NHTSA Complaint #10870072 — 2005 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER

APRIL, 2016, RV PARKED AND PROPANE COULD BE SMELLED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS COMING FROM A CRACKED WELD ON A 2009 MANCHESTER TANK MODEL 68129, WINNEBAGO # 144116-01-000. THIS 2009 TANK WAS A REPLACEMENT FOR A 2005 TANK, SAME WINNEBAGO #, THAT WAS INSTALLED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V113000 FOR A CRACKED WELD WITH LEAKING PROPANE. WINNEBAGO ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE AND MANCHESTER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS TANK. THE NEWEST TANK IS A 2015 MANCHESTER TANK SAME MODEL AND WINNEBAGO # AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THIS TANK IS ONLY SUPPORTED BY TWO BRACKETS, ONE AT THE END AND ONE MIDWAY, AND NONE AT THE FRONT FOR A TANK THAT WEIGHS OVER 100# AND HOLDS 24 GALLONS OF PROPANE. THE TANK IS LOCATED BEHIND THE REAR AXLE WHERE IT IS SUBJECT TO CONSTANT VIBRATION WHILE IN MOTION. THE LACK OF ADEQUATE SUPPORT AND STRONG ENOUGH WELD SUBJECTS THE WELD FOR FAILURE.