NHTSA Complaint #10148145 — 1998 ITASCA SUNDANCER

NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR UNIT BURN OUT, SEEMS TO BE THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEM AS THE PUBLISHED RECALLS: GROUP CODE: 70821 MODEL NR - 9162 S/N - 457156E COOLING UNIT S/N: 807168 [NOT PRESENTLY UNDER RECALL] THE RV WAS PARKED AT A CAMP SITE AT BANFF CANADA FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE NORCOLD REFRIGERATION UNIT WAS IN USE, POWERED BY ON SITE ELECTRICAL DROP. IT WAS MID MORNING ABOUT 1100 HRS THAT AN ODOR OF SMOKE WAS NOTICED. CHECKING THE RIG FOUND THAT THE NORCOLD UNIT WAS WARM AND THE WALL NEXT TO IT VERY MUCH WARMER, SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE AMBIENT TEMP. I REMOVED THE UNIT FROM THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND OTHER POWER SOURCES. TRACKING DOWN THE BURNING SMELL LEAD TO THE OUTSIDE ACCESS PANEL. INSIDE THE PANEL I DISCOVERED SOOT, SIGNS OF HEAT AND SMOKE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE APPARATUS, SIGNS THAT A SMALL EXPLOSION HAD OCCURRED WITHIN A VERTICAL METAL CYLINDER ON THE RIGHT DEFORMED AND EXPOSING WHAT APPEARS TO BE INSULATION PACKING, PRESENTLY BLACK. NO FURTHER HEAT OR PROBLEMS FROM HEAT WERE DISCOVERED. CORRECTIVE ACTION: PRESENTLY UNIT IS BEING EVALUATED FOR REPAIRS. I EXPECT REPAIRS TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. OLD PART WILL BE RETAINED. *JB