NHTSA Complaint #10969957 — 2011 FOREST RIVER SANDPIPER

RECENTLY EXPERIENCED AN ISSUE WHERE MAIN LIGHTING AND EXTERIOR LIGHTING QUIT WORKING. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING AND ANALYSIS, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE ROOT CAUSE. BEHIND THE POWER INVERTER AND CABINETRY I DISCOVERED WHERE ALL THE CAMPER WIRING CAME TOGETHER. I DISCOVERED SEVERAL BUNDLES OF 12V COMMON/GROUND WIRING BUNCHED TOGETHER. I THREE AREAS I FOUND UP TO 7 WIRES CONNECTED TOGETHER WITH A BLUE WIRE NUT AND WRAPPED IN ELECTRICAL TAPE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THE "BUNDLE" OF WIRES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIGHTS THAT DIDN'T WORK. AFTER REMOVING THE ELECTRICAL TAPE, I FOUND THE WIRING HAD BEEN POORLY OR INCORRECTLY INSTALLED AND CREATED AN AREA OF HIGH RESISTANCE, RESULTING IN A MELTDOWN OF THE WIRE NUT AND ALL ASSOCIATED WIRES. THIS CAUSES A GREAT CONCERN BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WERE LARGE NUMBERS ARE WIRES ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER AND THEREFORE CREATING A CONTINUED FIRE RISK. ATTACHED IS A PHOTO OF THE DAMAGED AREA THAT WAS REMOVED.