FOUR WINDS Complaints

CLASS A MOTORHOME HAS A 110V AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH (ATS) THAT PROVIDES EITHER SHORE POWER OR ON-BOARD GENERATOR POWER TO THE COACH POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER. THOR INDUSTRIES USED AN IOTA ITS-50R ATS ON THIS AND SEVERAL OTHER MATRON BRANDS WITHIN THEIR BUSINESS. THIS ATS BY IOTA HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN SEVERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES INCLUDING SMOKE AND SMALL CONTAINED FIRES AND WAS THE SUBJECT OF NHTSA RECALL 12V060000. THE REFERENCED RECALL PERTAINED TO NAVISTAR INC. DBA MONACO RV LLC WHEREIN NAVISTAR REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE ATS WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND SWITCH ON TWELVE DIFFERENT MATRON BRAND NAMES AFFECTING APPROXIMATELY 250 UNITS. THIS IOTA ITS-50R ATS FAILED IN THE SUBJECT MATRON ON 12/25/2013 RESULTING IN SMOKE DAMAGE AND SECONDARY DAMAGE TO WIRING AND OTHER COMPONENTS WHILE THE COACH WAS PLUGGED INTO A PROVEN SHORE POWER SOURCE. THE DANGER/HAZARD IS THAT THE ONBOARD GENERATOR IS USED DURING DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER TO POWER THE COACH AIR CONDITIONERS AND THE ATS COULD (AND APPARENTLY HAS) FAILED CAUSING A FIRE AND ACCIDENT. THERE IS ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT OTHER MANUFACTURERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS ATS BUT TO WHAT EXTENT IS UNKNOWN. THOR INDUSTRIES/THOR MOTORCOACH/FOUR WINDS EITHER DID OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS TECHNICAL ISSUE FROM THEIR INDUSTRY SOURCES. LUCKILY WE WERE PARKED AT THE TIME AND IN CHURCH BUT OUR BELOVED DOGS SUFFERED FROM SOME TEMPORARY SMOKE INHALATION PROBLEMS. IN MY JUDGEMENT THESE ATS UNITS SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND BANNED UNTIL A PROVEN REDESIGN IS AVAILABLE.

AT ABOUT 16,000 MILES THE BRAKE PEDAL BEGAN STICKING DOWN AND HAD TO BE PULLED BACK WITH MY FOOT RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL. AFTER HAVING TWO LEAKING PRESSURE SWITCHES REPLACED, THREE MASTER CYLINDERS INSTALLED AND THE BRAKES COMPLETELY REBUILT TWICE. THE PROBLEM NOW AT 134,000 MILES WAS FOUND TO BE THE ABS MODULE AND VALVE KEEPING EXCESSIVE PRESSURE IN THE SYSTEM AND NOT ALLOWING THE PEDAL TO RETURN PROPERLY THUS CAUSING EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDUP REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ROTORS, CALIPERS AND PADS ON ALL FOUR WHEELS TWICE. *TR

2010 FOUR WINDS HURRICANE. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR BATTERY CONTROL CENTER REPAIRS AND WRITES IN REGARDS TO REPLACEMENT OF LEAKING BLACK WATER TANK. *SMD THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A CALL FROM A REPRESENTATIVE STATING THE CLAIM WAS DENIED, BECAUSE THE INCIDENT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. HIS REASONING FOR DENYING THE CLAIM, WAS BECAUSE THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT POWER TO THE STARTER WAS LOST BECAUSE OF THE BCC FAILURE AND SINCE THE STARTER POWER DID NOT GO THROUGH THE BCC, THE INCIDENT COULD NOT BE RELATED. ALSO, THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE WATER TANK HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED AND REPAIRED. HE STATED A HOLE IN THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF TANK, COULD NOT BE PERMANENTLY REPAIRED, BECAUSE THE REPAIR WOULD BEGIN TO LEAK WITHIN A FEW YEARS. THE CONSUMER STATED HE PURCHASED THE MOTORHOME BRAND NEW AND HE NEVER HAD THE TANK REPAIRED, SINCE HE OWNED IT.

INSTALLED 6 TIRES (WILDCAT LT225/75R16) ON 31' 2006 FOUR WINDS FUN MOVER MOTORHOME ON 4/12/2010 @ 17951 MILES. I BELIEVE THEY ARE MANUFACTURED BY COOPER.1ST FAILURE WAS 9/8/2010 AFTER 1449 MILES. THE TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION AND WAS COMPLETELY SHREDDED BY THE TIME IT WAS SERVICED. THE TIRE DEALER REPLACED THE TIRE AT NO COST. THE 2ND FAILURE WAS 7/28/12 AFTER 1981 MILES. THE TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. THE TIRE STILL HAD AIR AND THE CORDS WERE SHOWING. HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE TIRE DEALER YET BUT WILL REQUEST ALL 6 TIRES BE REPLACED. THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WIRING, FENDER TRIM AND MUD FLAPS. *TR

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

WHILE DRIVING IN FLORIDA AFTER PURCHASING THE RV, I RAN INTO A LIGHT RAINSTORM. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE IN INTERMITTENT MODE AND STOPPED WORKING AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF OPERATION. I COULDN'T GET THE WIPERS TO WORK UNLESS I PUT THEM IN "FAST" MODE. AFTER THE RAIN STOPPED WE DROVE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND RAN INTO ANOTHER RAIN SHOWER. THE WIPERS STARTED WORKING AGAIN IN INTERMITTENT MODE WHEN WE RAN INTO ANOTHER RAIN SHOWER. WITHIN TWO OR THREE MINUTES, THEY STOPPED WORKING EXCEPT IN "FAST" MODE. A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT A CAMPING WORLD SERVICE CENTER SAID HE HEARD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND BELIEVED WATER WAS LEAKING IN AROUND THE WIPER MOUNTING POINT ON THE COACH AND CAUSING A SHORT IN THE MOTOR MECHANISM. *TR

MICROWAVE, SAMSUNG MR5493G, BEGAN OPERATION BY ITSELF AND STARTED A FIRE. THE MICROWAVE IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THE COACH FILLED WITH SMOKE. I HAVE CONTACTED SAMSUNG ABOUT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 03E044000. IT TOOK SEVERAL CALLS TO GET THEM TO AGREE TO REPLACE THE UNIT. THEY OFFERED $200. TRANS 4119069438. THE COACH WAS SMOKE DAMAGED. I AM GETTING AN ESTIMATE TO REMOVE THE SMOKE DAMAGE. SAMSUNG AGREED TO PAY FOR THE SMOKE DAMAGE, TRANS 5105693753. I WAS CALLED, A VOICE MAIL LEFT AND SENT AN -EMAIL WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO OBTAIN THE $200. I WAS THEN CALLED THE NEXT DAY AS IF THEY NEEDED TO GET A HOLD OF ME URGENTLY. ANOTHER VOICE MAIL WAS LEFT. I WAS TOLD I HAD 3 DAYS TO SEND IN THE PAPERWORK SENT IN THE E-MAIL OR LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE MICROWAVE RECALLED. THE E-MAIL SAID I HAD 2 WEEKS. I NEED TO WAIT FOR THE SMOKE DAMAGE ESTIMATE, WHICH SHOULD BE AT THE 3 DAY MARK. I FEEL SAMSUNG IS TRYING TO AVOID PAYING FOR ANY DAMAGES OR RECALL THIS MICROWAVE. I FELT I NEEDED TO REPORT THE INCIDENT AND SAMSUNG'S POOR HANDLING OF THIS RECALL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT SAMSUNG'S RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS RECALL IS. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 3 YEARS AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL. *TR

COMPLETE LOSS OF CHASSIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. MINIMAL STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY, NO LIGHTS OR TURN SIGNALS OR CAB LIGHTING. LOSS OF ENGINE POWER PLACING CLASS A MOTORHOME IN EXTREME DANGER. FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSED BY SOLENOID FAULT IN BATTERY CONTROL CENTER CHASSIS BATTERY DISCONNECT. BATTERY CONTROL CENTER IS A RV CUSTOMS PRODUCT FW 2050 0122779 PART NUMBER. *TR

I WAS PUMPING GAS INTO THE RV AND SMELLED A HEAVY FUEL SMELL. AFTER PAYING FOR THE FUEL AS I WAS WALKING BACK TO THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED A PUDDLE UNDER THE RV. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THE FUEL LINE IS CRACKED ALL OVER AND FUEL IS LEAKING OUT OF IT AS I PUMP GAS. *TR

THE CUSTOMER REPORTED AN INCIDENT WITH THEIR MOTOR-HOME. IT APPEARS THAT THE IOTA ITS50-R SWITCH FAILED WHILE IN USE. THE MOTOR-HOME WAS STATIONARY AND HOOKED INTO 50A SHORE POWER. THE CUSTOMER REPORTED THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THEY HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND SMELLED SOMETHING LIKE BURNING RUBBER. THE CUSTOMER CHECKED THE VOLTAGE AT THEIR OUTLETS AND FOUND THEY WERE RECEIVING 220/240V AT THE PLUGS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CUSTOMER FOUND THAT THE CONTROL BOARD ON THE IOTA ITS50-R HAD OBVIOUS SIGNS OF COMPONENT FAILURE. THE CUSTOMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER (NOW THOR) AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEIR MODEL DID NOT FALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN# 12V516000 DUE TO THE PRODUCTION DATE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS OFFERED TO SUPPLY THE CUSTOMER WITH A REPLACEMENT UNIT AT NO COST; BUT IS NOT COVERING THE COST OF INSTALLATION. THE CUSTOMER REPORTED THAT THE OVER-VOLTAGE CONDITIONS MAY HAVE ALSO CAUSED PERIPHERAL DAMAGE TO OTHER APPLIANCES. THE CUSTOMER ALSO EXPRESSED GREAT CONCERN WITH THE LOCATION OF THE IOTA ITS50-R IN THEIR MOTOR-HOME AS IT IS INSET BELOW THE BED IN THE MAIN BEDROOM. THERE WAS NO FIRE IN THIS CASE. *TR