This “Defect” refers to the leveling system of a Class A motorhome; specifically a Southwind 35K manufactured by Fleetwood on a Ford F53 chassis. This is a gas powered, front engine motorhome. Overview: The leveling system provides a means of stabilizing the motorhome when parked by extending jacks to the ground and relies on a system of high-pressure hoses and jacks to perform this function. Two sets of hoses are used, one set extends or lowers the jacks and the other retracts or raises them. The jacks NEED to be in the retracted state in order for the motorhome to be driven safely. General: The hydraulic hose used to retract the leveling feet was incorrectly installed by the manufacturer and routed thru a hole in the front curb-side frame rail without any protection i.e. grommet. The hole was also not relieved in any way to prevent chaffing. Issue: During normal driving and use of the leveling system, the hose began to wear and eventually developed a leak spraying hydraulic fluid on the frame members and eventually producing a tell-tale puddle approximately 20” in diameter on the ground. Concern 1: As the leak intensifies, there is a distinct probability when deploying the jacks that hydraulic fluid could spray onto the hot engine and possibility igniting. Concern 2: As the leak intensifies and the pressure in the line drops below a certain threshold, the jacks could potentially “drop down” while the motorhome is in motion.
- NHTSA ID
- 11443973
- Incident
- Nov 22, 2021