2003 NEWMAR DUTCHSTAR — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I WAS BACKING MY COACH AND TRAILER UP WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP. I STOPPED TO INSPECT OVERHEAD BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HIT A LIMB. FINDING NO DAMAGE I GOT BACK IN AND WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL IT FREESPUN AND I HAD NO STEERING. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH TO SEE THE DRAG LINK DANGLING FROM THE STEERING BOX AND DISCOVERED A BROKEN CASTING. THE CASTING THAT BROKE IS CALLED THE BELL CRANK. IN MY CASE IT WAS THE FRONT LOBE THAT BROKE. THE PART THAT ATTACHES THE DRAG LINK TO THE STEERING BOX LEAVING ME WITH A STEERING WHEEL THAT JUST SPUN AROUND AND NO CONNECTION TO THE ACTUAL STEERING CONTROLS. THANKFULLY WE WERE IN A PARKING LOT WHEN IT HAPPENED. 10 MINUTES EARLIER AND WE WOULD'VE BEEN ON A MOUNTAIN INTERSTATE WITH NO CONTROL. THIS IS NOT THE SAME COMPONENT THAT IS LISTED IN THE RECALL. WHEN I SPOKE TO SPARTAN THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANYTHING LIKE IT.

I WAS BACKING MY COACH AND TRAILER UP WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP. I STOPPED TO INSPECT OVERHEAD BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HIT A LIMB. FINDING NO DAMAGE I GOT BACK IN AND WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL IT FREESPUN AND I HAD NO STEERING. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH TO SEE THE DRAG LINK DANGLING FROM THE STEERING BOX AND DISCOVERED A BROKEN CASTING. THE CASTING THAT BROKE IS CALLED THE BELL CRANK. IN MY CASE IT WAS THE FRONT LOBE THAT BROKE. THE PART THAT ATTACHES THE DRAG LINK TO THE STEERING BOX LEAVING ME WITH A STEERING WHEEL THAT JUST SPUN AROUND AND NO CONNECTION TO THE ACTUAL STEERING CONTROLS. THANKFULLY WE WERE IN A PARKING LOT WHEN IT HAPPENED. 10 MINUTES EARLIER AND WE WOULD'VE BEEN ON A MOUNTAIN INTERSTATE WITH NO CONTROL. THIS IS NOT THE SAME COMPONENT THAT IS LISTED IN THE RECALL. WHEN I SPOKE TO SPARTAN THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANYTHING LIKE IT.

THIS FALL AS IN PAST FALLS I PLACED MY MOTOR COACH IN WINTER STORAGE. AT THAT TIME I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE BATTERIES AS WELL AS THE HOUSE BATTERIES. APPROXIMATELY FOUR WEEKS LATER DEC 6TH 2015 I WAS CALLED BY AN OBSERVER THAT MY LEFT SUPER SLIDE WAS EXTENDING AND RETRACTING ALL BY ITSELF. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE COACH IT WAS OVERWHELMING TO SEE THAT THE SLIDE EVEN THOUGH THERE NO POWER BEING SUPPLIED TO IT HAS ATTEMPTING TO GO IN AND OUT BENDING THE HEAVY STEEL LOCK LITERALLY IN TWO. I CALLED NEWMAR CORP AND THEY ADVISED ME TO TAKE MY COACH TO A US AUTHORIZED DEALER IN MOUNT CLEMENTS MIC WHICH WAS LITERALLY 500 MILES CLOSER THAN MY CDN DEALER. AFTER WEEK THE THE DEALER RV GENERAL CALLED ME TO INFORM ME MY COACH HAD BEEN REPAIRED.I PICKED UP THE COACH AND PAID THE INVOICE OF $775.00 IN US CURRENCY. ON DEC 27 2015 I HEADED OFF TO FLORIDA, MY FIRST AND SECOND NIGHT ON THE ROAD THE SIDE DID NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. ON DEC 229TH 2015 I WAS ON I 95 SOUTH BOUND NEAR THE ORANGE FLORIDA CUT OFF WHEN THE SLIDE DEPLOYED ITSELF AS WE DROVE DOWN THE FREE WAY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TAKE THE EXIT THERE WITH A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY. I DISCONNECTED THE FUSES AND HAND CRANKED IN THE SLIDE AND WENT TO MY DESTINATION. I CONTACT NEWMAR AND THEY WERE QUICK TO POINT OUT YET AGAIN THIS ISSUE IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. TO WHICH HAS SHOCKED ME NOW THREE TIMES, AS MY CONCERNS WAS THE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT THIS COULD PRESENT INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE. I WAS ALSO SURPRISED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH NEWMAR AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS BLOGS ON THE NET ABOUT IT. I TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS WITH NEWMAR BUT THEY SIMPLY KEPT REFERRING TO WARRANTY AND NOT SAFETY. THUS I SUBMIT THIS COMPLAINT.