2007 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE MOVED UP AND DOWN VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CROSSMEMBER WAS CURRENTLY BEING REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

WE WHERE OUT CAMPING WHEN MY DAUGHTER TOLD ME THE CAMPER WAS ALMOST ON MY BED RAILS WE PULLED OVER AND FOUND THE STEP DECK BOX AND KING PIN BOX METAL HAD RIPPED AND MAKING IT NOT TOWABLE. WE WHERE AROUND 300 MILES FROM HOME WHEN IT HAPPEN AFTER GETTING IT TO A REPAIR SHOP THE METAL RIPPED IN FOUR DIFFERENT SPOTS ON FRONT AND BACK CROSS MEMBERS. AND THE SHOP SAID WE WAS LUCKY IT DIDN'T COME APART AND FALL OFF GOING DOWN THE ROAD. AND THEN FINDING OUT THE FRAMES ARE KNOWN TO BE A DEFECT WHEN BUILT, AND THE LIPPERT FRAME COMPANY WILL NOT DO ANY THING ABOUT IT MAKING IT A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED. BOTH THE FRAME COMPANY AND RV BUILDER BLAME EACH OTHER ON WHO NEEDS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND TWO YEARS LATER IM STILL TRYING TO GET IT FIXED THE RIGHT WAY AND TOLD IT WILL COST ME 4 TO 6 THOUSAND TO FIX OUT OF MY POCKET. THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE TO FIX A VERY KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THERE FRAMES. *TR

WE HAD A 2007 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT 5TH WHEEL 28 FT. WE WERE COMPLETING OUR CROSS COUNTRY TRIP THAT WE STARTED IN FLORIDA. WE WERE IN CALIFORNIA AND AS WE WERE COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY, WE HEARD A STRANGE CLANGING SOUND. THERE HAPPENED TO BE A CAMPING WORLD NEAR WHERE WE WERE AND SO WE PULLED IN. WHEN THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE FIFTH WHEEL, HE NOTICED THAT THE HITCH WAS ONLY AN INCH OR TWO FROM THE BED OF THE TRUCK. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE FRAME OF THE PIN HITCH WAS CRACKED IN A NUMBER OF SPOTS AND THAT WAS WHAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE WITHOUT TAKING OFF THE FRONT OF THE UNIT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY CAME OUT AND TOTALED IT. WE THEN HAD TO PACK ALL OF OUR THINGS IN A U-HAUL AND TOW THAT BACK TO FLORIDA. WHEN WE GOT EVERYTHING OUT, WE COULD SEE THAT OUR CLOSET WAS COMPLETELY BUCKLED AND PUSHED UP FROM THE PIN HITCH. WE WERE LUCKY THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN WE WERE GOING 60-65 MPH. THIS WAS THE 4TH 5TH WHEEL THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TO THAT I KNOW OF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FOREST RIVER WILDCAT TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MAIN BEAM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I OWN A 2007 FOREST RIVER 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. IT IS A WILDCAT MODEL 28RKBS. THE MANUFACTURE OF THE FRAME FOR THE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER IS A COMPANY CALLED LIPPERT COMPONENTS, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH PIN BOX TO WHERE IT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME CROSS MEMBERS. THERE WAS CRACKS IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR CROSS MEMBER THAT SUPPORT THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH, THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER WAS CRACKED BY MORE THAN 90% OF THE WIDTH OF THE CROSS MEMBER. THE REAR CROSS MEMBER WAS CRACKED ACROSS THE TOTAL WIDTH OF THE PIN BOX. WHEN I AM REFERRING TO CROSS MEMBERS THAT IS THE STEAL BEAM OF THE FRAME THAT SPANS THE WIDTH OF THE TRAILER AND SUPPORTS THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH. I WAS LUCKY THAT I NOTICED THE PROBLEM WITH THE HITCH PRIOR TO A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE HITCH. IF THE HITCH HAD COMPLETELY FAILED IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE, INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH. TO ME THIS LOOKS LIKE A WEAKNESS IN THE DESIGN OF THE 5TH WHEEL HITCH ON LIPPERT COMPONENTS FRAMES. AFTER THIS HAPPENED, I CONTACTED FOREST RIVER AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS LIPPERT COMPONENTS PROBLEM . I THEN CONTACTED LIPPERT COMPONENT AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM, BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MUCH INFORMATION THERE WAS ON THE WEB ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH LIPPERT FRAMES AND ABOUT THE LACK OF SUPPORT FROM LIPPERT TO CORRECT THEIR PROBLEMS. I THINK IT IS TIME FOR SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM WITH FRAMES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED FROM A LIPPERT PIN BOX TO FRAME FAILURE. IF YOU NEED TO SEE PICTURES OF THE FAILURE TO MY 5TH WHEEL PIN BOX, I CAN SEND THEM TO YOU, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *TR