NHTSA Complaint #743018 — 1996 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN

IN 1996 I PURCHASED THIS NEW 1996 DUTCHMEN CLASSIC TRAVEL TRAILER. WE HAVE NEVER USED THE TRAILER - IT HAS ZERO MILES. BUT IN THE SPRING OF 2000 MY HUSBAND'S FOOT ALMOST WENT THROUGH A SOFT SPOT IN THE CORNER OF THE KITCHEN FLOOR. WE HIRED A CARPENTER TO CHECK IT OUT. HE DISCOVERED SEVERAL GALLONS OF WATER TRAPPED ON THE VAPOR BARRIER THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE UNDERSTRUCTURE OF THE TRAILER. THE WATER DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSTRUCTURE WAS EXTENSIVE THE ENTIRE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE TRAILER. THE WOODEN BOTTOM PLATES WERE SOFT AND ROTTED TO THE POINT THAT THE CARPENTER BELIEVES THAT IF THIS TRAILER WERE TO BE TOWED DOWN THE ROAD, THE BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE WOOD TO THE METAL FRAME WOULD LOOSEN AND THE TRAILER WOULD FALL APART. THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE ROADWAYS.