NHTSA Complaint #10885013 — 2000 SPARTAN MOTORHOME

ENGINE FIRE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. WE RECENTLY HAD A DISASTER IN OUR MOTOR HOME. A FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY (OCT 2015 NEAR ASHEVILLE NC). WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS A SEAL HAD FAILED ON THE HYDRAULIC MOTOR THAT DRIVES THE FAN. (THIS UNIT HAS A SIDE RADIATOR) WHEN THE SEAL FAILED IT SPRAYED OIL ON THE FAN BLADES THUS SPREADING OIL OVER THE TURBO AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD OF THE ENGINE. HAVE SEEN 3 OTHER COACHES IN FLAMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. LOOKED ON THE WEB AT MANY COACHES IN SALVAGE YARDS AND ALMOST ALWAYS THE FIRE STARTS IN THIS SAME LOCATION. THIS IS A POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. BY THE TIME I HAD THE COACH STOPPED IT HAD COMPLETELY FILLED WITH THICK BLACK SMOKE AND I HAD PROBLEMS GETTING MY WIFE OUT THE DOOR, ALSO A VERY EXPENSIVE PROBLEM. I THINK A SHIELD AROUND THE MOTOR TO KEEP OIL FROM GETTING ON THE FAN BLADES OR A DOUBLE SEAL ON THE MOTOR SHAFT WITH A DRAIN TUBE BETWEEN SEALS WOULD BE AN EASY FIX AND NOT TOO EXPENSIVE. THE COACH WE LOST WAS ON A SPARTAN CHASSIS THE LAST ONE I SAW BURN WAS ON A FREIGHT LINER CHASSIS. I THINK ALL THE COACHES WITH SIDE RADIATOR HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE. I SINCERELY HOPE YOU WILL LOOK AT THIS ISSUE. *TR