Demco - Glide Ride Recall?

[RJOL]

Got a letter from NUWA concerning my 2006 HitchHiker with the Glide Ride kingpin hitch (mounted on the 5th wheel). Seems there is a problem with some of them concerning welds on the plate head.



Here's Demco's site, if you don't know what this is:



http://www.glide-ride.com/



I threw the notice away, as I didn't keep the Glide Ride kingpin hitch and had a regular hitch put on. If you have one of these, you might give them a call and find out the specifics.

 

[TAbbott]

Curious. Why'd you dump the Glide Rite product in the first place? The mechanism sounds a lot like the fore-aft isolator on Bostrom air ride truck seats, which work fairly well at dampening the back-slap you sometimes get from a fifth-wheel mounted trailer.

 

[Dieselnerd]

My Glide-Ride is one of the biggest improvements in towing comfort I've seen in a long time. On those rough freeways where your head would bounce back and forth, all that motion is gone. There are some stretches of road we used to hate that are very tolerable now. Interesting to hear about the problem, I never received anything from NUWA.

 

[RJOL]

Curious. Why'd you dump the Glide Rite product in the first place?

It was one of those haggling items when we got down to what I'd wanted to pay for the new trailer. It was a $700 option, and this was what it took to get them to my price for one they had on the lot. If I was a full timer, I would probably have gotten it, but I only tow 6-7 times a year, during the spring and summer, and I just decided I didn't need it. They swaped the kingpin out with another HitchHiker that had the conventional kingpin.

... Interesting to hear about the problem, I never received anything from NUWA...

I just got the notice a couple of days ago. I don't know if it was only for some Glide Rides, or for all of them. Like I said... I don't have it installed on my trailer, so I just threw the notice away. Guess I should have saved it so I could give you more particulars. I'd wait for a week or so, and if you don't get it, you could call them.



What I remember from the notice was that they would send you the replacement parts and you could install it yourself or have the dealer do it for free. I think it was a bolt off / bolt on replacement for the flat plat that rides on your hitch. Stronger bolts and welds, or something like that...

 

[Diesel&Donuts]

I see that some of you have NuWa/Hitchhikers 5ers. Here is a website for http://nuwaowners.org/forum//index.php in case you might be interested.

Harold

 

[Dieselnerd]

I emailed NUWA. Mine is part of the recall too. I believe all of the factory installed Demco's are being recalled.

 

[MBurtch]

I just got my recall notice yesterday. It is titled Glide Ride Pin Plate Replacement. I think I will have them ship the replacement part to me and I will put it in. I also like the way this unit works.

 

[RJOL]

Here is the recall notice off the NHTSA site: (NHTSA Recall No. 06V-452)



NUWA is recalling 1,502 MY (Model Year) 2005-2007 Champagne Edition, Discover America, Premier, and Custom Camper LS (i. e. HitchHiker) fifth wheel trailers equipped with a Demco glide ride pin box. The welds on the pin box can break. Broken welds can result in the pin box jamming. Dealers will replace the glide pin assembly with assemblies made with a longer pin and more robust welds. The recall was expected to begin during November 2006.

 

[Dieselnerd]

Demco is sending me the parts. Looks like a 10-15 minute job according to the instructions that came with the recall letter.



From reading the instructions, it looks like the dealers don't have the parts. The owner must order the parts from Demco. They do require the hitch serial# before they will send you the parts. If you get the parts and figure you can't do the job, you can have the dealer install them for you. At least that's my understanding from reading the recall letter.

 

[YFZBOB]

Recall Number: 06V452000

Date: Nov 30, 2006

Component:

TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY



Summary:

ON CERTAIN FIFTH WHEEL TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH A DEMCO GLIDE RIDE PIN BOX, THE WELDS ON THE PIN BOX CAN BREAK.



Consequence:

BROKEN WELDS CAN RESULT IN THE PIN BOX JAMMING.



Remedy:

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE GLIDE PIN ASSEMBLY WITH ASSEMBLIES MADE WITH A LONGER PIN AND MORE ROBUST WELDS. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NUWA AT 1-800-835-0676 OR E-MAIL AT SAFETY@NUWA. COM.



Manufacturer:

NU WA INDUSTRIES INC.



Potential Number of Units Affected: 1502

 

[klenger]

Ron, I have a torque wrench if you need it.

 

[FredMaryLou]

Demco

I'm glad to hear reports that the Demco Glide Ride smoothes out the road. I am trying to get one for my HHII.



Demco replaced a few at the HitchHiker rally this fall. It only took a few minutes to change out the parts. Should be an easy job for a backyard mechanic. Fred

 

[Dieselnerd]

Ken, I have one. I never leave home without one, need to check trailer wheel torque frequently. Thanks for the offer

 

[Dieselnerd]

Changed the parts today. Total time about 10 minutes including getting out my tools and putting them away again. Took about 2 minutes per side. Unless you are totally helpless around a wrench there should be no need for anyone to take this to the dealer to fix.