NHTSA Complaint #10142388 — 1997 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER

MY COMPLAINT DOES NOT INVOLVE AN ACCIDENT BUT DOES INVOLVE A FAILURE TO ACT (BY FLEETWOOD MOTORHOME CO.) AND RECTIFY WHAT I FEEL IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY MOTORHOME. I PURCHASED MY 1997 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER NEW IN 1997 AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET FLEETWOOD TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE FIRE ESCAPE WINDOW IN MY MOTORHOME IS SORELY INADEQUATE. THEY MERELY PLACED A DECAL THAT READS "FIRE EXIT" ON A STANDARD WINDOW AND EXPECT THAT TO SUFFICE. A NORMAL FIRE ESCAPE WINDOW HAS TWO RED HANDLES THAT SECURE THE WINDOW FRAME DURING NORMAL OPERATION AND CAN ALSO BE TURNED TO UNLATCH THE WINDOW FRAME FOR EGRESS IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE. I CONTACTED FLEETWOOD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY HAD ME GO TO A LOCAL AUTHORIZED FLEETWOOD REPAIR FACILITY WHERE A SERVICE MANAGER TOOK PICTURES OF MY WINDOW AND SENT THEM TO FLEETWOOD. FLEETWOOD RESPONDED TO THEM , AND THEY TO ME, THAT I HAVE THE CORRECT CONFIGURATION. LAST WEEK I WENT TO A RV SHOW WHERE THERE WERE NEW AND USED BOUNDERS ON SALE. THE NEW BOUNDER HAD THE CORRECT FIRE ESCAPE WINDOW (RED RELEASE HANDLES). IN ANOTHER BOUNDER (USED) THAT WAS A YEAR OR SO NEWER THAN MINE THERE WAS NO REAL FIRE ESCAPE WINDOW. IT WAS UN-EQUIPPED, JUST LIKE MINE. IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE, AN OLDER COUPLE SUCH AS MY WIFE AND I, WOULD HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY EXITING THE VEHICLE. I FEAR THAT WE WOULD SURELY SUSTAIN SEVERE BURNS AT THE VERY LEAST. SINCE THERE WERE OTHER MOTORHOMES IN MY MOTORHOME'S ERA WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, MANY PEOPLE COULD BE AT RISK. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD RESOLVE THIS PUBLIC DANGER. THANK YOU. *NM