NHTSA Complaint #11289727 — 2019 THOR MOTOR COACH ACE

SUBJECT VEHICLE HAD BUNDLED WIRES SIZE APPROX. #2 DOWN TO #10, WITH A MINIMUM OF 6 WIRES IN THE BUNDLE. WIRES MOSTLY ORIGINATED FROM BATTERY COMPARTMENT WHICH CONTAINS HOUSE BATTERIES AND WIRES FROM ENGINE BATTERY. WIRE BUNDLE WAS IN NO WAY BRACKETED OR HUNG FROM CLAMPS BUT WAS DRAPED OVER/ON THE DRIVE SHAFT NEAR A U JOINT. CONSTANT RUBBING EVENTUALLY WORE THROUGH THE WIRE INSULATION OF THE HEAVIEST WIRES (DC DIRECT FROM BATTERIES) AND SHORTED OUT AND CAUSED THE REMAINING WIRES TO SHORT AND BARE THEMSELVES POSSIBLY THROUGH FIRE. AT THE TIME THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WAS BELIEVED TO BE IN MOTION AND THE WIND MOST LIKELY PREVENTED A CONTINUAL FIRE AS THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE. CURRENT FROM THE HOUSE BATTERIES WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPLEMENTED BY CURRENT FROM THE ENGINE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WHICH ARE ALL CONNECTED TOGETHER THOROUGH AN ISOLATION RELAY WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. NO MAJOR FIRE OCCURRED BUT SEVERAL COMPONENTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH ALL BATTERIES. DURING REPAIR A HYDRAULIC LINE WAS FOUND DRAPED ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND WAS ALMOST BURNED THROUGH. ATTACHED PHOTOS SHOW THE RESULT.