2008 AIRSTREAM BASE CAMP — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I BOUGHT A NEW 2008 AIRSTREAM BASECAMP WITH THE 3000LB AXLE FROM AN AIRSTREAM DEALER IN 2010. IT IS CURRENTLY STILL NEW AND HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED AND USED BECAUSE WHILE STILL AT THE DEALER FOR OTHER WARRANTY WORK, IT HAD THE FOLLOWING ISSUES: SIDEWALLS HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE TOP CAP TOP CAP HAS 2-4 IN CRACKS IN NUMEROUS PLACES OF THE TOP THE DOOR DOWN LINE UP LEAVING A 1" SPACE AT THE BOTTOM AND .5" ON THE TOP (IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEE DAYLIGHT THROUGH HE GAB) THE DOOR ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CLOSE AND THE RODE THAT LOOKS THE DOOR TOP AND BOTTOM KEEPS BENDING I WAS AMAZED TO HAVE ALL THESE ISSUES WITH A BRAND NEW UNIT BEFORE IT WAS EVER USED, THEN AS I WATCHED THE DEALER PULL HE TRAILER, I NOTICE THAT THE ENTIRE UNIT WAS LACKING STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. WHILE THE UNIT WAS MOVING, THE BACK DOOR WHERE MOVING VERTICALLY AGAINST EACH OTHER AND THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TRAILER WERE SHAKING, SWING SIDE TO SIDE. ALL OF THE SUDDEN ALL THOSE PROBLEMS MADE SENSE. CURRENTLY THE UNIT IS NOT STRUCTURALLY SOUND AND SAFE. IS THAT AN ISOLATED MANUFACTURING ISSUE RELATED TO THE FABRICATION OF MY TRAILER OR A OVERALL DESIGN FLAW? *TR

NOTE: I USED A GENERIC AIRSTREAM TRAILER FOR THE PULL-DOWN MENU, AS YOU DO NOT HAVE A PULL-DOWN FOR "OTHER." THE TRAILER IN ? IS A CHALET RV LTW. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CHALET RV: CHALET RV INC. 124 41ST AVE SE ALBANY, OR 97322 VOICE: 541-791-4610 FAX: 541-791-4618 E-MAIL: [email protected] ISSUE: BOTH SPRINGS FAILED ON A CHALET RV LTW CAMP TRAILER WITH TRAIL BOSS OFF-ROAD PACKAGE. LFT SIDE SPRING FAILURE 8/29/08. RT SIDE SPRING FAILURE 5/23/09. PHOTOS AVAILABLE. BOTH SEMI-ELIPTIC SPRINGS FAILED AT THE SAME POINT, WHERE THE 1ST SUPPLEMENTAL LEAF MEETS THE PRIMARY LEAF, AND BOTH AT THE FRONT (FIXED) END. THESE FAILURE CAUSED THE AXLE TO ROTATE BACKWARDS AGAINST THE FLEXIBLE SHACKLE, MIS-LOCATING THE AXLE AND LEADING TO LOSS OF STABILITY. CONVERSATIONS WITH DEXTER AXLE INDICATE THAT THE AXLE/SPRING ASSEMBLY WAS MODIFIED - PROBABLY BY CHALET - AND IS NOT IN ACCORD WITH ESTABLISHED ENGINEERING PRACTICE. THUS FAR, CHALET RV HAS FAILED TO RESPOND TO EMAILED CORRESPONDENCE. === TO: CHALET RV ON 06/05/09: DEAR SIRS: I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH DEXTERAXLE OVER THE TWO SPRING FAILURES OF MY CHALET LTW WITH THE TRAIL BOSS OFF-ROAD PACKAGE, VIN [XXX] PURCHASED FROM HOLIDAY TRAVEL TRAILER SALES OF ALBUQUERQUE, NM ON 08/01/08. BOTH OF THE ORIG. CHALET-PROVIDED SPRINGS HAVE FAILED IN SVC WITHIN THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY PERIOD. A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH RICK KAPSA (574-296-7386) PRODUCT MGR AT DEXTER REVEALED THAT THEIR 3500 LB AXLE WAS SHIPPED FROM DEXTER WITH TWO EACH 26" 1500 LB SPRINGS IN A SPRING-UNDER-AXLE CONFIGURATION. SOMEONE, PERHAPS CHALET RV, REMOVED THE 26" 1500 LB SPRINGS AND REPLACED THEM WITH AN UNKNOWN CAPACITY 21" SPRING PAIR AND CHANGED THE CONFIGURATION TO SPRING-OVER-AXLE. AS THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN DESIGN (A MISS-APPLICATION OF THE SPRINGS) IN THE ORIGINAL PRODUCT FROM CHALET RV THESE MODIFICATIONS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HOW DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

HAULMARK TRAILER WITH HI-RUN LQ229 TIRES SIZE 205/75/D15 TIRES WORE OUT IN LESS THAN 3000 MILES. ALTHOUGH INFLATED PROPERLY A LARGE BUBBLE DEVELOPED ON THE SIDE OF THE TIRE. THE BUBBLE BURST SOON AFTER DEVELOPING BUT THE TIRE STILL HELD AIR. BOTH TIRES WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED TO PREVENT A LIKELY BLOWOUT. CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE TREAD SHOWED THE TIRE THAT DID NOT HAVE THE BUBBLE HAD WORN ALMOST ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BELTS ON THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE TREAD. NOT SURE IF THIS WAS BECAUSE OF TRAILER AXLE ALIGNMENT OR INTERNAL DEFECT OF THE TIRE. MAKE AND MODEL OF TRAILER AND TIRE ARE NOT ON ANY OF THE LISTS SO I HAD TO CHOOSE SOMETHING. TRAILER IS A HAULMARK 6X12 CARGO SINGLE AXLE. TIRE IS HI-RUN LQ229 205/75D15. *TR

THE RACKANDROLL ?KD78? TRAILER I BOUGHT IN MAR08 HAS SUFFERED TONGUE FAILURE DESPITE BEING OPERATED WITHIN THE LOAD RATING. THE TRAILER WAS A NEW MODEL FOR 08, A LARGER VERSION OF THE ?KD? TRAILER. THEY DIFFER ONLY IN WIDTH, THE TWO TRAILERS SHARE ALL MAIN PARTS EXCEPT LATERAL MEMBERS. I ORDERED THE OPTIONAL HEAVY-DUTY SUSPENSION, WHICH RAISES THE LOAD CAPACITY TO 300 LBS (PER THE OWNERS MANUAL). WHEN I FIRST STARTED TO LOAD THE TRAILER FOR USE, I NOTICED THAT THE SUSPENSION SEEMED TO STRUGGLE TO SUPPORT THIS LOAD. THE TRAILER USES A COIL-OVER SUSPENSION SYSTEM, WHICH CONSISTS OF ONE SHOCK ABSORBER WITHIN A SPRING ON EACH SIDE. BOTH THE STANDARD AND HD SHOCK USE A PROGRESSIVELY WOUND SPRING. THE SMALLER SPRING COILS GO INTO ?COIL BIND? WITH A 300 LB LOAD, MEANING THOSE COILS ARE COMPRESSED TOGETHER DESPITE A PROPERLY DISTRIBUTED LOAD (BETWEEN THE TONGUE & WHEELS). WHEN I CALLED RACKANDROLL, THEY INSISTED THEIR LOAD RATING WAS CORRECT, SO I ASKED FOR THE CORRECT LOAD CAPACITY STICKER FOR MY SHOCKS, BUT THEY WERE EVASIVE. THIS BACK-AND-FORTH DISCUSSION WENT ON FOR A WHILE, AND AFTER NO PROGRESS, I BEGAN EMAILING INSTEAD OF CALLING, TO DOCUMENT THE EVENTS. THE RATING STATED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT EVEN MAKE SENSE, AS IT DOESN?T ACCOUNT FOR THE GREATER WEIGHT OF THE WIDER TRAILER, EVEN WITH THE BASE SHOCKS. THE RATING FOR BOTH KD & KD78 IS A GVWR OF 400 LBS AND A LOAD CAPACITY OF 250 LBS. BUT THE KD78 WEIGHS MORE, AND WHEN I POINTED THIS OUT TO RACKANDROLL, THEY OFFERED TO REFUND MY MONEY. BUT AGAIN I COULD NOT GET THEM TO FOLLOW THROUGH. AS I WAS PUTTING THE TRAILER AWAY FOR THE WINTER, I FOUND THE TRAILER TONGUE WOULD NO LONGER TELESCOPE BACK INTO THE REAR SECTION FOR STORAGE. REMOVING THE TONGUE REVEALED A SHARP ?KINK? IN IT WHERE IT PASSED INSIDE THE LARGER, REAR SECTION. I AGAIN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO CLAIMED THEY WOULD TAKE THE TRAILER BACK AND REFUND ME, BUT I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THEM TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OR HONOR THEIR REFUND COMMITMENT. *TR

I EXPERIENCED A TIRE FAILURE ON 9/1/08 ON HWY 44 IN MO. THE TIRE WAS ON A TRAILER PURCHASED 3/20/08. THE TIRE PRESSURE HAD BEEN CHECKED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, AS IT HAD BEEN ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP ORIGIN. TIRE AIR PRESSURE WAS ADJUSTED ON THE DAY OF DEPARTURE, BUT NO AIR NEEDED TO BE ADDED ON THE DAY OF THE FAILURE. THE TRAILER IS TYPICALLY LOADED TO CAPACITY, SO I AM CAREFUL TO MONITOR TIRE PRESSURE (40 PSI PER THE OWNERS MANUAL). WHEN THE TIRE DEFLATED, IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE SPARE. THE FAILED TIRE APPEARED TO HAVE DEFORMED AFTER OVERHEATING, BUT AS NOT PUNCTURED. I CONTACTED THE TRAILER MAKER, AND THEY IMMEDIATELY OFFERED TO SEND A SET OF THE OPTIONAL WHEELS OFFERED FOR THE TRAILER, AND I WAS TO RETURN THE ORIGINALS. THE SPARE TIRE I HAD INSTALLED AT THE TIRE FAILURE WAS RETAINED, AND IT WAS REINSTALLED ON THE TRAILER AS THE SPARE. AFTER NOTICING THAT THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE STATED THAT THE TIRE SHOULD BE MOUNTED ON A WIDER RIM, I QUESTIONED THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS. I ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE TIRE DOESN'T SEEM TO CONFORM TO DOT TIRE LABELING REQUIREMENTS IN THAT THERE IS NO DATE OF MANUFACTURE CODE. HOWEVER, BOTH OF MY CONCERNS WERE DISMISSED. ANOTHER ISSUE IS THAT THE TUBE VALVE STEM DOES NOT SEEM COMPATIBLE WITH THE WHEEL RIM. THE OPENING APPEARS INTENDED FOR USE WITH A SPECIAL VALVE STEM, NOT THE THREADED METAL STEM THE TUBE HAS, WHICH APPEARS TOO SMALL FOR THE OPENING. A NUT IS THREADED ONTO THE STEM, BUT THE MISFIT IS STILL OBVIOUS. I ACTUALLY NOTIFIED THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER OF THIS WHEN I FIRST RECEIVED THE TRAILER, AS ONE OF THE THREE WHEELS (ONE IS A SPARE) ARRIVED WITH THE STEM OF THE TUBE STICKING OUT AT AN ANGLE, INDICATING THE TUBE WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED ON THE RIM DURING THE MOUNTING OF THE TIRE. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE WHEEL TO A MOTORCYCLE SHOP TO HAVE THE TIRE REMOUNTED, WHICH I DID. A FRIEND OF MINE PURCHASED A 'KD65' TRAILER LATER IN THE YEAR, AND ONE OF HIS THREE WHEELS WAS DELIVERED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR