NHTSA Complaint #10203138 — 2002 WINNEBAGO JOURNEY DL

FIRE HAZARD ADD TO 10202950 WINNEBAGO JOURNEY D L,:, MODEL # 2002 WKP36GD, WITH UNDER 50,000 MILES. CLIMBING THE 21 MILE GRADE WAS NO PROBLEM FOR THIS 330 CAT DIESEL, AT LESS THAN 40 MILES PER HOUR I NOTICED THAT THE LEFT REAR BEDROOM SLIDE WAS OUT 4 INCHES. I FOUND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OF THE ROAD. THE TURBO CHARGER HAD BEEN WORKING PRETTY HARD COMING UP THE HILL SO AFTER SETTING THE PARK BRAKE I LET THE ENGINE IDLE WHILE I WENT TO THE REAR OF THE COACH TO RETRACT THE SLIDE, FORTUNATELY MY WIFE REMAINED IN FRONT. THE BEDROOM HAS NO WINDOW ON THE LEFT SO I SAW NOTHING UNUSUAL WHEN I PUSHED THE RETRACT SWITCH EXCEPT THE SLIDE DID NOT MOVE. MY WIFE INSTANTLY HOLLERED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM THE REAR LEFT SIDE. I RAN TO THE FRONT, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WE BOTH EXITED IN A HURRY. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE REAR OF THE COACH GREY SMOKE WAS COMING OUT THE BACK PRETTY HEAVY. A TRUCK DRIVER HAD ALREADY STOPPED ACROSS THE ROAD FROM ME. HE RAN BACK TO HIS TRUCK AND CAME BACK WITH A LARGE, 30 OR 50 POUND EXTINGUISHER. MEANWHILE THINGS ARE HAPPENING FAST. A LOUD POP CAME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF A LOT OF AIR BEING RELEASED. THE FIRE ACCELERATED QUICKLY AND TURNED BLACK WITH SOME YELLOWISH BROWN SWIRLS. ANOTHER LOUD POP CAME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY A COUPLE OF QUARTS OF A BROWNISH CLEAR, OILY LIQUID DUMPED ON THE GROUND UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ANOTHER LOUD WOOSH WAS HERD, THE SMOKE GOT LIGHTER IN COLOR AND STARTED TO DECREES. THE LARGE EXTINGUISHER HAD DONE ITS JOB AND COMPLETELY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE TOTAL TIME INVOLVED FROM THE TIME I PUSHED THE RETRACT SWITCH TO THE FINAL BLAST OF THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS NO MORE THAN 2 OR 3 MINUTES BUT SERIOUS DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. *TR