Trailer hitch

[cwit]

Not a recall but safety. 2004 Fleetwood flair. Coming into campsite yesterday and a car cut me off. I slammed on brakes to avoid accident. Trailer hitch broke at welds with I believe broke tow bar and went through hood and radiator. Car should be totaled. If you have and older motorhome check hitch over close. If anyone knows where to buy a new hitch please let me know. I have been searching and can not find. Thank you.

[cwit]

Our insurance is calling Fleetwood we can hope they get somewhere. It would change our deductible from 1’ooo to 100

[dougrainer]

cwit wrote:
Thank you for the information. Will tell insurance company about recall. May help. Makes us feel better. We will also get a hold of Fleetwood.

Fleetwood went out of business and the NEW Fleetwood will not accept responsibility. Doug

[cwit]

Thank you for the information. Will tell insurance company about recall. May help. Makes us feel better. We will also get a hold of Fleetwood.

[dougrainer]

11/1/2002 - 3/23/2004
Recalled on
7/20/2004
Influenced by
FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.
Owners Notified on
8/23/2004
# Affected
8,969
Recalled for
Manufactured between
11/1/2002 - 3/23/2004

TRAILER HITCHES


Description
CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH DRAW TITE HITCH RECEIVERS MAY BE MISSING ONE OR MORE WELDS BETWEEN THE HITCH RECEIVER BOX AND THE BOTTOM SUPPORT PLATE.
Consequences
THE WELDS COULD BREAK, ALLOWING THE HITCH RECEIVER BOX AND THE TOWED LOAD TO SEPARATE FROM THE TOWING VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Corrective action
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE HITCH RECEIVER. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING AUGUST 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FLEETWOOD AT 1-800-322-8216.

[sehunter]

I could be wrong but I seem to remember a recall on the hitch on my 2004 32W bounder. I don't know how to check that but maybe yours wasn't done. Seems like I remember a area someone didn't weld.

[et2]

RedRollingRoadblock wrote:
And it also serves as a reminder to crawl under and take a look at the farm boys turned welders lack of quality work. Seeing first hand Fleetwood's weld quality it doesn't surprise me. It does make me wonder if the hitch as been over stressed before. Did you have a braking system on the toad?

I have yet to get under my 2016 Bounder and not find anything to repair due to the lack of quality control.

Glad your okay and only sheet metal involved.

I second that! I check in the spring and halfway through the summer. Always making sure there isn't any cracks or bolts loosened up on the hitch, all the way through the towing setup, including the tow bars and toad mounting bracket. Any rust signs along a weld would have me worried.

[RedRollingRoadb]

And it also serves as a reminder to crawl under and take a look at the farm boys turned welders lack of quality work. Seeing first hand Fleetwood's weld quality it doesn't surprise me. It does make me wonder if the hitch as been over stressed before. Did you have a braking system on the toad?

I have yet to get under my 2016 Bounder and not find anything to repair due to the lack of quality control.

Glad your okay and only sheet metal involved.

[timmac]

cwit wrote:
Not a recall but safety. 2004 Fleetwood flair. Coming into campsite yesterday and a car cut me off. I slammed on brakes to avoid accident. Trailer hitch broke at welds with I believe broke tow bar and went through hood and radiator. Car should be totaled. If you have and older motorhome check hitch over close. If anyone knows where to buy a new hitch please let me know. I have been searching and can not find. Thank you.

That was a cheap hitch to break at the welds from just slamming on the breaks, I would look at getting a hitch with a high towing rate vs the standard 5000 lb.

[MountainAir05]

Any shop that deals with hitches can order you one. It is just a frame mount system. If they can find one they do not want the job. List you Ford/chevy chassis and length.

Just google Frame mount hitch and you come up with pages.