2005 ITASCA SUNCRUISER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHILE DRIVING MY ITASCA SUNCRUISER MOTORHOME TO COBB & SON RV REPAIR I NOTICED I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN NORMAL SPEED. ARRIVED AT COBB AND EXPLAINED TO RITCHIE COBB THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING. RITCHIE HAD A TECH MEASURE THE HEAT AT THE BRAKES AND THEY WERE AT 900 DEGREES. INFORMED RECALL FROM WORKHORSE REGARDING A BRAKE ISSUE AND THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE TO BE DRIVEN TO AN AUTHORIZED WORKHORSE DEALER FOR REPAIR (100 MILES AWAY). RITCHIE EXPLAINED THIS COULD NOT BE DONE AS THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THERE WOULD BE SERIOUS RISK OF INJURY AND EVEN FURTHER DAMAGE AS THE PADS WERE WORN AND CRYSTALLIZED, CALIPERS BAD, AND THE BRAKE FAILURE HAVE CREATED SERIOUS GROOVES IN THE ROTORS. ADDITIONALLY THE BRAKES HAD ALREADY GONE INTO LOCKING UP MODE. RITCHIE SAID THE REMEDY WAS REPLACEMENT OF ALL THIS PARTS ON ALL 4 BRAKES BECAUSE OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE RECALL ISSUE. ASTOUNDED THAT WORKHORSE SAID I WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THEIR DEALER FACILITY(100 MILES AWAY), I PERSONALLY CALLED WORKHORSE. I GOT THE SAME ANSWER FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEN THE HEAD OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEN THIRDLY FROM CARL DAHL THEIR REGIONAL MANAGER. I REFUSED TO RISK DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AT MY EXPENSE AS WORKHORSE REFUSED TO DO SO. MY NEXT SURPRISE WAS THAT WORKHORSE WOULD NOT REPLACE ROTORS, PAD, ETC., EVEN THOUGH THEIR RECALL ISSUE CAUSED ALL THE DAMAGE. A POLICY TO TELL SOMEONE TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE AND THEN THEY WOULD TOW IT WHEN I BREAK DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IS INSANE AND IRRESPONSIBLE. FURTHER THEY ARE IGNORING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR ALL THE DAMAGE THAT WAS CAUSED BY THEIR RECALL. I HAVE NOW HAD TO PAY OVER $1,100 TO RESTORE MY BRAKES, PAY FOR TOWING, AND DRIVE 200 MILES TO PICK UP MY MOTORHOME. I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE TO PERSUADE WORKHORSE TO DO THE ETHICAL AND HONORABLE THING AND REIMBURSE ALL THE MONEY I HAVE SPENT. *JS

ON NOVEMBER 10, 2011 I WAS HAVING RECALL #51101-C COMPLETED ON MY MOTOR HOME. THE MECHANIC HAD THE BRAKES APART TO REPLACE THE BOSCH BRAKE CALIPERS AND HE DISCOVERED ALL FOUR ROTORS HAD 2 -3 CRACKS ON THE OUTSIDE PLATE. THE CRACKS STARTED ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE AND RADIATED IN ABOUT 2 INCHES. THE CRACKS WERE COMPLETELY THROUGH THE PLATE. WORKHORSE REFUSED TO ADMIT THE CRACKED ROTORS MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE BAD CALIPERS OR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THEY SUGGESTED THE CRACKS WERE CAUSED BY DRIVER ERROR. FOR EXAMPLE, RIDING THE BRAKES DOWN A MOUNTAIN OR TOWING A CAR WITHOUT AUXILIARY BRAKES. *TR

DRIVING ON ROUTE 281 FROM BROWNSVILLE TX. TO SAN ANTONIO TX. IN MY 2005 ITASCA SUNCRUISER. AT ABOUT 65 MPH MY VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIFT ON THE ROAD. TRYING TO CORRECT IT I FOUND I HAD NO STEERING...I PUT ON MY BRAKES AND FOUND I HAD NO BRAKES. I WAS SCARED AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. THE DASH INSTRUMENTS SHOWED ALTERNATOR PROBLEMS. ENGINE PROBLEMS..ETC...I FELT DEATH WAS NEAR...I TOOK MY FOOT OF THE GAS TO LET IT SLOW DOWN AND STOP...PRAYING NOTHING WOULD GET IN FRONT OF ME AS I HAD NO CONTROL...WATER AND STEAM BLEW OUT OVER THE WINDOW AND THINGS SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE. I STOPPED AFTER AN ETERNITY. I HAD THE RV TOWED OFF THE ROAD AND WAS TOLD THAT MY ENGINE BELT BROKE....I AM AMAZED THAT THE RV HAD NO BACK UP SYSTEM FOR STEERING OR BRAKING OR ANYTHING...I AM HAPPY THAT I KILLED NO ONE OR CAUSED A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. A NEW BELT WAS PUT ON THE ENGINE AND I WAS TOLD IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN..I ASK ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY 2005 ITASCA SUNCRUISER ( 30000 LBS GW ) AND WAS AMAZED NO ONE THOUGHT ANYTHING OF IT....NO ONE KILLED OR MAIMED SO WHO CARES...MAYBE WHEN SOMEONE IS INJURED SOMEONE WILL DO SOMETHING. UPDATED IVOQ 12/01/10 *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A SMELL OF SOMETHING OVERHEATING IN A RECLINING COUCH WITHIN THE COACH. THE VEHICLE HAD A SWITCH USED TO DISCONNECT THE POWER TO THE LIVING AREA OF THE MOTOR HOME. THE SWITCH WAS TRIPPED, AND THE CONTACT REACHED IN TO THE MOTOR AREA OF THE SEAT. THE MOTOR WAS EXCEEDINGLY HOT, SO THE CONTACT ALLOWED IT TO COOL. 2 MONTHS LATER, THE MOTOR WAS REMOVED AND EXAMINED TO FIND MELTED WIRING AND MELTED BRUSHES. A SERVICE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THE FRAME OF THE COUCH WAS MANUFACTURED BY SHROCK MANUFACTURING INCORPORATED. UPDATED 2/12/2007 - THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO STICKING SWITCH INSTALLED BY WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES. THE SWITCH OCCASIONALLY BECAME STUCK IN THE RETRACT POSITION. SHROCK, MANUFACTURER OF THE COACH FRAME, REPLACED MOTOR BUT CAUTIONED THAT THE SWITCH IS A PROBLEM. *NM

GAS TANK LEAKING. *JB