2018 FOREST RIVER PALOMINO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 304RKDS GT3 CAMPER AND ON MAY 18, 2020 I HAD THREE TIRES BLOW OUT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CAMPER ON DIFFERENT AXLES. TIRES HAD AROUND 3890 MILES ON THEM AND WERE PROPERLY INFLATED AND WERE KEPT UNDER A COVERED SHELTER WHEN NOT IN USE. THE FIRST ONE HAPPENED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AXLE AROUND 11:00 A.M. AT AROUND 40 MPH AFTER AROUND 20 MINS OF TRAVEL. WHEN TIRE BLEW IT CAUSED INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DAMAGE TO THE CAMPER. REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE TIRE AND TRIED TO PROCEED TO DELIVER THE UNIT TO THE DEALERSHIP. AROUND 2:45 P.M. A SECOND TIRE BLEW ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE ON THE REAR AXLE WHILE TRAVELING AROUND 60 MPH. CONDITIONS WERE DRY, CLEAR AND IN THE 70S. PRIOR TO THIS ON OCTOBER 7, 2019. I DISCOVERED THE SPARE TIRE WHICH WAS MOUNTED ON THE BACK, COVERED AND STORED UNDER AS SHELTER HAD BLOWN APART WITH NO USE. I NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP WITH PICTURES AND WARRANTY INFORMATION. NO RESPONSE. FOLLOWED UP NOV. 4TH. NO REPLY. NOVEMBER 14, 2019 I RECEIVED AN EMAIL STATING ?THAT SHE SAID SHE HASN'T HAD MANY CASES OF THE SPARE TIRE EXPLODING, SHE ONLY MENTIONED THAT MAYBE IT WAS THE WEATHER OR JUST A BAD RUN OF TIRES. THEY DO COVER TIRES AND SHE SAID I COULD FILE A CLAIM BUT IT'S GOING TO BE THE EXACT TIRE THAT'S ON IT, I DO HEAR THAT MOST CUSTOMERS AREN'T HAPPY WITH THAT BRAND OF TIRE.? I REPLIED ON THE SAME DAY THAT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT IS WEATHER RELATED AND THAT I HOPE THAT THE 4 THAT ARE ON THE CAMPER AND ARE IN USE ARE NOT FROM THE SAME RUN AND I DON?T WANT TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEM GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND I NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING FURTHER. NOW 2 BLOWOUTS LATER WITH DAMAGE TO THE CAMPER THE DEALER IS STATING THAT THE TIRES ARE OUT OF WARRANT. BUT THE MANUFACTURE IS WILLING TO GOODWILL 5 REPLACEMENT TIRES BUT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE COST FOR THE LABOR AND DAMAGES. THE TIRES HAVE A 1 YEAR UNCONDITIONAL WARRANTY, 2 YEAR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND A 5 YEAR AGAINST MANUFACTURER'S DEFECTS. THIS ISSUE IS UNRESOLVED AT THIS POINT.*DT CONSUMER HAS FOLLOWED UP WITH MANUFACTURE AND DE

I WAS PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON MY TRAILER WHEN I NOTICED TWO BROKEN WELDS ON THE DEXTER TORFLEX AXLE. I CONTACTED DEXTER AXLE AND THEY SAID THE COMBINATION 3" AXLE BRACKET & LIFT KIT ON MY TRAILER ARE NOT COMPATIBLE AS IT CAN RESULT IN BROKEN WELDS, AND IF UNTREATED, AXLE FAILURE. THIS IS THE NOTICE ON THEIR WEBSITE: "NOTE: LIFT KITS CANNOT BE USED WITH TORFLEX AXLES PRODUCED WITH 3" HIGH PROFILE BRACKETS." I CONTACTED PALOMINO ABOUT DEXTER'S RESPONSE AND THEY CONFIRMED FOR ME VIA EMAIL THAT DEXTER AXLE SHIPS THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IN ONE PIECE AND PALOMINO ONLY INSTALLS IT. PALOMINO ALSO CONFIRMED FOR ME THAT MY TRAILER WAS MANUFACTURED THIS WAY AND THIS BROKEN WELD IS CONSIDERED A "MANUFACTURING DEFECT". THOUGH MY TRAILER IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY ARE REPLACING MY AXLE WITH A DIFFERENT ONE WITH A MORE ROBUST MOUNTING BRACKET AS "GOODWILL". UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, THIS WILL RESULT IN A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT TRAILER DUE TO THE RIDE HEIGHT BEING LOWED BY A FEW INCHES. I NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THIS TRAILER IF THIS WAS THE CASE AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR OFF ROAD USE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS INCOMPATIBLE HIGH PROFILE AXLE BRACKET AND FACTORY INSTALLED LIFT KIT ARE ON EVERY SINGLE "4X4" PALOMINO TRAILER. I WENT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THAT THEY ARE STILL MANUFACTURING TRAILERS WITH THIS INCOMPATIBLE AXLE/LIFT KIT COMBINATION. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL SOMEONE EXPERIENCES AXLE FAILURE ON THE FREEWAY. I HAVE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE BROKEN WELDS FOR YOUR REFERENCE. I BELIEVE THAT THE BROKEN WELD ALLOWS THE AXLE MOUNT TO BEND LATERALLY AND COULD CAUSE THE WHEELS TO NOT BE ALIGNED WITH THE TOW VEHICLE. UNFORTUNATELY I WILL HAVE TO TOW THE BROKEN TRAILER FOR REPAIR. I AM HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE EMAIL THREAD BETWEEN DEXTER AXLE/PALOMINO/MYSELF UPON REQUEST. THANK YOU FOR RESEARCHING. *DT CARFAX CANNOT PROCESS THIS REQUEST. *JB *DT*JB *DT*JB

I WAS PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON MY TRAILER WHEN I NOTICED TWO BROKEN WELDS ON THE DEXTER TORFLEX AXLE. I CONTACTED DEXTER AXLE AND THEY SAID THE COMBINATION 3" AXLE BRACKET & LIFT KIT ON MY TRAILER ARE NOT COMPATIBLE AS IT CAN RESULT IN BROKEN WELDS, AND IF UNTREATED, AXLE FAILURE. THIS IS THE NOTICE ON THEIR WEBSITE: "NOTE: LIFT KITS CANNOT BE USED WITH TORFLEX AXLES PRODUCED WITH 3" HIGH PROFILE BRACKETS." I CONTACTED PALOMINO ABOUT DEXTER'S RESPONSE AND THEY CONFIRMED FOR ME VIA EMAIL THAT DEXTER AXLE SHIPS THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IN ONE PIECE AND PALOMINO ONLY INSTALLS IT. PALOMINO ALSO CONFIRMED FOR ME THAT MY TRAILER WAS MANUFACTURED THIS WAY AND THIS BROKEN WELD IS CONSIDERED A "MANUFACTURING DEFECT". THOUGH MY TRAILER IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY ARE REPLACING MY AXLE WITH A DIFFERENT ONE WITH A MORE ROBUST MOUNTING BRACKET AS "GOODWILL". UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, THIS WILL RESULT IN A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT TRAILER DUE TO THE RIDE HEIGHT BEING LOWED BY A FEW INCHES. I NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THIS TRAILER IF THIS WAS THE CASE AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR OFF ROAD USE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS INCOMPATIBLE HIGH PROFILE AXLE BRACKET AND FACTORY INSTALLED LIFT KIT ARE ON EVERY SINGLE "4X4" PALOMINO TRAILER. I WENT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THAT THEY ARE STILL MANUFACTURING TRAILERS WITH THIS INCOMPATIBLE AXLE/LIFT KIT COMBINATION. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL SOMEONE EXPERIENCES AXLE FAILURE ON THE FREEWAY. I HAVE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE BROKEN WELDS FOR YOUR REFERENCE. I BELIEVE THAT THE BROKEN WELD ALLOWS THE AXLE MOUNT TO BEND LATERALLY AND COULD CAUSE THE WHEELS TO NOT BE ALIGNED WITH THE TOW VEHICLE. UNFORTUNATELY I WILL HAVE TO TOW THE BROKEN TRAILER FOR REPAIR. I AM HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE EMAIL THREAD BETWEEN DEXTER AXLE/PALOMINO/MYSELF UPON REQUEST. THANK YOU FOR RESEARCHING. *DT CARFAX CANNOT PROCESS THIS REQUEST. *JB *DT*JB *DT*JB