PALOMINO Complaints

THE GREASE SEALS LEAKED ON 2 WHEELS. THE LEAK WAS CAUGHT IN TIME TO PREVENT BRAKE DAMAGE ON 1 WHEEL BUT THE LEAKING GREASE DESTROYED THE BRAKE PADS ON THE 2ND WHEEL. I WAS AWARE (BECAUSE OF THE MANY RV FORUMS) OF THIS KNOWN ISSUE WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS ON COLUMBUS RV'S & CONTINUED TO MONITOR MINE. THAT IS WHY IT WAS CAUGHT BEFORE IT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. *TR

RIGHT FRONT TANDEM TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $2,000 IN DAMAGE TO 5TH WHEEL TRAILER FORCING ME TO CHANGE IT ON A BUSY STATE HIGHWAY. TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED. TIRES WERE CHECKED BEFORE LEAVING FOR PROPER INFLATION (80 PSI COLD). MY SPEED WAS 60 MPH. TIRES HAVE ABOUT 1,000 MILES ON THEM. TIRE IS AKURET HF188, ST235/80R16, LOAD RANGE E, 3,520 LBS. CAPACITY, DOT 83B5 HFA 4711. *TR

I HAVE FILED BEFORE FOR FAILED GREASE SEALS ON SAME UNIT...TWO TIMES BEFORE...ENTIRE AXLE ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED LAST TIME. I TOOK TRAILER TO LOCAL SHOP FOR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT BEFORE A LONG TRIP AND THEY FOUND A LEAKING GREASE SEAL ON RIGHT REAR. REPLACED SEAL..... *TR

ON JULY 12TH 2014 ALL FOUR LIPPERT AXLE HUB SEALS FAILED AFTER ONLY 500 MILES OF TOWING! LEAKING GREASE INTO BRAKE DRUM CAUSING BRAKES TO CONTAMINATE AND FAIL. OVERHEATING OF THIS GREASE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE IN HUBS WITH CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES. THIS EVENT JUST SO HAPPENED THE DAY OF MY WARRANTY EXPIRATION AND I AM CURRENTLY FIGHTING WITH LIPPERT TO COVER LABOR COSTS. I COULD NOT MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONDAY (DUE TO THE WEEKEND) WHICH PUT ME TWO DAYS PAST MY WARRANTY. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SEVERELY HURT OR KILLED DUE TO LIPPERTS CHOICE TO USE LOW QUALITY PARTS. *TR

TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH DURING TRIP. CHECKED PRESSURE IN TIRES BEFORE LEAVING HOME, AS WELL AS FOR ANY DEFECTS. STOPPED TO REFUEL AFTER 2 HOURS INTO TRIP AND NOTICED TIRE LOW ON AIR. INSPECTED TIRE AND FOUND 6 INCH SPOT WHERE TREAD WAS SEPARATING FROM TIRE AND ABOUT TO BLOW OUT. INSPECTED TIRE AND FOUND NO PUNCTURE. AIR WAS LEAKING FROM SPLIT IN TIRE AT TREAD SEPARATION. *JS

WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 SOUTH NEAR EXIT 73, WE WERE PULLED OVER BY A NC HIGHWAY PATROL. THE TROOPER NOTICED SOMETHING WOBBLING UNDER MY 37' FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND A GRAPEFRUIT SIZE BUBBLE ON THE INSIDE OF THE RIGHT FRONT TRAILER TIRE. HAD I CONTINUED DRIVING, THE TIRE COULD HAVE EXPLODED WHEN THE BUBBLE POPPED. THE TIRE PRESSURES WERE CHECKED 1 HOUR EARLIER, PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR OUR TRIP. THEY WERE ALL AT THE SPECIFIED 80 PSI.I DON'T DRIVE OVER 65 MPH AND WHEN THE TRAILER IS IN STORAGE, THE TIRES ARE COVERED TO REDUCE UV EXPOSURE AND I PARK ON A PIECE OF PLYWOOD. THE TIRES WERE INSTALLED BY COLUMBUS. THEY ARE AKURET ST235/80R16 10PLY TRAILER TIRES. THIS TIRE HAS A BUILD DATE OF 0612. *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

RECEIVED NEW TRAILER AND HAD NO BRAKES. RETURNED TO DEALER SHORTLY THEREAFTER FOR REPAIR. DEALER COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED AND FOUND EXCESSIVE GREASE AND MULTIPLE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE SYSTEM, REPLACED MULTIPLE PARTS. *TR

OUR 5TH WHEEL CAMPER TRAILER, COLUMBUS 295RL, FAILED TO HELP TOW VEHICLE STOP. WHILE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, INSPECTION OF WHEELS INDICATED GREASE CONTAMINATION. DEALER AND LIPPERT, MFG. OF AXLE AND BRAKE SYSTEM FOUND GREASE CONTAMINATION IN THREE OUT OF FOUR HUB ASSEMBLIES AND REPLACED ALL FOUR WITH NEW DRUM/BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. SINCE, HAVE ONLY PULLED TRAILER JUST UNDER 200 MILES WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE. *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