NHTSA Complaint #11395442 — 2013 ECLIPSE ATTITUDE

ON 1/25/2021 WHILE REPLACING THE "SUSPENSION EQUALIZERS" A MECHANIC AND I DISCOVERED CRACKS IN THE METAL I BEAM FRAME OF MY REC, FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. BASED UPON THE RUST IN THE CRACKS THEY MAY BE SEVERAL YEARS OLD. THERE ARE 4-5 CRACKS ABOVE THE SUSPENSION ON BOTH THE L AND R SIDES. ALL IN SIMILAR LOCATIONS AND LENGTH, BOTH FRAME MFG (LIPPERT) AND THE RV TRAILER MFG (ECLLIPSE) HAVE OFFERED NO ADVISE OR SUPPORT IN REPAIRING THE FRAME. BOTH COMPANIES REQUESTED PHOTO DOCUMENTATION AND THEN STATED THEY COULD NOT HELP DUE TO THE AGE OF THE TRAILER. RESEARCH REVEALED TO ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN DEFECT FOR MANY YEARS BY BOTH LIPPERT AND ECLIPSE YET NO RECALL. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER BUT I FEEL THESE TRAILERS MAY IN FACT BE A HAZARD ON THE HIGHWAY. OURS IS PARKED AT OUR HOME AND WE CURRENTLY ARE NOT COMFORTABLE PULLING IT ON A PUBLIC HIGHWAY OR STREET. MY RESEARCH REVEALED A CLASS ACTION SUIT HAS BEEN FILED IN 2020 AGAINST ECLIPSE BY A LAW FIRM IN SAN DIEGO. THE LAW FIRM IS AWARE OF MY SITUATION BUT HAS NOT ASKED ME TO JOIN THE SUIT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS EVEN AN OPTION FOR ME.