2003 Fleetwood Prowler

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF A CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENT.THE CONSTITUENT REPORTED INCIDENTS WHERE THE SLIDE OUT ROOM OF HIS MOTOR HOME WOULD INADVERTENTLY MOVE (EXTEND) DURING HIGHWAY USE.ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT A FULLY EXTENDED SLIDE OUT WOULD DEGRADE THE VEHICLE'S DYNAMIC HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND/OR POSSIBLY IMPACT AN OBJECT OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH.ODI CONTACTED FLEETWOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT SLIDE OUT ROOMS WERE INSTALLED IN MOTOR HOMES, TRAVEL TRAILERS AND FOLDING TRAILERS. AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION ODI VISITED A RV SHOW AND THE FLEETWOOD PAXINOS PLANT TO EXAMINE SLIDE OUTS IN VARIOUS NEW MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES AND GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK.DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI LEARNED THAT THERE ARE TWO METHODS USED TO EXTEND SLIDE OUT ROOMS.SOME MANUFACTURERS USE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS AND OTHERS, SUCH AS FLEETWOOD, USE AN ELECTRIC MOTOR. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES DETERMINED THAT THE WHEEL MOUNTING NUTS HAD BEEN INADEQUATELY TORQUED IN FIFTH WHEEL AND TRAVEL TRAILERS BUILT WITH ALUMINUM WHEELS SINCE JUNE 2002.FLEETWOOD ALERTEDOWNERS VIA A CUSTOMER ADVISORY NOTICE IN APRIL AND MAY OF 2003.ON OCTOBER 29, 2003, FLEETWOOD MADE A DEFECT DETERMINATION AND RENOTIFIED OWNERS. IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INVESTIGATION, FLEETWOOD PROVIDED CERTAIN PRELIMINARY INFORMATION TO ODI, BUT THIS INFORMATION DOES NOT ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN THE REASON(S) FOR WHEEL SEPARATIONS, AND ODI CONTINUES TO BE CONCERNED THAT THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS MAY NOT COMPLETELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE. FLEETWOOD'S CAMPAIGN DIRECTIVE REQUESTED THAT OWNERS RE-TORQUE THE WHEEL MOUNTING NUTS.ALTHOUGH RE-TORQUING IS CONSISTENT WITH GOOD MAINTENANCE PRACTICE, ODI IS CONCERNED THAT THE NEED TO FREQUENTLY RE-TORQUE THE WHEEL MOUNTING NUTS MAY BE INDICATIVE OF UNDERLYING DESIGN, ASSEMBLY, OR APPLICATION ISSUES THAT COULD AFFECT THE RETENTION INTEGRITY OF THE WHEEL MOUNTING SYSTEM.ALTHOUGH FLEETWOOD HAS ADVISED ODI THAT NO ADDITIONAL WHEEL SEPARATIONS HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THEIR OCTOBER 29, 2003 DEFECT REPORT AND ASSOCIATED OWNER NOTIFICATION, ODI WILL OPEN AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE ISSUES THAT MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO WHEEL SEPARATIONS IN FLEETWOOD VEHICLES.

WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 85 NORTH OF MONTGOMERY, AL, THE CARLISLE TRAIL RADIAL TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING $7000+ IN DAMAGE TO MY RV. CARLISLE SENT ME 5 REPLACEMENT TIRES BUT DENIED MY CLAIM FOR DAMAGES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10438920

Incident

Oct 12, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FLEETWOOD PROWLER. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL NUMBER RM2852, SERIAL NUMBER 22200048. HE NOTICED YELLOW RESIDUE LEAKING FROM THE REFRIGERATOR, AND THEN SMELLED AMMONIA. THE REFRIGERATOR FAILED TO REGULATE COLD TEMPERATURES. HE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE# 08E032000 (EQUIPMENT). DOMETIC REFUSED TO REPLACE THE REFRIGERATOR. THE REPAIRS REFERENCED IN THE CALL ONLY CONTAINS THE FAILURE, BUT DOES NOT SERVE AS A PREVENTIVE REMEDY. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE NOT APPLICABLE. UPDATED 11/03/09 UPDATED 11/04/09

NHTSA ID

10288565

Incident

Sep 26, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PROWLER RV. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2652. WHILE ON VACATION, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY A FIREFIGHTER THAT HIS RV CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO THE DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR. A REPORT WAS FILED. ONE WEEK AFTER THE FAILURE, HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08E032000 (EQUIPMENT). THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE CONTACT STILL HAS POSSESSION OF THE RV, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 5/14/09 *CN UPDATED 05/14/09.*JB

NHTSA ID

10260931

Incident

Nov 25, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FLEETWOOD PROWLER. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2652. THE CONTACT SMELLED AMMONIA IN THE VEHICLE. THE REFRIGERATOR AND BOILER FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY ON JUNE 22, 2008. DOMETIC STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE RECALL REPAIR SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND WAS ADVISED BY ANOTHER DOMETIC OWNER THAT THE RECALL EXISTS. THE RECALL NUMBER AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 9/24/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BOILER TUBE HAD BURNED. UPDATED 09/26/08. *JB

NHTSA ID

10236824

Incident

Jun 22, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FLEETWOOD PROWLER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SELL THE TRAILER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLOOR WAS ROTTED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $2,000. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10219893

Incident

Jun 10, 2007

FLEETWOOD PROLWER TRAILER (YEAR 2003) POWER CONVERTER PROBLEM. I SENT LETTERS TO THE HOME OFFICE AND THE MARYLAND OFFICE. I CAN EMAIL OR FAX YOU A COPY THAT DESCRIBES THE PROBLEMS. THE POWER CONVERTER HAS BROKEN THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS OF USAGE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10050654

Incident

May 15, 2003

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH ONE OF THE REAR WHEELS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME. *AK

NHTSA ID

10075739

Incident

Jun 4, 2004

2003 FLEETWOOD PROWLER LITE 25Y TRAVEL TRAILER. THE LEFT REAR SPRING BRACKET BROKE AWAY FROM FRAME. WHEN I DISCOVERED IT IT WAS STILL HOLDING AT ONE EDGE. IF I HAD NOT SPOTTED IT, IT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BROKEN OFF LEAVING THE REAR TRAILER AXLE LOOSE ON THE LEFT SIDE. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED SEVERE CONTROL PROBLEMS AND PROBABLY A CRASH. THIS TRAILER IS LESS THAN 2 YRS. OLD BUT THE FRAME ALREADY SHOWS HEAVY RUST. THE BREAK OCCURED AT A WELD JOINT AND IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY WELDED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10072701

Incident

May 13, 2004

Mileage

13,000 mi