1999 FLEETWOOD PROWLER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

LAST OCTOBER I WAS TOWING MY RV HOME FROM THE LAST CAMP OUTING FOR THE SEASON USING MY DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR ON LP GAS NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE RECALL ON THIS UNIT. DURING THIS TRIP HOME AT SOME POINT LP GAS RUN OUT OF GAS. LUCKY FOR MY FAMILY & I BECAUSE THE REFRIGERATOR UNIT FAILED. AT THIS I DID NOT KNOW THE UNIT HAD FAILED. IN DECEMBER OF 2007 I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM FLEETWOOD, AT THIS TIME THE RV WAS WINTERIZED . I DECIDED TO TAKE MY RV INTO A SERVICE CENTER [ ALL AMERICAN COACH] IN THE SPRING TO HAVE THE RECALL PART REPLACED ON THE REFRIGERATOR. ALL AMERICAN COACH INFORMED ME THAT THE THEY COULD NOT PUT ON THE SBH KIT TO REPAIR THE REFRIGERATOR BECAUSE THE AMMONIA COOLANT HAD ALREADY LEAKED OUT. DOMETIC WILL NOT REPLACE OR REIMBURSE ME IN ANYWAY. HAD I GOT THIS RECALLED SOONER I COULD HAVE SAVED THIS UNIT. WHAT REALLY MAKES ME MAD IS, LASTED WEEK I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR THE SAME RECALL FORM STERICYCLE VIA UPS GROUND. THANKS MARK GEISLER *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FLEETWOOD PROWLER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM DOMETIC PERTAINING TO THE EQUIPMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IN APRIL OF 2008 AND TWO WEEKS LATER THE REFRIGERATOR'S COOLANT LINE FRACTURED. COOLANT LEAKED OUT AND THE CONTACT SMELLED AMMONIA. DOMETIC STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FLEETWOOD PROWLER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE EQUIPMENT. HE CALLED DOMETIC AND WAS ADVISED TO LOOK AT THE BACK OF THE REFRIGERATOR. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED A COOLANT LEAK AND WAS INFORMED TO BRING THE REFRIGERATOR IN FOR SERVICE. THE MECHANIC AT THE SERVICE CENTER STATED THAT THE REPAIR COULD NOT BE PERFORMED DUE TO FRACTURES IN THE COOLANT LINE. THE COOLANT LINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED PRIOR TO ANY REPAIRS BEING MADE. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT DOMETIC SHOULD REPAIR THE FAILURE BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT. DOMETIC IS NOT REPLACING COOLANT LINES, AND IS ONLY INSTALLING A SHUT OFF VALVE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS 06E-076000 NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. UPDATED 05/19/08. *LJ UPDATED 05/19/08. *JB

I DISCOVERED A PROBLEM WITH MY DOMETIC RM2852 ON 4/2/08 WHILE PREPARING FOR A TRIP. WHILE IN TRANSIT, ON 4/4, I STOPPED AT A SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT THE RM2852. PROBLEM IDENTIFIED WAS A FAILED COOLING UNIT (YELLOW RESIDUE); RECALL COVERS RM2852. B/C I WAS IN TRANSIT, TO SIMPLY TAKE MY RV TO A LOCAL RV SERVICE CENTER IN MY HOME TOWN AFTER I RETURNED HOME FROM CAMPING. THROUGH NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS AND INFORMATION FOUND WITHIN THE DOMETIC RECALL, I NOW UNDERSTOOD THAT: 1)DOMETIC HAD ROUTINELY REPLACED, FREE OF CHARGE, FAILED COOLING UNITS WHILE ALSO PERFORMING THE RECALL. AS OF 4/1/08, DOMETIC IS NO LONGER REPLACING THEM. 2)THE RECALL CLEARLY MENTIONS SEVERAL POINTS WHICH MATCHED THE FAILURE. 3)SEVERAL RESOURCES INFORMED ME THAT THEY'VE REPLACED MANY COOLING UNITS WHILE PERFORMING THE RECALL AND THAT DOMETIC COVERED THE EXPENSES OF THE COOLING UNIT REPLACEMENT. 4)WHILE ON THE PHONE WITH THE RECALL CENTER, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER DOMETIC FOLKS AND RV SERVICE CENTERS, IT WAS VERY EVIDENT THAT DOMETIC'S CHOICE TO DISCONTINUE THEIR 'GOODWILL REPLACEMENT OF THE COOLING UNIT' WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE BY ALL AND WAS NOT EXPECTED. MY LAST PHONE CALL WAS JUST TODAY, 4/14/08 FROM DOMETIC INFORMING ME THEY WON'T REPLACE THE COOLING UNIT BECAUSE THE RECALL IS NOT FOR THE COOLING UNIT. WHEN I MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT, HE COMMENTED THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT IN SOME CASES THE HEATING UNIT MAY HAVE RUN HOT WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATIGUE CRACK IN THE COOLING UNIT. HE REFUSED TO REPLACE THE COOLING UNIT AT DOMETIC'S EXPENSE. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. HAD THIS FAILURE BEEN IDENTIFIED/REPORTED TO DOMETIC JUST LESS THAN DAYS PRIOR, THAT DOMETIC WOULD HAVE REPLACED THE COOLING UNIT AT NO COST TO ME? IS THERE ANY OTHER RECOURSE THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION I'M IN TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE THE EXPENSE TO MY FAMILY? I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU ENGAGE IN THIS SITUATION (PLEASE). *TR

DT: THE FRONT END OF THE BODY OF THE 5TH WHEEL UNIT BROKE. THE BOLTS THAT HELD THE BODY TO THE FRAME BROKE OR SHEARED OFF UNDER PRESSURE WHILE DRIVING WITH THE TRAILER IN TOW. WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A PIECE OF MATERIAL SLIDING OUT OF THE TRAILER UNIT. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO CHECK AND DISCOVERED THE FRONT END HAD OPENED UP NEARLY 3 INCHES, AND FIRST THOUGHT THE FRAME WAS THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO DRIVE SLOWLY AND WATCHED THIS CAREFULLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A DEALER AND THERE THE UNIT WAS OPENED, AND TOOK APART THE NOSE PIECE OFF THE TRAILER AND NOTED BOLTS BROKE OFF. THE DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO OFFERED NO REMEDY. THE CONSUMER CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, AND THEY HAD NO RECALLS OR COMPLAINTS ON THAT TRAILER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ALL OF THE BROKEN BOLTS WITH A LARGER SIZE BOLTS. THIS WAS JUST COMPLETED, AND THE CONSUMER HAS NOT PICKED UP THE TRAILER YET. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED IF THESE LARGER BOLTS WORKED. THIS IS MADE BY FLEETWOOD, PROWLER. *AK *SC