Parker Trailers

RE:  ID  [redacted]  Parker Trailer’s Response: Customer [redacted] contacted Parker Trailers on 8/6/2016 about installing  5th wheel rails so he could use his supplied hitch in his truck.  We offered to install a wiring harness as well and the customer accepted. ...

The customer was notified of pricing and installation date availability and we made an appointment for the following week and ordered the needed rails and rail installation kit for the appointment. We do ask the customer to bring the hitch they will be using to make sure the rail kit fits well and the alignment is right so the customer can install and remove their supplied hitch which was provided when the customer dropped off their vehicle. After installing the rail kit and wiring and test fitting the customer supplied hitch in the rails the customer was notified that the truck was ready for pick up.  The Customer’s hitch was in the bed of the truck when they arrived and was never removed. There was no notice on the technician’s service order or check in sheet when the vehicle was dropped off nor on the customer’s receipts that we were to or install the customer’s hitch; additionally the hitch was missing parts and would need to be adjusted to the trailer height so installation could never have been completed by us without the trailer. If you obtain and read a copy of the Installation Instructions that comes supplied with their supplied hitch that was not provided to us there are many warnings and precautions that must be taken before a trailer is hooked up or the hitch is used. Web address of Customer’s hitch Installation Instructions: [redacted] We did not provide the Customer’s hitch nor were we provided the Installation Instructions.  When we sell a hitch we always walk the customer through the warnings and operation which did not occur with this customer because we did not sell them the hitch or provided these instructions. These instructions cover installing and removing the hitch from the rails, hitch precautions, hitch check list and which hitch bolts need to be re-torqued and at what interval.  The installation instructions also cover hooking up to a trailer and the checks that need to take place before attempting to transport a trailer. Some of the warnings include: Page 1: Read and understand instructions before using this product. Fully instruct and demonstrate the operation of this 5th wheel hitch to the end user. Include the importance of observing all warnings contained herein, including warning labels on 5th wheel hitch mid section. Provide this manual in its entirety to the end-user. Serious injury or death may result if the warnings above are not observed. To avoid serious injury, do not expose hands, body parts or clothing between the truck and trailer or the truck's bed sides and trailer. Extreme care should be observed to avoid serious injury to self, property and observers. Never exceed the rated towing capacity of your vehicle. Trailer and contents combined must not exceed tow vehicle, hitch and/or trailer tow ratings. Exceeding rated capacity may result in separation. Exceeding rated capacity may result in damage to 5th wheel hitch, towing vehicle, trailer and or cause serious injury or death. Never position yourself or others under the trailer's kingpin area (danger zone) during coupling and uncoupling. If for any reason you must position any part of your body under the trailer, between the truck and the trailer or between the trailer's kingpin and 5th wheel hitch you must follow the steps in the 'Danger Zone Precautions' section to the left. Improperly coupled trailers can separate and drop without notice.   Page 4: Set towing vehicle in a forward gear and lightly tug on the trailer to ensure that a 100% coupling has taken place. If resistance is felt, release forward pressure, set vehicle to park (if equipped with an automatic transmission) and activate the emergency brake. Place in neutral if equipped with a standard transmission and activate emergency brake. If resistance is not felt, trailer may not be coupled correctly. Do not continue applying forward pressure, immediately stop and back towing vehicle into original position. Do not allow the truck and trailer to separate. Separation can cause damage to the towing vehicle, 5th wheel hitch and/or trailer. Serious injury or death may result if all warnings are not observed. Review coupling instructions, apply corrective action and repeat coupling steps.   The customer did not follow safety precautions and checks described in the Installation instructions. When the customer notified us of the hitch failure we asked him to return in which we found that the rails were fully intact and installed correctly. I explained that the rails that we installed were installed correctly and undamaged at which point the customer walked away talking on his cell phone. I stood waiting for over ten minutes to talk with the customer and returned three separate occasions to talk with the customer but he remained on the phone and kept walking away when I approached.   The customer kept insisting we were at fault and threatened legal action. The Customer notified me that he was leaving to go pick up a hitch and left our business.  We had a replacement hitch in stock and would have helped him with replacement costs if given the chance. In summary Parker Trailers did as instructed by the customer to install the rail kit and wiring all of which were installed correctly and to the rail installation specifications at the scheduled time and date. It was completed at the price quoted to the customer.  Since we did not have a trailer to set the hitch to there was no way Parker Trailers could have ever installed the 5th wheel hitch onto the Customer’s vehicle.  Parker Trailers failure if any would to have been not to offer the customer additional parts so that the hitch could have been attached by the customer.  The hitch would still have to be adjusted for the truck and trailer once attempting to hitch the trailer.  Parker Trailers had no idea that the customer was missing the parts that came with the hitch that were not supplied to us.