2002 BEAVER COACH PATRIOT THUNDER Complaints

THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE WAS CUT BY THE HYDRAULIC JACK FOR THE LEVELING SYSTEM. ALL THE FLUID RAN OUT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. NO BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, SO DRIVER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND DROVE FOR SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL IT WAS FOUND BY INSPECTION. APPARENTLY, THE FRONT BRAKES ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE REAR BRAKES, SO THE PEDAL REMAINED NORMAL WHEN APPLIED. *JB

I HAVE 2002 BEAVER CONTESSA MOTORHOME WITH A 330 CATAPILLAR ENGINE. RECENTLY I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH MY ALTERNATOR WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A BURNED WIRE IN THE WIRE HARNESS. THE WIRE CONNECTED FROM THE ALTERNATOR I TERMINAL TO THE STARTER RELAY. THE FIRE BURNED SEVERAL OTHER WIRES IN THE HARNESS AND SHORTED THE RADIO AND TWO GAUGES. THE WIRE COMPLETELY BURNED THROUGH BEFORE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS DONE. *JB

DRIVING FROM BULLHEAD CITY TO PALM DESERT ... LEFT HWY 10 AND WAS ON OLD ROUTE 66 WHEN FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES WERE 100 DEGREE PLUS AND THIS HAPPENED AROUND NOON. LUCKILY NO INJURY OR CRASH. TIRE BLEW OUT SIDE PANEL AND WADDED UP MUD FLAP. COULD HAVE BEEN BAD ACCIDENT. THIS BLOW OUT WAS ON A 2002 BEAVER PATRIOT THUNDER MOTORHOME W/455 CAT ENGINE .. TWO SLIDE OUT MODEL (GALLEY AND BEDROOM ON DRIVER SIDE). TIRE: TOYO HYPARADIAL 275/70R22.5 ...TIRES WERE DISPOSED OFF BECAUSE AT TIME COULDN'T FIND ANY RECALL INFO ON THEM...HAVE SINCE FOUND RECALLS BY COUNTRY COACH AND NATIONAL RV FOR INCIDENTS OF FRONT BLOW OUT WITH THIS TYPE TIRE DUE TO WEIGHT PROBLEM I BELIEVE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR JACK ON DRIVER SIDE DETACHED DURING AUTOMATIC LEVELING OF THE VEHICLE AND COLLIDED WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT. INSPECTORS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF THE SEPARATION OF THE MOUNTING BRACKET DUE TO SUPERFICIAL AND SPOTTY WELDING. THE MOUNTING BRACKET WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE ROUGH EDGES RESULTING IN POOR CONTACT WITH THE CHASSIS. THE REMAINING JACKS WERE OBSERVED TO BE IN THE SAME CONDITION DUE TO THE IDENTICAL WELDING OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. UPDATED 08/14/06*JB