TIFFIN IS RECALLING 3,507 MY 2004-2007 ALLEGRO, ALLEGRO BAY AND ALLERO BUS

Oct 07, 2008 — Recall Campaign #08V509000

TIFFIN IS RECALLING 3,507 MY 2004-2007 ALLEGRO, ALLEGRO BAY AND ALLERO BUS, MY 2004-2005 PHAETON AND MY 2005-2007 ZEPHYR MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH A TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATOR MANUFACTURED BY THE DOMETIC CORPORATION. THE REFRIGERATOR MAY HAVE A DEFECT IN THE BOILER TUBE. PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION COULD BE RELEASED INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT.

The recall was influenced by the Office of Defects Investigation with about 3,507 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

08V509000

Manufacturer:	Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc.
Recall date:	October 07, 2008
NHTSA Campaign #:	08V509000
Units affected:	3,507

Description:: TIFFIN IS RECALLING 3,507 MY 2004-2007 ALLEGRO, ALLEGRO BAY AND ALLERO BUS, MY 2004-2005 PHAETON AND MY 2005-2007 ZEPHYR MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH A TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATOR MANUFACTURED BY THE DOMETIC CORPORATION. THE REFRIGERATOR MAY HAVE A DEFECT IN THE BOILER TUBE. PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION COULD BE RELEASED INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT.
Consequeces:: RELEASE OF COOLANT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE AND RESULT IN A FIRE.
Corrective action:: TIFFIN WILL BE WORKING WITH DOMETIC IN ORDER TO REPAIR THESE REFRIGERATORS (PLEASE SEE 08E032). DOMETIC WILL REPAIR THESE REFRIGERATORS BY INSTALLING A SECONDARY BURN HOUSING, A THERMAL FUSE, AND A MELT FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. DOMETIC HAS RETAINED STERICYCLE INC. TO MANAGE THIS CAMPAIGN. STERICYCLE WILL ASSIST THE OWNER IN LOCATING DEALERSHIPS OR SERVICE CENTERS AND WILL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOMETIC/STERICYCLE AT 1-888-446-5157 OR TIFFIN AT 256-356-8661.
Notes:: CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

Affects the following:

2005 TIFFIN PHAETON Complaints
2005 ALLEGRO (TIFFIN) PHAETON ON FREIGHTLINER XC CHASSIS WITH CATAPILLAR C7 ENGINE: TRAVELING FROM SARASOTA, FL TO SAN DIEGO, CA STARTING AUGUST 18, 2009 THE ENGINE BEGAN OVERHEATING ON AN EVER MORE FREQUENT BASIS UNTIL AUGUST 27, 2009, WHEN TRAVERSING THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF SAN DIEGO ON INTERSTATE 8 WE WERE FORCED TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY EVERY ONE HALF TO ONE MILE TO COOL DOWN THE ENGINE TO A WORKABLE LEVEL. THESE FREQUENT STOPS CREATED A HAZARD FOR EVERYONE ELSE TRAVELING THAT STRETCH OF HIGHWAY AND CREATED A RISK OF ENGINE FAILURE AND/OR FIRE IN A GENERALLY REMOTE AREA. DURING ONE SUCH STOP WE DID SCRAPE THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ON A GUARD RAIL UNDER A RAILROAD TRESTLE. THE DAMAGE HAS NOT YET BEEN ESTIMATED BUT I EXPECT IT TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3,000. THE PROBLEM WAS EVENTUALLY TRACED BY FREIGHTLINER SAN DIEGO TO A TOO SHORT CRANKCASE BLOWBY VENT ON THE ENGINE THAT ALLOWED CRANKCASE OIL MIST TO BE SPRAYED ON THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE RADIATOR BY THE COOLING FAN. SUBSEQUENTLY, DUST AND DIRT THROWN UP DURING DRIVING WAS ABSORBED BY THE OIL AND ESSENTIALLY BLOCKED THE AIR FLOW OVER THE RADIATOR. AFTER SOME MILES (OURS WAS AT ABOUT 49000+ MILES) THE BLOCKAGE BECOMES GREAT ENOUGH TO CAUSE ALMOST TOTAL FAILURE. GIVEN ITS LOCATION THE SIDE OF THE RADIATOR AFFECTED IS NOT VISIBLE TO INSPECTION WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT EFFORT. THE SOLUTION WAS TO REMOVE THE RADIATOR AND THE AIR CHARGE COOLER, CLEAN THEM AND REINSTALL THEM. IN ADDITION, FREIGHTLINER PROVIDED A REPLACEMENT FOR THE CRANKCASE BLOWBY TUBE THAT IS LONGER AND SENDS THE OIL BELOW THE RADIATOR (I.E., THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AT FREIGHTLINER). I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL TUBE. THE COST FOR THE CLEANING WAS $2,403.78 AND THE PART WAS $256.58 (DONE AT SEPARATE FACILITIES).*TR;
2007 TIFFIN ALLEGRO BAY Complaints
WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE SOUTH PASS OF BIG HORN NATIONAL PARK. THE GRADES WERE LONG AND STEEP. A PERSON PASSED US AND PULLED OVER AND STOPED US AND SAID WE WERE ON FIRE. THE COACH FILLED WITH SMOKE ND I GOT OUT AND FOUND THAT THE AREA ABOVE THE EXAUST PIPE HAD MELTED DOWN ON TO THE PIPE CATCHING ON FIRE AND BURNING UP EVERYTHING IN THE COMPARTMENT CAUSEING $3000.00 OF DAMAGE. ON MY OLDER MOTERHOME IT HAD HEAT SHEILDS ABOVE THE EXAUST TO PREVENT THIS. ALL THE OTHER BRANDS I HAVE LOOKED AT HAVE ALSO MADE PROVISIONS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. I HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT OTHER MOTORHOMS LIKE MINE AND SOME OF THEM ARE AT HIGER RISK THAN MINE. I HAVE TALKED TO TIFFIN BUT THEY SEEM TO BE "OH WELL" ABOUT THE ISSUE. I THINK ALL OF THIS MODEL AHOULD BE CHECKED AND MEASURES TAKEN. THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED ME OUT ON THAT MOUNTAIN SAID I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MOTORHOMES THEY WERE.;
2007 TIFFIN ALLEGRO BAY Complaints
WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE SOUTH PASS OF BIG HORN NATIONAL PARK. THE GRADES WERE LONG AND STEEP. A PERSON PASSED US AND PULLED OVER AND STOPED US AND SAID WE WERE ON FIRE. THE COACH FILLED WITH SMOKE ND I GOT OUT AND FOUND THAT THE AREA ABOVE THE EXAUST PIPE HAD MELTED DOWN ON TO THE PIPE CATCHING ON FIRE AND BURNING UP EVERYTHING IN THE COMPARTMENT CAUSEING $3000.00 OF DAMAGE. ON MY OLDER MOTERHOME IT HAD HEAT SHEILDS ABOVE THE EXAUST TO PREVENT THIS. ALL THE OTHER BRANDS I HAVE LOOKED AT HAVE ALSO MADE PROVISIONS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. I HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT OTHER MOTORHOMS LIKE MINE AND SOME OF THEM ARE AT HIGER RISK THAN MINE. I HAVE TALKED TO TIFFIN BUT THEY SEEM TO BE "OH WELL" ABOUT THE ISSUE. I THINK ALL OF THIS MODEL AHOULD BE CHECKED AND MEASURES TAKEN. THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED ME OUT ON THAT MOUNTAIN SAID I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MOTORHOMES THEY WERE.;
2007 TIFFIN ALLEGRO BUS Complaints
WE PURCHASED AN ALLEGRO BUS WITH SPARTAN CHASSIS AND FACTORY INSTALLED PUTNAM HITCH. WE WERE HAULING OUR HORSE TRAILER HOME FROM A HORSE SHOW IN OKLAHOMA WHEN WE HAPPENED TO STOP AT A TRUCK STOP IN ST. LOUIS. THE TRAILER WAS WITHIN WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TRAILER AS WELL AS TONGUE WEIGHT. UPON STOPPING, WE NOTICED THAT THE PUTNAM HITCH WAS DETACHING FROM THE CHASSIS DUE TO THE FRACTURING OF THE METAL IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE MOTOR HOME. HAD WE TRAVELED MUCH FURTHER, WE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY LOST THE TRAILER AS WELL AS THE 2 SHOW HORSES ON BOARD. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE, WE HAD TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TRANSPORT OF OUR HORSES BACK TO OUR FACILITY IN OHIO. IN ADDITION, WE HAD TO HAVE THE TRAILER TOWED TO A SECURE SITE AND A WELDER REPAIR THE HITCH THE NEXT DAY IN ORDER FOR THE TRAILER TO BE HAULED SAFELY BACK HOME. THE WELDER WHO RESPONDED TO OUR CALL, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD REPAIRED ANOTHER BUS THE SAME EVENING WITH THE SAME OCCURRENCE ONLY THE TRAILER CAME OFF THAT MOTOR HOME. THE NEXT DAY I NOTIFIED THE CHASIS, MOTORHOME AND HITCH COMPANIES AND SENT PICTURES OF THE FAILURE. BOTH THE CHASIS AND MOTORHOME COMPANIES WERE RECEPTIVE TO MY CONCERN BUT THE HITCH COMPANY FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS. FINALLY THEY RESPONDED, AFTER 2 MONTHS, BUT ARE REFUSING TO REIMBURSE US FOR THE REPAIRS TO THE HITCH. IT HAD BEEN CONFIRMED THAT THE PUTNAM HITCH WAS AWARE THAT MANY HITCHES WERE INSTALLED IMPROPERLY-NOT ONLY OURS BUT MANY OTHERS-A BRACE BAR WAS OMITTED-YET THEY ARE IGNORING MY REQUESTS FOR MY OUT OF POCKET REPAIR COSTS. WITHOUT REPAIRS IN ST. LOUIS, THE HITCH WAS UNUSABLE. THE ISSUE IS WITH THE HITCH COMPANY-PUTNAM HITCH AND THEIR LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF THOSE WHO USE THEIR PRODUCTS AS APPLIED TO THE CHASSIS OF MOTOR HOMES. *TR;