Billy Broadstreet and Ann Sprinkle, a Greensboro, NC, couple, saw their annual vacation come to an abrupt halt when they discovered cracks in the trailer’s steel frame.
What began as a weekend getaway quickly became a safety scare. The RV frame cracks made towing unsafe. The couple was stranded far from home.
According to Greensboro’s CBS television affiliate, WFMY News 2, the couple faced a repair bill that amounted to nearly $20,000.
Billy and Ann are typical RVers who bought a roomy fifth wheel RV to enjoy long weekends and extended trips. The couple describes the frame issue as jarring and stressful. One moment, they were traveling and the next day, they were dealing with a structural failure that threatened the rest of their plans and, more importantly, their safety!
This was more than an inconvenience. It became a potential financial catastrophe and a consumer-rights issue.
Searching for help for RV problem
When they tried to get help, the Broadstreets documented the damage carefully. They took photos and notes. They then reached out to the dealer who sold them the rig, along with the manufacturer. They asked for guidance and (hopefully) repairs.
The couple’s RV sat in a repair shop in Kentucky for months. Billy and Ann considered selling their rig because they could not afford to fix it. (The RV was four years old and out of warranty.)
When the dealer and manufacturer’s responses didn’t resolve the situation to their satisfaction, they contacted WFMY’s consumer outreach team. The Broadstreets hoped that the station’s “Call for Action”/“2 Wants to Know” unit might get the maker or retailer to step up.
The station took the case on as a consumer outreach story. They began contacting the companies involved to press for a timely inspection and a workable repair plan.
A changed dynamic
WFMY’s involvement changed the dynamic. The newsroom used its consumer-advocacy platform to reach the manufacturer and the dealer, clarify the facts of the case, and push for an authorized structural inspection and repair.
As the station recently reported, that intervention helped move the parties toward a solution. The couple’s RV ultimately got the structural attention it needed, with no cost to the Broadstreets. Now they’re back on the road.
Lessons learned
This story emphasizes several important things. Here are my takeaways:
• Listen to your gut. If you sense something’s wrong with your RV, stop and check it out. As he pulled the RV, Billy felt something wasn’t quite right. “I couldn’t put my finger on it… I couldn’t figure out what it was.”
• Document everything. If you discover a frame crack while on the road, stop towing as soon as it’s safe to do so. Driving with a cracked frame risks the crack growing or the structure failing while you’re moving. Take photos and video from multiple angles (wide shots and close-ups). Note where and when you discovered the crack. Record any symptoms you felt while towing (vibration, pulling, noises). This documentation is going to be crucial for any warranty, repair, insurance, or legal action.
• Make some calls. Call your dealer and the RV or chassis manufacturer right away and describe the problem. Ask for instructions and whether they will arrange or authorize an inspection. If they direct you to a repair facility, be sure to get written authorization or a claim number.
What then?
• If the manufacturer or dealer won’t help, file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reporting helps create a public record and may trigger investigations if others report similar failures. Advocacy groups and online RV communities also recommend reporting defects so multiple complaints can gain attention.
• Contact a reputable Lemon Law attorney. Explain your issue and ask if they have dealt with RV frame problems in the past. Ron Burdge is an excellent RV lemon law attorney.
• Contact Liz Amazing. She is an avid RVer advocate and has had success working with RV manufacturers as well as individual RV dealers. At the very least, she will publicize your problem, which will hopefully help other RVers.
• Call your local TV station. Like the Broadstreet family, your area may have consumer action teams at your local television station. Although a resolution like this one isn’t guaranteed, it’s certainly worth a call.
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RVT1223
Ummm? Which make and model? An important detail us RVers need so if we have that same RV we should take a look at our frames?
Exactly. Lack of details. Cause? Repairs and solutions?The future?
Even the video didn’t give a view to be able to identify the make. I suppose a non-disclosure was part of the deal to get it fixed.
It almost goes without saying that it was likely a Lippert-built frame and probably a Grand Design trailer- although those frames ended up under many different trailers. These frame problems have been in rv news for over a year.
My thought exactly. I too fell in this problem with our GD.
Seems like the building standards of the chassis and rv itself need stronger/stricter expanded inspection criteria vs the RVIA self regulated, voluntary industry standards. The process from the Feds needs to include fifth wheels and travel trailers not just motorized rv’s to ensure our safety and also close the rv industry loop holes in getting out of taking responsibility for issues like this to include water entry causing black mold, delamination of inner and outer walls, etc….
Could not watch the video with all of the popups.
Visible RV defects are the tip of the iceberg. Inadequate frames are the iceberg. Over the next couple decades they will fail.
This is what happens when we demand high profits as investors and low prices as buyers.
The accountants get busy cutting costs to drive up profit margins.
Ultimately, we get what we pay for.
For every RV that is rescued by a TV show, how many will end up in landfills?
RV’s are built for smooth highways. Maybe 1/3 are smooth. Most of our fifth frame is hidden. How will we ever know.🤷♂️
Thank you for the encouraging story, Gail, and the follow-up advice. Have a great week and safe travels!
Wait a minute, I seem to remember an actress whose stage name was “Annie Sprinkles”. My wife won’t let me watch those kinds of movies anymore.
This happened to us also. After a travel day, my husband saw a crack in the 5er’s exterior wall extending from a window near the interior steps. A friend knew what to look for and sure enough found a crack in the frame. Lippert had multiple road crews out doing temporary welds and ours was fixed within a few weeks. We then had to pull it to the factory for a full repair. The cost to us was time and travel expense but the final repair was superb. Taking pictures and voicing our safety concerns was key.
Would be helpful to me and others if the manufacturer was stated.