PRIME-TIME Complaints

AFTER COMPLETING A RECENT CAMPING TRIP, I NOTICED THE LEFT REAR TIRE BALDING, ON TIRES THAT HAVE LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON THEM. AS I LOOKED CLOSER AT THE CAUSE OF ONLY ONE TIRE BALDING, IT APPEARS THAT THE AXLE WAS BENT AND OUT OF LINE. FURTHER INSPECTIONS REVEALED THE AXLE RATINGS DID NOT MEET THE LISTED GVWR. EACH AXLE WAS RATED FOR 4400LBS. (THERE ARE 2 AXLES), EQUALING 8800LBS. GVWR IS LISTED AT 9567LBS., WHICH IS ABOVE 8800LBS. LEADING ME TO BELIEVE PRIME TIME MANUFACTURING PLACED UNDERSIZED AXLES ON THIS TRAVEL TRAILER, SINCE IT DOES NOT SUPPORT THE GVWR LISTED, AND CAUSING THE AXLE TO MISALIGN AND THE TIRE TO BALD. AS THIS IS A LARGE, 32FT. TRAVEL TRAILER, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE WEIGHT BE SUPPORTED TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER CONTACTING PRIME TIME MANUFACTURING REGARDING THE AXLES, I WAS TOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE TIRES, WHEELS, SUSPENSION, AND AXLES DOES NOT COUNT IN THE GVWR, MAKING THE TOTAL WEIGHT WITHIN THE 8800LB. LIMIT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 (NA) PRIME TIME 3210 (NA) FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE WORN OUT AT 12,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AXLES WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND THE WHEELS WERE NOT PARALLEL TO THE FRAME AND NEEDED TO BE REALIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 11/08/16*LJ

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, GOOD DAY HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GREAT SUMMER SO FAR. I AM HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH MY TRAVEL TRAILER, THE A-FRAME HAS BUCKLED AND LIFTED UP 1.25' OVER 6'. SEE PHOTOS ATTACHED. I AM CURRENTLY DEALING WITH DEALERSHIP, MANUFACTURE AND EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE FRAME WHERE IT IS WELDED HAS BULGED AND CRACKING, CAUSING THE TONGUE TO BE BENDING UP 1.25" OVER 6 FEET. I ONLY NOTICED THIS WHEN I WAS WASHING THE TRAILER LAST WEEK. NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT JUST NORMAL USE WITH PROBABLY 15000KM TOTAL TOWING. PLEASE CONTACT ME [XXX] OR [XXX], I HAVE MANY MORE PHOTOS TO SHOW YOU . I AM A CANADIAN HOWEVER I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS. MY CANADIAN ADDRESS IS [XXX] PHONE # [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ALL 4 TIRES FAILED. I WAS PULLING THE TRAILER AT 65 MPH ON I95 IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHEN THE TIRES FAILED ONE BY ONE WITHIN 1 WEEK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 PRIME TIME TRACER 3200 BHT. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SMOKE FUMES EMITTED FROM THE GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER AFTER IT TRIPPED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE TRAILER WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING WAS NOT COVERED WITH AN INSULATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 PRIME TIME CRUSADER EQUIPPED WITH POWER KING TOWMAX TIRES, SIZE: LT235/80R16 E. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 62 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED AND DAMAGED THE WHEEL WELL ON THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS SHREDDED AND THE BELTS WERE EXPOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500.

TOWING MY 2014 PRIME TIME CRUSADER RV 5TH WHEEL WITH TOWMAX STR ST235/80 R16 TIRES THE TRAILER STARTED TO SWAY BAD AT 35 MPH SO I STOPPED AND NOTICED THAT MY TIRE WAS OUT OF ROUND AND SEAMED TO BE NOTICEABLY LARGER THAN THE OTHER TIRE ON THE OTHER AXLE. UPON FURTHER EXAM STEEL BELTS WERE STICKING OUT OF THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. AFTER CHECKING THE OTHER TIRES 1 FOUND ANOTHER TIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RV ON A DIFFERENT AXLE IN THE SAME CONDITION. BOTH TIRES WERE REPLACED AT A PRO RATED COST. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT BOTH NEW TIRES GO ON THE REAR AXLE. 3 MONTHS LATER I TOOK MY RV TO CANADA APPROXIMATELY 420 MILES. WHEN RETURNING AT 60 MPH THE TRAILER STARTED TO SWAY VIOLENTLY ALMOST CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE TRAILER WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO AND DISCOVERED THAT THE 2 REMAINING TIRES HAD BELT FAILURE AS WELL. 1 TIRE LOST ABOUT 70% OF ITS TREAD AND ALL THE BELTS WERE EXPOSED. THE OTHER TIRE ON THE SAME AXLE WAS OUT OF ROUND WITH OBVIOUS SIGNS OF BELT DAMAGE. PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR THE TRIP TO CANADA AND RETURNING HOME I CHECKED THE PRESSURE IN THE TIRES AS I ALWAYS DO. ALL TIRES WERE SET TO 80 PSI COLD BEFORE LEAVING TO CANADA AND 3 TIRES WERE AT 80 PSI AND 1 AT 79.5 PSI RETURNING FROM CANADA. THE 2 TIRES THAT FAILED WERE BOTH AT 80 PSI THE TOTAL RV WEIGHT WAS 13394 AS I HAD IT WEIGHED TO CONFIRM I WASN'T OVERWEIGHT. THE TAG ON THE RV IS 12144 DRY AND 1649 POUNDS OF CARGO OR COMBINED 13793. I AM 400 POUNDS UNDER MY MAXIMUN ALLOWED WEIGHT. THE RV WAS STORED AT THE DEALER WITH TIRES COVERED ALL WINTER ON CONCRETE. THESE TIRES ARE THE SAME THAT WERE ON MY 2011 COUGAR 5TH WHEEL AND 2 OF THOSE EXPLODED VIOLENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON SEPARATE INCIDENTS. THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. PLEASE INVETIGATE THESE TIRES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED IN A BLOWOUT INCIDENT.

WITHOUT WARNING AS WE WERE DRIVING THE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE DRUM CAUSING IT TO SMOKE. WE PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE IMMEDIATELY. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL HOURS FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THE TIRE WAS JACKED UP TO BE CHAINED OUT OF THE WAY SO WE COULD MOVE TO A SERVICE CENTER FOR REPAIR. AT THE TIME THE TIRE WAS JACKED UP, IT FELL AWAY FROM THE AXLE AS IT HAD COMPLETELY DETACHED. THIS WAS THE FIRST OF THREE SUCH EVENTS. UPON REPAIR BEING COMPLETED THE MECHANIC COMMENTED THAT THE BEARINGS SEEMED UNDERSIZED FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. AFTER RETURNING HOME WE TOOK THE UNIT TO OWN LOCAL DEALER WHERE THE OTHER THREE BEARINGS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF "PITTING". WE HAVE HAD NO LUCK GETTING ANY FURTHER HELP FROM THE DEALER WHERE THE UNIT WAS PURCHASED AND TO DATE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY HELP FROM PRIME TIME/FOREST RIVER. (WE ARE CANADIAN BUT THERE WAS NO WAY TO ADD A CANADIAN ADDRESS TO THE FORM BELOW. WE SPEND 1/2 THE YEAR IN ZEPHYRHILLS FL SO USED THAT ADDRESS).

LEFT HOME FOR A WEEKEND TRIP TO BANDERA TEXAS WITH MY FIFTH WHEEL RV. CHECKED ALL TIRE PRESSURES PRIOR TO PULLING OUT TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE ALL AT MANFACTURE SPEC'S (80PSI) GOT APPROX. 40 MILES FROM HOME AND HAD A BLOW OUT ON THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THIS WAS A REAL SURPRISE TO ME SINCE THE TIRES WERE BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAD LESS THAN 1500 MILES ON THEM. WHEN THE TIRE BLEW OUT IT CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE SIDE OF THE RV. THESE TIRES APPEAR TO BE A VERY POOR QUALITY. I WAS TRAVELING WITH A FRIEND THAT HAS A NEW RV ALSO AND HAD A BLOW OUT ON THE WAY BACK FROM OUR WEEKEND TRIP. HE HAD THE SAME TIRES ON HIS RV AS I DID ON MINE. THE MANUFACTURE OF THE TIRE IS TOW MAX POWER KING 235/80R/16. I REALLY FEEL THEY NEED TO STOP PUTTING THESE TIRES ON RV'S SEEING THAT THE DON'T LAST. *TR

ON OUR 2013 CRUSADER WE EXPERIENCED OUR FIRST BLOWOUT. ON 4/25/14 ABOUT 4 MILES FROM HOME TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MILES AN HOUR ON NEWLY BLACKTOP ROAD(LEFT REAR). WITH ONLY 2000 MILES ON THE CAMPER NO DAMAGE WAS DONE. ON 10/24/14 ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MILES AN HOUR OUR SECOND BLOWOUT OCCURRED ON RIGHT FRONT. THIS TIME EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO SLIDE TRIM, TIRE SKIRT, STEPS, TIRE AND RIM. THE TIRES WERE POWER KING TOMAX, ST235/80R16 E. WE FEEL THE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR