XLR 27hfs Cheap tires and wheels.....

[Martins5547]

Hello to all.....

My wife and I are ready to pull the trigger and buy a 27 HFS but took a step back when we found out that the tires and wheels that they are putting on the camper have defects. Obviously the tires and wheels are made in china and we have heard that the quality is not good at all.

The dealer proceeds to tell me that they knock off a 1/4% on financing to cover a tire and wheel warranty in the event that the purchaser has any problems with a blowout or wheel coming apart.

They did assure me over and over that if any problems like that happened, that I just call and no matter where we are, they will send someone to fix it.

Has anyone heard about this issue? Has anyone had an issue with tires blowing out or rims failing during towing?

the way I see this is that.... There is a problem with the material used. they know about it. They do, however, inform the purchaser up front and offer a solution to the potential problem.

The way I see it is that when I show up to take delivery on the hauler, I should just bring my 9mm, shoot the tires and wheels right there in the parking lot of the dealer so then they will be forced to change out the tires and wheels with better, more reliable equipment.

First and foremost, I want to hear from you, the owners and users of this toy hauler, and get your take on the value of the 27HFS. Your word is what will be the determining factor of making the final decision to purchase or keep looking.

Thank you for reading and for your time. I look forward to hearing any stories that anyone is willing to share.

I, for one, really like the layout inside and out. I feel that this is the better quality toy hauler for the money. After looking at 5 or 6 different manufacturers at a recent RV show, this one stood out from the others that were on display. The weight is light enough for my expedition to tow it and I wont be putting so much weight in it. The only heavy thing going inside is the golf cart. I will be putting a kayak inside as well but that is less than 100 lbs.

As far as reading some of the other posts about axle weight, in the past, forest river put 3500 lb axles on the 27hfs and then realized that they were under spec for many reasons. The new models, 2012 and 2013, come with 4400 lb axles bumping up the spec to 8800 lbs. That information made me feel much better.

I will be crawling up under the hauler when I get it to check the weight rating on the axles before I even hook up to it.

[dustman_stx]

I haven't heard about any problems with wheels. Tires are another story. Do some research and choose a tire that suits you and tell them to replace the tires with the ones you want for the same price or you walk. Unless you have been extremely aggressive in your deal already, they do have some room. And they will have the factory tires to sell, so their actual investment to meet this requirement will be very low. If you do decide to upgrade to a heavier load range tire, you will have to make sure that the wheel has a high enough PSI rating to match the tire.

[comfun1]

I never heard of the rims failing so can't help you there. I can tell you there warranty service is excellent. The tires that came on my 21rr were cracked and they replaced all four. After a couple of months the replacements began to crack. Now they have sent me four more and this time they upgraded to steel belted radials. I have never had to pay any shipping or other fees and the first set they gave me a check for $60. The tires may not be good but the warranty is outstanding. This last set of tires does not have that familiar chinese rubber odor and the rubber on the new tires feels like a different grade. I'm hoping these don't crack. When I replaced my first set I installed a TPMS. I have had blowouts in the past with Goodyear Marathons on a fifth wheel and if it were not for people pulling me over would not have known that the tires failed.

[pdchristensen]

Originally Posted by Martins5547

Hello to all.....


The way I see it is that when I show up to take delivery on the hauler, I should just bring my 9mm, shoot the tires and wheels right there in the parking lot of the dealer so then they will be forced to change out the tires and wheels with better, more reliable equipment.

As far as reading some of the other posts about axle weight, in the past, forest river put 3500 lb axles on the 27hfs and then realized that they were under spec for many reasons. The new models, 2012 and 2013, come with 4400 lb axles bumping up the spec to 8800 lbs. That information made me feel much better.

I will be crawling up under the hauler when I get it to check the weight rating on the axles before I even hook up to it.

I just went through the same issues with my VIBE 6504, (Cheap under rated tires & bare minumum 3500 lb axle).

However because I imported the unit from U.S. to Canada,,,,it was more or less a buyer beware, as I would have inspected the unit a lot closer if I had the opportunity to view on the lot.

As it is I "shot the tires" once the unit was delivered to my home. Also "snapped the axle off" and replaced with Dexter 6000 lb axle/hub combination and upgraded from 14 inch to 15 inch rim/tire combination to improve safety margin on the tire/rim loading.

[bikepsych]

What is the name brand of the Chinese tires?

[bulletbob]

From what i've seen there are only a couple tire suppliers that all the rv builders buy from. Some just choose to install a cheaper tire than others. I have about 2000 miles on my tires and are holding up real good. I know thats not a lot of miles compared to some you but just throwing my two cents out there.

[wyo700]

I have about 2000 miles on the tires on my toy hauler and they need replaced. They are junk. Gonna replace them with maxxis m8008 8 plys next year before we start to camp.