2004 National Rv Rage'n

Defect. CERTAIN TRAVEL TRAILERS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS." THE TIRE INFLATION SETTINGS WERE INCORRECT ON THE LABEL.

Risk. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FEDERAL TIRE TAG. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 12, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NATIONAL RV AT 1-800-999-7260.

Defect. ON CERTAIN TRAVEL AND FIFTH WHEEL TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH THREE AXLES, THE FEDERAL TIRE TAG DOES NOT PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE MIDDLE AXLE.

Risk. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REGULATIONS.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FEDERAL TIRE TAG. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 19, 2004. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT NATIONAL RV AT 1-800-999-7260. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA), AN AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT NATIONAL RV, INC. AND ITS HOLDING COMPANY, NATIONAL RV HOLDINGS, INC., HAVE FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. NHTSA HAS BEEN ADVISED THAT OWNERS WHO WISH TO PURSUE CLAIMS RELATED TO SAFETY RECALL REPAIR WORK ON THEIR NATIONAL RV VEHICLES MAY FILE A PROOF OF CLAIM WITH THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE DIVISION. THE CASE NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THIS MATTER IS 07-17941. THE PROOF OF CLAIM FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THE COURT'S WEBSITE <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.CACB.USCOURTS.GOV>HTTP://WWW.CACB.USCOURTS.GOV</A> . ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE BANKRUPTCY AND ITS PROCEEDINGS MAY ALSO BE FOUND AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.OMNIMGT.COM/NATIONALRV>HTTP://WWW.OMNIMGT.COM/NATIONALRV</A> . NATIONAL RV'S PHONE NUMBER IS (951) 943-6007. INFORMATION ABOUT SAFETY RECALLS ON NATIONAL RV'S PRODUCTS MAY BE FOUND AT WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV. THE NHTSA WISHES TO ADVISE OWNERS OF RECALLED PRODUCTS THAT, IN THE INTERESTS OF THEIR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF THE MOTORING PUBLIC, ALL SAFETY RECALL WORK SHOULD BE PERFORMED ON MOTOR VEHICLES AND ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT.

I OWN A 2004 RAGE'N LX 3435-5J 5TH WHEEL TOY HAULER MANUFACTURED BY NATIONAL RV. THE FRAME OF THIS TRAILER IS MANUFACTURED BY LIPPERT SOMETIME IN 2003. AROUND OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR I NOTICED THAT THE FIBERGLASS EXTERIOR AROUND THE HITCH PIN WAS DISTORTING WHEN I WOULD LOWER THE TRAILER ONTO MY TRUCKS HITCH. I ALSO BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE INTERIOR FLOOR CABINETS OVER THE HITCH PIN WERE BEGINNING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE SIDE WALLS. I TOOK THE TRAILER TO JOHNNY WALKER SERVICE AND THEY PEELED THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER AND DID A REPAIR THE "MANUFACTURER", (I DON'T KNOW WHICH), SAID WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I PUT APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 200 MILES ON THE TRAILER AND NOTICED THAT THE SAME CABINETS ARE NOW PULLING AWAY FROM THE FRONT WALL. JOHNNY WALKER SERVICE STILL HAS THE TRAILER AND IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THIS IS OCCURRING BUT THIS STRUCTURAL FAILURE HAS NOW REAPPEARED AFTER WHAT WAS A MANUFACTURERS "SOLUTION" WAS APPLIED. THE MANUFACTURER OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THAT THERE IS SOME KIND OF PROBLEM OR THEY WOULDN'T HAVE SUGGESTED A "FIX". I DON'T FEEL SAFE KNOWING THE POSSIBILITY OF A 10,000 TO 12,000 TRAILER MAY BREAK LOOSE ON THE BACK OF MY TRUCK WHILE MOVING. I HAD PICTURES TAKEN OF THE REPAIRS MADE PRIOR TO THE EXTERIOR BEING REAPPLIED. *TR

FRAME FLEXING IN PIN BOX AREA LEADING TO PIN BOX COLLAPSE INTO FRONT OF TRAILER AND POSSIBLE SEPARATION FROM TOW VEHICLE. *TR

UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE PIN BOX AND SURROUNDING FRAME SUPPORTS DEVELOP SERIOUS CRACKS/FRACTURES. THIS FAILURE CAUSES ALOT OF FLEXING IN THE FRAME AND HAS DONE DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OF THE RV. HAD TO REPAIR CRACKS AND REINFORCE FRAME. HAVE NOT REPAIRED INTERIOR DAMAGE YET. *TR

AFTER EXITING A 20 MPH LEFT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH THE RIGHT SIDE TIRES BOTH BLEW. AFTER PULLING TO THE SHOULD OF THIS NARROW ROAD I INSPECTED THE TIRES AND FOUND THE CENTER BRACKET FOR THE TRUNNION HAD COLLAPSED INWARD. THIS CAUSED BOTH TIRES TO RUB ON THE FRAME AND FAIL. I PUT THE SPARE ON TO MOVE TRAILER OUT OF THE ROADWAY IT TO BLEW, BUT WAS ABLE TO LAST LOG ENOUGH TO PARK TRAILER AT A SAFER LOCATION. AS A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER I HAD INSPECTED THE TRAILER PRIOR TO OUR TRIP AND FOUND NO SIGNS OF FATIGUE OR DAMAGE. A MOBILE TRUCK REPAIR PERSON CAME OUT AFTER 4 DAYS AND FIXED THE BRACKET TEMPORARILY SO I COULD GET IT TO A CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP. DEALER FOUND THAT THE OTHER 5 BRACKETS HAD ALSO BEEN BENT DUE TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE TRUNNION BRACKET. *TR

THIS RV/TOY HAULER IS TOWED ON THE HIGHWAY BEHIND A PROPERLY EQUIPPED FORD F250 CREWCAB SHORT BED TRUCK. THIS RV/TOY HAULER HAS NEVER BEEN OVERLOADED OR ABUSED IN ANY MANNER AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. THE FAILURE I'M REPORTING INVOLVES THE TRAILER FRAME AREA THAT SUPPORTS THE FIFTH WHEEL HITCH. WHILE TOWING THE TRAILER BACK FROM A WEEKEND TRIP THE TRAILER FRAME AREA THAT SUPPORTS AND SECURES THE HITCH FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED BY CRACKING AND COLLAPSING WHICH RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT RISK TO THE PASSENGERS OF THE TOW VEHICLE AND DAMAGE TO FRAME AND THE INTERIOR OF THE TRAILER. AT THIS POINT THE MANUFACTURE IS UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY PERIOD AND WANTS THE INSURANCE COMPANY OR ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, WHAT A RACKET BUILD A PRODUCT THAT FAILS UNDER NORMAL USE AND GET THE INSURANCE CARRIER TO COVER THE REPAIRS. *TR

REGARDING TIRE T23585R16, ON MAY 23, 2007 WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH I EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT ON THE PASSENGER'S FRONT TIRE OF THE 2004 30 RAGEN TOY HAULER. THE BLOWN OUT TIRE TREAD REMAINED ON THE TIRE BUT FLAPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE TRAILER, CAUSING BLACK RUBBER TO BE THROWN ALL OVER THE TRAILER DOOR AND SIDE PANELS. THE TIRE WAS PULLED AND REPLACED WITH THE SPARE CARLISLE TIRE OF THE SAME SIZE. ON JUNE 23,2007 WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND ON HIGHWAY 101 JUST UT OF PASA ROBLES, CA AT 55 MPH THE BACK TIRE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BLEW OUT. I CHANGED THAT TIRE WITH AN ODD BALL SPARE THAT I HAD TO REPLACE BECAUSE I PUT THE SPARE CARLISLE ON THE FIRST BLOWOUT TIRE. THE TREAD STAYED ON THE TIRE, FLAPPING ONCE AGAIN AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRAILER, NO DAMAGE NOTED, JUST BLACK RUBBER ON THE TRAILER. ONCE AGAIN, EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER ON JUNE 30, 2007 WHILE TRAVELING ON ROUTE I5 AT STOCKTON, CA BACK FROM OUR TRIP TO THE COAST ANOTHER BLOWOUT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OCCURRED, THE ORIGINAL CARLISLE SPARE TIRE BLEW OUT AT 55 MPH. THIS BLOWOUT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SIDE OF THE TRAILER BETWEEN THE WHEEL WELL AND THE TRAILER WINDOW, AND RESULTED IN DOOR TO SLIGHTLY PULL AWAY FROM BEING EVEN. THE TRAILER HAD IMPACT DENTS THAT WILL BE VERY COSTLY TO BE REPAIRED. *AK