2002 Fleetwood Wilderness

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)

I HAVE A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR IN MY CAMPER, AND A FEW YEARS AGO I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF AMMONIA FILL THE CAMPER (I HAD TO EVACUATE FOR SEVERAL HOURS). WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE REFRIGERATOR WAS NO LONGER COOL, AND HAD STOPPED WORKING. THE NEXT YEAR I REC'D A RECALL FROM DOMETIC STATING THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MY UNIT: "A FATIGUE CRACK CAN DEVELOP IN THE BOILER TUBE OF THE IDENTIFIED REFRIGERATORS, WHICH CAN PERMIT THE RELEASE OF PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION. IF THIS SOLUTION IS EXPOSED TO AN IGNITION SOURCE UNDER CERTAIN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES, IT CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE." I THEN CALLED SOME REPAIR SHOPS LISTED ON DOMETIC'S WEBSITE TO SCHEDULE A REPAIR. I FINALLY FOUND ONE THAT WAS WILLING TO DO IT (I WOULD ONLY HAVE TO PAY FOR THE SERVICE CALL) BUT AFTER HE DISCOVERED THAT MY REFRIGERATOR HAD ALREADY QUIT, HE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO CALL DOMETIC. I CALLED DOMETIC, AND AFTER I HAD EXPLAINED TO THE GIRL THAT THE REFRIGERATOR HAD QUIT WORKING, SHE TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL WAS ONLY FOR A PREVENTIVE MEASURE IN SHIELDING IT FROM A FIRE. I THEN TOLD HER THAT BASICALLY IF MY UNIT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF. SHE THEN SUGGESTED THAT I "LOOK INTO THAT ROUTE". I TOLD HER I WAS NOT ABOUT TO COMMIT FRAUD BY SETTING MY CAMPER ON FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10265567

Incident

May 20, 2005

EXCESSIVE FLEXING AND TWISTING OF THE MAIN RAILS THAT SUPPORT THE FIFTH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER, CAUSED BREAKAGE OF THE SUPPORT SHACKLES, TIRE WEAR AND STRESS CRACKS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10239950

Incident

Aug 25, 2008

THE REAR SPRING STANDOFF BRACKETS (BOTH SIDES OF TRAILER) FAILED AT THE REAR OF THE BRACKETS WHERE THE WELD ATTACHED TO THE FRAME. THIS RESULTED IN A WEAKENED "I" BEAM THAT ULTIMATELY CRACKED THE FULL HEIGHT OF THE BEAM. THE RESULTING SAG OF THE REAR PART OF THE TRAILER IS DESTROYING THE INTEGRITY OF INTERIOR COMPONENTS: FLOOR, CEILING, CABINETS, TIP-OUT AND ENTRY DOOR/FRAME. ENGINEERING SHOULD NEVER HAVE ALLOWED WELDING ACROSS EITHER FLANGE (TOP OR BOTTOM) OR THE WEB OF THE MAIN STRUCTURAL BEAM WITHOUT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT; EG. GUSSETS, ADDITIONAL MATERIAL TO STRENGTHEN THE LIGHT-WEIGHT "I" BEAMS. WHEN THESE BRACKETS FAILED IS UNKNOWN. I DISCOVERED THE DAMAGE ONLY AFTER INTERIOR SIGNS OF REAR END SAG BECAME OBVIOUS. I HAD THE FRAME STRENGTHENED BUT THE INTERIOR DAMAGE REMAINS AND I AM RELUCTANT TO TOW THE TRAILER ANY DISTANCE. I HAVE PHOTOS THAT SHOW THE DAMAGE AND THE REPAIRS MADE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10226106

Incident

Jul 6, 2002

Mileage

1,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TRAILER WAS TOWING CROOKED. ONCE AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THE GAP BETWEEN THE AXLES WERE DIFFERENT. THEN, UPON INSPECTION OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRAME, THE SHACKLE WAS HANGING FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE IRON WELDS WERE WELDED. THE SHOP ALSO FOUND AT LEAST SIX MORE CRACKS IN THE FRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 11/30/06.*JB

NHTSA ID

10172364

Incident

Nov 1, 2006

LEFT REAR SPRING SHACKLE CAME OFF AT WELD. MULTIPLE CRACKS IN BOTH FRAME RAILS. WELDS FOR SLIDEOUT AND REAR CROSSMEMBER BROKEN. FRAME RAILS BENT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10160588

Incident

May 4, 2005

Mileage

10,000 mi

FLEETWOOD WILDERNESS 5TH WHEEL MAIN FRAME WAS FAILING.*MR WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS CHECKING THE RV'S TIRE PRESSURE HE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS FAILING ON THE LEFT REAR SPRING BRACKET. THE BRACKET ITSELF WAS IN TACT BUT THE FRAME FLANGE ITSELF HAD BROKEN FROM THE VERTICAL PORTION OF THE FRAME (THE WELD DID NOT FAIL). THE REPAIR SHOP ALSO INDICATED THAT THERE WERE ADDITIONAL CRACKS IN THE FRAME. *NM

NHTSA ID

10137718

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

AFTER WAITING FOR OVER FOUR MONTHS, THE PART TO REPAIR THE MICROWAVE UNDER RECALL STILL WASN'T AVAILABLE. *PH SAMSUNG MICROWAVE MODEL NUMBER: MR5491G. *MR

NHTSA ID

10065075