I HAVE A 2014 REDWOOD GK38 THIS 5TH WHEEL RV WAS BUILT WITH 7000 POUND AXLES. LAST DECEMBER IN THE MOBILE, AL AREA WITHIN 40 MILES OF EACH OTHER I HAD 2 LEAF SPRINGS BREAK ON THE REAR AXLE. ONE ON THE WAY DOWN TO PORT CHARLOTTE FL AND ONE RETURNING HOME TO TEXAS. MY CONCERN IS THIS ISSUE IS NOT ISOLATED TO JUST MY REDWOOD THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE THESE 5TH WHEELS ARE ADVERTISED AND FULL TIME LIVING UNITS AND HAVE VERY HEAVY UPGRADES TO THE INTERIOR TO WITHSTAND FULL-TIME LIVING IN THEM. I AM A MEMBER OF THE REDWOOD OWNERS GROUP AND THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THESE SPRINGS BREAKING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. WHEN THE 2016 MODEL YEAR CAME THE MANUFACTURER CAME OUT WITH 8000 POUND SPRINGS AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT MY FIRST SPRING SNAPPED WHEN PULLING INTO THE CAMPGROUND 5 MPH I WAS STAYING FOR THE NIGHT. THE SECOND SPRING SNAPPED COMING INTO MAGNOLIA SPRINGS AL I WAS TRAVELING AT AROUND 10 MILES PER HOUR. HAD I BEEN ON I-10 TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC THINK ABOUT IT HAPPENING IN THE MOBILE BAY TUNNEL WHICH I TRAVELED THROUGH TWICE DURING THIS TRIP. NOW I FEEL THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS MISS LED ITS CUSTOMERS INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE THEY STATE ON THE CLOSET ENTRANCE DOOR THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE RV IN MY CASE IS 13700 POUNDS WITHOUT UPGRADES OR CUSTOMER BELONGINGS. THEY ALSO STATE THE PIN WEIGHT OF THIS AROUND 3500 POUNDS. THIS WOULD LEAD ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THE AXLES ARE WELL WITH IN THE SAFETY ZONE. YET SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ENCOUNTERING THE SAME ISSUE WITH BROKEN SPRINGS. I WILL POST THIS TO THE MEMBERS SIGHT AND WOULD HOPE THAT THIS ISSUE IS LOOKED INTO NOT ONLY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE OWNERS THAT HAVE THESE RV'S BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC TRAVELING OUR HIGHWAYS AROUND US. AS A RESULT MANY OF US OWNERS ARE CHOOSING TO REPLACE THEIR CURRENT SUSPENSIONS AT GREAT OUT OF POCKET COST.