NHTSA Complaint #10175957 — 2004 FLEETWOOD PACE ARROW

PROPANE EXHAUST LEAK INSIDE MOTOR HOME WHEN THE REFRIGERATOR IS OPERATING ON PROPANE AND INSTALLED IN A SLIDE OUT. THE VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR THE REFRIGERATOR THAT IS INSTALLED IN A MOTOR HOME SLIDE OUT HAS A BOTTOM AND TOP VENTS ON THE SIDE OF THE MOTOR HOME. CONVENTION VENTING FOR REFRIGERATORS IN MOTOR HOME HAS A VENT ON THE SIDE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE REFRIGERATOR AND A VENT ON THE ROOF ABOVE IT. THE AIR GOES IN THE BOTTOM AND OUT THE TOP WITH THE EXHAUST. ON THE SLIDE OUT INSULTED REFRIGERATOR WITH BOTH VENTS ON THE SIDE OF THE MOTOR HOME, NORMALLY THE AIR AND EXHAUST WOULD BE PULLED OUT THE TOP VENT LIKE A FLUE. BUT, IF THE WIND IS STRONG ENOUGH AND HITTING BOTH SIDE VENTS JUST RIGHT THE EXHAUST GOES AROUND THE SIDES OF THE REFRIGERATOR AND INTO THE MOTOR HOME. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO ME. THERE WAS A STRONG WIND (45+) BLOWING AGAINST THE SIDE AND REFRIGERATOR VENTS PUSHING THE EXHAUST FUME INSIDE THE MOTOR HOME. THE CO ALARM ACTIVATED AND WE OPEN HAD TO OPEN THE WINDOWS, DOOR AND TURNED THE REFRIGERATOR OFF. CHECKING THE WAY THE REFRIGERATOR WAS INSTALLED, THEY ONLY PACKED INSULATION AROUND IT BUT DID NOT SEAL AROUND IT TO KEEP EXHAUST FROM PENETRATING INSIDE THE MOTOR HOME. NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT PROPANE EXHAUST SMELLS LIKE, WE REMEMBER GETTING THAT ODOR INSIDE THE MOTOR HOME MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY PASSING TRUCK FUMES. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME ONLY WHEN THE WIND IS HITTING THE VENTS JUST AT THE RIGHT SPEED AND ANGEL. WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND A TRUCK PASSES PUSHING WIND AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE MOTORHOME THERE IS PROPANE EXHAUST PUSHED AROUND THE REFRIGERATOR AND INSIDE THE MOTOR HOME. *JB