FOUR WINDS Complaints

2006 CHEVY 6.6 DURAMAX DIESEL ENGINE IN A FOURWINDS FUNMOVER RV. THE PLASTIC FAN BLADE DISINTEGRATED AND TORE OUT THE INSIDE ENGINE FAN SHROUD WE WERE LUCKY THAT IT DIDN'T TAKE OUT THE RADIATOR ALSO. $800 DAMAGE, MECHANIC SAID THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON WITH PLASTIC FAN BLADES UPDATED 09/16/10 *BF UPDATED 09/20/10*JB *TR

REAR AIR BRAKE HOSES ARE RUBBING TOGETHER AT THE AIR CYLINDERS. THE HOSES HAVE BEEN WORN DOWN TO THE INSIDE CORDES. *TR

RV WINDSHIELD POPS OUT ON PASSENGER SIDE UPPER CORNER= HAS BEEN RESET TWICE IN LAST YEAR. PREVIOUS OWNERS ALSO HAD SAME PROBLEMS.THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN=MANUFACTURE FOUR WINDS WILL NOT FIX PROBLEM ON 2004 MANDALAY BEING IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND LAST COMPLAINT ON WINDSHIELD WAS 2007. RV WAS A REPO. I PURCHASED RV IN 2009. WINDSHIELD HAS POPPED OUT TWICE . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FOUR WINDS CHATEAU SPORT RV. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE MICROWAVE INVOLUNTARILY ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT INQUIRED WITH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ABOUT THE FAILURE AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE MICROWAVE WAS UNDER RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HER MICROWAVE SERIAL NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V449000 (EQUIPMENT: RECREATIONAL VEHICLE). THE VEHICLE MICROWAVE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 35,000.

OUR MOTORHOME HAD 3 SEPARATE TIRE FAILURES ON A TRIP FROM HOUSTON, TX TO OSHKOSH, WI. ( 2 IN TX AND 1 IN IL - BOTH FRONT AND ONE DUALLY) A GOODYEAR DEALER INSPECTED THE TIRES AFTER EACH OCCURRENCE AND SAID THE REMAINING WERE IN GOOD CONDITION AND INFLATED PROPERLY. THE TIRES WERE MODEL G 670 RV. GOODYEAR FINALLY MADE A CONCESSION AND REPLACED THE TIRES AT A DRASTICALLY REDUCED RATE, BUT WERE MORE WORRIED ABOUT LAWSUITS THAN SAFETY. *TR

WE BOUGHT A 2009 FOUR WINDS TRAVEL TRAILER IN MAY OF 2009, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 3000 MILES ON THE TRAILER AND EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRAILER. AS I WAS GETTING THE TRAILER READY FOR THIS YEAR, WE NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE WEATHER CHECKED, OR THE SIDEWALLS ON ALL FOUR TIRES WERE CRACKED BADLY. I CALLED THE DEALER WE BOUGHT THE TRAILER FROM AND HE TOLD ME THAT I WASN'T ALONE, IN FACT HE HAD A BRAND NEW 2009 FOUR WINDS TRAILER THAT HADN'T LEFT THE LOT, AND ALL FOUR OF IT'S TIRES WERE SIDE WALL CRACKED BADLY. I ORDERED FOUR NEW TIRED FROM A TIRE DEALER NEAR OUR HOME, AND THE ATTENDANT TOLD ME HTE HAS ALREADY REPLACED SEVERAL TRAILERS TIRES THAT WERE WEATHER CHECKED ALSO ON BRAND NEW, OR 2009 MODELS. THE TIRE I HAVE ARE: DURO H78-15ST............ST225/75D15. THE COST OF REPLACING THE TIRES WILL BE $485.00. IN A BIGGER AREA I COULD UNDERSTAND A FEW TRAILERS HAVING ISSUES, BUT I LIVE IN A TOWN THAT HAS LESS THEN 1000 PEOPLE LIVING IN IT...EVEN THE GREATER AREA...MARINETTE, PESHTIGO, CRIVITZ, AND INCLUDE MENOMINEE, MI, AND I'M SURE YOU CAN SEE MY CONCERN. I AM VERY SAFETY MINDED, AND WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DISTRAUGHT IF MY TRAILER WOULD HAVE CRASHED AND KILLED SOMEBODY...ESPECIALLY MY GRANDCHILDREN. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE NKS TIRE PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE PRETTY SURE THE SAME TIRE COMPANY, DURO, HAD A MAJOR RECALL ON THEIR TIRES MAYBE TWO YEARS BACK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND EFFORT CONCERNING THIS MATTER. IF I CAN BE OF ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ON ME. *TR

WE BOUGHT A 2008 FOUR WINDS HURRICANE 30Q WITH A FORD CHASSIS ON 10/31/07 APRIL 10, 2008 WE HIT A RUT AND THE RV BEGAN VIBRATING. TIM THOUGHT WE HAD BLOWN A TIRE. STOPPED, GOT OUT, NO BLOWN TIRE. BACK IN, STARTED DRIVING, WAS OK. THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME AND WE FIGURED WE'D HAVE IT REPAIRED ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER WARRANTY WORK WE HAD DONE. ON THE WAY TO CAMPING WORLD IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THAT WAS 3 TIMES TOO MANY. CAMP. WORLD. TOLD US IT WAS A WEIGHT PROBLEM. WE MOVED THINGS AROUND AND IT STILL HAPPENED. DOESN'T HAPPEN ON EVERY BUMP, BUT IT HAPPENS OFTEN ENOUGH TO CAUSE ANXIETY. WE'VE TRAVELED ALL OVER THE SOUTH HAD THIS HAPPEN TOO OFTEN. THE A/C HAS GONE OUT 3 TIMES, WE'VE HAD LEAKS IN THE REAR AXLE TWICE, WE THINK THEY ARE CAUSED BY THE VIBRATION. IF THESE ARE THINGS WE SEE, WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? IN BOYNTON BEACH THE FORD DEALER SAID THE VIBRATION SOUNDED LIKE A TIE ROD. THAT'S ALL WE HAD TO HEAR. FORD TOWED THE RV TO FORT LAUDERDALE FROM BOYNTON BEACH TO ATLANTIC FORD. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM. GREAT. WHEN WE PICKED IT UP, WE FOUND THEY HADN'T. WE TOOK IT AND HEADED TO NEW YORK STATE. ON ROUTE 40 IN TENNESSEE, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. T. PULLED OFF THE ROAD, STOPPED, STARTED. I WAS FURIOUS. EVERY TIME WE WENT OVER A SEAM IN THE ROAD, IT WOULD SHAKE AND WE'D HAVE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. TRY DOING THAT IN CONSTRUCTION. SINCE MAY, IT HAS BEEN AT CAMPING WORLD, SYRACUSE, DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM, SCARED THE HECK OUT OF THEM, COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. FORD SAID "TRY AIR BAGS TO HOLD THE FRONT DOWN. FORD TOLD US TO TAKE IT TO FORD IN AVON, THEY SAID IT WAS THE BALANCING OF THE TIRES, THEY DID THAT, PICKED IT UP, 20 MIN OUTSIDE AVON, IT BEGAN SHAKING AGAIN. IN THE MEANTIME, I SENT LETTERS TO 2 ATTORNEY GENERALS, FORD AND FOURWINDS AND THE NHTSA. FOUR WINDS CALLED AND HERE WE ARE IN ELKHART, INDIANA TO LET THEM TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING. PLEASE HELP US. THIS IS OUR WINTER HOME. *TR

IN APRIL 2008, OUR 2003 FOUR WINDS-CHATEAU MOTOR HOME HAD A BRAKE PROBLEM. THE CALIPER ON THE FRONT-LEFT SIDE (PASSENGER SIDE) GOT STUCK. WE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A "ONE TIME INCIDENT" BECAUSE THE RV WAS ONLY 18,000 MILES. MAYBE A SMALL PARTICLE OF SOMETHING (DUST, ETC.) INTERFERED WITH THE PISTON. WE PUT THE TRANSMISSION ON "REVERSE", BACKED UP A FEW FEET AND GOT THE BRAKE ON THAT WHEEL BACK TO NORMAL. HOWEVER, IN DECEMBER 2008, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN: THE SAME CALIPER GOT STUCK IN THE APPLIED POSITION, HEATED, SMOKED AND THE BRAKE FLUID BOILED. WE HAD OUR BRAKES INSPECTED AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED ON THAT SPECIFIC WHEEL RIGHT AWAY. BESIDES, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE OTHER WHEELS WILL NEED THE SAME REPAIRS PRETTY SOON!!!! OUR RV WAS ONLY 19,285 MILES!?!...WE MADE THE DECISION TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPAIRED ON ALL WHEELS AND WE ENDED UP WITH AN INVOICE OF $2,206.48!!!! WE BELIEVE THAT OUR RV WAS EQUIPPED WITH AXLES THAT INCLUDE BOSCH ZOPS OR ZOHT PIN SLIDE HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES AND THAT THEY WERE DEFECTIVE. WE JUST TRADED-IN OUR MOTOR HOME FOR A 5TH WHEEL AND WE LEARNED FEW DAYS AGO ONLY ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION. IF THERE IS A RECALL, WE WILL NOT GET IT BY MAIL NOT BEING THE OWNERS ANY MORE. HOWEVER, COULD WE GET SOME REIMBURSEMENT AND HOW COULD WE ASK FOR IT? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FOUR WINDS CHATEAU CITATION MOTOR HOME PURCHASED IN MARCH 2008. DURING A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECK, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE SINCE THE TIRES DID NOT HAVE VALVE STEM EXTENSIONS. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WOULD ADD VALVE STEM EXTENSIONS FOR $300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE TIRES COULD FAIL AND POSSIBLY CAUSE A CRASH. THERE ARE NO FAILURES AT THIS TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8200.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FOUR WINDS HURRICANE MOTOR HOME. THE MOTOR HOME SHAKES VIOLENTLY AT ANY SPEED WHEN IT HITS A BUMP ON THE ROAD. THE DEALER BALANCED THE TIRES AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END; HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. HE CONTACTED FORD. FORD TOLD HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE WEIGHT STATION TO MAKE SURE THE WEIGHT WAS BALANCE CORRECTLY. HE CONTACTED FOUR WINDS AND THEY TOLD HIM IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,411 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE MOTOR HOME WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPDATED 12/09/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHITLE DRIVING ON A ROUGH ROAD, THE RV WILL SOMTIEMS SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT, IS TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP.