2004 WORKHORSE W22 Complaints

FACSIMILE FROM CONGRESSMAN MCKEON ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT WHO HAS SAFETY CONCERNS WITH BRAKE FAILURES ON MOTORHOMES BUILT ON WORKHORSE CHASSIS CORP W-20 AND W-22. *NJ ALL 4 ROTORS ON THE CONSUMERS RV WERE CRACKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER WORKHORSE CHASSIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CALIPERS SEIZED AND BURND THROUGH THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING LONG DISTANCES. THE FAILURE WAS NOTICED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. HE FELT THAT THE RV WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE BRAKES WERE CONSTANTLY MALFUNCTIONING WHILE DRIVING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,080 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000. UPDATED 02-23-09 *BF UPDATED 02/24/09. *JB

LEFT REAR BRAKE CALIPER LOCKED CAUSING OVERHEATING AND LOSS OF ALL BRAKING, RESULTING IN EMERGENCY MANEUVERING OF MOTOR HOME OUT OF TRAFFIC TO PARKING LOT WITHOUT ANY BRAKE ASSISTANCE. WORKHORSE WARRANTY REPLACED ALL PARTS. NEXT TRIP WE HAD OVERHEATING OF RT REAR, WORKHORSE AUTHORIZED REPAIRS AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 700 MILES LATER THE COACH WAS PULLING HARD TO THE RIGHT AND THE RT FRONT CALIPER IS STUCK. WORKHORSE REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIRS LET ALONE THE SAFETY OF THE SITUATION. *TR

THE LEFT REAR ROTOR LOCKED UP CAUSING THE BRAKES TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE FROM THE WHEEL HOUSING. THIS IS THE SECOND SUCH FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN FIXED, THE PARTS ARE ON ORDER. *TR

APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH. SEVERAL MILES LATER, NOTICED A SMELL AND SAW SMOKE OFF OF THE REAR BRAKES. ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE AND FOUND THE REAR BRAKES HAD LOCKED. THE REAR CALIPERS, BRAKE PADS, AND ABS SENSORS ON BOTH SIDES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (OVER $1,000). SERVICE SHOP INDICATED THAT THE CALIPER PINS WERE PROPERLY LUBED. THE RUBBER GASKETS AROUND THE PISTONS HAD CHARRED AND TEMPERING MARKS WERE NOTED ON THE CALIPERS FROM THE INCIDENT. *TR

I OWN AND OPERATE A MOTOR HOME SALES FACILITY. THIS YEAR I HAVE PURCHASED FOUR 04-05 MODEL UNITS OF DIFFERENT MAKES ON THE WORKHORSE CHASSIS. ON EVERY UNIT I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS SYSTEM. ON A TRIP HOME WITH ONE OF THE UNITS I HAD THE BRAKE PEDAL GO ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BUT WAS ABLE TO STOP. FOR THE NEXT FEW MILES I DROVE VERY SLOW AND KEPT CHECKING MY BRAKES. ALL AT ONCE THE FULL PEDAL CAME BACK AND NEVER GAVE ANY OTHER PROBLEM OTHER THAN THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND REQUIRED A NEW SENSOR. EVERY UNIT HAS HAD AT LEAST ONE BAD SENSOR. NOW I HAVE AN 04 IN THE SHOP WITH A WARNING LIGHT BUT NO CODES IN THE COMPUTER AND AN 06 WITH AN ABS LIGHT THE COMES AND GOES WITH NO REASON. SOMEONE NEEDS TO CHECK THIS OUT. TOO MAY UNITS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

WE CURRENTLY OWN A 2004 ALLEGRO BAY 34XB MOTOR HOME ON WORKHORSE W22 CHASSIS . AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 14250 MILES ON THE CHASSIS. AFTER DRIVING FROM MYRTLE BEACH ABOUT 35 MILES ON JULY 30, 2008 WE STOPPED TO REFUEL AND SMELLED BURNING BRAKE PADS IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN WE STARTED BACK OUT THE ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ILLUMINATED. SINCE IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY WE DECIDE TO RETURN HOME AND TRY TO GET THE VEHICLE CHECKED THE FOLLOWING MORNING. ON THE WAY HOME WE EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN BRAKE PERFORMANCE WHEN STOPPING. ON JULY 31, 2008 WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO LARRY'S AUTO CLINIC AN AUTHORIZED WORKHORSE SERVICE CENTER IN MYRTLE BEACH. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE CENTER THE CALIPER CAN HANG UP AND CAUSE THE BRAKE PADS TO DRAG ON THE ROTOR SURFACE. OVERHEATING OCCURS, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE BRAKE COMPONENTS AND AFFECTING BRAKING PERFORMANCE. THE PROBLEM ALSO CAUSES THE BRAKE SYSTEM'S ANTILOCK FEATURES TO BE LOST WHEN THE HEAT DAMAGES THE ANTILOCK WHEEL SENSOR. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE ABS SENSOR.*TR

OPERATING A 2004 FLEETWOOD PACE ARROW 35G MOTORHOME ON A WORKHORSE CHASSIS W22, FLAT TOWING A 2002 HONDA CIVIC. TRAVELING RT 41 IN PA. FROM NEW JERSEY. I WAS OPERATING IN MILD TO LIGHT TRAFFIC ON A HILLY ROAD BETWEEN AVONDALE AND GAP, PA. AT FIRST I SMELLED WHAT I THINK WAS AND ELECTRICAL SCENT. SOON AFTER I LOSS BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE. PUMPING THE PEDAL IMPROVED BRAKE USAGE. PERSONALLY EXAMINED THE MASTER AND ALL FOUR BRAKES UNDER THE MOTORHOME FOR FLUID LOSS. NONE OBSERVED NEXT DAY DROVE SHORT DISTANCE TO A QUALITY AUTO / TRUCK REPAIR IN GAP, PA. AND INFORMED THEM OF THE INCIDENT AND REQUESTED THEY SURVEY THE BRAKE SYSTEM FOR PROBLEMS. THEY FOUND NONE. DROVE BACK HOME TO EGG HARBOR TWP., NJ WITHOUT A PROBLEM. *TR

TOOK MOTORHOME (WORKHORSE W22 CHASSIS) TO GET GAS, APPROX 5 MILES. GOT GAS AND RETURNED. LITTLE TRAFFIC, FLAT ROAD, 45 MPH. UPON RETURN, BOTH FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE SMOKING. THIS FOLLOWS PREVIOUS FAILURES OF BOTH REAR BRAKES. MOTORHOME HAS LESS THAN 24,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, INCLUDING TWO COMPLETE REPLACEMENTS OF BRAKE FLUID. NOTIFIED WORKHORSE AND THEY RESPONDED THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NOT INVOLVED IN ANY BRAKE RECALLS. THIS REPORT IS A DUPLICATE OF 10237294 WHICH WAS FILED UNDER THE MOTORHOME NAME INSTEAD OF THE WORKHORSE CHASSIS. *TR

ON SEP. 12 OF 2007, WE LEFT ON A TRIP FROM OUR HOME TO LAS VEGAS, NV. ON THE FIRST LEG OF OUR TRIP OUR WE NOTICED WE WERE GETTING VERY POOR GAS MILEAGE AND IT SEEMED LIKE OUR BRAKES WERE DRAGGING. WE PULLED OVER AT THE WELCOME CENTER IN LOUISIANA ON I-59. WE NOTICED THE REAR BRAKES SMELLED HOT. WHEN WE WENT BACK INTO THE MOTORHOME AND STARTED IT BACK UP THE "ABS" WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. WE THEN CALLED A WORKHORSE SERVICE CENTER, ROSS DOWNING CHEVROLET. THE MECHANIC TOLD US TO WAIT FOR AN HOUR AND DRIVE IT TO HAMMOND TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HE WOULD WORK ON IT. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE REAR ROTORS, CALIPERS, PADS AND WHEEL SENSORS, THEN RESET THE "ABS" WARNING LIGHT. ALL WAS GOOD UNTIL WE WENT OVER THE HOOVER DAM AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND WE PULLED OVER AND LET THE BRAKES COOL DOWN AGAIN AND THEN DROVE TO OUR CAMPGROUND AT NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE IN LAS VEGAS. THEN ONCE WE WERE THERE WE CALLED AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH FINDLAY RV. THEY REPLACED THE WHEEL SENSOR ON THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL. AND RESET THE CODES. THE DATE OF THE FRONT WHEEL INCIDENT WAS APPROX. SEP 21 2007. NOW FOR THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. AUGUST 7, 2008, WE WERE TRAVELING TO BILOXI, MS FROM OUR HOME AND I NOTICED OUR GAS MILEAGE DECREASING AGAIN. WE PULLED OVER AND SMELLED THAT THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AREA WAS HOT. WE LET THE BRAKES COOL AGAIN AND FROM OUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AND BECAUSE WE ARE SO CLOSE TO HOME WE DECIDED TO JUST GO AHEAD AND STAY IN BILOXI BECAUSE I HAD AN APPOINTMENT AT THE VA CENTER IN BILOXI THE NEXT DAY. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE MOTORHOME TO A SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE THE "ABS" WARNING LIGHT CHECKED OUT AND REPAIRED. I BELIEVE THAT 3 TIMES IN A YEAR IS A BIT EXCESSIVE TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE "ABS" SYSTEM AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED ESPECIALLY SINCE OUR MOTORHOME IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. ALSO, MY PARENTS OWN A 2003 WORKHORSE W22 CHASSIS ALSO AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR "ABS" WARNING LIGHT ALSO. *TR