NHTSA Complaint #11366338 — 2006 NEWMAR KOUNTRY STAR

AFTER FEELING AND LEAVING FLYJ THE STEERING LOCKED UP IN A SLIGHT TURN. AFTER SOME EFFORT I MANAGED TO UNLOCK AND MAINTAIN DIRECTION. I EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING A FEW MORE TIMES AS I WAS ONLY 10 MIN FROM HOME. AFTER I INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THE UPPER TAPERED BEARING IN THE 90DEGREE GEAR BOX HAD FAILED DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATIN. UPON DISASSEMBLE I FOUND THERE HAD BEEN MOISTURE IN THE UPPER BEARING RACE CAUSING THE ROLLERS TO FAIL A SUSUQUENTLY THE CAGE CAUSING THE LOCKUP. I FOUND THE GEARBOX WAS FULL OF FLUID TO THE UPPER FILLER PLUG. HOWEVER THE DESIGN IS SUCH THAT THE FLUID WILL NEVER REACH THE UPPER BEARING TO LUBRICANT IT. THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL LEAKAGE EVIDENT AND I CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL ANNUALLY. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WITH NO RESULTS I CALLED NEWMAR WITH NO HELP FROM THEM. I REBUILT THE BOX AND INSTALLED A GREASE FITTING AND PURGED IT WITH GREASE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE.