2012 Forest River Rockwood

The defect

Forest River is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Rockwood, Windjammer, Vlite and Flagstaff travel trailers manufactured February 3, 2012, through February 4, 2013. When an affected trailer hits a large bump or pot hole, the trailer tire may contact the bottom of the floor.

The risk

As a result, the tire may become damaged and possibly blow out which may cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The remedy

Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will add a lift kit between the frame and the axle mounting brackets, free of charge. Owners may contact Forest River at 1-574-825-7178.

Forest River, Inc. · up to 721 vehicles across all model years covered

Closed recall query · opened September 10, 2014 · closed July 9, 2015

the suspension

ODI opened RQ14-004 based on 3 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) which reported a condition similar to recall 13V-554.This recall addressed insufficient clearance between the tire and trailer floor.The condition was due to a frame supplier change which resulted in reduced clearance between the top of the tire and the bottom of the wheel wellOf the three VOQs reported in the opening resume two were not included in recall 13V-554 and one was.Both of the vehicles not included used a different frame than the recalled trailers.Upon thorough examination of the condition experienced by the owners it was found that neither unit exhibited insufficient tire clearance between the bottom of the floor and top of the tire.Forest River's initial Information Request Response (IRR) submission did not adequately address all the questions asked by ODI.Following a meetingwith Forest River personnel on March 20, 2015 an IRR was submitted on May 22, 2015, which satisfied ODI.This submission is included in the public repository.When asked how Forest River identified the recall population they used a production change to determine the start and end dates.On February 3, 2012 Forest River introduced a new frame.The engineering drawings used to launch this new frame failed to identify the frame rail height.Furthermore, Forest River failed to verify that the new frame rail height was the same as the one it replaced.This created a half inch reduction in clearance.This issue was not identified and remedied untilFebruary 4, 2013 which is the end of the recall population. A thorough review of the complaint and warranty informationreceived during this investigation was preformed.After removing claims that could be associated with recall 13V-554 a defect trend was not identified on the remaining population.The only crash which also included an injurycould not be positively associated with the alleged defect. This investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following complaint identification numbers: 10598458, 10598344, 10538519.

8,000 miles

LIPPERT CHASSIS FAILURE - THE CHASSIS OF OUR TRAVEL TRAILER BUCKLED WHILE TOWING IT FROM CA TO AZ. THE FAILURE BECAME SO CATASTROPHIC THAT THE FRONT END OF THE TRAILER ACTUALLY TOUCHED THE HIGHWAY SURFACE WHILE IN TOW. MY WIFE AND 2 KIDS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED HAD I NOT CAREFULLY TOOK US OFF THE HIGHWAY WHEN I DID. LIPPERT COMPONENTS INC OF INDIANA MANUFACTURES THE CHASSIS FOR FORREST RIVER, INC. IN THE CASE OF MY TRAILER, IT APPEARS THAT THEY USED A 1/8 INCH THICK C-CHANNEL TUBING IN THE AREA THAT BUCKLED. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY RV EXPERTS WHO BELIEVE THIS IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. I HAVE CONTACTED AND TRIED TO GET LIPPERT, (LCI) TO TAKE SOME …

NHTSA complaint 11019253, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

3,600 miles

WHILE DRIVING ON I-75 NORTH OF KNOXVILLE, TN I EXPERIENCED A TIRE FAILURE ON THE RIGHT REAR AXLE WHICH HAD 1 PREVIOUS BLOWOUT BOTH ON THE INSIDE/BACK OF THE TIRE ( A TOTAL OF 3 BLOWOUTS ON THE REAR HUB AND 1 BLOWOUT ON THE FRONT HUB OF THE CURB/RIGHT SIDE OF THE 5TH WHEEL. TELE CONVERSATIONS WITH FOREST RIVER NETTED NO HELP OR DESIRE TO FURTHER INQUIRE AS TO THE CAUSE OF 4 TIRE FAILURES ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE 5TH WHEEL WHICH HAS LESS THAN 4K MILES. THE FIRST 2 BLOWOUTS OCCURRED ON A TRIP TO ST. AUGUSTINE WHILE TRAVELING ON I-95. IN ALL BLOWOUT CASES THE SPEED WAS BETWEEN 60-65 MPH.

NHTSA complaint 10871637. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

1,000 miles

IN ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA WHEN WE STOPPED FOR FUEL IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BY ANOTHER MOTORIST THAT GREASE WAS LEAKING FROM ALL FOUR HUBS OF THE TWO AXLES ON OUR 5TH WHEEL. AFTER STAYING IN ARDMORE FOR TWO DAYS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THE REPAIRS WE NEEDED WE HAD TO DRIVE TO A SERVICE FACILITY IN DENTON, TX WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE BRAKES WERE BURNED OFF OF ALL FOUR WHEELS AND THIS HAD CAUSED THE AXLES TO OVERHEAT AND FORCED ALL THE GREASE OUT OF THE HUBS AND IT HAD BURNED OFF ALL THE BRAKE WIRING AS WELL. AFTER PARTS WERE OBTAINED FROM DALLAS, TX THE BRAKES SHOES WERE ALL REPLACED, NEW BRAKE WIRING INSTALLED AND AXELS REPACKED. WE REALIZED AT THIS TIME WE HAD DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE AN …

NHTSA complaint 10871037, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

1,400 miles

ON A RETURN TRIP HOME FROM INCIDENT #1 WE BLEW A TIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ON OUR FIFTH WHEEL AND WE WERE STRANDED ON VERY BUSY INTERSTATE 25. A NM DEPARTMENT TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE STOPPED AND HELPED CHANGE TO THE SPARE TIRE. HE DIRECTED US TO THE CLOSEST RV REPAIR DEALERSHIP. THEY DID NOT DEAL IN TIRES SO THEY SENT US TO ANOTHER SERVICE. WE THEN WENT TO A TIRE DEALER FOR A TIRE REPLACEMENT. PHOTOGRAPHS WERE SENT TO FOREST RIVER OF THE BLOWN TIRE WHILE WE WERE IN NEW MEXICO. THE TIRE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THE TIRES HAD BEEN COMPROMISED FROM OVERHEATING OF AXLES AND BRAKES IN PRIOR INCIDENT #1. ALSO, WE WERE ADVISED …

NHTSA complaint 10871052, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

2,000 miles

WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY WHEN A MOTORIST BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT HE SAW THE GREASE CAP BLOW OFF AND THERE WAS SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL OF THE 5TH WHEEL. UPON INSPECTION THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HUB BEARING OVERHEATED AND LOST ALL THE GREASE IN THE BEARING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE SPINDLE WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. REPLACEMENT OF AXLE WAS NEEDED. THIS AXLE WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND WOULD HAVE TO BE MANUFACTURED BY THE COMPANY IN INDIANA THAT MADE THE ORIGINAL AXLE. THE PART HAD TO BE SHIPPED FROM INDIANA TO THE REPAIR CENTER IN KENTUCKY WHERE THE 5TH WHEEL WAS WAITING TO BE REPAIRED. SAFETY IS THE KEY ISSUE FOR OUR FAMILY AND FOR THAT OF …

NHTSA complaint 10871054, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

2,700 miles

WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH MS IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT SOMETHING WAS RUBBING ON THE TIRE ON OUR FIFTH WHEEL. UPON INSPECTION WE COULD SEE A BOLT AND A PIECE OF METAL, WHICH WERE ATTACHED TO THE SLIDE UNIT, RUBBING AGAINST THE TIRE. WE PROCEEDED TO A RV CENTER IN HAMMOND, LA TO HAVE FURTHER INSPECTION ON THIS ISSUE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BOLT WOULD HAVE TO BE SHORTENED AND THE RAM FACE WOULD HAVE TO BE CUT BACK TO ALLOW FOR FREE ROTATION AND REDUCE THE RISK OF DAMAGE TO THE TIRE. THEY CUT THE BOLT AND RETHREADED IT TO WHERE IT WAS SHORTENED ENOUGH NOT TO COMPROMISE THE TIRE. THEY ALSO CUT BACK THE RAM FACE END TO ELIMINATE THE CHANCE OF IT RUBBING THE TIRE ANY FURTHER. WHILE …

NHTSA complaint 10871060, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.