Complaint 827797

Complaint Summary

TRAILER HITCHES

Owner Narrative

I HAVE A 2006, 39 FOOT ITASCA COACH THAT CAME WITH A VALLEY INDUSTRIES TRAILER HITCH. THIS HITCH IS RATED FOR A MAXIMUM PULL OF 5000 POUNDS AND A MAXIMUM TONGUE WEIGHT OF 500 POUNDS. WHILE THE HITCH IS NOW FOUR YEARS OLD, IT ONLY HAS BEEN USED FOR APPROXIMATELY 17,000 MILES TO HAUL MY GMC ENVOY. THE ENVOY WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 4700 POUNDS AND THE TONGUE WEIGHT, WHICH IS THE WEIGHT OF MY BLUE OX TOW BAR, IS APPROXIMATELY 35 POUNDS. MOST OF THE MILEAGE USED WAS TRIPS BETWEEN MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA. NONE OF THE TOWING INVOLVED STEEP GRADES, SUDDEN STOPS OR TRAFFIC CRASHES. I ALSO HAVE ANY ACTIVE TOW VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM. PARTS OF MY HITCH ARE ACTUALLY MISSING. RATHER THAN BENDING, THE METAL SIMPLY BROKE APART. FYI, WINNEBAGO/ITASCA REPORTEDLY NO LONGER USES VALLEY INDUSTRY HITCHES. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURES INCLUDED IN THIS E-MAIL, THIS VALLEY INDUSTRY HITCH SIMPLY FELL APART. WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES ADVISED THAT THE DEFECTIVE HITCH IS OUT OF THEIR WARRANTY. IN TALKING WITH VALLEY INDUSTRY FROM ROCHESTER HILLS MICHIGAN, THEY CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS HITCH FAILURE IN THAT THEY PRODUCED IT FOR WINNEBAGO. WHILE VALLEY INDUSTRY HITCHES ARE SOLD WITH A LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY, THEY CLAIM THAT SINCE THEY SOLD MY HITCH TO WINNEBAGO/ITASCA, THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO STAND BEHIND IT. THE INDIVIDUAL THAT I SPOKE WITH WAS NOT EVEN INTERESTED IN SEEING THE STATE OF THE FAILURE OF THIS HITCH, NOR DID HE APPEAR TO BE INTERESTED IN THE CONSEQUENCES OF A BREAKAWAY TOW VEHICLE. SEE PICTURES OF FAILED VALLEY INDUSTRIES HITCH AT: HTTP://PICASAWEB.GOOGLE.COM/DRBRYDE/VALLEYINDUSTRIES#. *TR

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.