Warranty Problem

dajones95 · 09-02-2016, 06:25 PM

Hi, I own a 272BHS and have had it for about 8 months now and have had tons of problems from being 30 minutes off the dealer lot and having a bad tire blow on me to bad electrical that the dealer can't seem to figure out. I don't know if I just got a lemon or if everybody else his having problems as well, but since we've had it, we've also had problems with the skirting, the fresh water tank, the remote that refuses to work (related to electrical problems, falling down wall paper, bunk bed instability, inside cabinet instability, doors that didn't shut properly, dining table warping, and now we were coming back from a trip and the drivers side tire decides to sheer off the lug nuts and screams off over the median, on to oncoming traffic and into the field on the other side of the road at 70 miles an hour. Luckily there were no injuries. And of course it damaged the skirting as well. So I take it to the dealership, and they tell me that the warranty department has denied my claim. I talk to forest river and they confirm that the claim was denied by Forest River even though the RV shop where we had it repaired clearly stated that the wheel had sheered off because of the lug nuts were cross threaded. Nobody aside from Forest River has touched that wheel.

My question is, who can I talk to to get this taken care of. I've spoken with the warranty department on several occasions and they have not been cooperative. Any ideas/people I should talk to that could help?

Thanks

Dajones95

youroo · 09-02-2016, 06:37 PM

What is a 272BHS?

Youroo!!

Toddupton · 09-02-2016, 06:52 PM

Not sure those tires are rated for 70 mph.

RSchleder · 09-02-2016, 07:02 PM

I suggest maybe, just maybe, that dragging an RV down the road at 70mph may be contributing to some of your issues.

mfMcFroggierPod · 09-02-2016, 07:37 PM

ST tires are rated for max 65mph. If they can not handle 5 mph more something is wrong...
As far as the other problems there are so many and they don't seem like small problems. It is a shame that some companies today once they have your check your on your own...
Poor Quality control & Pride.

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mfMcFroggierPod · 09-02-2016, 07:38 PM

I this unit a brand new one or what year?

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Happy Vibe · 09-02-2016, 07:41 PM

If you told the shop or forest river that they were the only ones that touched your lugs that could be the problem. You are supposed to check the wheel lugs on a routine basis. I have had mine back off a bit after the first time I torque them on. Usually takes two re-torques before they don't back off any more.

Happy Vibe · 09-02-2016, 07:43 PM

So max does not mean maximum then. I guess you have not read the two million threads on ST tires.

Stank Bait · 09-02-2016, 08:04 PM

"the wheel had sheered off because of the lug nuts were cross threaded"
Huh? What does that mean? The wheel came off, the studs broke? If the studs broke and the wheel came off how do they know they were cross threaded? The nuts and studs are some where on the road or in the field. Better slow that thing down.

WolfWhistle · 09-02-2016, 08:45 PM

Is your 272BHS a Keystone? Is it a Sonoma 270BHS? When my 29HFS was new, doing what the manual called for, I re-torque all lug nuts to 100# at 500 mile intervals for a few stops then increase to every 1000, and at every stop they did tighten more. I would guess that the lugs loosed up and finally came off (at higher than the rated MPH) which damaged the lug threads, but I'm only guessing.

Witch Doctor · 09-02-2016, 09:31 PM

I'm by far no mechanic, But if your wheel lug nuts where lose, and going down the road loosened them more, it might look like the stud threads were crossed threaded. If the lug nuts threads are still in the hub take it down to a tire dealer and find out if it was cross threaded. It just sounds like the dealer is getting out of the repair. They also should have checked the torque before you got it. You know the transport people never do....Good luck..

dajones95 · 09-03-2016, 02:05 AM

It's a 2016 Vibe by Forest River

Toddupton · 09-03-2016, 07:08 AM

The lugs were loose and sheared off the bolts plain and simple. It happens all the time because no one is tightening them up.

Airdale · 09-03-2016, 07:14 AM

I suggest you read your trailer's owner's manual so you know the proper procedures for things before you report warranty problems to the vehicle manufacturer that you yourself have caused.

Like others have said, it's clearly spelled out in the owner's manual that the wheels need retorting at periodic intervals.

ST tires, unless otherwise marked with a speed letter on their sidewalls, are all 65 MPH tires (MAX). Once the limit is reached, the tire is out of any available load capacity above it's maximum value listed on it's sidewall. Pretty soon it will get hot and fail.

B and B · 09-03-2016, 07:34 AM

Did you get your wheel back? They are expensive to replace. Studs are cheap actually. Any auto service place can replace them. I would go that route now. As much as many have laid blame here the trailer, any trailer, if torqued correctly at the dealer should not loosen off after leaving to the point of wheel separation.

In my trailering life I torqued when new and follow the manufacturers initial specifications. I check them once a year.

WolfWhistle · 09-03-2016, 09:38 AM

it is likely the wheel bolt holes are worn/mishappened beside damage to the lugs and possibly tire ... you didn't say if it was 1 or 2 wheels(?). If it hasn't been done; it might be interesting to find out the present torgue on the passenger side lugs. I'm sorry for your troubles, I won't be critical, because we all make rookie mistakes some can be rather expensive to fix.
WW

northstar1960 · 09-03-2016, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dajones95

It's a 2016 Vibe by Forest River

I can see you've got great advice from the members here [not] .
you do need to check the lug torque when new and at least a couple times per season . sounds like this was back in the shop with the flat and the torque on the lugs should have been checked then . no reason for this to happen other then lack of quality work and people that just don't care .
seems most of the new st tires coming out now and for the last year are rated at 75mph . if yours are rated for 65 going 5mph more should not cause all hell to break loose. you may want to report the issue to the appropriate government agency's. then you just need to work on FR and the dealer that has done the work since in the end they are libel for what they send out

NMWildcat · 09-03-2016, 12:39 PM

I would be curious to know the time span between when they worked on your flat and your wheel came off. Was it the same wheel? Might be facts to help your case with the dealership. Sounds like you talked to most of the right folks already. The only thing left is to find out who your regions factory rep is and contact them. If all else fails, turn it into your insurance.

And yes, as everybody has said, it's a good habit to get into to check your lugs. I check mine after anybody works on tires/brakes/bearings. Also check before most trips. But saying that, in 30 years I've never found any 1 lug loose enough to cause me concern, much less cause all the lugs to break. So I think somebody at your dealership didn't do their job properly.

As for all the folks placing blame on you for going 70mph.... PPHHHHTTTT!!!! Didn't have a dang thing to do with loose lug nuts or the dealership not reimbursing you. But as you know from these threads, traveling over 65 on STs causes male pattern baldness and global weather changes

Keep hounding the dealership with facts and receipts for damages. You would think they would help out just for customer good will!!! Good luck, and let us know if you get any action on this.

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