NHTSA Complaint #10410222 — 2008 FLEETWOOD FIESTA

I PURCHASED A FLEETWOOD RV IN AUGUST 2009. IT CAME WITH A FULL 25 GAL PROPANE TANK. DUE TO THE LIMITED USE OF THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE, FILLING WAS NOT OFTEN. I WENT TO FILL THE TANK IN DECEMBER 2010 AND WAS UNABLE TO, DUE TO THE MOUNTING OF THE TANK BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE TANK IS SLIGHTLY TOO HIGH AND NO STANDARD APPROVED FILL NOZZLE WILL FIT THE TANK. THE ONLY WAS TO FILL IS TO MODIFY A FILL NOZZLE, WHICH I FEEL IS UNSAFE. I PROVIDED INFORMATION TO A DEALER ON HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BY SIMPLY REMOVING THE TANK AND INSTALLING FOUR NUTS TO DROP THE TANK 1/4" AND THEN RE-INSTALL THE TANK. THEY ARE REFUSING REPAIRS, SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING INSTALLATION DEFECT AND CREATES AN UNSAFE CONDITION, REQUIRING A MODIFIED NOZZLE TO FILL. THAT CREATES THE POSSIBILITY OF A LEAK DURING FILL AND THE RESULTING EXPLOSION. EVEN THE REPAIR I RECOMMENDED, AFTER FURTHER THOUGHT, WOULD ALLOW FOR THE TANK TO LOOSEN AND FALL OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE RESULT WOULD BE AN EXPLOSION ON THE HIGHWAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT EACH RV IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THIS TYPE OF INSTALLATION, A 25 GALLON PROPANE TANK, WOULD BE DONE TO AN APPROVED STANDARD DUE TO THE HAZARD IT PRESENTS. DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF MANUFACTURING ISSUES WITH THIS UNIT, I AM PLANNING ON A FLORIDA LEMON LAW RETURN, BUT OTHERS MAY BE FACING THE SAME ISSUE AND ATTEMPTING TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM BY ALTERING PROPANE FILL EQUIPMENT TO MEET THEIR NEED. THOSE ALTERATIONS COULD GENERATE A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR THEM, THE FILL OPERATOR AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD A LEAK AND THE RESULTANT EXPLOSION OCCUR. THESE RV'S CARRY 25 GALLONS OF PROPANE AND 75 GALLONS OF GASOLINE. AN EXPLOSION WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC. *TR