FOUR WINDS Complaints

The vehicle has 66,000 miles. While driving on interstate, a spark plug blew out. Since it was Sunday afternoon & only help I could find was an independent mechanic that repaired it. We headed down the interstate again and after about 100 miles, it blew out another spark plug. We came home with a loud noise. It is a manufacture’s defect. They used an aluminum head. I know a little bit about engines and had read about this happening & it finally happened. If someone that did not know what was wrong, they could be stuck or in a dangerous place with no available help. The V-10 engine runs good with plenty of power as long as it keeps all the spark plugs. This is a known problem that Ford will not do anything about. They have also had this same problem on some 4.6 liter engines.

I WAS IN AND OUT OF OUR CLASS A MOTORHOME LOADING IT FOR AN UPCOMING TRIP. I WENT TO GO OUT THE DOOR AND IT WAS LOCKED. I COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE ONLY DOOR IN THIS MODEL. MY HUSBAND TRIED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE WITH THE KEY BUT NOTHING WORKED. THE NEIGHBORS CAME OVER TO HELP BUT NO ONE COULD GET THE DOOR OPEN EITHER INSIDE OR OUT. I ENDED UP HAVING TO CRAWL OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW ONTO A LADDER. I AM 72 YEARS OLD! COME TO FIND OUT THE TRI MARK LOCKS THAT ARE ON THIS MODEL ARE A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR LOCKING PEOPLE IN OR OUT. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO DRILL THE LOCK OUT AND FOUND OUT THAT THE MECHANISM INSIDE HAD BROKEN WHICH KEPT IT IN THE LOCKED POSITION AND YOU COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR! THIS IS A TERRIBLE SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THESE CLASS A MOTORHOMES ONLY HAVE ONE DOOR!!

MY 2001 FOUR WINDS 5000 MOTOR HOME EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE MAIN DOOR LOCK MECHANISM MANUFACTURED BY TRIMARK CORPORATION ON FRIDAY 6/1/18. THE DOOR LOCK IS TRIMARK MODEL #060-0650. THE FAILURE MODE RESULTED IN THE DOOR TO BE LOCKED SHUT FROM BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE RV. THE INTERNAL COMPONENT THAT FAILED IS THE "PLUNGER" THAT IS MADE FROM DIE-CAST ZINC, NOT STEEL. THE PLUNGER FAILED IN A MANNER THAT MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO EXTRACT THE PLUNGER FROM THE DOOR STRIKER PLATE, WHICH IN TURN MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN DOOR FROM EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO GET THE DOOR TO OPEN WAS TO REMOVE THE FACE PLATE ON THE DOOR LOCK MECHANISM FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND LITERALLY CUT AWAY WITH A DREMEL TOOL AND DRILL MOTOR ENOUGH MATERIAL SURROUNDING THE BROKEN PLUNGER TO BE ABLE TO GRAB THE PLUNGER WITH A NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS AND EXTRACT IT FROM THE DOOR STRIKER PLATE (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS). IT TOOK OVER TWO HOURS TO COMPLETE THIS EFFORT TO OPEN THE DOOR. NOTE IN THE PHOTOS THE DESIGN OF THE BROKEN PLUNGER, WITH THE 1/2" THICK END MATED WITH THE .095" THIN END, ALL MADE OUT OF ZINC POT METAL. SUCH AN INFERIOR DESIGN SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN RELEASED INTO THE MARKETPLACE, KNOWING FULL WELL THE FAILURE MODE WAS FOR THE DOOR TO BE LOCKED FROM BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS PURE NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF TRIMARK CORPORATION FOR THE ZINC VERSION OF THE PLUNGER TO EVER BE DESIGNED AND RELEASED FOR PRODUCTION. THE COMPANY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FACT THERE ARE LITERALLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RV ON THE ROAD TODAY WITH TRIMARK MODEL #060-0650 DOOR LOCKS THAT COULD FAIL IN A MODE THAT TRAPS THE RV OCCUPANTS (AND POSSIBLY THEIR PETS) INSIDE THEIR VEHICLES, OR PREVENTS THEM FROM ENTERING THEIR VEHICLES FROM THE OUTSIDE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FOUR WINDS WINDSPORT RV. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE RV STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE RV WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO VALDOSTA RV (7427 SONNY ROGERS MEMORIAL DR, HAHIRA, GA 31632, (229) 561-9591) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY CONTROL CENTER RELAY BECAME DISCONNECTED. THE RV WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000. *TT *TR

THERE IS SOME KIND OF NOISE COMING OUT THE ENGINE WHEN I START THE CAR, ON THE TOP OF MY DASHBOARD THERE IS ANOTHER NOISE THAT I DON,T KNOW WHAT IS THAT EVERY TIME I START MY CAR ENGINE, ALSO THE SPEED OF THE CAR IS AN CONTROLLABLE, IS NOT SPEED UP ACCORDING TO THE WAY SUPPOSED TO. THAT HAPPENED IN ALL STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.

BECAUSE OF FAULTY INSTALLATION BY THOR/ONAN 5500 GENSET OVERHEAT AND STOP WORKING WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS 95 PLUS SPOKE TO THOR WHO TOLD US TO TALK TO CUMMMINS AND HAVE TAKEN IT TO THEM COUPLE TIMES WITH A MAKE SHIFT FIX THAT AS OF TODAY 7:12:3017 STILL DOESN'T WORK

CPSC:ONE OF MY TWO SEARS DIE-HARD MARINE/RV (M4) BATTERIES EXPLODED, LIFTING THE TOP OFF THE BATTERY AND SPEWED ACID AROUND THE BATTERY COMPONENT. *BF UPDATED 04/21/2017*JS

THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER WILL HANG UP ON THE CURVE OF THE WINDSHIELD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE WIPERS WILL NOT FUNCTION UNTIL YOU STOP THE MOTORHOME AND GET OUT AND MANUALLY FREE THEM. THIS HAPPENS REPEATEDLY. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOUR WINDS WINDSPORT. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE SIMILAR TO METAL GRINDING ON METAL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 09V204000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AND 03V069000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000. UPDATED 01/05/17*LJ CONSUMER STATED DEALER SOLD HIM A RV WITH SEVERELY WORN BRAKES. BRAKES WERE METAL TO METAL. UPDATED 7/12/18*JB *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FOUR WINDS 32B, MOUNTED ON A 2007 CHEVROLET 5000 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE METAL BRACKETS THAT HELD THE RV UNIT TO THE CHASSIS WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RV UNIT SHIFTED AND COMPROMISED THE INTEGRITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.