NHTSA Complaint #10946198 — 2015 KEYSTONE LAREDO

CARBON MONOXIDE AND FIRE HAZARD. ON DECEMBER 4, 2016 WHILE CAMPING IN MESA, AZ WE ENCOUNTERED A HEAVY RAIN. AFTER TURNING ON THE FURNACE WE SMELLED SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND THE FURNACE WAS HARD TO IGNITE. FURNACE WAS SHUT DOWN AND AFTER EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT SMELL CAME FROM THE FURNACE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. IT WAS FOUND THAT A METAL VENT COVER THAT COMBINES INTAKE COMBUSTION AIR AND AN EXHAUST OPENING BELOW IT HAD LOUVERED HORIZONTAL OPENINGS POINTED UP, THAT ALLOWED RAINWATER AND OTHER WATER FLOWING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE TRAVEL TRAILER TO ENTER THE ENCLOSED COMBUSTION CHAMBER. INVESTIGATION OF THAT PROBLEM LED TO VARIOUS WEB-SITES WHERE OTHER PEOPLE HAD ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE WATER INFILTRATION INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER PRESENTS A HAZARD TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE TRAILER, IN THAT IT CAN SHORT OUT THE ELECTRONIC BOARD THAT RUNS THE FURNACE AND IT CORRODE THE CHAMBER AND CREATE HOLES IN THE CHAMBER THEREBY ALLOWING THE COMBUSTION FROM INSIDE THE COACH DEPRIVING THE OCCUPANTS OF OXYGEN. A SILENT KILLER! THE MANUFACTURER OF THE LAREDO MK240 WERE NOTIFIED BY HAS FAILED TO ACT OTHER THAN TO LET ME KNOW THAT I SHOULD TAKE TO TRAILER TO THE DEALER, (A 40 MILE TREK) AND THAN KEYSTONE WOULD DECIDE IF THEY WANTED TO 'PARTICIPATE IN THE REPAIR'. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FURNACE MAY ALSO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, SINCE THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DISCUSSED ON WEB-SITES. THIS CONDITION ON MANY RV'S, AND TRAVEL TRAILERS PRESENTS A DANGER OF NOT ONLY A FIRE BUT ALSO OF POSSIBLE SUFFOCATION OF THE OCCUPANTS OF ANY AFFECTED RV'S AND TRAVEL TRAILERS. WEB LINKS AND PHOTOS ENCLOSED. HTTP://WWW.FORESTRIVERFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/F113/NEW-ATWOOD-FURNACES-AFMD-SERIES-79088.HTML HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/RVS/KEYSTONE/LAREDO/RECALLS.ASPX *TR