2013 PALOMINO COLUMBUS Complaints

THE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER WE PURCHASED CAME WITH SUPPLIED 6000 PND LIPPERT AXLES. THE AXLES ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE WEIGHT CARRIED ON THIS TRAILER. 7000 OR 8000 POUND AXLES SHOULD BE STANDARD. IN 2013 THIS IS WHAT THEY USED. IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, THEY USED HEAVIER AXLES. WE ARE EDUCATED TO THIS AND ARE SENSITIVE TO BRAKE, AXLE SEAL, AND OVERALL TIRE MAINTENANCE. LIPPERT SEALS ARE ALSO KNOWN TO BE INFERIOR. WE HAD THE SEALS REPLACED WITH HIGHER QUALITY DEXTER SEALS ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO SO THAT WE COULD AVOID ANY ISSUES. ON 11/26/16 WE WERE RETURNING FROM A TRIP WHEN WE LOST A WHEEL WEST OF CLAYTON NM ON A STATE HIGHWAY. WE ARE ASSUMING THE AXLE BEARING FAILED, WHICH CAUSE THE ENTIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO BECOME SO HOT, IT BEGAN TO SMOKE AND CATCH FIRE. THE WHEEL, HUB, LUGS, TIRE CAME AWAY FROM THE AXLE. AND BOUNCED ACROSS THE NM STATE HIGHWAY. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, IT DIDN'T HIT ANYONE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FOREST RIVER COLUMBUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLOOR IN THE KITCHEN OF THE RV HAD BECOME VERY SOFT. THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80.

THE TRAVEL TRAILER IS UNABLE TO STOP DUE TO FAULTY SEALS LEAKING AND GETTING GREASE ON THE BRAKE HARDWARE. I AM AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THESE SEALS DUE TO OTHER TRAILERS IDENTIFIED WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE OF THE AXEL ASSEMBLY LCI (LIPPERT) AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY TRAILER WAS 2 YEARS OUT OF WARRANTY NOTHING COULD BE DONE. ALSO I WAS MADE AWARE THAT LETTERS WHERE SENT OUT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND I NEVER RECEIVED ONE, AGAIN I WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY TRAILER WAS 2 YEARS OUT OF WARRANTY I WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED ONE. *TR

BRAKES WERE NOT STOPPING 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER. PULLED OFF BRAKE HUB AND FOUND GREASE ON BRAKE SHOES FROM FAULTY GREASE SEALS. I AM IN CONTACT WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS AT THIS TIME, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THEY WANT TO HELP. *TR

BOTH TRAILER AXLES, 6000#, WERE INSPECTED AND FOUND TO HAVE GREASE CONTAMINATION ON BRAKE SHOES AND HARDWARE. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF BRAKING ACTION. THE GREASE FROM THE WHEEL BEARINGS PASSED THE SEAL, CAUSING THE CONTAMINATION. *JS

ALL AXLE SEALS LEAKING ON 2013 COLUMBUS 320 RS...6000# AXLES. APPROXIMATELY 6000 MILES ON UNIT THAT WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH OF 2014....THIS IS BEING REPORTED IN NOVEMBER 2014. GREASE LEAKED THROUGH AXLE SEALS INTO HUB ASSEMBLY, CONTAMINATING BRAKING MECHANISM CAUSING REDUCED TO NO BRAKES ON 14,000# 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. THIS 5TH WHEEL IS USED PRIMARILY IN COLORADO, ON MOUNTAIN ROADS. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH LITTLE TO NO ACTION BEING TAKEN BY LIPPERT INDUSTRIES TO ISSUE A RECALL OF THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

WHEEL SEALS FAILED ALLOWING BEARING GREASE TO SPREAD AROUND ALL BRAKE SURFACES. ALL 4 BRAKES WERE EFFECTED. ALL EFFECTED PARTS ARE BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *TR

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM LIPPERT INC. INDICATING THAT THERE WERE ISSUES WITH BRAKE COMPONENTS INSTALLED ON MY COLUMBUS 320RS FIFTH WHEEL THAT COULD LEAD TO A FAILURE TO STOP THE TRAILER. I TOOK IT INTO BERRYLAND CAMPERS AND HAD THEM INSPECTED. THE LIPPERT SEALS USED ON THE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES HAD LEAKED GREASE, CONTAMINATING THE BRAKE PADS WITH GREASE. LIPPERT COVERED PAD AND SEAL REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

DURING ANNUAL MAINTENANCE I HAVE FOUND ALL FOUR OF MY BRAKE DRUMS TO HAVE SIGNS OF GREASE IN THEM. IT APPEARS THE REAR SEAL HAS FAILED AND IS ALLOWING GREASE TO PENETRATE THE INNER BRAKE AREA. I HAVE PICTURES UPON REQUEST. THANK YOU *TR

THIS IS A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. IT IS TOWED BY A 2012 F250 WITH FACTORY BRAKE CONTROLLER. THE BRAKES ON THE TRAILER SEEMED TO BE GETTING WEAKER EACH TIME I TOWED IT AND I KEPT INCREASING THE GAIN ON THE CONTROLLER TO COMPENSATE. HOWEVER ON THIS DATE AS I WAS EXITING HWY. 101 AT EL CAPITAN STATE BEACH AT 55 MPH THERE WAS LITTLE-TO-NO BRAKING VIA THE TRAILER, I HAD TO BRAKE HARD WITH THE TRUCK'S BRAKES TO MAKE A TURN AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMP. IT WAS QUITE CONCERNING. AFTER THE WEEKEND CAMPING WE RETURNED HOME CAUTIOUSLY AND CALLED BARBER RV IN VENTURA, CA AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT UNDER WARRANTY. WE DROPPED IT OFF AT BARBER RV ON AUGUST 26, 2013. UPON INSPECTION BARBER RV FOUND GREASE ALL OVER THE INSIDES OF THE DRUMS AND SATURATED BRAKE PADS, PROBABLY FROM FAULTY SEALS. THE BAKES WERE CLEANED AND NEW PARTS INSTALLED. BARBER RV USED AFTERMARKET PARTS AS THEY ARE NOT IMPRESSED WITH PARTS FROM THE AXLE/BRAKE MANUFACTURER LIPPERT COMPONENTS. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE BRAKES STILL DON'T STOP LIKE OUR PREVIOUS 5TH WHEEL, OR LIKE THIS COLUMBUS DID WHEN WE FIRST TOOK DELIVERY IN FEB. 2013. WE EVEN TOOK IT BACK TO BARBER RV TO VERIFY THAT THERE WEREN'T OTHER ISSUES, I ALSO HAD THE F250'S CONTROLLER CHECKED BY A FORD FACILITY. I AM IN COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER COLUMBUS OWNERS ON FORUMS AND A NUMBER OF THEM ALSO HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH GREASE ON THE BRAKES. BARBER RV DID NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS ON THE WARRANTY WORK, AND SINCE THIS IS A FOREST RIVER TRAILER WE WERE ULTIMATELY REIMBURSED THE $775 THAT WE PAID OUT-OF-POCKET FOR THE REPAIRS. THESE TRAILERS WEIGH A LOT AND BRAKING IS IMPORTANT, I BELIEVE THAT THE AXLE AND BRAKE CAPACITY USED IS NOT ENOUGH, LET ALONE WHEN GREASE CONTAMINATES THE BRAKES. EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED, AND QUALITY PARTS INSTALLED, I STILL DON'T HAVE MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE BRAKES. UPDATED 3/31/14*CN *TR