NHTSA Complaint #11190479 — 2016 GRAND DESIGN REFLECTION

I'VE HAD 2 WHEEL BEARING FAILURES ON THE SAME WHEEL. I'M WONDERING IF THE UNIT IS OVER WEIGHT FOR THESE BEARINGS. GVWR 9995 LB, 2 AXLES RATED 4400 LB EACH, 1536 LB HITCH WEIGHT. UNIT GVWR OF 9995 LB MINUS HITCH WEIGHT OF 1536 LB PUTS 8459 LB ON THE AXLES. TWO 4400 LB AXLES MEANS 8800 LB TOTAL AXLE STRENGTH MINUS 8459 LB TRAILER WEIGHT MEANS AXLES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT. EXCEPT THAT IT RUNS ON RVD-H 65535 HUBS. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT "65535" TRANSLATES TO: 6 BOLT, 5.5 INCHES BETWEEN BOLTS AND THE 35 MEANS 3500 LB BEARINGS. IF THE STRENGTH OF AN AXLE IS LIMITED BY ITS WEAKEST COMPONENT THEN IT SEEMS THAT THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLE SHOULD BE 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB, AND IF THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE AXLES IS ACTUALLY 3500 LB INSTEAD OF 4400 LB THEN THE AXLES WOULD BE OVERLOADED BY 1459 LB, I.E. 8459 LB MINUS 7000 LB = 1459 LB WHEN THE WHEEL BEARING FAILED THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPLACED WITH A 3500 LB. BEARING. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER. MAYBE THE COMPONENTS ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. I KNOW THAT COMPONENTS ARE USUALLY RATED WELL BELOW WHAT THEY CAN TOLERATE BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE MANUFACTURER IS USING SUB PAR COMPONENTS TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE "ENCOURAGED" TO SAVE THE MONEY ON LESS STRATEGIC COMPONENTS. THESE BREAKDOWNS HAVE ALREADY COST ME OVER $1500. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT MILE MARKER 400 ON I-25 IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. TRAVELING STRAIGHT, WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON DASH STATING THAT THE TRAILER BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. *DT CONSUMER STATED HE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER.*JB