2000 WINNEBAGO MINNIE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

2000 WINNEBAGO MINNIE MODEL 31C CLASS C MOTOR HOME UTILIZING A 2000 FORD E450 CHASSIS. TIRE INFLATION PRESSURES ARE RELIGIOUSLY CHECKED PRIOR TO EACH USE OF THE MOTOR HOME. ON APRIL 17, 2006 WHILE DRIVING (NORTH ON US98 AT MILE MARKER 17 IN MOBILE, ALABAMA) AT 50 MPH THE RIGHT REAR INBOARD TIRE (FIRESTONE LT225-75 R 16 LOAD RANGE E) SUFFERED AN EXPLOSIVE FAILURE FOLLOWED BY TREAD SEPARATION. THE FAILURE WAS NOT PRECEDED BY A DETECTABLE VIBRATION BUT APPEARED TO BE INSTANTANEOUS. THE TREAD BENT THE EXHAUST INTO THE REMAINING TIRE AND STRIPPED THE FENDER AND ROCK SHIELD PROTECTING THE LPG STORAGE TANK. IT BENT THE LPG PLUMBING COMING FROM THE LP TANK, BUT DID NOT BREACH THE PLUMBING OR CAUSE A LEAK. THE VEHICLE REMAINED CONTROLLABLE AND WAS DRIVEN FOR ANOTHER MILE UNTIL IT COULD BE EXITED FROM THE HIGHWAY. THE TIRE ONLY HAD 15250 MILES ON IT AND AS I SAID WAS AS ALWAYS INFLATED TO THE MFG'S SPECIFICATIONS PRIOR TO EACH USE OF THE MOTOR HOME. IT APPEARED THAT THE INTERNAL SIDEWALL RADIAL PLIES HAD FAILED AT THE EDGE OF THE STEEL BELTS. THIS FORCED THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL PLIES TO CARRY THE PRESSURE LOADS AS WELL AS THE STEEL BELT CENTRIFUGAL RETAINING LOADS THUS EVENTUALLY CAUSING A CARCASS FAILURE AND RESULTING DE-LAMINATION OF THE TREAD/STEEL BELT BONDS. IT APPEARS (AS EVIDENCED BY OXIDATION) THAT THE FAILURE MAY HAVE BEEN PREDICTED BY A CRACK LOCATED ON A RADIAL AXIS IN THE SIDEWALL. I BELIEVE RADIAL (SPOKE TYPE) CRACKS MAY BE AN INDICATOR THAT A SECTION OF THE INTERNAL RADIAL PLIES IS NO LONGER IN TENSION (IN OTHER WORDS INTERNALLY CUT). ONE OTHER TIRE ON THE VEHICLE HAS THIS SAME CRACK. THE ENTIRE SET OF SIX TIRES IS BEING REPLACED WITH NEW TIRES. *JB

WIRING HARNESS LOOSE, CAME IN CONTACT WITH EXHAUST CAUSING SHORT AND A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF PCM (BLOWN FUSE) WITH RESULTANT SHUTDOWN OF ENGINE COMPUTER AND ENGINE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. IN BOTH CASES, WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROADWAY BUT WERE TRAFFIC HEAVIER, WOULD HAVE BEEN STALLED IN TRAFFIC LANE. I'M ONLY ADVISING OF THIS IN CASE OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED IT AND IT IS THE RESULT OF A GENERAL DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE THAT MAY BE DANGEROUS.

RIGHT REAR INNER DULLER TIRE EXPERIENCED A TREAD SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH TWO ADULTS AND TWO CHILDREN IN A WINNEBAGO MINNIE 2000 RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO HEAR AND FEEL THE TREAD FLAPPING AGAINST THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE PULLING OVER. THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED DURING THE SEPARATION. FIRESTONE, STEELTEX RS4, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE 225/75R16, E LOAD RANGE AND THE DOT # VDILIXD379. THE TIRE WAS AVAILABLE FOR NHTSA ANALYSIS. FIRESTONE WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *NM

WE WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2000 WINNEBAGO MINNIE 31C [CLASS C] MOTORHOME. WE LEFT THE CAMPGROUND WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES NE OF RICHMOND, VA AT ABOUT 1130 AM. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS BETWEEN 78-80 DEGREES. WE WERE TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-295 AND HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHEN WE HEARD A LOAD BANGING SOUNDS AND FELT OUR RV SHAKING. LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WE SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE CHUNKS OF TIRE FLYING AWAY FROM OUR RV. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER TO CHECK TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR INSIDE DUAL TIRE HAD FAILED. THE FAILED TIRE TORE A [1] FOOT BY ABOUT [1.5] FOOT HOLE IN THE FLOOR ABOVE THE TIRE. WE HAPPENED TO HAVE PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY RIGHT AT EXIT 41B, SO WE WERE ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO AN EXXON GAS STATION AT THAT EXIT. OUR AUTO CLUB SERVICE DISPATCHED A TIRE REPAIR SERVICE TRUCK TO CHANGE THE TIRE. UPON REMOVING THE TIRE WE SAW THAT THE TIRE TREAD HAD COME NEARLY COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE. THE CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT ABOUT [3] THREE FEET OF THE TOP TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE AND THE REST OF THE REMAINING TREAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE REMAINING TREAD TO THE TIRE WAS ABOUT A [6] INCH SECTION THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED. THE REPAIR SERVICE INSTALLED THE SPARE AND WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THE REMAINING 110 MILES HOME. *JB

COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION, I-55 ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF EXIT TO BLYTHEVILLE AR. SPEED 70 MPH, TEMP 55. WINNEBAGO 27 FT MINNIE RV, FORD CHASIS. ORIG EQUIP TIRE APPROX 40,300 MI. LEFT REAR INNER DUAL. TIRE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY DEFLATE. DROVE ON TO EXIT AND CHANGED TO SPARE. THIS IS THIRD TIRE OF THIS SERIES DOT VD1L1XD 349 TO SEPARATE TREAD ON THIS VEHICLE. SEE ODI NUMBER 10036700 AND ODI NUMBER 10036694 (INCIDENTS OCCURRING JULY 19 AND 20 OF 2003).THIS TIRE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR USE ON THIS TYPE VEHICLE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT FORD, FIRESTONE, OR NHTSA SAYS. THESE STEELTEX TIRES NEED TO BE TAKEN OFF THE ROAD. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS SLIGHT, MUD FLAP LOST AND MUD FLAP RETAINER RUINED. WILL CONTACT FIRESTONE SEPARATELY.