1998 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

DT: GOODYEAR TIRES BLEW OUT ON THE FRONT RIGHT DRIVER'S SIDE AND 6 MONTHS LATER THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE ALSO BLEWOUT. GOODYEAR, 1998, RADIAL TIRES, 245/70R19.5. THE TIRES HAD ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON THEM WHEN THEY BLEWOUT. THESE WERE THE RECOMMENDED SIZE TIRE FOR THE WINNEBAGO. CONSUMER NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE WITH THE TIRES. THE TIRES BLEW A HOLE ON THE SIDEWALL ABOUT 3 TO 4 INCHES WIDE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH THE SAME BRAND OF TIRE FROM GOODYEAR. CONSUMER DID NOT CONTACT MANUFACTURER. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH WHEN THE TIRES BLEW OUT. *AK *NM

THE LAMINATION ON EACH SIDE NEAR THE REAR OF VEHICLE WAS PEELING OFF. CONSUMER FEARS THAT IF THE PEELING CONTINUES THE END CAPS THAT HOLD THE TWO CORNERS DOWN WILL EVENTUALLY SNAP OFF WHILE IN TRAFFIC. MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED WHILE IN MOTION. SWITCH FAILED ON AUTO PARK BRAKE SYSTEM, CAUSING LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AND LOCKUP. LUCKILY WAS MOVING SLOWLY TO PARKING AREA, COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN TRAVELING ON A NARROW TWO LANE HIGHWAY WITH ZERO SHOULDER. *JB

PLEASE NOTE THE WINNEBAGO MOTORHOME IS ON A 1999 FORD SUPER DUTY F CHASSIS WITH A 6.8L V-10 ENGINE. IN A MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN THE AIR FILTER BECOMES SATURATED WITH WATER CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN ROUGH OR STALL. I HAVE HAD THE ENGINE STALL ON A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY GOING 60 MPH. ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASSIONS, I HAVE HAD THE ENGINE START TO RUN ROUGH AND CUT OUT BUT WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE IT STALLED. FORD ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM TO ME IN THE FALL OF 1998 AND SAID A FIX WOULD BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE END OF 1998. AS OF SEPT, 2000, NO FIX IS AVAILABLE. IN REVIEWING VARIOUS MOTORHOME MAGAZINES, BASED ON READERS COMMENTS, THE PROBLEM IS WIDE SPREAD. I EVEN HAD A FORD TECHNICAL REP TELL ME IF HE OWNED A MOTORHOME WITH THE PROBLEM, HE WOULDN'T DRIVE IT IN A HEAVY RAIN.

PLEASE NOTE THE WINNEBAGO MOTORHOME IS ON A 1999 FORD SUPER DUTY F CHASSIS WITH A 6.8L V-10 ENGINE. IN A MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN THE AIR FILTER BECOMES SATURATED WITH WATER CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN ROUGH OR STALL. I HAVE HAD THE ENGINE STALL ON A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY GOING 60 MPH. ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASSIONS, I HAVE HAD THE ENGINE START TO RUN ROUGH AND CUT OUT BUT WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE IT STALLED. FORD ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM TO ME IN THE FALL OF 1998 AND SAID A FIX WOULD BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE END OF 1998. AS OF SEPT, 2000, NO FIX IS AVAILABLE. IN REVIEWING VARIOUS MOTORHOME MAGAZINES, BASED ON READERS COMMENTS, THE PROBLEM IS WIDE SPREAD. I EVEN HAD A FORD TECHNICAL REP TELL ME IF HE OWNED A MOTORHOME WITH THE PROBLEM, HE WOULDN'T DRIVE IT IN A HEAVY RAIN.