ON CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, THE WASHER/DRYER IN THE REAR OF THE MOTOR HOME CAN MOVE

Apr 12, 2005 — Recall Campaign #05V145000

ON CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, THE WASHER/DRYER IN THE REAR OF THE MOTOR HOME CAN MOVE.

The recall was influenced by the Office of Defects Investigation with about 867 units affected.

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

05V145000

Manufacturer:	Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc.
Recall date:	April 12, 2005
NHTSA Campaign #:	05V145000
Units affected:	867

Description:: ON CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, THE WASHER/DRYER IN THE REAR OF THE MOTOR HOME CAN MOVE.
Consequeces:: A VEHICLE OCCUPANT COULD BE INJURED IF THE WASHER/DRYER MOVED.
Corrective action:: TIFFIN HAS PROVIDED THE OWNERS WITH A REPAIR KIT AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 7, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TIFFIN AT 1-256-356-0205.
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 ALLEGRO BAY Complaints
ON JUNE 8, 2010, MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2005 ///TIFFIN(ALLEGRO BAY) MOTORHOME WHEN THE BRAKES OVERHEATED AND WE LOST ALL BRAKES. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE. BERGEY'S GARAGE IN FRANCONIA, PA., TRANSPORTED OUR VEHICLE TO THEIR FACILITY AND REPAIRED THE CALIPERS ON BOTH REAR BRAKES PLUS OTHER COLLATERAL DAMAGE. PICTURES WERE TAKEN AND THEY CONTACTED WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS IN TROY, MI TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY WOULD COVER SINCE A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE 50901 C WAS ISSUED. *TR;
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;