2000 COACHMEN CATALINA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

FORD SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). RECALL 05S28. CALLED FORD TODAY AND THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT REPLACE THE PART BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PART. SAID WILL NOT HAVE IT, MAYBE TILL DEC. THEY SAID THEY WILL DISCONNECT THE SPEED CONTROL TILL THE PARTS COME IN. THIS VEHICLE IS A MOTOR HOME. WE USE OUR MOTOR HOME A LOT. NOW I AM SUPPOSE TO WAIT TILL THE PARTS, MAYBE WILL BE IN, IN DEC????? PLUS I GET 8 MILES TO THE GALLON OF GAS AND I AM SUPPOSE TO DRIVE 25 MILES EACH WAY TO GET THIS FIXED 2 TIMES? TOTAL OF 100 MILES. THIS WILL COAST ME ABOUT 12 GALLONS OF GAS AT $265 A GALLON. TOTAL $31.00 FOR GAS AND MY TIME AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE PART IN. CAN YOU HELP US OUT? *JB

RECALL BY DOMETIC ON MY REFRIGERATOR IN MY RV. MY RV IS ON A PERMANENT LOT AND CANNOT BE MOVED. THEY ADVISED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A SERVICE CALL. I ADVISED THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO PAY. THE AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE 10 FEET TO MY RV. THE RV IS LOCATED ON A CAMP SIGHT THAT THE AUTHORIZED REPAIR CENTER OWNS. I CALLED DOMETIC NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY ADVISED THEY WOULD CALL BACK. TO THIS DAY I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM. *JB

PREPARED FOR 10 DAY VACATION FROM TEXAS TO SOUTH DAKOTA VIA OKLAHOMA, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, RETURNING VIA WYOMING, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO. ALL TIRE VERIFIED INFLATED AT 75 PSI (WITHIN 10% OF MAX UPON DEPARTURE. TIRE HAD 80% TREAD LEFT ACCORDING TO MIDROMETER MEASUREMENT WHEN TIRES REPLACED AFTER MULTIPLE BLOWOUTS. TIRES WERE ON 2000 COACHMAN CATALINA CLASS C 23 FT MOTORHOME. FIRST TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE, STORAGE COMPARTMENTS, AND KITCH CABINETS ON RIGHT SIDE OF MOTOR HOME. PUT ON SPARE AND WITH 15 MILES A SECOND TIRE BLEW OUT ON INSIDE LEFT. THIS TIRE TOOK OUT LP GAS LINE TO REFIGERATOR AND HOT WATER HEATER AS WELL AS SEVERE DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE, STORAGE COMPARTMENTS, AND BATHROOM FLOOR/CABINETS. WITHIN THE NEXT 100 MILES, A 3RD TIRE STARTED TO SEPARATE BUT I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE COMPLETE BLOWOUT. UNKNOWN AT THE TIME WAS THE REAR BRAKE LINES HAD BEEN COMPROMISED. THE REAR BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED BY THE TIME WE REACHED DENVER, CO. VERY TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE AND BECAUSE OF OUR REMOTE LOCATION, WE WERE UNABLE TO MATCH REPLACEMENT TIRES BY SIZE OR BRAND. THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD WE MADE IT HOME SAFELY AND THE RV IS NOW AT A DEALERSHIP AWAITING INSURANCE ESTIMATE AND REPAIRS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE INSURANCE COMPANY WANTS THE OLD TIRES SO THEY CAN GO AFTER FIRESTONE FOR REIMBURSEMENT BUT I DID NOT WANT TO CARRY THEM 2000 MILES BACK TO TEXAS. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE THROUGH FIRESTONE TO GET NEW MATCHING TIRES ON THE GROUND AS WELL AS THE SPARE (7 TIRES TOTAL)? *TR

WE HAVE A 2000 COACHMEN CLASS C RV MOTOREHOME. WE WERE TRAVELING EAST ON RT 36 GOING ABOUT 60 MPH AND HAD A BLOWOUT IN AGRA,KS. IT WAS THE REAR OUTSIDE TIRE ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE. IT WAS A STEELTEX RADIAL R4S...LT225/75/R16. *AK WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING THE FIRESTONE TIRES SINCE 10/2/2000 AND HAVE CALLED EVERYBODY ABOUT OUT STEELTEX TIRES...TO NO AVAILABLE. WHEN THERE WAS THE CONTRAVERSARY ABOUT PSI ON THE INSIDE DOOR DIFFERING FROM THE TIRE PSI WE HAVE KEPT OUR TIRES AT THE PSI INDICATED ON THE TIRE ITSELF AND HAVE FAITHFULLY MAINTAINED THAT PSI. WE ARE REPLACING THE REMAINING 5 FIRESTONE TIRES BECAUSE WE FEEL SURE THAT IF IT WAS ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES....WE WOULD HAVE ROLLED THE RV OVER AND BEEN DEAD. WE ARE GOING TO PERSUE THIS WITH FIRESTONE TO SEE IF WE CAN COME TO SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT. IT SHOULD COST US OVER $600.00 TO $700.00 TO REPLACE THE TIRES.

WE HAVE A 2000 COACHMAN CLASS C RV. WE WERE TRAVELING EAST ON RT 36 GOING ABOUT 60 MPH AND HAD A BLOWOUT IN AGRA, KS. IT WAS THE REAR OUTSIDE TIRE ON THE PASSANGERS SIDE. IT WAS A FIRESTONE STEELTEX LT225/75/R16