NHTSA complaint: DRAW-TITE DRAW-TITE — EQUIPMENT
WHILE TOWING MY 25 FOOT CAMPING TRAILER BEHIND MY CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, THE RECEIVER HITCH (MANUFACTURED BY DRAWTITE) BROKE AWAY CAUSING MY TRAILER TO RUN OFF THE ROAD, ACROSS A GRASSY AREA, COMING TO REST ONLY AFTER HITTING A VDOT FENCE , FENCE POLE AND A TREE. UPON EXAMINATION THE CENTER SECTION OF THE HITCH BAR HAD BROKE AWAY AND WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE TRAILER TONGUE, COMPLETE WITH SAFETY CHAINS, WEIGHT DISTRIBUTING BARS AND THE ELECTRIC BRAKE "BREAK-A-WAY" SWITCH ACTIVATOR CABLE WAS STILL ATTACHED. BOTH SIDES OF THE HITCH WERE STILL SECURED TO THE SUBURBAN. THE VIRGINIA STATE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AND CAME TO THE SCENE. THE TROOPER CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK, WHO HAD TO WINCH THE TRAILER BACK ONTO THE PAVEMENT, THEN TRANSPORT THE TRAILER TO A REPAIR FACILITY. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRAILER. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE SUBURBAN, OTHER THAN THE BROKEN HITCH. THE TRAILER IS CURRENTLY AT THE REPAIR FACILITY AND THE SUBURBAN IS AT MY HOME AWAITING MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO SEND AN ADJUSTER OUT TO SURVEY THE DAMAGE AND MAKE AN ESTIMATE. AT THIS TIME, ALL THE PARTS ARE EITHER AT THE REPAIR FACILITY OF STILL ON MY SUBURBAN AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THROUGH THE DRAWTITE WEB SITE, THAT THEY HAVE A LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THEIR PRODUCTS.*JB
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation