NHTSA Complaint #11536482 — 2005 NEWMAR KOUNTRY STAR

Manufacturer-installed Hitch Receiver broke from the frame flanges while pulling away from a stoplight while towing vehicle, resulting in the detachment of the hitch crossbar, tow bars and causing the tow vehicle to cross one lane of traffic and into the grass median towards oncoming traffic. Tow vehicle stopped in median when attached tow equipment dug into soil just before striking a guardrail and on the verge of rolling into oncoming traffic. Had this failure of the hitch assembly occurred at highway speed, a catastrophic collision and death would have been the likely result. The resulting damage from the crossbar detachment resulted in approximately $7500 in damage to the RV, towing system and tow vehicle. Newmar purchased the W22 chassis from Workhorse and built the Kountry Star Motor Home onto that chassis. As part of the manufacturing process, Newmar installed Hidden Hitch part number 64-6100, a hitch receiver with a towing rating of 5000 lbs and a tongue weight rating of 500 lbs. The W22 chassis was used by Newmar over many years, with many of those vehicles still in operation. Inspection by an independent hitch shop indicates that the installed hitch was not designed strongly enough to withstand the stresses from its intended use, which is the flat towing of a passenger vehicle behind the motor home. Due to the height difference between the frame of the Motor Home where the hitch was installed and the attachment points of the towing equipment to the tow car, the Hidden Hitch 64-6100 should have been reinforced to compensate for angular torque from the towning equipment, or a hitch system designed to withstand these added stresses should have been specified and installed by Newmar. Since this was a manufacturer installed receiver hitch, it is likely that all other Workhorse Chassis gas powered RVs manufactured by Newmar in this era have the potential for similar catastrophic failure of the hitch system while flat towing with the Motor Homes.