After pulling the 53 foot sundowner horse trailer for approximately 12,00 miles I noted broken welds and broken and missing rivets in the area adjacent to the hitch. The unit was returned to the dealer and left for 6 1/2 months for factory repair. I received an e-mail stating the manufacturer would pay for no more repair and was encouraged to remove the trailer from the dealer's premises. In april 2010 I retained a metallurgical engineer to complete a stress analysis. It was his opinion that the unit, upon repair would develop continued problems in this area. His recommendation was that it be returned to the factory to facilitate the re-engineering. I could not afford the protracted legal battle and could find no engineer who would testify in court on my behalf. My decision was to let the bank foreclosed and take possession of the unit.it is now at an auction facility in minnesota where the auction will finalized on january 6, 2011. The urgency is that if it is not repaired the front 10 feet of the trailer may separate from the unit and possibly cause death and destruction on a major highway. The VIN no:[xxx]. Thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The worst 2005 Sundowner Sunlite LQ problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Body1
- Tires1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Body1
- Tires1
Recalls 2
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Sundowner is recalling 4,535 sunlite living quarter trailers (models 575 gn, 700 gn, 705 gn, 720 gn, 725 gn, 727 gn, 737, 740, 760, 777 gn, cargo gn, stock gn, prostock gn, and stampedesl gn). These trailers may not be equipped with a fuse in line with the wire harness that connects to the tow vehicle.
- Risk
- If an improperly wired tow vehicle is connected to the trailer wiring harness, there is a possibility of electrical short which could cause a fire resulting in proper damage, injury to a consumer and/or livestock.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect these trailers and if it is one of the suspected trailers, the dealer will install an in line fuse in the wire harness. The recall began on october 20, 2008. Owners may contact sundowner at 1‑800‑654‑3879.
Recall number 08V483000 · Recall details
Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer
- What is wrong
- Sundowner is recalling 2,185 my 2003-2006 sunlite lq horse trailers equipped with a two-door refrigerator manufactured by the dometic corporation. The refrigerator may have a defect in the boiler tube. Pressurized coolant solution could be released into an area where an ignition source (gas flame) is present.
- Risk
- If this solution is exposed to an ignition source under certain specific circumstances, it can result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Sundowner is working with dometic to repair these refrigerators (please see 08e032). Dometic will repair these refrigerators by installing a secondary burn housing, a thermal fuse, and a melt fuse free of charge. Dometic has retained stericycle inc. To manage this campaign. Stericycle will assist the owner in locating dealerships or service centers and will provide assistance with scheduling of appointments. Owners may contact dometic/stericycle at 1‑888‑446‑5157 or sundowner at 1‑580‑937‑4256.
Recall number 08V382000 · Recall details
What 2005 Sundowner Sunlite LQ owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
There has been a recall on dometic full size fridges; located in trailers, but when I have called all the dealers in our area I have been told the same response that the dometic company is not paying them for their servicing the recalls so they have all stopped with the repairs. So in the mean time I am hauling a horse trailer with living quarters with an explosive fridge in it; any suggestions on how to get this very serious problem corrected without me having to spend all this time finding someone of driving hours out of my already busy life to save a life of a person or horse???????
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 sundowner sunlite lq. Trail america tires. While driving 55 MPH, three tires failed on the trailer within three months (august-october). The blowouts occurred without warning. Chunks of the tires and tread became detached. The contact did not drive over a pothole or any other road hazard. The fender on both sides of the horse trailer was damaged. The failure mileage was 8,000. Updated 1/6/09 *cn updated 01/14/09.
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Questions about the 2005 Sundowner Sunlite LQ
Is the 2005 Sundowner Sunlite LQ reliable?
Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2005 Sundowner Sunlite LQ, 3.0 times a typical Sunlite LQ model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Sundowner Sunlite LQ?
Body and structure, with 1 complaint. Next is tires (1).
How many recalls does the 2005 Sundowner Sunlite LQ have?
2 recalls, covering electrical system and equipment.
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