AI Damage2005 Fleetwood Wilderness: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Fleetwood Wilderness filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 2 Equipment 17% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 17% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 17% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 17% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Structure: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Purchased new=oct.2004.......... 2005 fleetwood travel trailer 25rks......... Mfg. Installed inadequate tires............ Veh.gvwr= 7250 lb.... Tires max= 7280 lb load c......... Three tires pop sidewalls within 1 yr......... Very dangerous highway potentials........ Mfg. Should use load d for gvwr 7250 lb...
Vehicle caught fire during delivery. Upon further investigation, it was found that the main wiring harness was incorrectly routed / clamped between chassis and flooring. This caused the harness wiring to short out and cause a fire in the flooring / insulation.
Six months after purchasing the vehicle, the dometic refrigerator failed and almost caused a fire. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 06e076000 (equipment:recreational vehicle). The current and failure mileages were 5,400. No additional information was available for the trailer.
Events: towed 27' fleetwood travel trailer from hewitt, tx to red river, nm. Failure: steel frame which holds rear bumper and also holds spare tire began tearing off frame of travel trailer, eventually if not caught in time bumper w/spare tire attached would have detached from trailer.
My husband and I purchased a 2005 5th wheel fleetwood gearbox. We filled our water tank and it caused the holding brackets and the floor to bend. We took it back to earnharts service dept and they said they would not warranty the brackets or floor.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Wilderness has 4 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 6, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Fleetwood Wilderness?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, equipment, structure. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 Fleetwood Wilderness?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2005 Fleetwood Wilderness from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2005 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.