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I Lost Tire, Wheel, and Most of Hub

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alsimon96	I Lost Tire, Wheel, and Most of Hub	Lead	[-]
Posts: 12 (04/02/09 19:43:22) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None We had a bad experience on the way from South Texas to Missouri. South of Dallas the right front wheel on our Open Road 357 left the trailer. We did not know that it happened and we estimate that we drove another 20 miles with only one wheel on the right side. We discovered the missing wheel when we stopped to eat. Apparently the bearing gave way and allowed the entire assembly to depart. The nut that holds the bearing in place was still there. There was no other damage to the trailer. Lucky for us, I was not driving fast and I had Michelin XPS Ribs on all four wheels. The remaining wheel on the right side held up or we would have had a real mess. We have a 2005 Open Road 357. We got it in August 2004 so it is 4 1/2 years old. My friends tell me this should never happen. Insurance will cover all but $1000 deductible. The suspension system is the Dexter Torflex with the Never-Lube hubs. My question to all of you is this: Do you think Dexter would have any obligation to cover some or all of my deductible? I have to assume everything is out of warranty at this time but since my friends feel that something like this should never happen, is it possible that they would feel some sort of obligation? The RV Dealer is going to replace the entire axle. They don't want to take a chance on the spindle because it could have been damaged by the bearing. Thanks for any comments.
larryone		#1	[-]
Posts: 72 (04/03/09 02:41:50) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	This is scary! I hope my 04 357 doesn't do this to me. I wonder what if anything I can do to check. Good luck on the help from the Nev-r-lube people. Keep us updated please! Larry and Cindy Luling, LA "The Beast" 2003 GMC 2500D D/A C/C S/B 2004 357RLDS-5
Larry202br		#2	[-]
Posts: 63 (04/03/09 15:58:53) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	If you inspected the bearings annually, as Dexter recommends, and can provide proof, I feel like Dexter should have some obligation. Hope it works out for you. 2006 316 RLDS-5 2004 F-250 6.0 Diesel, new head gaskets, new EGR cooler, cleaned turbo, ARP studs.
alsimon96		#3	[-]
Posts: 13 (04/10/09 17:22:17) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	It turns out that the Dexter axle, bearings, hubs, etc. have a 5 year 100000 mile warranty. My Open Road 357 was 4 1/2 years old. I talked with Dexter customer service and they really stepped up to the plate. They are going to provide a new axle, bearings, hubs, etc. They will also pay for a matching wheel and new tire. They will also pay for all the labor. They are dealing directly with the RV dealer so I only have to wait and when it is ready, drive to Dallas and pick it up. I feel extremely fortunate that the damage was limited and that my out of pocket costs are minimal. All I really suffered was some aggravation having to make an extra round trip to Dallas.
alsimon96		#4	[-]
Posts: 14 (04/10/09 17:24:12) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Incidentally, I did have the bearings inspected exactly one year ago. At that time, the RV dealer found no problem with the bearings. However, they did find the brake linings to be in bad shape and replaced all four brake shoes and linings.
ratracer327	reply	#5	[-]
Posts: 57 (04/22/09 08:20:28) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Hi Al, Wow! Just goes to show that some companies do live up to their warranty! Last fall, when I had my unit winterized and state inspected, the dealers tech removed the wheel and hub, on one axle, to check the condition of the brake linings. I was not happy with this method, as I felt it could damage the bearing seals and also required re-torquing the large nut. From my perspective, when a company factory sets the bearing assembly, unless there is an indication of a problem, the units should not be broken down. Preventative maintenance might be to replace the bearing units at the end of the warranty period, preferably by a Dexter technician. As with you, my unit is approaching five years old, as of this September. It has over 40K miles on it. Time for some decision making. Ratracer327

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