2005 Blue Bird Wanderlodge M450 Lxi

As detailed in the opening resume for this investigation dated November 16, 2015, Blue Bird Corporation (BBC) conducted recall 07V-586 with two subsequent amendments to address overloaded front axles and tires on the subject vehicles.Following the remedy installations, NHTSA received nine petitions and seven consumer complaints (many from the same owners who had filed petitions) alleging the remedial actions taken by BBC were inadequate.At the time, NHTSA was aware of two consumer complaints and three crashes of vehicles that received the 07V-586 recall remedy.One of the complaints was similar to the petitions in that it focused on utility loss and not safety issues.The second complaint (received May 2014) described a crash that occurred in May 2013 that was also identified in media reports. The second and third crashes occurred in August 2013 and January 2015. All three crashes allegedly resulted from failure of one of the front tires.During this investigation, NHTSA requested information from BBC including details about the three referenced crashes and if they were aware of any additional failures.BBC responded that they were not aware of any other failures and had only received crash information on one of the incidents from sources other than NHTSA.In order to understand why the tires failed prior to or during each of the three crashes, NHTSA attempted to collect as much information about each incident as possible.This included insurance documents, photographs, police accident reports, vehicle weights, maintenance history, and the failed tires.In the case of two of the crashes, not enough information could be obtained to determine the exact cause of the tire failure and crash.In the case of the third crash, the tire was collected and analyzed.This analysis found that the tire failed as a result of impact damage and not overloading.In October 2015, BBC initiated a customer service campaign (S15YF) where owners would be notified that BBC would replace the front wheels and tires on the subject vehicles.This action was taken to address owner concerns that the ride comfort in the vehicle was bad and that tire pressure was difficult to maintain at the required 130psi.The new wheels and tires installed by BBC increased the load capacity of the tire, allowing owners to carry the maximum load of the coach at a lower tire pressure.At the time of the closing of this investigation, NHTSA does not have the necessary evidence to establish the existence of an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety in the subject vehicles.NHTSA is not aware of any front axle failures in the subject vehicles for any reason. The single tire failure crash where sufficient evidence had been preserved resulted from the vehicle striking an object damaging the tire.The action taken by BBC to increase the load capacity of the tires on the subject vehicles addresses the safety concerns prompting this investigation.This investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency may take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

On December 11, 2007, Blue Bird Corporation (BBC) submitted an uninfluenced recall 07V-586 to the agency.This recall described a defect on fifty eight 2005?2007 Model Year (MY) Wanderlodge Recreational Vehicles (RV) where the curb weight of the front axle could exceed the axle?s 16,000 pound rating. To address the issue, BBC replaced the tie rods on the vehicle to a more robust version increasing the rating of the front axle to 17,000 pounds.In addition, BBC relocated a generator rearward from the front of the vehicle and provided updated storage bay weight limit placards forinstallation in each of the vehicles three storage bays.On March 11, 2008, BBC submitted an amendment to the 07V-586 recall.In this amendment, BBC added three more remedial actions to the original recall.In addition to the original recall remedies, BBC would replace the front tires (with the same model tires) perform a front end alignment, and add new tire data placards instructing operators to maintain the vehicle tire pressure at 130 psi (the maximum tire pressure for that model tire).Following receipt of a consumer complaint (10226544) alleging that some of the vehicles subject to recall 07V-586 had front axle curb weights in excess of 17,000 pounds and that operators did not have a reasonable way to maintain tire pressures at 130 psi (as required by recall 07V-586), NHTSA opened Recall Query RQ08-004.The recall query was(Continued on page 2)

BLUE BIRD IS IMPLEMENTING VARIOUS WEIGHT REDUCTION, WEIGHT REDISTRIBUTION , AND CAPACITY UPGRADE INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THEFRONT AXLE / TIRE OVER-LOAD CONDITION OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.ODI IS PRIMARILY CONCERNED ABOUT BLUE BIRD'S INITIATIVE TO UPRATE THE FRONT TIRE BY REQUIRING OWNERS TO MAINTAIN 130 PSI INFLATION PRESSURE.IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S CONCERNS, BLUE BIRD WILL SUPPLEMENT THEIR ORIGINAL REMEDY PLAN OF PROVIDING NEW FRONT TIRES AND NEW TIRE CERTIFCATION LABELS SPECIFYING THE 130 PSI INFLATION REQUIREMENT WITH INTIATIVES TO: (1) INSTALL AN ON-BOARD TIRE INFLATION SYSTEM CAPABLE OF PROVIDING 130 PSI; (2) INSTALL A PLACARD ON THE DASH PANEL AS A ONGOING REMINDER TO OWNERS OF THE NEED TO MAINTAIN PROPER INFLATION PRESSURE; AND (3) INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBLITY OF PERIODICALLY REMINDING OWNERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING SPECIFIED TIRE PRESSURE.ODI REMAINS GENERALLY CONCERNED ABOUT FRONT TIRES INSTALLED IN MOTOR HOMES BECAUSE ODI'S EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT MOTOR HOME OWNERS ARE FREQUENLTY UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO MAINTAIN HIGH INFLATION PRESSURES IN THEIR TIRES.SEE ODI'S CLOSING REPORT FOR ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS / DETAILS REGARDING THIS.

PETITION FOR THE INCOMPLETE, UNSAFE REPAIRS AND MODIFICATION TO THE 2006 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE 450 LXI THAT ARE BEING DONE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE CONDITIONS FOR THE NHTSA RECALL. *NJ THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR HOME SUCH AS; A FIRE IN THE DASH, A BURNT INVERTER, UNSOLVED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, EXTENSIVE HADLEY SYSTEM PROBLEMS AND A SLIDE OUT PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED THE NEW RESTRICTIONS BLUE BIRD WANTS TO PLACE ON ITS OWNERS WITH REGARDS TO WEIGHT IN BAYS TRAVELING WITH 1/4 WATER AND PASSENGERS RESTRICTIONS IS UNREASONABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED HE DID NOT BUY A MOTORHOME WITH RESTRICTIONS.

NHTSA ID

10293828

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

THIS LETTER IS AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A FORMAL PETITION REGARDING THE INCOMPLETE, UNSAFE REPAIRS AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE 2005 TO 2007 BLUE BIRD WANDERLODGE 450 LXI THAT ARE BEING DONE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE CONDITIONS OF THE NHTSA RECALL. THE ORIGINAL RECALL, 07V586000, INDICATED THAT THE FRONT AXLE ON THE 450 LXI COULD BE OVERWEIGHT. BLUE BIRD STATED IN SUBSTANCE THAT ITS RV WAS OVERWEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE WITHOUT CARGO BUT WITH THE STANDARD 4 PASSENGERS AND FULL WATER (USING PRE-2008 DEFINITION OF CCC). THE TIRE SAFETY FACTOR WAS NOT AN ISSUE IN THE RECALL BUT SURFACED WITH THE LATER COMPLAINT. THE TIE ROD WEAKNESS WAS NOT A CAUSE OF THE RECALL BUT WAS A RESULT OF THE NEED TO INCREASE THE AXLE RATING. (I.E. IT WAS ONE OF THE REMEDIES). THE TIE RODS WERE SAFE AT AN AXLE LOAD OF 16,000 LBS AND NO TIE ROD RECALL WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE 16,000 LB. AXLE WAS SUFFICIENT AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED. THE RECALL WAS BASED ON THE AXLE BEING IN EXCESS OF ITS RATING AND THE MOTORHOME COULD NOT BE SAFELY USED WITH REASONABLE LOADING AND DESIGNED PURPOSE OF THE VEHICLE. IN DOING THE MANY LEVELS OF 'FIXES', BLUE BIRD HAS FOUND IT NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE 'NO CARGO', WEIGHT OF THE MOTORHOME IN ORDER SHOW AN APPARENT DECREASED FRONT AXLE LOAD AND TO SHOW SOME CAPACITY IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENTS. THE UNLOADED WEIGHT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO A NON-STANDARD, 2 PASSENGERS AND 1/4 TANK OF FRESH WATER. (RIVA) THE NEW BAY WEIGHT LIMIT PLACARDS ARE MISLEADING IN THAT THEY DO NOT REFLECT THE FACT THAT THEY REFER TO THE TOTAL WEIGHT IN THE ENTIRE BAY AREA, BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES AND IN THE VERTICAL AREA ABOVE THE BAY, IN THE COACH. OWNERS ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS AND MAINTAINING THESE LIMITS IS UNREASONABLE. THE LIMITS CAN BE EASILY OVERLOADED, EVEN BY PANTRY ITEMS ALONE. THE OVERLOADING OF THE FRONT TIRES IS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. ONE OF THE 'FIXES' WAS TO MODIFY THE HADLEY AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM SO THAT IN DRIVE MODE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10291585

Incident

Sep 2, 2009

Mileage

35,000 mi

New Blue Bird Support Center - Technical Bus Support: Dealer memo to announce the new on-line Blue Bird Support Center for technical bus support requests.

Blue Bird Troubleshooting Guides: Blue Bird announcement of the addition of troubleshooting guides for assisting in the service of the Blue Bird products. These troubleshooting guides are available on the Vantage website.

BLUE BIRD: ON CERTAIN MODEL BUSES, PROCEDURE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED WHERE BY MOISTURE MUST BE PURGE FROM ACCESSORY AIR SYSTEM. *PE

BLUE BIRD: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. INFORMATION PROVIDED REGARDING AFFECTED UNITS WITH A POTENTIAL FOR REDUCTION IN POWER TO OPERATE COACH ACCESSORIES IF COACH IS NOT CONNECTED TO SHORE POWER TO HAVE CIRCUIT BOARDS REPLACED. *PE