DUTCHMEN Complaints

TAB TRAILER, DUTCHMEN MFG. JACK WHEEL CAN'T BE TIGHTENED ENOUGH TO PREVENT WHEEL FROM DROPPING TO THE ROAD. WINDOW FELL OFF WHILE GOING DOWN FREEWAY. PROPANE COVER PLASTIC TOO THIN...CRACKED WHERE BOLTED ON AND ON THE COVER. COULD FALL OFF WHILE DRIVING. VERY POORLY CONSTRUCTED. *TR

1999 DUTCHMEN TRAVEL TRAILER. CONSUMER STATES LEAF SPRING HANGER THAT ATTACHES THE LEAF SPRING TO THE FRAME OF THE TRAILER TORE LOOSE FROM THE FRAME. *TGW THE WELD THAT SECURED THE HANGER TO THE TRAILER FRAME DID NOT BREAK, THE FRAME OF THE TRAILER BROKE RESULTING IN A HOLE IN THE 2 X4 TRAILER FRAME. THE REPAIRMAN STATED IT WAS A RESULT OF THE TRAILER FRAME BEING TOO THIN ALONG WITH THE WELD BEING EXTREMELY HOT USED TO SECURE THE LEAF SPRING HANGER TO THE FRAME. *JB

WHILE INVESTIGATING SOME DRIPPING WATER, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PORTSIDE SHOCK ABSORBER IS RUBBING AGAINST THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. THE RUBBING HAS WORN DOWN THE RAISED INFORMATION LOCATED ON THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF THIS TIRE TO THE DEGREE OF NO LONGER BEING ABLE TO READ THE INFORMATION. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE REAR PORTSIDE TIRE AND THE REAR STARBOARD TIRE HAVE ALSO BEEN RUBBING AGAINST THE SHOCK ABSORBERS TO THE DEGREE IT IS VERY VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT SOME RUBBING IS OCCURRING ON THE FRONT STARBOARD TIRE AS WELL. I FEEL AND IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THE CURRENT CONDITION OF AT LEAST ONE OF THESE TIRES IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ON. I HAVE TRIED TO NOTIFY DUTCHMEN HOWEVER SINCE IT'S SATURDAY I WILL TRY AGAIN ON MONDAY. I HAVE SENT AN E-MAIL TO THEIR WARRANTY DEPARTMENT, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE SALES DEPARTMENT AND AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THEM. *TR

1. PURCHASED A NEW GRAND JUNCTION 5TH WHEEL IN JUNE OF 2009. FIRST TRIP TO USE HAD A TREAD RIPPED TOTALLY OFF THE TIRE. I HAD MADE SURE THAT THE DEALER HAD PUT THE AIR PRESSURE IN CORRECT.. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MANUAL ONLY TO FIND I SPENT MORE OF MY MONEY TO SEND THE TIRE BACK. THE TIRE WAS A CHINA MADE TOW MAX WHICH WAS OVER 2 1/2 YEARS OLD ON A NEW UNIT. BEING THE FIRST TIME OUT I ASSUMED THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT.... NO WAY.... THE CANADIAN TIRE SUPPLIER TOLD ME THAT SINCE I DID NOT HAVE THE TREAD, THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD TELL WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIRE..I HAVE PICTURES OF THE TIRE... I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSTATE 40 AT NIGHT WITH MY WIFE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. NO WAY WAS I GOING TO RISK THE SAFETY OF MY SELF AND MY WIFE TO GET THE TREAD, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE. I CALLED AND THEY SENT ME A LETTER STATING THAT I SHOULD REPLACE ALL THE TIRES SINCE THERE WAS A TIRE FAILURE. AFTER SPENDING $10,000 OF DOLLARS, THEY TELL ME TO PUT MORE TIRES ON THE TRAILER FOR SAFELY AND FIX THE DAMAGE...SOME HOW THIS DOES NOT SEEM CORRECT THAT WE CAN ALLOW COMPANIES TO PUT OLD TIRES ON TRAILERS AND THEN NOT EVEN CARE OF THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE. GRAND JUNCTION WHO IS OWNED BY THOR BUYS THE TIRES FROM CANADA WHO HAS THEM MAKE IN CHINA.SOMEONE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTS THEY ARE USING. PLEASE ADVISE WHO I CAN MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST THIS COMPANY AND ALL INVOLVED.... I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE TIRE LIFE IF REGULATED IN ANY WAY. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE OF THE TIRES OTHER THAT TELL ME TO REPLACE THEM. NO PARTS WERE REPLACED BY THE COMPANY AND SO FAR THEY DO NOT SEEN TO CARE I WILL CONTACT CONSUMER GROUPS AND DO ALL I CAN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE.. BECAUSE SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT... TIRES CAN GO OUT AT ANY TIME,,,, BUT WHEN YOU PUT OLD TIRES ON AND DO NOT BACK YOUR PRODUCT, SOMEONE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OF KILLED. *TR

2007 DUTCHMEN COLORADO 5TH WHEEL. 28FT. TRAILER IS NOT LIFTED UP HIGH ENOUGH ON CHASSIS. TIRES ARE RUBBING UNDERNEATH THE TRAILER AND ON THE FENDER WELLS. ENOUGH SO THAT WE ARE AFRAID TO PULL OUR UNIT ANYMORE. MORE RUBBING ON THE TIRES IS GOING TO CAUSE A TIRE FAILURE WHILE TRAILERING, CAUSING A BLOWOUT ON THE ROADWAY, WHICH COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT, INJURING OR KILLING OURSELVES OR OTHER MOTORISTS. OUR UNIT IS NOT OVERLOADED, AND HAS THE CORRECT TIRES ACCORDING TO PLACARDS ON THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES HAVE RUBBED SO MUCH THAT THE INSIDE OF THE FENDER WELLS ON THE SLIDEOUT IS DOWN TO BARE METAL. A SERVICEMAN HAS SAID THE ONLY FIX TO THIS PROBLEM IS TO ADD BLOCKS TO THE LEAFSPRINGS AND LONGER CUSTOM MADE UBOLTS TO LIFT THE TRAILER HIGHER OFF OF THE CHASSIS. *TR

RV UNIT EXPERIENCED A PROPANE LEAK IN THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE COPPER GAS LINE AND THE REAR OF THE MICROWAVE OVEN. THE MICROWAVE WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY MOUNTED TO ELIMINATE MOVEMENT WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND THE GAS LINE HAS EXCESSIVE SLACK AND NO SECURING THAT PERMITTED THE LINE TO RUB AGAINST THE REAR OF THE MICROWAVE DURING TRAVEL. THE UNITS LP GAS DETECTOR ALSO FAILED TO ALARM EVEN WITH THE SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF GAS THAT HAD LEAKED BEFORE HUMAN DETECTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DUTCHMEN DENALI TRAILER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE U BOLTS ON THE REAR AXLE, LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE CAMPER, BECAME LOOSE. THE AXLE TWISTED SIDEWAYS, WHICH CAUSED THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. THE CONTACT GOT UNDERNEATH THE CAMPER AND NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE U BOLTS WERE LOOSE. IF THE BOLTS HAD BROKEN OFF, A LOT MORE DAMAGE COULD HAVE OCCURRED. HE MANAGED TO TIGHTEN ALL OF THE U BOLTS AND DID NOT NEED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT PLACING THE BOLTS ON CORRECTLY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 400. UPDATED 5/26/09 *CN THE U-BOLTS ON BOTH AXLES WERE N EVER TIGHTENED TO FACTORY SPECS. THE CONSUMER HAD THE REAR AXLE AND LEAF SPRINGS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE TIGHTENING OF THE U-BOLTS ON THE FRONT AXLE. UPDATED 05/28/09.*JB

WE HAVE A 2008 GRAND JUNCTION, WE BOUGHT IN OCT. OF 2007. ONE MONTH AFTER WE BOUGHT IT WE NOTICED A WHEEL WAS NOT RIGHT AND WE HAD IT CHECKED AND FOUND THAT THE SPINDLE NUT WAS PUT ON WRONG. WE HAD THAT FIXED AND THEY CHECKED THE OTHER WHEELS TO SEE IF THEY WERE OK. NOTHING ELSE WAS FOUND. WE WENT ON A TRIP TO PA.,( JULY OF 08) AND ONE OF OUR TIRES STARTING WEARING, SO WHEN WE GOT BACK TO FLORIDA WE HAD OUR DEALER CHECK IT OUT AND THEY FOUND THE BEARINGS WERE BAD. THEY TOLD US THE BEARING WARRANTY IS ONLY FOR 6000 MILES OR 6 MONTHS. WE DID NOT HAVE OUR WARRANTY BOOK TO DISPUTE THIS AND PAID OUR DEALER $134.79 TO FIX THE BEARINGS ONLY. WE STILL HAVE A BAD TIRE, THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WHEN WE DID GET OUR WARRANTY BOOK BACK, WE SAW BEARINGS ARE 12,000 MILES OR 12 MONTHS. I THINK DUTCHMEN SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS. THESE TWO WHEELS WERE ON THE SAME AXLE OPPOSITE SIDES. NOW IN JAN. 09, WE WERE COMING BACK FROM ALABAMA AND STOPPED TO GET GAS AND AS WE WERE PULLING OUT, ANOTHER WHEEL ACTUALLY FELL OF AND WENT FLYING ABOUT 30 YDS. INTO THE WOODS. THIS WHEEL DID CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE FIFTH WHEEL. WE HAD TO HAVE THE FIFTH WHEEL PUT ON A TRAILER BED TO GET TOWED TO OUR DEALER AND AS THEY WERE TAKING IT ON THE BACK ROADS BECAUSE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO GET IT UNDER THE OVER PASSES ON I-75 IN FLORIDA THE TOW PEOPLE DID A LOT OF DAMAGE GETTING UNDER THE TREES. WE CONTACTED THE AXLE WARRANTY AND THEY REFUSED WARRANTY, BECAUSE THEY SAID SOMEONE ELSE MUST OF TAMPERED WITH IT. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. THIS RIG NOW HAS HAD THREE DIFFERENT WHEELS GO BAD AND I'M NOT GETTING ANYWHERE WITH WARRANTY. THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. OUR DEALER IS LONGVIEW RV SUPERSTORE IN DOVER FL. WE DON'T NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE PULLING THIS RIG ANY MORE. THE LAST WHEEL WHEN IT CAME OFF COULD OF KILLED US OR SOMEONE ELSE IF WE WERE STILL ON I-75. CAN YOU HELP US WITH THIS ISSUE, I DO HAVE THE PAPER WORK ON ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE WRONG WITH THIS RIG. THANK YOU, DEREK AND KIM SUTHERLY *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DUTCHMEN GRAND JUNCTION TRAILER. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 45-50 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BY OTHER MOTORISTS. IMMEDIATELY, THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A TRAILER SPARE TIRE. THE OTHER THREE TIRES EXHIBITED DEFECTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE SHOP AND ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TIRE FAILURES AND DEFECTS WERE CONTRIBUTED TO BOTH FRONT AND REAR SPRING HANGERS DETACHING FROM THE FRAME. THE ORIGINAL COMPONENT'S STRENGTH LEVEL WAS INSUFFICIENT; HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT COMPONENT WAS SUFFICIENT FOR THE REPAIR REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT APPLICABLE.

FRAME FAILURE ON A TRAVEL TRAILER. I NOTICED UPON RETURN OF MY LAST CAMPING TRIP THAT I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE TONGUE OF THE TRAILER UP AND DOWN AROUND 3 INCHES. *TR