2011 Forest River Berkshire Problems

IOTA TRANSFER SWITCH ITS-50R OVERHEATED AND NEARLY CAUGHT FIRE, SEEMS TO HAVE DAMAGED THE REFRIGERATOR(IT NO LONGER WORKS AND OVERHEATED) AT LEAST ONE OF MY ROOF AIR CONDITIONER UNITS, POSSIBLY BOTH. THIS UNIT HAS ALREADY BEEN RECALLED BY NAVISTAR WHO INSTALLED IT ON HOLIDAY RAMBLER UNITS AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER COACH, NHTSA #12V060000. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL FOREST RIVER HAS NOT RECALLED THE UNITS(USING YOUR WEB SITE) I EXPLAINED THIS TO MY DEALER AND HE SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT WHEN THEY GET AN OPENING, WHICH IS AUG. 6TH. THIS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE INIT CLEARLY GOT VERY WARM, BEFORE IT FAILED, WIRES BURNT, ETC. *TR

ON MAY 13, 2012, THE OUTSIDE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT OUR LOCATION WAS 82 DEG F. WE HAD BOTH AIR CONDITIONER UNITS SET ON 71 INSIDE THE COACH. WE WERE ALSO WASHING A LOAD OF LAUNDRY. THE COACH WAS CONNECTED TO SHORE POWER WITH THE MANUFACTURER-SUPPLIED CORD. THE WASHING MACHINE STOPPED MID-OPERATION AND A BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL WAS OBSERVED INSIDE THE COACH. UPON INSPECTION, NO BREAKERS OR FUSES WERE TRIPPED OR BURNED. AFTER CHECKING ALL ELECTRICAL OUTLETS IN THE COACH, WE DETERMINED THAT THE MICROWAVE AND REAR AIR CONDITIONER UNIT WERE BOTH NOT OPERATIONAL. THE WALL PLUGS THAT ARE ON THE SAME CIRCUIT AS THE WASHER/DRYER WERE ALSO NOT OPERATIONAL. WE DISCOVERED THAT THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH IN ONE OF THE CARGO BAYS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE COACH. AFTER REMOVING THE COVER TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE, BURN MARKS ARE EVIDENT ON THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION POINTS AND ONE CAN EASILY SEE THAT WIRES HAVE MELTED/FUSED TOGETHER. THERE IS ALSO A BURN/SCORCH MARK ON THE INSIDE OF THE COVER PLATE. THE PART IN QUESTION IS THE IOTA ITS-50R. (MANUAL AVAILABLE HERE: HTTP://WWW.IOTAENGINEERING.COM/PPLIB/50RMAN.PDF ) THIS IS THE EXACT SAME PART INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V577000 WITH THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED BY FOREST RIVER. THIS COULD HAVE VERY EASILY CAUSED A FIRE AND OR/EXPLOSION. *JS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FOREST RIVER BERKSHIRE DIESEL RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE WINDOWS HAD SCREENS BUT DID NOT HAVE LOCKS FOR THE SCREENS. A YOUNGER PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO PUSH ON THE SCREEN WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH AND ALMOST FELL FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,100.