NHTSA Complaint #10225273 — 1999 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER

THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE LIQUID PROPANE GAS (LPG) PLUMBING ON MY 1999 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER CLASS A MOTOR HOME. MY SPECIFIC MODEL IS THE M34VP, THE THIRTY-FOUR FOOT LONG DIESEL PUSHER. THE COACH'S ONBOARD ELECTRICAL GENERATOR SET (GENSET) IS FUELED WITH LIQUID PROPANE FROM AN ONBOARD TANK. THE TANK HAS A SHUTOFF VALVE ON THE TANK TO STOP THE FLOW OF LIQUID PROPANE TO THE GENSET, BUT NO SHUTOFF VALVE NEAR THE GENSET. THE ABSENCE OF A VALVE NEAR THE GENSET PRODUCES A PROBLEM WHEN THE TANK VALVE HAS BEEN OPENED, CHARGING THE 25 FEET OF HALF-INCH PIPE BETWEEN THE TANK AND THE GENSET WITH LIQUID PROPANE, AND THE GENSET WILL NOT START AND RUN TO CONSUME THE FUEL IN THE SUPPLY LINE. IN THAT INSTANCE, THE FUEL IN THE LINE CANNOT BE EVACUATED TO ALLOW THE GENSET TO BE SAFELY REMOVED FROM THE COACH FOR REPAIRS. IN OR ABOUT MARCH OR APRIL OF 2000, THE GENSET ON MY COACH WOULDN'T START AND HAD TO BE REMOVED FRO REPAIRS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO ISOLATE THE GENSET FROM THE SUPPLY LINE AND THE FULL CONTENTS OF THE LINE CAUSED A VERY LARGE CLOUD OF PROPANE GAS TO BE RELEASED, POSING AN IMMEDIATE AND SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR MASSIVE FIRE AND EXPLOSION. I CONTACTED WINNEBAGO AND THEY REFUSED ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND WOULD NOT INSTALL THE APPLIANCE SHUTOFF VALVE AS REQUESTED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS, AND PERHAPS THOUSANDS, OF WINNEBAGO AND ITASCA COACHES AND RV'S THAT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. NOTE: AFTER DISCUSSING MY COMPLAIN SUBMISSION WITH 'LEWIS,' A SUPERVISOR IN THE ODI BRANCH, I AM SUBMITTING A MAIL COPY OF MY COMPLAINT WITH ADDITION NARRATIVE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR