FOUR WINDS Complaints

LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO MOTOR HOME. THEREFORE ENGINE STALLED AND HAD NO POWER BRAKES OR STEERING. WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR BUT, HAD A DIFFICULT TIME STOPPING THE MOTOR HOME WITH BOTH THE FOOT BRAKE AND PARKING BRAKE BEING APPLIED. *JB

I OWN A 2004 FOURWINDS CAMPER WITH CARLISLE 235 8516 LOAD RANGE D 3200# (DOT3EOS, T004) TIRES. I EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT ON THE PASSENGER FRONT WHILE TOWING ON THE INTERSTATE. TIRES ONLY TWO YEARS OLD WITH APPROXIMATELY 4000 MILES ON THEM WITH NO SIGNS OF ABNORMAL WEAR WHEN ROTATED AND BALANCED. CARLISLE REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE TIRE AND $400 DAMAGE TO TRAILER. *JB

GENERAL TIRE AMERI*550 AS LT225/75R16 M+S TREAD SEPARATION ON FREEWAY. RIGHT OUTSIDE REAR TIRE OF DUAL TIRE CONFIGURATION ON 2002 FOUR WINDS MOTORHOME. AIR PRESSURE WAS 65 COLD - NITROGEN FILLED. FELT VIBRATION AT FIRST, THEN THE TREAD RIPPED OFF WHILE TIRE STILL MAINTAINING AIR. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, INSPECTED, AND LIMPED OFF THE FREEWAY. I CHANGED IT WITH A SPARE. THERE IS SOME DAMAGE UNDER THE MOTORHOME DUE TO FLYING PIECES OF RUBBER. THERE ARE 15K MILES ON THE TIRE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. DON'T KNOW THE EXACT WEIGHT BUT NOWHERE CLOSE TO BEING OVERLOADED. OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 90, APPROXIMATE TIME FROM COLD START TO SEPARATION WAS 45 MINUTES. TIME ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WAS 15 MINUTES. *JB

2006 FOUR WIND CHATEAU RV. CARBON MONOXIDE GAS GOT INTO MY RV THROUGH THE EXTENDED SLIDEOUT WHILE CAMPING. AN ELECTRICAL GENERATOR IS LOCATED JUST BELOW THE SLIDEOUT AND THE EXHAUST GAS GOT INTO THE LIVING AREA. I HAD RUN THE GENERATOR FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS. THE CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR WENT OFF AND I WAS ABLE TO OPEN A DOOR TO GET AIR IN THE LIVING AREA. BY THE TIME I GOT THE DOOR OPEN MY GRANDDAUGHTERS HAD BEEN OVER COME BY THE CARBON MONOXIDE GAS. THERE WERE NO INJURES AND NO ONE DIED. THE FOUR WINDS MANUFACTURER SAID I SHOULD HAVE PUT A HOSE EXTENSION ON THE EXHAUST PIPE. I POINTED OUT TO THE MANUFACTURER THAT NO WHERE IN THE OWNERS MANUAL DOES IT SAY TO PUT A HOSE ON THE EXHAUST PIPE, OR EVEN TALK ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE OF CARBON MONOXIDE GAS GETTING INTO THE RV. I REALIZE THAT SLIDEOUTS DUE ALLOW OUTSIDE AIR TO COME INTO THE RV, BUT EXHAUST PIPES LOCATED NEAR THE SLIDEOUT DO PRESENT A HEALTH HAZARD AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE TO FIND ABOUT HEALTH HAZARD ISSUES WITH SLIDEOUTS. *NM

BOTH WALLS OF THE DRIVER'S CABIN ON THE 2000 MODEL HURRICANE RV SEPARATED FROM THE FLOOR SUCH THAT THE ROADWAY BELOW COULD BE SEEN AS ONE DROVE DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT CRUISING SPEEDS. THE DASHBOARD SEPARATED FROM THE FRONT/SIDE WALLS AND WAS "FREEFLOATING". ROAD NOISE WAS LOUD AND DUST, RAIN WATER,ETC. ENTERED THE VEHICLE. THE RV FLOATED BACK-AND-FORTH ON THE HIGHWAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN CROSS WINDS OR LARGE TRUCKS PASSED. THE ENTIRE RV SHOOK CONSTANTLY AND RATTLED BECAUSE THE BODY OF THE RV WAS NOT ATTACHED IN THE FRONT TO THE FLOOR. THE RV BODY BOUNCED AS IT WENT DOWN THE ROAD, BECAUSE NOTHING WAS SECURING IT TO THE FLOOR. FOUR WINDS TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD SUPPLY THE PARTS AND PAY LABOR TO MAKE REPAIRS. FOUR WINDS TOLD ME THEY HAD DEVELOPED A REPAIR KIT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT DECLINED TO SAY HOW MANY RVS HAD REQUIRED THE REPAIR. LATER, FOUR WINDS TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE LABOR. STAFFORD TEXAS' ARCHER RV'S SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME HE HAD REPAIRED SEVERAL HURRICANES, AND THAT FOUR WINDS HAS SINCE MODIFIED HOW THEY ATTACH THE WALLS TO THE FLOOR. I DON'T KNOW IF OTHERS HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT, BUT IN MY OPINION AND MY EXPERIENCE, THE WALLS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE FLOOR AND THE RESULTING BEHAVIOR OF THE RV CONSTITUTED A SAFETY CONCERN. I THINK THIS MATTER DESERVES TO BE REVIEWED AND A RECALL MADE. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT MY RV'S PROBLEM HAD BEEN ONGOING FOR SOME TIME, BASED UPON HIS EXPERIENCE. I BELIEVE HE WAS RIGHT, BECAUSE THE BEHAVIORS OF THE RV THAT I WORRIED ABOUT FOR MANY, MANY MILES WERE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE WALLS WERE REATTACHED. I'M THANKFUL THAT I NEVER LOST CONTROL OF THE RAP AS A RESULT OF ITS BEHAVIOR, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CLOSE CALLS THAT, LOOKING BACK AND KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW, I BELIEVE WERE AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *NM

ON AUGUST 13 2005 I WAS TOWING MY 2004 FOUR WINNS 214 FUNSHIP BOAT HOME FROM DELAND FL. WE FELT A STRANGE VIBRATION COMING FROM THE TRAILER,THEN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE ON THE TRAILER BLEW. THE TREAD ON THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CASING. THERE WAS STEEL COMING THROUGH THE TREAD. THE TIRES ARE CARLISLE ST205-75R14 RADIAL TRAIL. IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT AND NO TIRE STORES WERE OPEN. WE WERE FORCED TO IMPROVISE AND TOW THE BOAT HOME ON THREE WHEELS.(AT THE TIME I DID NOT CARRY A SPARE) I CONTACTED CARLISLE TO COMPLAIN (THE TIRES HAVE LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON THEM) AND THEY OFFERED TO SEND ME TWO NEW TIRES. I REQUESTED FOUR, BEING SUSPICIOUS OF ALL OF THEM, BUT THEY SAID THEY WOULD ONLY REPLACE THE TIRE THAT FAILED AND THE TIRE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TRAILER. THE TIRES ARRIVED A FEW DAYS LATTER AND I HAD THEM MOUNTED ON THE EXISTING RIMS. ON SEPT 4, 2005 AGAIN WE WERE TOWING OUR BOAT HOME FROM DELAND FL WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE ON OUR TRAILER BLEW. WE HAD ONE OF THE TIRES THAT CARLISLE REPLACED MOUNTED ON A NEWLY PURCHASED RIM AS A SPARE, WHICH WE REPLACED AND MADE IT HOME. THE FAILURE WAS THE SAME AS BEFORE. THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE CASING. WE HAVE HEARD THAT THERE IS A PENDING CLASS ACTION SUIT AND WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THAT SUIT. *JB

REGARDING: BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TIRE FAILURE (TRACKING #FT20050726-0000000175) FACTORY INSTALLED FIRESTONE TIRES WHICH CAME WITH OUR MOTORHOME WHEN PURCHASED. WE FEEL THESE TIRES ARE FAULTY AND POSE A DANGER. THESE TIRES ARE NOT SAFE. HAVING THE TREAD "SEPARATE" FROM THE SIDEWALL ON THREE TIRES, DURING A RECENT TRIP, CREATES A CONCERN FOR SAFETY. FORTUNATELY ON THE MOTORHOME SUSTAINED UNDERCARRIAGE DAMAGE. WE WERE NOT INJURED, ALTHOUGH THE POSSIBILITY WAS THERE. NO OTHER VEHICLES OR THEIR OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED FROM THE DISLODGED FLYING TREAD. AGAIN WE WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE TIRES ARE FAULTY AND POSE A SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF PROPERTY AND ABOVE LL A SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR BODILY INJURY AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF LIFE. *JB THE LEFT REAR OUTER TIRE SEPARATED AND THE LEFT REAR INNER TIRE SEPARATED, BOTH ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE, FUEL SYSTEM, WIRES, THE TRIM OF THE VEHICLE AND THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *SC

I HAD PURCHASEDF A FOUR WINDS TRAIKER,2003 TWO YEARS AGO. ON THAT TRAILER CAME WITH CARLISTLE TIRES ST206/75R15. LAST YEAR I HAD A BLOWOUT WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. LAST WEEK I HAD ANOTHER BLOW OUT. I DONOT BELIEVE THESE TIRES ARE SAFE.

WE OWN 2005 HURRICANE MOTORHOME .BUILT BY FOUR WINDS,FORD CHASSIS.WE ORDER SPARE TIRE .WHEN WE BROUGHT TO COMPANY TO INSTALL HITCH AND CAR DOLLY WE WERE INFORMED CAN NOT DO."FRAME CUT" WE CONTACTED FOUR WINDS TO NO AVAIL,FORD MOTOR CO. STATEDOUR WARRANITY VOID. NEED REPAIRED TO MEET HIGHWAY SAFETY GUIDELINES AND TO ENSURE THIS UNIT SAFE FOR OUR GRANDKIDS.

(FOUR WINDS INTERNATIONAL THOR) THE FOURTH TIRE HAD FAILED. *SC THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 7 TIRE FAILURES DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. *JB