1999 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

1999 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURE, TIRE BLEW OUT. *BF MOLDING AROUND THE TIRE WAS BROKEN AND LOOSE, THE WATER TANK WAS PUNCTURED, AND DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE DRIVER STATED THE TIRES ON THE RV WERE NEW. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. # 10-0688-90. *JB UPDATED 04/14/10 *BF

THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE LIQUID PROPANE GAS (LPG) PLUMBING ON MY 1999 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER CLASS A MOTOR HOME. MY SPECIFIC MODEL IS THE M34VP, THE THIRTY-FOUR FOOT LONG DIESEL PUSHER. THE COACH'S ONBOARD ELECTRICAL GENERATOR SET (GENSET) IS FUELED WITH LIQUID PROPANE FROM AN ONBOARD TANK. THE TANK HAS A SHUTOFF VALVE ON THE TANK TO STOP THE FLOW OF LIQUID PROPANE TO THE GENSET, BUT NO SHUTOFF VALVE NEAR THE GENSET. THE ABSENCE OF A VALVE NEAR THE GENSET PRODUCES A PROBLEM WHEN THE TANK VALVE HAS BEEN OPENED, CHARGING THE 25 FEET OF HALF-INCH PIPE BETWEEN THE TANK AND THE GENSET WITH LIQUID PROPANE, AND THE GENSET WILL NOT START AND RUN TO CONSUME THE FUEL IN THE SUPPLY LINE. IN THAT INSTANCE, THE FUEL IN THE LINE CANNOT BE EVACUATED TO ALLOW THE GENSET TO BE SAFELY REMOVED FROM THE COACH FOR REPAIRS. IN OR ABOUT MARCH OR APRIL OF 2000, THE GENSET ON MY COACH WOULDN'T START AND HAD TO BE REMOVED FRO REPAIRS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO ISOLATE THE GENSET FROM THE SUPPLY LINE AND THE FULL CONTENTS OF THE LINE CAUSED A VERY LARGE CLOUD OF PROPANE GAS TO BE RELEASED, POSING AN IMMEDIATE AND SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR MASSIVE FIRE AND EXPLOSION. I CONTACTED WINNEBAGO AND THEY REFUSED ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND WOULD NOT INSTALL THE APPLIANCE SHUTOFF VALVE AS REQUESTED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS, AND PERHAPS THOUSANDS, OF WINNEBAGO AND ITASCA COACHES AND RV'S THAT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. NOTE: AFTER DISCUSSING MY COMPLAIN SUBMISSION WITH 'LEWIS,' A SUPERVISOR IN THE ODI BRANCH, I AM SUBMITTING A MAIL COPY OF MY COMPLAINT WITH ADDITION NARRATIVE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE LIQUID PROPANE GAS (LPG) PLUMBING ON MY 1999 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER CLASS A MOTOR HOME. MY SPECIFIC MODEL IS THE M34VP, THE THIRTY-FOUR FOOT LONG DIESEL PUSHER. THE COACH'S ONBOARD ELECTRICAL GENERATOR SET (GENSET) IS FUELED WITH LIQUID PROPANE FROM AN ONBOARD TANK. THE TANK HAS A SHUTOFF VALVE ON THE TANK TO STOP THE FLOW OF LIQUID PROPANE TO THE GENSET, BUT NO SHUTOFF VALVE NEAR THE GENSET. THE ABSENCE OF A VALVE NEAR THE GENSET PRODUCES A PROBLEM WHEN THE TANK VALVE HAS BEEN OPENED, CHARGING THE 25 FEET OF HALF-INCH PIPE BETWEEN THE TANK AND THE GENSET WITH LIQUID PROPANE, AND THE GENSET WILL NOT START AND RUN TO CONSUME THE FUEL IN THE SUPPLY LINE. IN THAT INSTANCE, THE FUEL IN THE LINE CANNOT BE EVACUATED TO ALLOW THE GENSET TO BE SAFELY REMOVED FROM THE COACH FOR REPAIRS. IN OR ABOUT MARCH OR APRIL OF 2000, THE GENSET ON MY COACH WOULDN'T START AND HAD TO BE REMOVED FRO REPAIRS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO ISOLATE THE GENSET FROM THE SUPPLY LINE AND THE FULL CONTENTS OF THE LINE CAUSED A VERY LARGE CLOUD OF PROPANE GAS TO BE RELEASED, POSING AN IMMEDIATE AND SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR MASSIVE FIRE AND EXPLOSION. I CONTACTED WINNEBAGO AND THEY REFUSED ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND WOULD NOT INSTALL THE APPLIANCE SHUTOFF VALVE AS REQUESTED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS, AND PERHAPS THOUSANDS, OF WINNEBAGO AND ITASCA COACHES AND RV'S THAT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. NOTE: AFTER DISCUSSING MY COMPLAIN SUBMISSION WITH 'LEWIS,' A SUPERVISOR IN THE ODI BRANCH, I AM SUBMITTING A MAIL COPY OF MY COMPLAINT WITH ADDITION NARRATIVE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

1999 GM P32 CHASSIS MOTORHOME. AUTO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH PART NUMBER 15961566 LEAKED OUT TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSING THE PARKING BRAKE TO ENGAGE WHILE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 55 MPH AND THUS BRINGING THE MOTORHOME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, IN LEAKING, WAS SPRAYED OVER THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND CREATED ALOT OF SMOKE AS THE HOT EXHAUST BURNED OFF THE OIL. SINCE THIS OCCURED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT NIGHT( NEW YORK 684 SOUTHBOUND A FEW MILES NORTH OF THE ARMOND EXIT) IT PLACED THE VEHICLE AND ITS OCCUPANTS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR A PERIOD OF 50 MINUTES UNTIL THE BRAKE COULD BE TEMPORALY DISABLED IN ORDER TO GET THE OCCUPANTS AND VEHICLE OUT OF DANGER. NO STATE TROOPERS WENT PAST IN THIS TIME FRAME.

MOTOR HOME WAS PARKED FOR THE EVENING & HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THEN SMELLED SMOKE. INSTANTLY PULLED THE POWER PLUG TO THE MOTOR HOME AND THEN INVESTIGATED. FOUND THE POWER SWITCH BOX HAD BLOWN UP. HAD TO HAVE A NEW ONE INSTALLED AND WHEN I DID WAS TOLD THIS HAPPENS A LOT TO THIS TYPE POWER SWITCH AND THEY INSTALLED A DIFFERENT KIND AS THE COMPANY THAT MADE THE ORIGINAL (AND IT WAS GUARANTEED FOR A LIFETIME) HAD GONE BANKRUPT. I HAD TO PAY FULL PRICE FOR THE NEW ONE AND THE INSTALLATION AND WAS TOLD BY WINNEBAGO THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER MANUFACTURER'S PARTS THEY INSTALLED IN THEIR MOTOR HOMES AND WOULD NOT HONOR THE GUARANTEE.