NHTSA Complaint #10609280 — 2008 THOR MOTOR COACH WINDSPORT

THERE WERE 6 PEOPLE ON VACATION HEADING OUT HIGHWAY 80 IN PENN. WE HAD SLOWED FOR CONSTRUCTION WHEN THE HYDRAULIC LEVELING SYSTEM ON THE MOTORHOME START MAKING NOISE. I KNOW THE NOISE BUT WE ARE DRIVING THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. WE SAW SMOKE OUT THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE COACH AND THE LEVELING SYSTEM WAS ENGAGING AND DROPPED TO THE PAVEMENT. IT WAS ONLY BY CHANCE THAT WE WERE GOING SO SLOW BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION AS I WOULD HATE TO SEE WHAT WOULD OF HAPPENED IF WE WERE GOING THE SPEED LIMIT. WE WERE ABLE TO LIMP TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE LEVELERS IN DOWN POSITION. I GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND EVERYONE JUMPED OFF THE MOTORHOME. ALTHOUGH IT NEVER CAUGHT FIRE THERE WAS LOTS OF SMOKE AND I WAS READY. ONE OF THE MEN CLIMBED UNDERNEATH AND DISCONNECTED THE HARNESS THAT RAN THE MOTOR TO THE LEVELING SYSTEM WHICH IS WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM. WE SAT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR A LONG TIME AND ONE BY ONE THE MEN WERE ABLE TO GET THE LEVELERS BACK UP AND DISCONNECT THE LEVELING SYSTEM. THE VACATION DID NOT GO AS PLANNED, WE DID GET IT FIXED A WEEK LATER AFTER VACATION WAS OVER. *TR