NHTSA Complaint #11110623 — 2014 AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE

AN AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE OWNER EXPERIENCED A FIRE IN HIS/HER VEHICLE IN JUNE 2018. HTTP://WWW.AIRFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/F240/ELECTRICAL-BURNING-HEAVY-SMOKE-W-3YR-OLD-GRANDSON-SLEEPING-IN-AI-182891.HTML IT APPEARED THAT A MAGNUM ENERGY INC. MMS1012 CAUGHT FIRE UNDER CONDITIONS IDENTICAL TO THOSE DESCRIBED IN NHTSA SAFETY RECALL REPORT 17V-704. THE DEFECT DESCRIBED IN NHTSA SAFETY RECALL REPORT 17V-704 IS PRESENT IN THE AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE VEHICLES 2014-2018, UNTIL AIRSTREAM CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE 2019 MODEL YEAR (PRESUMABLY TO REMEDY THIS SAFETY RISK). THE RISK IS MUCH GREATER IN THE AIRSTREAM VEHICLES, HOWEVER, BECAUSE 1) THE MAGNUM MMS1012 IS (IMPROPERLY) MOUNTED ON A FLAMMABLE WOOD BOARD IN A FLAMMABLE WOOD BOX, AND 2) THE MMS1012 IS MOUNTED DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE SLEEPING AREA OF THE RV INSIDE THE CABIN. IT APPEARS AIRSTREAM BECAME AWARE OF THIS RISK MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, BECAUSE AIRSTREAM CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE RV ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE 2019 MODEL YEAR, PRESUMABLY TO REMEDY THE RISK. AIRSTREAM HAS NOT ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL YET TO APPLY THE REMEDY TO OLDER MODEL YEARS (2014-2018). SINCE THE RISK IS ALREADY IDENTIFIED AS DESCRIBED IN 17V-704, I THINK THE NHTSA SHOULD EXPAND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE ALL AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE RVS FROM 2014 TO 2018, BECAUSE AIRSTREAM APPEARS UNWILLING TO TAKE REMEDIAL ACTION ON THEIR OWN.