2000 WINNEBAGO MINNIE Complaints

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2000 MINNIE WINNIE MOTOR HOME WHICH HAS 21,000 MILES ON IT AND LEFT FOR OUR SONS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT IN VIRGINIA BEACH. WE LEFT AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00AM AUG 1, 2007 AND EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR OUTER TIRE. WHEN THEY PULLED THE TIRE OFF, THEY NOTICED THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPARATED WHERE THE BLOWOUT WAS. THE INNER TIRE TREAD APPEARED AS THOUGHT THE TREAD WAS BEGINNING TO SEPARATE SO THEY REPLACED IT ALSO AND INSPECTED THE REMAINING FOUR WITH NO PROBLEMS. ON AUGUST 5, 2007 WE WERE RETURNING HOME WHEN I FELT A SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE ENTIRE MOTORHOME. THE TWO FRONT TIRES AS WELL AS THE TWO DRIVERS SIDE REAR APPEARED AS THOUGH THE TREAD WAS LIFTING. I CALLED JUST ABOUT EVERY PLACE IN THE PHONE BOOK TO FIND THAT NO ONE COULD HELP US WITH THE SIZE AND QUANITY NEEDED. THE VIBRATION WAS SO BAD I HAD A SEVICE TECH PUT THE SPARE TIRE ON THE FRONT RIGHT WHICH WAS THE WORSE OF THE 4. THE TECH ADVISED ME THAT THE NEXT SERVICE STATION SHOULD HAVE THE TIRES NEEDED. THEY REPLACED THREE TIRES WHICH ALSO ALL SHOWED SIGNS OF THE TREAD SEPARATING. WE CONTACTED OUR FIRESTONE REP AS WE WERE TOLD BY FIRESTONE AND THEY STATED THAT THE E RATED TIRES ARE NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. WE EXPERIENCED 6 TIRES FAIL IN THE SAME MANNER WITHIN A 6 DAY PERIOD WITH NO ADVERSE ROAD CONDITIONS AT ALL. THE MOTORHOME WE HAVE IS A YEAR 2000 WITH 21,000 MILES AND THE TREAD LOOKS BRAND NEW. THE TIRES WE HAD ON WERE THE FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S E RATED TIRES 225 75R 16 M/S. WE FEEL THAT THE TIRES STATED ABOVE NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE RECALL LIST AND WE SHOULD ALSO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE MONEY SPENT TO HAVE THE TIRES FIXED. I HAVE ALL RECEIPTS IN WHICH WE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $200.00 PER TIRE. MY WINNEBAGO MOTORHOME HAS 7 TIRES TO INCLUDE THE SPARE. IF YOU REQUIRE A PHOTO OF THE TREAD SEPARATING OR ANY OTHER INFO PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

MOTORHOME TIRE TREAD PROBLEMS: I HAVE 2000 29 FT. MINNIE WINNIE MOTORHOME. WE HAVE HAD SEVEN TIRE TREAD FAILURES. TWICE DOING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MOTORHOME. NO INJURIES TO PASSENGERS. AFTER OUR MOST RECENT FAILURE WE FEEL THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY FACTOR. TWO TIRES WERE FIRESTONE STEEL RADIAL R4S LT225/75R16(LESS THAN 27,000 MI.) THREE COOPER C120 LT225/75R16(LESS THAN 30,000MI.)TWO MASTERCRAFT COURSER RD LT225/75R16(10,000 MI.) ALL TIRES WERE LOAD RANGE E. *JB

2000 WINNEBAGO MINNIE MODEL 31C CLASS C MOTOR HOME UTILIZING A 2000 FORD E450 CHASSIS. TIRE INFLATION PRESSURES ARE RELIGIOUSLY CHECKED PRIOR TO EACH USE OF THE MOTOR HOME. ON APRIL 17, 2006 WHILE DRIVING (NORTH ON US98 AT MILE MARKER 17 IN MOBILE, ALABAMA) AT 50 MPH THE RIGHT REAR INBOARD TIRE (FIRESTONE LT225-75 R 16 LOAD RANGE E) SUFFERED AN EXPLOSIVE FAILURE FOLLOWED BY TREAD SEPARATION. THE FAILURE WAS NOT PRECEDED BY A DETECTABLE VIBRATION BUT APPEARED TO BE INSTANTANEOUS. THE TREAD BENT THE EXHAUST INTO THE REMAINING TIRE AND STRIPPED THE FENDER AND ROCK SHIELD PROTECTING THE LPG STORAGE TANK. IT BENT THE LPG PLUMBING COMING FROM THE LP TANK, BUT DID NOT BREACH THE PLUMBING OR CAUSE A LEAK. THE VEHICLE REMAINED CONTROLLABLE AND WAS DRIVEN FOR ANOTHER MILE UNTIL IT COULD BE EXITED FROM THE HIGHWAY. THE TIRE ONLY HAD 15250 MILES ON IT AND AS I SAID WAS AS ALWAYS INFLATED TO THE MFG'S SPECIFICATIONS PRIOR TO EACH USE OF THE MOTOR HOME. IT APPEARED THAT THE INTERNAL SIDEWALL RADIAL PLIES HAD FAILED AT THE EDGE OF THE STEEL BELTS. THIS FORCED THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL PLIES TO CARRY THE PRESSURE LOADS AS WELL AS THE STEEL BELT CENTRIFUGAL RETAINING LOADS THUS EVENTUALLY CAUSING A CARCASS FAILURE AND RESULTING DE-LAMINATION OF THE TREAD/STEEL BELT BONDS. IT APPEARS (AS EVIDENCED BY OXIDATION) THAT THE FAILURE MAY HAVE BEEN PREDICTED BY A CRACK LOCATED ON A RADIAL AXIS IN THE SIDEWALL. I BELIEVE RADIAL (SPOKE TYPE) CRACKS MAY BE AN INDICATOR THAT A SECTION OF THE INTERNAL RADIAL PLIES IS NO LONGER IN TENSION (IN OTHER WORDS INTERNALLY CUT). ONE OTHER TIRE ON THE VEHICLE HAS THIS SAME CRACK. THE ENTIRE SET OF SIX TIRES IS BEING REPLACED WITH NEW TIRES. *JB

WIRING HARNESS LOOSE, CAME IN CONTACT WITH EXHAUST CAUSING SHORT AND A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF PCM (BLOWN FUSE) WITH RESULTANT SHUTDOWN OF ENGINE COMPUTER AND ENGINE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. IN BOTH CASES, WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROADWAY BUT WERE TRAFFIC HEAVIER, WOULD HAVE BEEN STALLED IN TRAFFIC LANE. I'M ONLY ADVISING OF THIS IN CASE OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED IT AND IT IS THE RESULT OF A GENERAL DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE THAT MAY BE DANGEROUS.

THE CONSUMER OWNS A MOTOR HOME EQUIPPED WITH 6 FIRESTONE TIRES. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT OF THE REAR INSIDE RIGHT TIRE, HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND SENT THE BLOWN OUT TIRE FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE OWNERS CLAIM. THEIR REASON WAS THAT THE TIRE WAS UNDER INFLATED. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

RIGHT REAR INNER DULLER TIRE EXPERIENCED A TREAD SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH TWO ADULTS AND TWO CHILDREN IN A WINNEBAGO MINNIE 2000 RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO HEAR AND FEEL THE TREAD FLAPPING AGAINST THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE PULLING OVER. THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED DURING THE SEPARATION. FIRESTONE, STEELTEX RS4, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE 225/75R16, E LOAD RANGE AND THE DOT # VDILIXD379. THE TIRE WAS AVAILABLE FOR NHTSA ANALYSIS. FIRESTONE WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *NM

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH INNER REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. NO IMPACT REPORTED. *AK

WE WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2000 WINNEBAGO MINNIE 31C [CLASS C] MOTORHOME. WE LEFT THE CAMPGROUND WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES NE OF RICHMOND, VA AT ABOUT 1130 AM. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS BETWEEN 78-80 DEGREES. WE WERE TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-295 AND HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHEN WE HEARD A LOAD BANGING SOUNDS AND FELT OUR RV SHAKING. LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WE SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE CHUNKS OF TIRE FLYING AWAY FROM OUR RV. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER TO CHECK TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR INSIDE DUAL TIRE HAD FAILED. THE FAILED TIRE TORE A [1] FOOT BY ABOUT [1.5] FOOT HOLE IN THE FLOOR ABOVE THE TIRE. WE HAPPENED TO HAVE PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY RIGHT AT EXIT 41B, SO WE WERE ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO AN EXXON GAS STATION AT THAT EXIT. OUR AUTO CLUB SERVICE DISPATCHED A TIRE REPAIR SERVICE TRUCK TO CHANGE THE TIRE. UPON REMOVING THE TIRE WE SAW THAT THE TIRE TREAD HAD COME NEARLY COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE. THE CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT ABOUT [3] THREE FEET OF THE TOP TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE AND THE REST OF THE REMAINING TREAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE REMAINING TREAD TO THE TIRE WAS ABOUT A [6] INCH SECTION THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED. THE REPAIR SERVICE INSTALLED THE SPARE AND WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THE REMAINING 110 MILES HOME. *JB

COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION, I-55 ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF EXIT TO BLYTHEVILLE AR. SPEED 70 MPH, TEMP 55. WINNEBAGO 27 FT MINNIE RV, FORD CHASIS. ORIG EQUIP TIRE APPROX 40,300 MI. LEFT REAR INNER DUAL. TIRE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY DEFLATE. DROVE ON TO EXIT AND CHANGED TO SPARE. THIS IS THIRD TIRE OF THIS SERIES DOT VD1L1XD 349 TO SEPARATE TREAD ON THIS VEHICLE. SEE ODI NUMBER 10036700 AND ODI NUMBER 10036694 (INCIDENTS OCCURRING JULY 19 AND 20 OF 2003).THIS TIRE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR USE ON THIS TYPE VEHICLE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT FORD, FIRESTONE, OR NHTSA SAYS. THESE STEELTEX TIRES NEED TO BE TAKEN OFF THE ROAD. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS SLIGHT, MUD FLAP LOST AND MUD FLAP RETAINER RUINED. WILL CONTACT FIRESTONE SEPARATELY.

ON A NYS INSPECTION AND TIRE ROTATIO THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE SIDEWALL WAS CRACKED AND SPLIT AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE,BUT DID NOT BLOW. *AK