2023 Highland Ridge Tt Range Lite Air problems

Filed Dec 22, 2024 · WA

The fresh water tank fell out the bottom of the RV while driving down the highway. The water tank was only about 2/3rds of the way full, driving an appropriate speed on well-maintained roads ([XXX] in Tacoma). Jayco (the parent company) had controversy in the past where they denied a warranty claiming RVs are not designed to be driven with water in the tanks, however they reversed that statement and confirmed that RVs are meant to carry water in the tanks (otherwise there would be no point of having water holding-capability, so this is really just common sense). On my RV, one of the cross-support beams failed causing the front left corner of the water tank to fall out and drag on the road. Fortunately, it was only the front right, because if it had been a rear corner, It would have gotten dragged out from under the RV and onto the highway where it could have caused me to lose control of the RV or cause damage to other vehicles on the road. My structural warranty claim was denied and I was told it was not a structural defect that caused this to happen, which leads me to believe it is a design/material selection problem. Further research online demonstrates it is apparently a relatively common problem/design flaw. 1) RVs come equipped with a water tank because they are intended to carry water from point A to B. 2) They are clearly not manufactured with the proper support to facilitate this normal use. 3) The loss of a fresh water tank at highway speeds poses significant risk. I know as a result of this experience, I am much more wary of towing my own RV to places where full hook-up is not available, and of other drivers towing an RV due to the questionable mechanism of securing the tanks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)