DUTCHMEN Complaints

THIS IS A TOYHAULER RV AND IN THE GARAGE AREA THERE ARE TWO BUNK BEDS THAT ARE STORED UP NEXT TO THE CEILING. THERE IS A LIGHT RIGHT ABOVE THE TOP BUNK BED. WE HAD STORED OUR WINTER BLANKETS AND SLEEPING BEDS ON THE TOP BUNK WHERE THEY WERE OUT OF THE WAY AND WE DID NOT USE THE TOP BUNK ANYHOW. THE LIGHT GOT LEFT ON ACCIDENTALLY LEFT ON. THE FIXTURE GOT HOT AND SET THE BLANKS AND SLEEPING BAGS ON FIRE. WE WERE LUCKY THAT IT WAS JUST A SMOLDERING FIRE, AND ONLY SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE CEILING AND LIGHT FIXTURES AND LOST ALL OF THE WINTER BLANKETS AND SLEEPING BAGS. JUST A NOTE THAT IT MAY NOT A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THIS LIGHT WERE IT IS POSITIONED AS IT CAN BE LEFT ON BY ACCIDENT. THANKS *TR

MY 2010 DUTCHMEN GRAND JUNCTION 340RL 5TH WHEEL CAMPER SUFFERED A MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE IOTA ITS-50R POWER TRANSFER SWITCH MELTED AND CAUGHT FIRE. I'VE NOTED NHTSA ISSUED RECALLS FOR KEYSTONE RVS ONLY, YET MY PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN FOUND ON OTHER MANUFACTURERS. *TR UPDATED 1/15/13 *CN UPDATED 1/22/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DUTCHMEN DENALI RV TRAILER EQUIPPED WITH AKURET HF188 TIRES, SIZE ST225/75R15 AND DOT# 83B4HFA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED CAUSING THE FENDER FLAIR AND THE UNDER CARRIAGE ABOVE THE TIRE RIPPED OFF. THERE WAS NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THEY DID NOT COVER TIRE BLOW OUTS. THE TIRE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150 AND THE TIRE MILEAGE WAS 150. UPDATED 12/11/12 *CN UPDATED 12/18/2012 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DUTCHMEN VICTORY LANE 40 FEET FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER, EQUIPPED WITH GOODRIDE SUPER NT, (NA) TIRE SIZE 225/75/R15 MANUFACTURER IN MR/04 WHICH ARE FTS/YKS TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND THE INSIDE SIDEWALL HAD A PIECE OF TREAD MISSING. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE TIRE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE FIVE REMAINING TIRES HAD TREAD SEPARATION AND PIECES WERE FALLING OFF. THE CONTACT STATED PIECES RANGED BETWEEN SIZES OF THREE AND FIVE INCHES LONG. THE TIRES WERE TAKEN TO A TIRE SHOP, WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE VIN FOR THE TRAILER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE ON TRAILER WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT AND MILEAGE ON TIRES WAS 7,600.

ON JUNE 30, 2012 LESS THAN 10 MINUTES FROM OUR HOME THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ON OUR CAMPER CAUSING DAMAGE TO OUR CAMPER. WE REPLACED IT WITH OUR SPARE. APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES FROM OUR DESTINATION MYRTLE BEACH, SC THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING MORE DAMAGE TO OUR CAMPER. THE TIRES THAT BLEW OUT HAD MANUFACTURING DATES OF 2007 AND 2006. THE 2 REMAINING TIRES WERE STARTING TO SEPARATE AS WELL. WE REPLACED ALL 5 TIRES WHILE IN MYRTLE BEACH, SC WITH A TOTALLY DIFFERENT BRAND NAME OF TIRE. THE POWER KING TOWMAX TIRES ST235/80R16 THAT BLEW OUT HAVE CAUSED THUS FAR $8653.78 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO OUR CAMPER AND WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOLD THE DEEPER THEY GO INTO IT THE MORE DAMAGE THEY ARE FINDING. WE OWN AND OPERATE AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR GARAGE AND ALSO SELL TIRES. WE ALWAYS KEEP OUR CAMPER, BOAT, AND PERSONAL VEHICLE TIRES IN CHECK. WE WERE NOT OVERLOADED, AND WERE RUNNING ANYWHERE FROM 55 MPH TO 60 MPH ON OUR TRIP. ALL TIRES ON THE CAMPER INCLUDING OUR VEHICLE ARE GAUGED AND INSPECTED BEFORE A TRIP. TO DATE THE TIRE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL. WE ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH A COMPANY IN CANADA AND IN THE US FOR TIRES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED IN CHINA. THEY HAVE ALREADY SUGGESTED TO US THAT THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO FAULT OF OURS OR BAD AXELS ON OUR CAMPER. THE TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES ON THEM AND HAD 9/32 OF TREAD ON THEM. THESE TIRES COME OUT WITH 10/32 OF TREAD. THE 2 TIRES THAT DID BLOW OUT HAVE BEEN SHIPPED BACK TO CANADA FOR THEM TO ANALYZE THE TIRES WHAT IS LEFT OF THEM. WE DO STILL HAVE THE OTHER 2 TIRES AT OUR BUSINESS THAT WERE SEPARATING. THESE TIRES NEED TO BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. IF BOTH TIRES HAD BLOWN AT THE SAME TIME WE COULD HAVE BEEN IN OR CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. WIRING HARNESSES AND PROPANE LINES WERE TOTALLY JERKED OUT AND MISSING. THE PROPANE LINE JERKED OUT HAD STARTING LEAKING PROPANE. *TR

AFTER PARKING THE TRAILER, I OBSERVED THE REAR AXLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE U BOLTS SECURING THE AXLES TO THE LEAF SPRINGS WERE LOOSE. ONE NUT WAS COMPLETELY MISSING. WE HAD JUST TRAVELED 400+ MILES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT WAS MERE LUCK THAT THE AXLES DID NOT FAIL ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING INJURY AND DEATH. I SAW NO SIGN OF THREAD LOCKING COMPOUND ON ANY OF THE COMPONENTS. *TR

A NEW RV TRAILER WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE A PLACARD THAT STATES 7,000# GAWR WHILE IT IDENTIFIES THE TIRE SIZE AS A ST235/80R16(E) WITH THE INFLATION TO BE 80 PSI. THIS TIRE IS RATED FOR A MAXIMUM LOAD OF 3,420# AT 80 PSI.....UPDATED 03/21/12 *BF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY DUTCHMEN APPEARS TO VIOLATE 49 CFR PART 571.120 WHICH IN S5.1.2 STATES "...THE SUM OF THE MAXIMUM LOAD RATINGS OF THE TIRES FITTED TO AN AXLE SHALL BE NOT LESS THAN THE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING (GAWR) OF THE AXLE SYSTEM AS SPECIFIED ON THE VEHICLES CERTIFICATION LABEL REQUIRED BY 49 CFR PART 567.." IN FEDERAL REGISTER: DECEMBER 4, 2007 (VOLUME 72, NUMBER 232)] [RULES AND REGULATIONS] [PAGE 68441-68466], DOT IDENTIFIED THAT THE CARGO CAPACITY WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BUYING DECISION. REPLACING THE LABEL WITH A LOWER GAWR WOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS BUT IN THE CASE OF CURRENT OWNERS IT WOULD MEAN THEY PURCHASED THE TRAILER WITH CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS OF LOAD CAPACITY BASED ON THE STATED 7,000# GAWR FOR EACH AXLE, BUT NOW WOULD DISCOVER THE TRAILER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CARRY THEIR NORMAL LOAD. I THEREFORE REQUEST THAT IN ADDITION TO REPLACEMENT OF A PROPER PLACARD THERE BE SOME PHYSICAL REMEDY PROVIDED TO MAKE THE CURRENT OWNERS WHOLE. I CAN PROVIDE A COPY OF THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SUBJECT PLACARD. *TR UPDATED 05/10/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DUTCHMEN GRAND JUNCTION TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS COMPLETELY FRACTURED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V410000 (POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY) AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER SENT REPAIR PARTS TO THE CONTACT, WHO PERFORMED THE REPAIRS INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DUTCHMEN VOLTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE BOLTS AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER ON HER BEHALF. THE MANUFACTURER AGREED TO COVER THE REPAIR COSTS ON THE VEHICLE AND PROVIDED A NEW, UPDATED WARRANTY. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 02/01/12 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DUTCHMAN AIR LIGHT TRAVEL TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS TWISTED. THE CONTACT HEARD A CRACKING SOUND AND PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE TRAILER. THE PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN AND THE REAR OF THE BUMPER WAS HANGING TWO FEET FROM THE GROUND. THE MANUFACTURER ONLY REPLACED PART OF THE FRAME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLOOR INSIDE THE TRAILER WAS CRACKED, SOFT AND THE INSIDE OF THE ENTIRE TRAILER HAD SHIFTED. UPDATED 12/06/11*LJ UPDATED 03/05/12