1999 BEAVER COACH PATRIOT Complaints

MY BRAKES STARTED SMOKING WHILE MOVING. IFOUND OUT THEIR WAS A RECALL YEARS AGO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED MONACO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY NO LONGER HONOR THIS RECALL, MONACO STATED TO ME THAT WHEN THEY BOUGHT THE BANKRUPT COMPANY BEAVER MOTOR COACHES THAT THEY MADE A DEAL THAT IF THEY BOUGHT THE COMPANY THE RECALL DID NOT COME WITH THE COMPANY, THE RECALL WAS ON CATASTROPHIC CALIPER PROBLEMS.

WHILE HAVING A MODIFICATION DONE TO THE REFRIGERATOR ON A NORCOLD RECALL, I LOOKED INSIDE THE COMPARTMENT WHERE THE REFRIGERATOR RESIDES. ON THE CEILING, NEAR THE VENT OPENING, I NOTICED A CHARRED AREA IN THE CEILING MATERIAL, A WOOD PANELING. THE CHARRED AREA WAS ACTUALLY BURNED THROUGH THE WOOD PANELING AND INTO THE STYRENE INSULATION ABOVE. I DISCOVERED THE CHARRED AREA WAS ROUND, ABOUT 2" IN DIAMETER, AND DIRECTLY ABOVE WHERE THE FLUE PIPE FOR THE PROPANE COMBUSTION IN THE REFRIGERATOR ENDED. THE FLUE PIPE ENDS ABOUT 3" BELOW THE CEILING MATERIAL, AND THERE IS NOTHING THERE TO DIVERT THE HOT GASES OUT AND AWAY. WHILE THE REFRIGERATOR WAS OUT OF THE COMPARTMENT, I MADE A MAKESHIFT HEAT SHIELD THAT I ATTACHED TO THE CEILING, OVER THE CHARRED AREA. I AM ATTEMPTING TO PREVENT THE COMBUSTION GASES CREATED WHEN THE REFRIGERATOR IS RUNNING ON PROPANE, TO DO ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE WOOD CEILING MATERIAL. I AM NOT COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE WITH MY REPAIR, AND I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE IT WAS ENGINEERED THAT WAY ON PURPOSE. I HAVE CONTACTED NORCOLD, THE REFRIGERATOR MANUFACTURER, AND MONACO COACH CORPORATION VIA E-MAIL REGARDING THIS ISSUE. MONACO COACH RESPONDED BY BLOWING ME OFF, STATING THE VENT OVER THE REFRIGERATOR WAS PROBABLY MISALIGNED DURING INSTALLATION AT THE BEAVER FACTORY, AND THAT THE COACH IS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO TOO BAD. I AM TRULY SURPRISED THE COACH HAS NOT CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND I AM CERTAIN THE PROBLEM EXISTS WITH ALL COACHES OF MY MODEL AND FLOORPLAN THAT CAME OFF OF THE ASSEMBLY LINE. THE ALIGNMENT OF THE VENT OVER THE REFRIGERATOR IS BUILT INTO THE ROOF STRUCTURE, AND THE ALUMINUM FRAMEWORK BEFORE THE ROOF IS INSTALLED AND COVERED WITH WOOD, INSULATION, AND FIBERGLASS. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BOTH MONACO COACH CORPORATION, AND THETFORD, THE MAKER OF NORCOLD REFRIGERATORS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BEAVER PATRIOT. THE CONTACT HAD HIS VEHICLE SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V278000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS) AT 41,101 MILES. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MAY 19, 2008. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PREVIOUS REPAIR WAS PERFORMED INCORRECTLY BECAUSE THE OLD PARTS WERE STILL ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY PERFORMED THE REPAIR AND WOULD NOT COVER THE NEW REPAIR FOR FREE, REGARDLESS IF IT WAS ORIGINALLY PERFORMED CORRECTLY OR NOT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 56,205.

TL * THE CONTACT HAD TWO FRONT TOYO TIRES 275/70 R 22.5. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THEREWAS A BIG BULGE IN FRONT TIRE AND THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUFACTURER RECALLED ALL OF THE COUNTRY COACH TIRES, SPECIFICALLY THE TOYO TIRES, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES HAVE ALSO BEEN DISCONTINUED. *AK

PARKING BRAKE ON BEAVER PATRIOT THUNDER MOTOR HOME BECAME DETACHED CAUSING INABILITY TO KEEP VEHICLE FROM MOVING WHEN STOPPED FOR EMERGENCY OR PARKING. *JB

RECALL CAMPAIGN NOTICE 02V278000 CONCERNING BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE.*AK