NHTSA Complaint #10249155 — 2003 KEYSTONE COUGAR

GOING FROM CALIFORNIA TO LAS VEGAS ON INTERSTATE 15 ABOUT TEN MILES FROM THE NEVADA STATE LINE WHEN I HEARD A WHOLE LOT OF THUMPING FROM MY COUGAR FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. I HAD JUST TRAVERSED A VERY ROUGH SECTION OF ROAD WITH CONCRETE BARRIERS AND NO SHOULDERS ALONG THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED OVER ONTO THE PRECARIOUSLY NARROW SHOULDER AS SOON AS IT SEEMED SAFE. IT REALLY WASN'T SAFE. I SAW THAT MY FRONT TIRE ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS SHREDDED BUT THAT THE REAR TIRE WAS STILL HOLDING THE FRONT TIRE JUST OFF ITS RIM. I FOUND A BETTER SHOULDER. I GOT SOME RV ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE BIG REPAIR TRUCK PULLED UP BEHIND ME AND THE GUY PUT ON MY SPARE. HE MENTIONED THAT HE SMELLED A LOT OF PROPANE, SO I SHUT OFF THE TANK SUPPLY VALVES. I TOOK A LOOK UNDER THE RV NEAR THE SITE OF THE FLAT. THE SHEET METAL WAS PULLED OUT AND THE PLASTIC FENDER PANEL BROKEN. ALSO THERE WAS A ?T? IN THE PROPANE LINE NEAR THE TIRE WITH A TERMINAL CAP AND A TINY PIECE OF CRUMPLED UP COPPER TUBING POKING OUT OF A FITTING. AFTER TURNING ON THE PROPANE I COULD TELL IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS LEAKING BADLY, SO I TURNED THE PROPANE OFF AGAIN. LATER, I REALIZED THAT MY HEATER WASN'T WORKING. I DISCOVERED THAT I APPARENTLY LEFT PIECE OF THE HEATERS PROPANE COPPER SUPPLY LINE ON INTERSTATE 15. THE COPPER LINE LED THROUGH THE UNDERCARRIAGE ABOVE THE TIRE THAT WAS DESTROYED LEAVING A TELLTALE HOLE. THE TIRE RESIDUE SHREDDED THE COPPER GAS LINE IN SHORT ORDER. CONSIDERING HOW THE REST OF THE PROPANE SUPPLY LINE IS RATHER SOLID BLACK PIPE, I WOULD CONSIDER THIS GROUNDS FOR A RECALL. FLAT TIRES SHOULD NOT CAUSE DANGEROUS PROPANE LEAKS! FIXING THE HEATER HOSE SEEMED STRAIGHTFORWARD ENOUGH. I BOUGHT A MADE UP REPLACEMENT HOSE AFTER REALIZING THAT THE ORIGINAL COPPER HOSE WAS NOT THE BEST AND EASIEST WAY TO GO. I THEN DRILLED A SMALL HOLE UP THROUGH THE FLOORING ABOUT A FOOT FROM THE ORIGINAL HOLE. THE NEW HOLE IS OUT OF THE WHEEL WELL, CLOSER TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE FIFTH WHEEL. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR