CSN 761 – Tow Hitch May Have Incorrect Load Rating Markings – 2014-2020 Altec Aerial Devices & Body Only Units

May 26, 2020 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V301000

Tow Hitch May Have Incorrect Load Rating Markings

If the tow hitch is overloaded, the hitch may fail, increasing the risk of a crash.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V301

Manufacturer Altec Industries Inc.

Components TRAILER HITCHES, EQUIPMENT

Potential Number of Units Affected 500

 

Summary

Altec Industries Inc. (Altec) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Aerial Devices and body only units equipped with Class 3 towing hitches. The tow hitch may have incorrect load rating markings, and may have been damaged by unintentional overloading.

 

Remedy

Altec will notify owners and provide instructions for inspecting the bumper and receiver tube for damage and repairing as necessary and installing the proper hitch load rating placards on the unit. This recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Altec customer service at 1-877-462-5832. Altec’s number for this recall is CSN 761.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

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IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL

This notice applies to your vehicle. See attached serial number list

 

NHTSA Safety Recall
No. 20V-301

July 20, 2020

 

Dear Altec Owner,

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Altec Industries, Inc. has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain units which are equipped with a Class III receiver hitch. The receiver hitch may be overloaded causing the hitch to break possibly causing the  trailer and load to break loose from the chassis resulting in death or serious injury.

Refer to CSN 761 for the items covered under the warranty policy. Altec will supply, free of charge, a receiver tube to correct this condition.

In order to determine if your unit is affected by CSN 761, compare the serial number of your unit with the list of affected units attached to the CSN. The repair can be performed by the customer or you may contact Altec at 1-877-GO-ALTEC (1-877-462-5832) for further assistance. The repair is expected to take up to 9 hours to complete.

At any time, you may contact Altec at 1-877 GO ALTEC (1-877-462-5832) with your unit’s serial number to determine if there are any other outstanding notices.

For US owners: after contacting Altec, if you are still not able to have the safety condition remedied without charge and within a reasonable time, you may submit a complaint to: Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590 or call toll-free 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or  go to https://www.safercar.gov.

For Canadian Owners: if you are still not able to have the safety condition remedied by your dealer within a reasonable time, please contact Altec Customer Service at 1-877-GO-ALTEC (1-877-462-5832).

If you had this repair performed before you received this letter, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement for the cost of obtaining a pre-notification remedy of the problem associated with this recall. If you have sold or retired the unit please call Altec at 1-877-GO-ALTEC (1-877-462-5832) so the records may be changed.

If you have leased this equipment to another person or company, you are required by Federal Law to forward a copy of this notice to the lessee by first class mail within ten (10) days of the receipt of this notice.

We are sorry to cause this inconvenience; however we are taking this action in the interest of your safety and continued satisfaction with Altec products.

Thank you for your immediate attention on this important matter.

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CSN 761

Customer Service Notice

July 20, 2020

Units Affected: Various unit models built from 2014 to 2020 (see attached list)

Class III Receiver Hitch Inspection and Placard Installation

Altec is committed to providing our customers safe and reliable products from initial delivery throughout the useful life of the unit.

Altec has discovered that on the affected units the hitch capacity placard may be incorrect or missing at the receiver hitch on the rear of the chassis. The incorrect placard contains towing capacity and tongue weight values that are higher than the design ratings. Customer use of the hitch at values higher than the design ratings due to the incorrect placard or lack of a placard can result in overloading of the receiver tube. The overloading can cause the tube to fail allowing the trailer and load to break loose from the chassis. Death or serious injury can result if the trailer breaks loose and load control is lost.

Altec requires the following actions to be performed on the affected units no later than 30 days after receiving this CSN.

1. Call 1-877-GO ALTEC (1-877-462-5832) to order the Class III Hitch Placards Kit for CSN 761, part number 991138618.
2. Inspect the receiver hitch structure using the Inspection Procedure beginning on page 2.
3. Perform any necessary repairs.
   • Repair any receiver tube that has minor damage using the Receiver Tube Repair Procedure beginning on page 3.
   • Replace any bumper that has major receiver tube damage using the Bumper Replacement Procedure beginning on page 4.
4. Install the proper placards using the Placard Installation Procedure on page 5.

This inspection and repair is covered under the Altec Warranty Policy and can be performed by Altec, the customer, or the customer’s warranty provider. Altec will perform the repair for free at an Altec facility. If the customer, or the customer’s warranty provider performs the repair, a warranty claim must be submitted to be reimbursed for the cost of the parts and/or labor. Altec will allow up to $22.50 for the labor to perform this inspection, up to $270 for the labor to perform receiver tube repair, and up to $810 for the labor to perform bumper replacement. Call 1-877-GO ALTEC (1877-462-5832) to schedule the work to be done by an Altec service technician. Customers are responsible for the travel costs of an Altec Mobile Service technician if the technician performs the inspection or repair at the owner’s location.

 

Altec Use Only
Inspection labor	0.25 hr
Repair labor	3.0 hr
Replacement labor	9.0 hr
Account #	010.0777.43151.000.9070.000
Travel	Not Included
NHTSA code	21
Prime fail P/N	None
Doc Ref	074900725

 

Parts Kit	Part Number	Qty	Warranty
Class III Hitch Placards	991138618	1	Yes

 

Inspection Procedure

1. Position the unit on a level surface. Apply the parking brake and chock the wheels. Turn off the engine and remove the key from the ignition.
2. Look at the rear of the vehicle where the receiver tube is welded to the bumper (refer to Figure 1). If there is any dirt or debris on the weld area around the tube, clean this area with soap and water or other suitable cleaning solution to ensure that any potential defects will be visible.
3. Inspect the weld region all around the base of the receiver tube for any cracks.
   • If no cracks are present, proceed to the Placard Installation Procedure.
   • If there are minor cracks, defined as cracks present only in the corner(s) or in the corner(s) and extending across no more than one full side, and the cracks have not opened up to produce a gap (refer to Figure 2), proceed to the Receiver Tube Repair Procedure.
   • If there are major cracks, defined as cracks extending across two or more full sides or cracks that have opened up to produce a gap, or if there is structural failure (refer to Figure 3), proceed as determined below.
   • If the customer or the customer’s warranty provider performed the inspection procedure, call 1-877-GO ALTEC (1-877-462-5832) and press 4 for Technical Support to request a repair recommendation.
     • If the recommendation is to install a replacement receiver tube in the existing bumper weldment, proceed according to instructions provided by Technical Support. o If the recommendation is to replace the bumper weldment, proceed to the Bumper Replacement Procedure.
   • If Altec Service performed the inspection procedure, contact Service Engineering to request a repair recommendation.
     • If the recommendation is to install a replacement receiver tube in the existing bumper weldment, proceed according to instructions provided by Service Engineering. o If the recommendation is to replace the bumper weldment, proceed to the Bumper Replacement Procedure.

 

Receiver Tube Repair Procedure

A sander, grinder, electric welder, dye penetrant, primer paint, and black finish paint are required for the repair procedure. Welding will require the unit be taken to an Altec facility, customer shop, or third party for repair by a welder qualified to AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code. The welder must be qualified in 3G uphill progression welding and use one of the following approved methods:

• FCAW-G – gas shielded flux core wire (E71T-1M/9M)
• FCAW-S – gasless self-shielded flux core wire (E71T-11)
• SMAW – stick electrode (E7018 H4R)
• GMAW – solid core wire (ER70S-6)

Call 1-877-GO-ALTEC (1-877-462-5832) and press 4 for Technical Support to obtain the bumper weldment print for the specific unit being repaired.

1. Position the unit on a level surface. Apply the parking brake and chock the wheels. Turn off the engine and remove the key from the ignition.
2. Remove the hitch capacity placard if it is installed close to the weld at the base of the receiver tube (refer to Figure 1).

3. Clean the area all around the base of the receiver tube and the adjoining weld to remove all paint, rust, oil, etc.
4. Inspect for visible cracking in the weld and the parent material of the receiver tube and bumper. Use dye penetrant if necessary to determine the extent of the crack(s). Use a felttip marker to mark the extent of the crack(s) such that the marking will remain visible after grinding off the weld.
5. Grind to remove any cracked fillet weld, continuing 1″ beyond each end of each crack.
6. If crack(s) exist in the parent material, proceed to step 7. If no cracks exist in the parent material, proceed to step 8.
7. Evaluate each crack in the parent material and repair if possible, using the following procedure.
   1. Stop drill an 1/8″ diameter hole at both ends of each crack. If the crack is in a double-walled receiver tube, stop drill only through the outer tube.
   2. Grind along the crack in a vee shape until the crack is no longer visible or the groove reaches a 1/8” maximum depth from the surface. Do not grind deeper than 1/8”
      • If the crack is still visible after grinding the vee groove as described, stop this repair procedure   and proceed to the Bumper Replacement Procedure.
      • If the crack is no longer visible after grinding the vee groove as described, continue this repair
   3. Grind to continue the vee groove at the same depth to 1″ length beyond the stop drilled hole at each end.
   4. Weld to fill the vee groove and drilled holes slightly above the surface.
   5. Inspect the completed weld for any defects and make any corrections necessary.
8. Replace each fillet weld removed in step 5 using the following procedure.
   1. Apply a fillet weld of the size specified on the bumper weldment print.
   2. Inspect the completed weld for any defects and make any corrections necessary.
   3. Sand to remove any spatter and roughness.
9. Apply primer paint and finish paint to the repaired areas.
10. Proceed to the Placard Installation Procedure.

 

Bumper Replacement Procedure

1. Order the replacement bumper assembly and obtain the installation information.
   • If the customer or the customer’s warranty provider performed the inspection procedure, do the
   • Call 1-877-GO ALTEC (1-877-462-5832) and press 4 for Technical Support to obtain the part number(s) of the replacement bumper and any associated components required, and to obtain the installation information including fastener torques and/or welding requirements.
   • Call 1-877-GO ALTEC (1-877-462-5832) and press 1 for Parts to order the required part(s).

• If Altec Service performed the inspection procedure, do the following.
• Contact Service Engineering to obtain the part number(s) of the replacement bumper and any associated components required, and to obtain the installation information including fastener torques and/or welding requirements.
• Contact your respective parts team to order the required part(s).

2. Remove the original bumper assembly.
3. Install the replacement bumper assembly using the installation information provided by Altec including fastener torques and/or welding requirements.
4. Proceed to the Placard Installation Procedure.

 

Placard Installation Procedure

1. DO NOT proceed to step 2 until after the Inspection Procedure and any necessary receiver tube repairs or bumper replacement have been completed.
2. Install the placards in the Class III Hitch Placards Kit for CSN 761, part number 991138618, according to the instructions in the kit.
3. Return the unit to service.

 

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7 Affected Products

Vehicle

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
ALTEC	AERIAL DEVICE	2014-2020

 

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7 Associated Documents

Recall 573 Report- Amendment 1

RCLRPT-20V301-3421.PDF 213.185KB

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-20V301-9233.pdf 244.826KB

 

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Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-20V301-8187.PDF 213.188KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2020-3

RCLQRT-20V301-1280.PDF 211.141KB

 

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Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-20V301-3495.pdf 370.944KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2020-4

RCLQRT-20V301-3604.PDF 211.244KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2021-1

RCLQRT-20V301-6825.PDF 211.325KB

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=20V301&docType=RCL

 

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