COACHMEN Complaints

I PURCHASED THIS TRAVEL TRAILER NEW IN APRIL 2001. I HAD NUMEROUS MANUFACTURING DEFECTS WITH IT AND IT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR THE FIRST 6 WEEKS. I FINALLY RECEIVED IT BACK IN JUNE. IN JULY WE WERE GOING CAMPING AND WE WERE ABOUT 50 MILES FROM HOME ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, MY HUSBAND FELT LIKE HE WAS FIGHTING THE STEERING WHEEL THE WHOLE TIME. A CAR IN THE LANE NEXT TO US STARTED TO COME A LITTLE CLOSE SO WE WEAVED A LITTLE TO THE LEFT. AT THAT POINT THE WHOLE TRAILER STARTED TO WHIP AND WE COULD NOT GET IT UNDER CONTROL. THAN THE TRUCK STARTED TO WHIP. WE THOUGHT FOR SURE WE WERE GOING OVER BUT WE WERE LUCKY AND EVENTUALLY GOT IT UNDER CONTROL. WITNESSES SAID THE TRAILER HAD A BAD SWAY IN IT UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THEY SAID IT NEVER STOPPED SWAYING. WE HAD OUR HITCH, TOW BARS AND SWAY BAR CHECKED OUT. THEY WERE ALL FINE. WE FOUND THREE LOOSE WHEEL BEARINGS AND TIGHTENED THEM. WHEN WE GOT IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID THAT THE MANUFACTURER NEVER GREASED THEM, THEY WERE DRY AND THEY FOUND PROBLEMS WITH THE BREAKS. AFTER THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE GREASED, TIGHTENED AND THE ELECTRIC LINES TO THE BREAKS WERE CORRECTED WE TOOK IT OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE. THE SWAY WAS REAL BAD. MY HUSBAND SAID IT HANDLED WORSE THAN BEFORE. THE DEALER HAS HAD IT A MONTH TODAY AND THEY WANT TO TEST IT WITH A DUAL SWAY BAR. AS FAR A I KNOW THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET AND I'M SCARED THAT THIS MIGHT JUST MASK THE PROBLEM. COACHMEN DOESN'T FEEL THERE IS A PROBLEM AND WON'T DO ANYTHING. THEY HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM IT. I WANT THEM TO TAKE THIS TRAILER BACK. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT CANNOT BE CORRECTED AND THIS WILL EVENTUALLY ROLL OVER AND KILL ME AND MY FAMILY. PLEASE HELP. *AK

WHEN HAZARD LIGHTS ARE ACTIVATED, BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN SERVICE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHILE TRAVELING IN HEAVY RAIN UP A HILL AT ABOUT 40 MPH. THE OWNER OF THE TRUCK FOLLOWING ME INFORMED ME WHEN WE STOPPED AT A REST AREA. THIS FAILURE OCCURS WHILE STOPPED OR AT ANY SPEED.*AK

THE 1ST TIRE FAILED (EXPLODED) IN AUGUST 7, 2000, THE 2ND TIRE 7/20/01 & THE 3RD WAS ON 7/21/01. THESE TIRES WERE ON OUR BOAT TRAILER WHEN WE BOUGHT IT IN MARCH, 2000. THE PREVIOUS OWNERS PURCHASED THE BOAT/TRAILER PACKAGE NEW IN THE SUMMER OF 1999 AND THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES. ALL 3 OF THEM HAD LESS THAN 2,000 MILES ON THEM AT THE TIME THEY FAILED. IN ALL 3 INSTANCES THE SIDE OF THE TIRE "EXPLODED" AND YOU COULD SEE THE BELT (VERY FRAYED) STICKING OUT OF THE LARGE HOLE. FORTUNATELY THIS IS A DOUBLE AXEL TRAILER AND WAS CONTROLABLE AT THE TIME OF THE BLOW OUT. IF IT HAD BEEN A SINGLE AXEL TRAILER, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE TO REPORT THIS. I FEEL THAT THESE TIRES POSE A SAFETY HAZARD AND WOULD LIKE THIS MATTER TO BE INVESTIGATED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK (TIRESIZE: ST205/75R1)

WHEN EMERGENCY FLASHERS ARE ON BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

5 TIRE BLOWOUTS ON TWO DIFFERENT MOTOR HOMES. *AK (TIRESIZE: 235/80R/22)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/80R/22 )

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT 2 DEALERS FOR 11 MONTHS. DEALER REPLACED PADS/ HOSE ASSEMBLY/ MASTER CYLINDER/ GASKETS/ BRAKE LINES/ BOOSTER ASSEMBLY/ CALIPERS, AND REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS. DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAS VEHICLE BACK, BUT STILL HAS PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING. MANUFACTURER DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *AK

PE 00 040/TREAD SEPARATION: RIGHT REAR INNER TIRE EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT/TREAD SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING AT HWY SPEED OF 55-60 MPH IN 1997, COACHMEN, LEPRECHAUN; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE 225/75R16, DOT# VDILIXA506. FIRESTONE NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT TIRE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL, AND TIRE WAS AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS. *AK THE SECOND BLOWOUT CAUSED DAMAGE TO MOTORHOME. *SLC

THE MOTORHOME VIBRATES AND BOUNCES SEVERELY WHILE DRIVING, THE VIBRATIONS ARE SO SEVERE THAT THEY CAUSE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS INCLUDING CAUSING THE CD PLAYER TO COME OUT OF THE DASH, THE FRONT PANELS NEAR THE FRONT WHEEL BROKE AND THE ALARM SYSTEM CAME OUT OF ITS PROPER POSITION, CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE VIBRATION FIXED ON THREE OCCASIONS BUT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. NLM

PICTURE AVAILABLE. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. (TIRESIZE: LT22575R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT22575R16 )

FIRESTONE, STEEL TEX, P225/75R16, DOT VDIL1XA366, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997, COACHMAN LEPRECHAUN MOTORHOME. SINCE MAY 1999 HAD 4 TIRES WITH TREAD SEPARATION. *AK *SLC