DUTCHMEN Complaints

THE FRAME IMMEDIATELY BETWEEN THE DUAL AXEL CRACKED BUT REMIND TOGETHER. THE SIDE WALL AT THE TOP OF THE TRAILER ALSO CRACKED.THIS OCCURED ON THE HIWAY AND WAS NOTICED UPON PARKING THE TRAILER AT OUR DESTINATION. IF I HAD NOT STOPPED IT APPEARS THE REAR END OF THE TRAILER AND THE REAR AXEL WOULD HAVE ENTIRELY LOST THEIR INTEGRITY. THE ROAD SIDE OF THE TRAILER HAS A 1 TO 2 INCH SAG AT THE REAR END. UPON SEEEKING HELP I LEARNED THAT LIPPERT THE FRAME MANUFACTURER OFFERED A REPAIR PROCEDURE USING P/N 106124 THAT HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 2009 AND HAS "PLENTY" IN STOCK. THIS APPEARS TO BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM. TYPICAL HIWAY SPEED 65 MPH, MILEAGE APPROX. 35,000 MILES.

MISMANUFACTURED DOOR PANELS (METAL DOOR) FOR BEDS PUNCTURING CANVASS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT; MISMANUFACTURED PLASTIC SEAMING WHICH HOLD CANVASS IN PLACE TO TRAILER ITSELF AND MISMANUFACTURED CANVASS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AFTER NOMINAL USE COMPLETELY FALLING APART LEAVING TRAILER OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS. BOTH ISSUES ALLOW EXCESSIVE AND REPEATED WATER DAMAGE TO UNIT TO OCCUR. UNIT IS APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF YEARS OLD AND ONLY USED A HANDFUL OF TIMES WITH REPEATED SERVICING REQUIRED WHICH HAS NEVER CORRECTED THE MANUFACTURING ISSUES.

LEFT PENSACOLA, FL AND DROVE 200 MILES TO SLIDALE, LA. RR AKUPET HF188 ST235/80 R16 TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING EAST ON I-10. GOT TO CAMPGROUND AND CHANGED TIRE OUT. PUT ON SPARE. BOUGHT NEW TIRE AND PUT ON CAMPER AFTER GETTING BACK TO PENSACOLA, FL. CONTACTED LIONSHEAD SPECIALTY TIRE & WHEEL. LLC AND THEY WON'T RETURN MY PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS CAN'T BE DELIVERED. LEFT PENSACOLA, FL 10/23/14 FOR SOUTH FLORIDA AND WITH 2800 MILES ON CAMPER LR AKUPET HF 188 ST235/80 R16 BLEW OUT. (LAST OF ORIGINAL TIRES THAT BLEW). COMING BACK FROM SOUTH FLORIDA 10/26/14 THE FIRST REPLACEMENT TIRE GOODYEAR TIRE BLEW OUT WITH 3700 MILES ON CAMPER. FIGHTING WARRANTY WITH GOODYEAR NOW. SUMMARY: BLEW OUT ALL FOUR ORIGINAL TIRES ON CAMPER. NOW ONE NEW TIRE WITH ONLY 2000 MILES ON IT. PROBLEM WITH CAMPER? DON'T KNOW. *TR

PULLED CAMPER FROM PENSACOLA, FL TO SHREPORT, LA. 495 MILES PULLED INTO CAMPGROUND, REGISTERED, CAME OUT AND TIRE ON RR HAD BLEW OUT AT THE SIDE WALL. (WAS NO STRESS TURNING CAMPER INTO CAMPGROUND). MAKE OF TIRE WAS AKUPET HF 188 ST235/80 R 16, CHANGED TIRE TO SPARE OF SAME SIZE AND DROVE TO TULSA OKLA NEXT DAY. GOT NEW GOODYEAR TIRE AND PUT ON CAMPER. LEFT TULSA AND WENT ON. WHILE DRIVING HOME AFTER 2250 MILES RF TIRE BLEW OUT ON HIGHWAY (SAME BRAND TIRE AS FIRST ONE). PUT SPARE ON AGAIN. DUTCHMAN WOULDN'T REPLACE MONEY I SPENT OR GAVE A NEW TIRE ON FIRST TIRE AS I DIDN'T KEEP IT WHEN I GOT NEW TIRE. THEY FINALLY REPLACE THE SECOND TIRE UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I TURNED IN BAD TIRE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DUTCHMEN COMFORT TRAILBLAZER TRAVEL TRAILER (NA). THE TRAILER WAS PULLED BY A 2011 FORD F150. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRAILER'S REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE AND TRAVEL TRAILER OVER AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH AN EXTINGUISHER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE A REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT WAS COMMON. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE ON THE TRAVEL TRAILER WAS 1,500.

WHILE DRIVING OUR DUTCH STAR MOTORHOME ON NORTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101 AT 55 MPH IN THE LOS ANGELES CA. AREA AND IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE OF THE 4 LANE FREEWAY, THE COACH SUDDENLY VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND I HAD NO STEERING CONTROL AT ALL. THERE WAS A VERY LOUD SCREECHING ROARING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE AS THE COACH INSTANTLY CROSSED ALL OF THE REMAINING 3 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC AND IMPACTED THE CONCRETE CENTER DIVIDER AT FREEWAY SPEED AND AT APPROXIMATELY A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE COACH WAS DEFLECTED AFTER IS SLAMMED INTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER AND THEN SLID ANOTHER 300 FEET ALONG THE WALL UNTIL IT CAME TO REST ON THE WALL IN THE CENTER MEDIAN. UPON LATER EXAMINING THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE MOTOR HOME ONCE IT WAS TOWED TO THE IMPOUND YARD AND PLACED UP ON BLOCKS, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING CASTING THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL TIE ROD HAD BROKEN ALLOWING THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL TO IMMEDIATELY TURN TO THE FULL LEFT TURN POSITION WHICH CAUSED ME TO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO STEERING CONTROL AS WE VEERED TOWARD THE 4 LANES OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANES THAT WERE TRAVELING AT AROUND 65 TO 70 MPH. MY WIFE AND I WANT TO WARN OTHERS OF A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN OTHER STEERING CASTINGS OF THE SAME DESIGN THAT COULD CAUSE ANOTHER WRECK WITH THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATH. THE MOTORHOME WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

2006 THOR/DUTCHMEN DENALI RV. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE PERCH THAT HOLDS THE REAR LEAF SPRING BROKE OFF AT THE FRAME. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE TWO BARS KEPT THE AXLE FROM SWINGING AROUND THE TRAILER. HE NOTICED THE PERCHES WERE MADE OF 3/16 MATERIAL AND THE REST OF THE PERCHES WERE BENT OFF TO ONE SIDE FROM THE STRAIN OF THE REST OF THE AXLES. WHEN THE PERCH BROKE OFF, THE CONSUMER COULD SEE THE GUSSET WELDS HAD NO PENETRATION AT ALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2014 DUTCHMEN VOLTAGE 3200. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE LEAF SPRING FRACTURED AND THE AXLE TO THE LEAF SPRING LANDING GEAR PREVENTED THE AXLE FROM BECOMING COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE LEAF SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DUTCHMEN 25CGS (NA) RECREATIONAL TRAILER. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13E039000 (EQUIPMENT, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); HOWEVER, THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

THE CHRYSLER GROUP LLC SENT ME 3 NOTICES OF RECALL BUT THEIR DEALERSHIP STORE HAS BEEN IGNORING ME TO REPAIR IT. I REPORTED MY RECALL TO THE DEALERSHIP LAST OCTOBER 5, 2013 HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, TX AND RELIGIOUSLY FOLLOWING IT UP EVERY MONTH, BUT THEY DON'T CARE! *TR