NHTSA Complaint #10567361 — 2011 FOUR WINDS HURRICANE

CLASS A MOTORHOME HAS A 110V AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH (ATS) THAT PROVIDES EITHER SHORE POWER OR ON-BOARD GENERATOR POWER TO THE COACH POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER. THOR INDUSTRIES USED AN IOTA ITS-50R ATS ON THIS AND SEVERAL OTHER MATRON BRANDS WITHIN THEIR BUSINESS. THIS ATS BY IOTA HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN SEVERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES INCLUDING SMOKE AND SMALL CONTAINED FIRES AND WAS THE SUBJECT OF NHTSA RECALL 12V060000. THE REFERENCED RECALL PERTAINED TO NAVISTAR INC. DBA MONACO RV LLC WHEREIN NAVISTAR REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE ATS WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND SWITCH ON TWELVE DIFFERENT MATRON BRAND NAMES AFFECTING APPROXIMATELY 250 UNITS. THIS IOTA ITS-50R ATS FAILED IN THE SUBJECT MATRON ON 12/25/2013 RESULTING IN SMOKE DAMAGE AND SECONDARY DAMAGE TO WIRING AND OTHER COMPONENTS WHILE THE COACH WAS PLUGGED INTO A PROVEN SHORE POWER SOURCE. THE DANGER/HAZARD IS THAT THE ONBOARD GENERATOR IS USED DURING DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER TO POWER THE COACH AIR CONDITIONERS AND THE ATS COULD (AND APPARENTLY HAS) FAILED CAUSING A FIRE AND ACCIDENT. THERE IS ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT OTHER MANUFACTURERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS ATS BUT TO WHAT EXTENT IS UNKNOWN. THOR INDUSTRIES/THOR MOTORCOACH/FOUR WINDS EITHER DID OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS TECHNICAL ISSUE FROM THEIR INDUSTRY SOURCES. LUCKILY WE WERE PARKED AT THE TIME AND IN CHURCH BUT OUR BELOVED DOGS SUFFERED FROM SOME TEMPORARY SMOKE INHALATION PROBLEMS. IN MY JUDGEMENT THESE ATS UNITS SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND BANNED UNTIL A PROVEN REDESIGN IS AVAILABLE.