NHTSA Complaint #11349994 — 2017 JAYCO TRAVEL TRAILER EAGLE

THROUGH NORMAL USE OF THE JAYCO EAGLE HT 27.5RLTS, THE SIDEWALL TRIM PIECE BEGAN TO START SEPARATING FROM THE SIDEWALL WHEN THE WEIGHT OF THE UNIT WAS ON THE PIN-BOX. JAYCO IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE AS WELL AS THE UNDERLYING CAUSE. THE UNDERLYING ISSUE IS THE FACT THAT THEY USED SHEET METAL SCREWS INSTEAD OF 'STRUCTURAL' SCREWS DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS TO SECURE THE SIDEWALLS TO THE FRAME. THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THESE SHEET METAL SCREWS ALLOWED THE SIDEWALLS TO FLOAT ABOVE THE FRAME. THIS EXCESSIVE FLEX WOULD CAUSE A GAP OF 1/2' TO 3/4' BETWEEN THE SIDEWALLS AND THE LOWER TRIM PIECE. THE FIRST RESPONSE AND SUGGESTED SOLUTION WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'THERE IS ACTUALLY A KNOWN FIX FOR THIS ISSUE. THE SCREWS ORIGINALLY PUT INTO YOUR GOOSENECK TO HOLD THE TRIM ON WERE DEEMED TOO SHORT. THE FIX IS TO REPLACE WITH LONGER SCREWS TO BETTER HOLD THAT PIECE TO YOUR UNIT' ' WHAT THIS FAILS TO ADDRESS IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ISSUE WHICH IS, THERE ARE SHEET METAL SCREWS INSIDE ABOVE THE MOLDING/ALUMINUM SKIN/PLYWOOD THAT HAVE FAILED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A PIECE OF ANGLED STEEL WELDED TO THE FRAME WHICH THE ALUMINUM TUBING IN THE WALL SETS ON AND THERE IS ALSO AN AIRGAP BETWEEN THIS PIECE OF ANGLED STEEL AND THE PLYWOOD THE MOLDING SCREWS ANCHOR TO. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS REPAIR APPROACH IS THE HEAD OF THE SCREWS YOU USE WILL NEVER ACTUALLY BIND TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE MOLDING AND OVER TIME THEY ARE ALSO PRONE TO POTENTIAL FAILURE, BACKING OUT, OR COULD EVEN ADD ADDITIONAL STRESS TO THE EXTERIOR WALLS INSTEAD OF THE FRAME WHERE IT BELONGS. THE SECOND SOLUTION WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'RUN 4 INCH-6 INCH SELF TAPPING GRADE 8 SCREWS INTO THE EXISTING PILOT HOLES AND ADD ADDITIONAL HOLES IN THE STEEL LIP BETWEEN THE EXISTING HOLES AND INTO THE FRAME'' ONCE EVERYTHING WAS REMOVED, WE FOUND THAT ALL OF THE SHEET METAL SCREWS SECURING THE WALLS TO THE FRAME HAD FAILED. *TR