2000 MONACO COACH DIPLOMAT Complaints

THIS INVOLVES A NORCOLD 1200 LRIM REFRIGERATOR AND A 2000 MONACO DIPLOMAT 40 PBD MOTORCOACH. WHEN THE REFER WAS REMOVED TO CONDUCT THE RECALL WORK, IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE CAUGHT FIRE PREVIOUSLY, AND HAD SIGNS OF SERIOUS OVERHEATING, CAUSING THE CASE OF THE REFRIGERATOR TO PARALYZE (ALUMINUM FOIL COATING, PAPER BACKING AND FOAM INSULATION BEHIND FLUE TUBE). FURTHER A FIRE HAD OCCURRED ON THE TOP OF THE FLUE TUBE, WHERE FIBERGLASS INSULATION FROM THE COACH HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE TOP OF THE FLUE TUBE, CAUSING CHARRING TO THE INSULATION AND CEILING OF THE COACH, WITH THE EARLY STAGES OF PARALYSIS SETTING IN ON THE CEILING MATERIALS (FOAM AND OZITE CARPET COVERING). PHOTOS OF EVERYTHING WERE TAKEN, AND NORCOLD DENIED CULPABILITY, STATING THAT THE COOLING UNIT HAD NOT "BEEN A LEAKER" AND THAT MAINTENANCE HAD NOT BEEN DONE, WHICH IS NOT COMPLETELY TRUE, ALTHOUGH SOME MAINTENANCE ITEMS WERE NOT PERFORMED ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL (REMOVAL OF THE REFER FROM THE COACH AND SERVICING THE FLUE TUBE). MY CONCERNS ARE 1)OVERHEATING OF THE COOLING UNIT/FLUE TUBE DURING NORMAL OPS WITHOUT FAILURE OF THE COOLING UNIT (RECALL) AND 2) INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF REFER IN CABINET/INSTALLATION OF INSULATION WHICH LED TO CONTACT WITH SAID MATERIALS AND SLOW PARALYSIS/IGNITION. THIS COULD BE A CONDITION IN ALL OF THESE COACHES. *TR

ON 10/15/02 WHILE DRIVING MY RV TO A CAMPGROUND, I DETECTED A VERY STRONG ODOR OF ANTIFREEZE INSIDE THE RV AND NOTICED WETNESS ON THE CARPET NEAR THE FIRE WALL. IT RENDERED THE DEFROSTING OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD NIL AND COULDN'T HARDLY SEE OUTSIDE AND DAMAGE THE SIDE COMPARTMENT OF THE R.V. THE UNIT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND MONACO REPLACED THE DAMAGED HEATER CORE ON 12/23/02. ON 1/20/08 ON A TRIP TO ORLANDO THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. I ALMOST PASSED OUT AT THE WHEEL BECAUSE OF THE STRONG ODOR OF ANTIFREEZE LEAKING AGAIN INSIDE THE COACH. SAME PROBLEM: SPITED HEATER CORE. THE PLUMBING OF HEATER IS INCORRECT AND MONACO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE RV'S WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND BECAME LOOSE. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AFTER A YEAR OF OPERATION. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED AT A VEHICLE GLASS SHOP. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE WINDSHIELD FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE WINDSHIELD MOVED OVER AN INCH. UPDATED 09/20/06. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND WITH NO WARNING FRONT RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, CAUSING THE TIRE TO BLOWOUT, AND DAMAGE THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED IN DECEMBER 2002. ON JUNE 14 2003, WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH , LEFT FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, CAUSING A BLOWOUT. CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OVER, AND TOWED THE MOTOR HOME. GOODYEAR G159, SIZE R255/70 R22.5. THERE ARE A POLICE REPORT AND PICTURES. *AK *NM

THIS 2000 MONACO, DIPLOMAT MOTOR HOME HAS BEEN INHALING EXHAUST, ROAD DIRTY ETC. MAINLY THROUGH THE REAR CAP AREA, SINCE THE UNIT WAS NEW. THE FIRST SIGN WAS AN OILY STAIN IN THE CEILING AREA MOSTLY AROUND CABINETS. FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MONTHS THE FACTORY TOLD ME THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND UNTIL I FORCED THE ISSUE IN THE FALL OF 2001, I DID NOT GET THE ANSWER. THE UNIT HAD NOT BEEN SEALED AT THE FACTORY. IT WAS SEALED IN 2001 THOUGH NEVER TESTED, THE PROBLEM CONTINUES AS OF TODAY! THE UNIT HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL TEST IN OCTOBER 2001 WITH THE REPORT ISSUED JANUARY 2002 (ENCLOSED) AFTER MONTHS OF TRYING TO SEAL THE UNIT IT STILL LEAKS. IT HAS CAUSED SICKNESS AND ALSO POSSES A HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK AS THE FUMES ARE ALSO ENTERING THE DRIVERS COMPARTMENT. IT WAS INDICATED BY A SENIOR MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE THE EARLY 1990'S. MONACO, THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT DEMONSTRATED IT'S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO FIX THE UNIT, HAS NOT OFFERED TO REPLACE IT AND WILL NOT DO A RECALL ON ALL THESE UNITS AS I HAVE REQUESTED OF THE CEO. *JB

THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE OPERATION OF ONE/BOTH REAR LEVELING JACK(S) WILL INTRODUCE A TORSIONAL OR TWISTING MOVEMENT OF THE COACH CHASSIS, WHICH OVER TIME WILL LOOSEN THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE FRAME AND CAUSE ONE EDGE/CORNER TO UNSEAT/PARTIALLY SEPARATE FROM THE MOLDING GASKET CREATING AN AIR GAP. (OTHER PROBLEMS WHICH ROOT FROM THE REAR LEVEL JACK(S) ARE: ELECTRICAL, THE BODY SHIFTING CAUSED THE DOORS TO BIND, 4 TIMES THE PLASTIC LATCH ON THE EXTERIOR CARGO COMPARTMENT DOORS HAVE BROKEN, ALSO CAUSING THE BATTERY INVERTER SYSTEM TO OVER CHARGE THE COACH BATTERY(S). THE MOTORHOME IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THIS OCCURS WHEN THE LEVELING SYSTEM IS BEING USED IMPROPERLY. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY MONACO THAT SOME SERVICE DEPARTMENTS FAILED TO USE PROPER INSTALLATION TECHNIQUES/DID NOT ALLOW PROPER CURVING OF THE WINDSHIELD SEALANT BEFORE PLACING THE VEHICLE BACK INTO SERVICE. *SCC *TS

THE SLIDEOUT ROOM RETAINING CLAMPS ("TRAVEL LOCKS") CAUSE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WAS HIT, (NEARLY ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD) BY A LOOSE "TRAVEL LOCK" WHICH VIBRATED OUT OF PLACE DUE TO SLIDEOUT ROOM VIBRATION. THERE IS NO _POSITIVE_ MEANS OF SECURING THE CLAMP (TRAVEL LOCK) IN PLACE... ONLY FRICTION. THE CLAMP (TRAVEL LOCK) JUST VIBRATES OUT OF POSITION AS THE SLIDEOUT ROOM VIBRATES WHEN THE COACH TRAVELS DOWN THE ROAD. MONACO DOES NOT PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS OR DIAGRAM OF SLIDEOUT LOCK INSTALLATION. THE (CLAMP TRAVEL LOCK) WAS INSTALLED AT DELIVERY TO FIT BETWEEN THE METAL FLANGE OF THE SLIDEOUT AND THE WALL. MONACO'S SUGGESTION TO TIGHTEN THE CLAMP ANY MORE WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO FIT. MONACO'S SUGGESTION TO ADJUST THE LOCK SO IT FITS BETWEEN THE WOOD FASCIA AND WALL IS MEANINGLESS SINCE, AT THE LARGEST ADJUSTMENT, THE CLAMP (TRAVEL LOCK) IS STILL 1 1/2" TOO SHORT. MONACO SHOULD PROVIDE TRAVEL LOCKS WITH A POSITIVE MEANS OF SECURING IN PLACE, NOT JUST FRICTION.*AIK

CONSUMER HAS A TEN GALLON GAS OR ELECTRIC ATWOOD WATER HEATER (MODEL # GC10A-32 SERIAL # 941130430) WHEN PUT ON PROPANE WITH THE WIND BLOWING TOWARDS IT, IT TESTED TO 70 PARTS PER MILLION IN 15 MINUTES. *TT

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE LUGGAGE DOOR OPENS WHILE TRAVELING AND THE ENTRY DOOR JAMS. ALSO, THE SEAL ON ENTRY DOOR CAME OFF. THE RUBBER MOLDING HOLDING THE WINDSHIELD POPPED AT UPPER CORNERS ON BOTH SIDES. THE DOOR, SEAL AND WINDSHIELD PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE TWISTING OF THE FRAME. *YH

WHILE DRIVING THE COACH LOST ALL POWER, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, POWER STEERING AND ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, AFTER STOPPING, CONSUMER CONTACED THE MONACO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND WITHOUT ANY CROSS EXAMINATION THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS A WEAK RELAY, A NEW RELAY WAS SHIPPED TO CONSUMER AND WAS INSTALLED, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER ALSO STATES WHILE PARKED AND CONNECTED TO SHORE POWER, THE INVERTER CHARGING SYSTEM OVERCHARGES THE BATTERIES TO THE EXTENT THAT THE BATTERY WATER BOILS OUT, AND THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT BECOMES EXTREMELY HOT, CONSUMER STATES FOUR INVERTERS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED WITH NO CHANGE IN OPERATION, THE OVERCHARGING PUTS IN EXCESS OF 15 VDC TO ALL SYSTEMS WITH THE RESULT THAT SEVERAL CASES OF SHORTS AND BURNOUTS HAVE OCCURED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE.*YH