NHTSA Complaint #11373715 — 2013 KEYSTONE RAPTOR

I WAS IN MY RV AT APPROXIMATELY 10AM IN THE MORNING, AT A CAMPGROUND. I NOTICED A SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING IN THE LIVING AREA OF THE RV. IT WAS A COLD MORNING, AND HAD OUR ELECTRIC FIRE PLACE ON AT THE TIME. WE ALSO HAD OUR HEAT STRIP IN OUR ROOF TOP AIR CONDITIONER ON AS WELL. THE BURNING SMELL BECAME STRONGER AS THE MORNING WENT ON. I THEN BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE WHERE THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM. IT APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM OUR FIREPLACE, WE THEN REMOVED IT PLACING IT OUTSIDE. I PLUGGED THE UNIT IN OUTSIDE TO SEE IF THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE FIREPLACE. THERE WAS NO SMELL FROM THE FIREPLACE. I WENT BACK IN TO THE CAMPER, THE SMELL WAS STILL PRESENT. I INVESTIGATED FURTHER, AND THE SMELL APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE UNDER BELLY COMPARTMENT. AFTER CLEARING OUT THE UNDER BELLY STORAGE, THE RV MECHANIC CAME OVER AND SMELLED THE ELECTRICAL SMELL. HE ASKED ME TO PLUG IN EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON AT THE TIME, WHEN I FIRST SMELLED THE BURNING SMELL. THE FIREPLACE WAS BROUGHT BACK INTO THE RV, AND PLUGGED BACK IN TO THE OUTLET. THE RV MECHANIC WENT INTO THE UNDERBELLY AND WAS SEARCH FOR THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL. UPON DOING SO, HE HAD BUMPED THE MAIN POWER FEED WIRE COMING INTO THE CAMPER. THIS CAUSED THE LIGHTS ON THE FIREPLACE TO FLICKER OFF AND ON. I NOTIFIED THAT WHAT EVER HE HAD JUST DONE CAUSED THE LIGHTS TO FLICKER. HE DID THIS AGAIN CAUSING THE LIGHT TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN. THIS APPEARED TO BE THE PROBLEM THE MECHANIC WAS CONVINCED. HE SHUT THE POWER OFF, AND PULLED THE PLUG OUT. UPON TAKING THE PLUG OUT, HE FOUND THAT THE SIDE OF THE PLUG COVER WAS STARTING TO BURN. THE MECHANIC, WENT TO LOOSEN THE SCREWS FOUR THE FOUR WIRES CONNECTING THE 220 VOLT 50AMP SERVICE, AND WAS ABLE TO PULLED THE WIRES OUT WITHOUT HAVING TO UNSCREW ALL THE SCREWS. HE STATED THAT NONE OF THE HOLD SCREWS FOR THE CONNECTIONS WERE NEVER TIGHTEN. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS FIRE HAZARD THANKS.