NHTSA Complaint #10124191 — 1998 FLEETWOOD PROWLER

HELLO. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT AN UNSAFE CONDITION WITH A TRAVEL TRAILER MADE BY FLEETWOOD. THE SPECIFIC MODEL IS A FLEETWOOD PROWLER 24LZ. MY PARTICULAR SERIAL NUMBER IS 2388699. THE SITUATION: I WAS DRIVING AWAY FROM MY CAMPGROUND ON MEMORIAL DAY (5/30/05). ABOUT 7 MILES INTO THE TRIP, WE RECEIVED A CALL ON OUR CELL PHONE FROM CAMPERS IN OUR PARTY WHO WERE FOLLOWING US. THEY SAID THAT WE WERE DRAGGING SOMETHING LARGE, AND THAT WE SHOULD PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY. WE PULLED OVER ONTO A NARROW SHOULDER, AND WERE SHOCKED AT WHAT WE SAW. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF OUR 30 GALLON GRAY WATER TANK HAD COME OUT OF ITS CAPTURE, AND WAS DRAGGING ALONG THE ROAD. DUE TO THE FRICTION, THERE WAS A LARGE GASH IN THE TANK, AND ALL THE CONTENTS OF THE GRAY WATER HAD SPILLED OUT ONTO THE ROAD. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE TANK ON THE AFT END WAS THE PLUMBING THAT IT WAS AFFIXED TO. THE ONLY OPTION WE HAD WAS TO HACK SAW THROUGH THE PLUMBING, DETACH THE TANK, AND STOW IT IN OUR TRAILER. FORTUNATELY, SOMEONE IN OUR CAMPING PARTY HAD A HACKSAW, AND WE DID JUST THAT. WHAT WAS SHOCKING TO ME, WAS WHY THE TANK CAME UNDONE FROM ITS CAPTURE, WHEN IT WAS ONLY ONE THIRD FULL. A CLOSER LOOK GAVE US THE OBVIOUS REASON - A DESIGN DEFICIENCY. WHILE THIS IS HARD TO DESCRIBE WITHOUT A SKETCH, I WILL ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN HOW THE TANK IS HELD IN PLACE. THERE ARE TWO CHANNEL SECTIONS ATTACHED TRANSVERSELY TO THE UNDERSIDE FLOOR OF THE TRAILER. ONE CAPTURES A LIP ON THE FRONT END OF THE TANK, AND THE OTHER CAPTURES A LIP ON THE AFT END OF THE TANK. THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE FACT THAT THE FRONT AND AFT EDGES OF THE LIPS HAVE ROUNDED EDGES ON THE LOWER SIDE. THE ONLY WAY THE TANK COULD HAVE COME OUT OF ITS CAPTURE FROM THE CHANNEL SECTION WAS IF THE CHASSIS FLEXED ENOUGH TO CAUSE ONLY THE ROUNDED EDGE OF THE TANK TO BE ENGAGED IN THE CHANNEL SECTION, CAUSING IT TO SLIP OUT. IN MY OPINION AS AN ENGINEER, THIS IS A DESIGN DEFICIENCY. THERE WAS NO OTHER REDUNDANT METHOD TO RETAIN THE TANK IN THE CASE OF . CONTINUED.