In this issue:
Recalls – What is Going On?
New Medicare Card
Recalls – What is Going On?
What is Going On with RV Manufacturers?
As you know, I publish the latest RV Manufacturer’s recalls every month. I thought it was time to make these recalls a prime issue so new RV buyers can make informed decisions.
Forest River is the major offender. Here are some of the quality control issues.
* Dynamax: If the vehicle is parked with the engine running, carbon monoxide may enter the passenger cabin through open windows or other openings in the floor.
* XLR Toyhauler, Vengenance and Wolf Pack with generators: The generator’s exhaust pipe is mounted too close to the trailer’s plastic underbelly (plastic underbelly?).
* Coachmen Galleria: The inverter was installed using a lead wire that may not be able to handle the amperage draw. (Does that smell like fire to you?)
* Grand Design Reflection TT: These vehicles may have insufficient clearance between the tire and the ram that moves the slide out room. The tire can contact the ram for the slide out room while the trailer is being towed, causing tire damage or a possible tire blowout.
* Highland Ridge: The safety chains on these vehicles may be rated for a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 7,600 lbs, however the trailer has a GVWR of 11,700 lbs.
* Cardinal travel trailers, models CAF3045RLLE, CAF304SR, CAF322DS and CAF392RD: The vehicles were manufactured without an emergency exit window in the rear wall of the vehicle. Without a secondary means of escape from the vehicle, a person may be trapped inside the vehicle during an emergency
Jayco falls into the number 2 spot.
* Jay Flight SLX: The electrical circuit from the battery does not have overcurrent protection such as a fuse or circuit breaker. (Do you smell fire?)
* Precept motorhomes: The brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) on the vehicles may be missing valve block ball plugs, potentially causing a brake fluid leak or air ingestion during electronic brake distribution and/or ABS activation. A brake fluid leak or ingestion can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle
REV Recreation Group is working its way up the charts.
* Fleetwood Jamboree and Holiday Rambler Vesta motorhomes: The hydraulic leveling system lines may not be properly secured allowing them to contact the axle or the chassis drive train components, possibly resulting in a hydraulic fluid leak.
* American Coach, American Dream, American Revolution, Fleetwood Discovery, Discovery LXE, Holiday Rambler Endeavor, Endeavor XE, and Monaco Marquis: Water may enter the 12-volt harness connectors due to missing gaskets or the placement of the pin connectors, potentially causing an electrical short. (Do you smell fire?)
New Medicare Cards
Congress finally answered the call from American Citizens to change Medicare account numbers from the current individual Tax ID Number to something unrelated for security purposes. The deadline imposed by Congress is 2019. Identity theft is a huge problem in this country and this should help slow it down.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said people should start getting new cards in April 2018. “Personal identity theft affects a large and growing number of seniors,” CMS said in a statement. “People age 65 or older are increasingly the victims of this type of crime. Incidents among seniors increased to 2.6 million from 2.1 million between 2012 and 2014, according to the most current statistics from the Department of Justice. The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) is confidential like the SSN and should be protected as personally identifiable information.”
Medicare, the federal health insurance plan for people over 65, covers about 57 million Americans. The new identifier, MBI, is 11 characters long and includes letters and numbers.
For RVers new to the full-time lifestyle, it is wise to get your domicile address secured and the change made at Medicare so your new card is not lost in the mail.
For information on States that offer the best options, visit this site.
To find out more about the RV lifestyle:
Moving On With Margo 