PALOMINO 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 2005 PUMA PALOMINO (NA) TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRAILER TONGUE DETACHED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRAILER TONGUE FRACTURED DUE TO CORROSION AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT APPLICABLE.

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.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND THE ENTIRE ROOF CAME OFF OF THE CAMPER. THE CAMPERS ROOF, FORTUNATELY, LANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT HITTING ANY OTHER VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME STOPPED AND THE DRIVER TOLD ME THAT HE WITNESSED THE ROOF COME OFF AND GAVE ME HIS NAME AND PHONE NUMBER IN CASE I NEEDED A WITNESS TO THE INCIDENT. HIS NAME IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON JULY 10, 2014 MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT A COLUMBUS 340 RK FIFTH WHEEL MADE BY FOREST RIVER. UPON DELIVERY AUGUST 14TH 2014 WE NOTICED IMMEDIATE DEFECTS AND CALLED RV WHOLESALERS TO NOTIFY OF THE ISSUES. SINCE WE HAD A TRIPPED PLANNED WITH THE 5TH WHEEL TO DRIVE THROUGH THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS MY WIFE AND I STATED WE WOULD TAKE IT IN FOR REPAIRS AFTER THE TRIP. DURING OUR TRIP I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP OF THE ISSUE. WE AGREED ON A REPAIR SHOP WHERE I DELIVERED THE 5TH WHEEL (SEPT 14, 2014) AND GAVE A LIST OF DEFECTS TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND RV DEALER. BRAKES WERE NUMBER 1 CONCERN. THE REPAIR SHOP CALLED ME AND STATED THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE BRAKES WERE NEVER WIRED AND COMPLETE (PICTURES WERE SENT) ALSO, ISSUE 2 THE BACKING PLATES FOR THE BRAKES WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. IN A NUT SHELL MY 13,800 POUND TRAILER HAD NO BRAKES! CURRENTLY IN A LEMON LAW SUIT AGAINST FOREST RIVER AND NEED MY GOVERNMENTS HELP. RV STILL AT SHOP WITH ZERO WORK DONE TO IT. SITTING SINCE SEPT 2014.

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

THE STUDS SNAP OFF AND THE WHEEL AND TIRE ARE NO LONGER SECURED TO THE HUB. THE WHEEL MAY SEPARATE FROM THE TRAILER CAUSING IT TO BE A PROJECTILE ON THE HIGHWAY INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. *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

BRAKES WERE SUSPECT, WEAK, INCONSISTENT ACTION. TOOK TO DEALER FOR REPACK AND INSPECT BRAKES. DISCOVERED ALL 4 SEALS FAILED AND ALL FOUR BRAKE ASSEMBLIES WERE COVERED IN GREASE. DEALER CONTACTED MANUFACTURE OF BRAKE ASSEMBLY, LIPPERT COMPONENTS, INC., AND THEY REPLACED BRAKES UNDER WARRANTY. *JS