Fleetwood Wilderness 2004

Model Wilderness made in 2004 by Fleetwood got 12 consumer complains there are 2 investigations as well as 9 recalls. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to equipment, structure and suspension. The car had some investigations: equipment, wheels. There were some recalls concerningelectrical system, equipment and structure.

Model 2004

Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
04V145000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.from 07/18/2003 to 09/10/2003V (Vehicle)76504/14/2004MFRFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.03/22/200403/26/2004
Defect SummaryOn certain conventional and fifth wheel travel trailers equipped with siemens q circuit breaker, the circuit breakers were mis-marked.
Consequence SummaryThis could result in an overheated conductor in a sustained overload condition which could cause personal injury and/or property damage.
Corrective SummaryDealers will inspect and replace the circuit breaker if necessary. owner notification is expected to begin by april 5, 2004. owners should contact fleetwood at 1-800-322-8216.
NotesFleetwood recall no. 40322.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration
EQUIPMENT - OTHER - LABELS
05V511000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.from 11/19/2002 to 02/04/2003V (Vehicle)4811/30/2005OVSCFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.11/07/200511/07/2005571120
Defect SummaryCertain travel trailers fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120 tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars. the tire and loading information placard contains incorrect load range b information regarding the maximum cargo carrying capacity. the correct tire is a load range c.
Consequence SummaryA fully loaded travel trailer will overload the tires, which could lead to tire failure, loss of vehicle control, and could result in a crash.
Corrective SummaryDealers will inspect and replace tires that are marked load range b and replace it with a load range c tire. the recall began on november 30, 2005. owners may contact fleetwood at 1-800-445-3307.
NotesFleetwood recall no. 51024.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.
EQUIPMENT - RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
08V320000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.from 04/01/2003 to 11/30/2006V (Vehicle)7010110/24/2008ODIFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.07/15/200807/15/2008
Defect SummaryFleetwood is recalling 70,101 my 2003-2007 southwind, pace arrow, bounder, flair, storm, fiesta, terra gas class a motor homes; bounder, discovery, providence, excursion, expedition, revolution, american eagle, american heritage, american tradition diesel class a motor homes; jamboree tioga class c motor homes; and prowler, wilderness, terry, mallard, pioneer, pride and triumph conventional and fifth wheel travel trailers equipped with a two-door refrigerators 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.
Consequence SummaryIf this solution is exposed to an ignition source under certain specific circumstances, it can result in a vehicle fire.
Corrective SummaryFleetwood is working with dometic 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 fleetwood at 1-800-322-8216.
NotesCustomers 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.
03V452000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC. V (Vehicle)60877ODIFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.11/04/200311/14/2003
Defect SummaryOn certain travel trailers equipped with samsung microwave ovens, these ovens were produced with a defective panel. an electrical short can occur between circuit patterns on the membrane panel, especially overlapped by a jumper or jump wire. this may cause the oven to activate without pressing any key pads.
Consequence SummaryAn electrical short can occur causing the oven to activate without pressing any key pads. this could result in excessive heat, smoke, or possibly a fire.
Corrective SummarySamsung will notify customers and repair the panel free of charge. in the meantime, consumers should unplug their microwave, if possible. if the consumer is unable to unplug the microwave, they should leave the door ajar until the panel is replaced. consumers should never use the microwave oven for storage or leave any towels, paper, cloth or other products in the microwave after use. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact samsung at 800-932-3837 or fleetwood at 1-800-629-8454.
NotesCustomers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration
07V120000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.from 04/01/1997 to 07/31/2003V (Vehicle)16709605/10/2007MFRFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.03/19/200703/20/2007
Defect SummaryCertain motor homes and travel trailers equipped with a two-door refrigerator, manufactured by the dometic corporation, 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.
Consequence SummaryRelease of coolant under certain conditions could ignite and result in a fire.
Corrective SummaryFleetwood will be working with dometic in order to repair these refrigerators (please see 06e076). 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 you 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 fleetwood at 1-800-322-8216.
NotesCustomers may 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.
EQUIPMENT - RECREATIONAL VEHICLE - LPG LINES AND FITTINGS
05V433000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.from 02/07/2003 to 03/29/2005V (Vehicle)18010/24/2005MFRFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.09/27/200509/29/2005
Defect SummaryOn certain fifth wheel trailers, the propane gas lines that run through the floor of the slide out room penetrate the floor too far from the outside wall causing the potential for pinched lines during slide out room operation.
Consequence SummaryThis could lead to a propane gas leak and the potential for an explosion and/or fire.
Corrective SummaryDealers will inspect and, as necessary, reroute the propane gas line. this recall began on october 24, 2005. owners may contact fleetwood at 1-800-509-3418.
NotesFleetwood recall no. 50825.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration
STRUCTURE
05V289000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.from 01/01/2003 to 01/31/2004V (Vehicle)49608/04/2005MFRFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.06/21/200506/21/2005
Defect SummaryCertain fifth wheel travel trailers have missing welds on the chassis cross-members.
Consequence SummaryThis condition can cause the cross-member to become dislodged, creating a road hazard if the fifth wheel travel trailer is in motion, which could result in a crash.
Corrective SummaryLippert components, in conjunction with fleetwood, will inspect the cross-members for missing welds, repair the welds if necessary, and add additional support to the affected area. owners may contact lippert directly at 1-866-524-7821 to make arrangements to have this inspection and repair performed. the recall began on august 4, 2005.
NotesFleetwood recall no. 50615. 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.
WHEELS
04V310000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.from 01/04/2002 to 04/21/2004V (Vehicle)342608/05/2004ODIFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.06/28/200407/01/2004
Defect SummaryOn certain fifth wheel and conventional travel trailers equipped with aluminum wheels may not have had the proper wheel lug nut torque applied. additionally, paint applied to the mating surface of the hub may cause the lug nuts to be more sensitive to loosening during the initial settling-in of components and after a wheel has been removed for service.
Consequence SummaryA wheel separation could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective SummaryDealers will inspect, repair, or replace any damaged wheels, lug nuts, lug studs, and mating surfaces. dealers will also remove paint film from the mating surfaces. the recall began on august 5, 2004. owners should contact fleetwood at 1-800-509-3418.
NotesFleetwood recall no. 40521.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration
03V437000FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.from 01/04/2002 to 05/31/2003V (Vehicle)493311/26/2003MFRFLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.11/04/200311/05/2003
Defect SummaryOn certain conventional and fifth wheel travel trailers, the owner manuals either do not contain the wheel lug nut torque information or contain incorrect wheel lug nut torque information for the optional
Consequence SummaryVehicle operation without the proper torque applied to the wheel lug nuts could result in the lug nuts becoming loose and a wheel separation that could result in a crash.
Corrective SummaryOwners will be provided with a label and insert to be added to the owner's manual. if the vehicle has the aluminum wheel option, owners are requested to bring their vehicle into a dealer to have the wheel lug nuts torqued to the proper specifications. owner notification began november 26, 2003. owners should contact fleetwood at 1-800-445-3307.
NotesFleetwood recall no. 31028.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
EQUIPMENT - RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
PE06005FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.01/20/200605/02/2006INADVERTENT SLIDE-OUT EXTENSION MOVEMENT
 This investigation was opened based on odi's receipt of a congressional letter on behalf of a constituent.the constituent reported incidents where the slide out room of his motor home would inadvertently move (extend) during highway use.odi was concerned that a fully extended slide out would degrade the vehicle's dynamic handling characteristics and/or possibly impact an object or another vehicle, resulting in a crash.odi contacted fleetwood and discovered that slide out rooms were installed in motor homes, travel trailers and folding trailers. as part of the investigation odi visited a rv show and the fleetwood paxinos plant to examine slide outs in various new make and model vehicles and gain an understanding of how the systems work.during the investigation odi learned that there are two methods used to extend slide out rooms.some manufacturers use hydraulic systems and others, such as fleetwood, use an electric motor. (continued on page 2)
WHEELS - LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS
EA04009FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC.03/17/200411/24/2004WHEEL SEPARATIONS04V310000
 On june 30, 2004, fleetwood filed a defect notice (04v-310) that outlines a notification and repair program intended to have 2002-2004 model year fleetwood fifth wheel and travel trailer units equipped with aluminum wheels inspected for the presence of paint and other foreign substances in the clamp joint, especially between the wheel and hub clamp faces, and to inspect for, and correct, any damage that may have occurred to the wheels or hubs due to loosening. the campaign includes a provision to provide the affected vehicle owners with information about the method and importance of torquing the wheel nuts with a torque wrench as described in the campaign notice and in fleetwood's published owner's manual.odi expressed concern about the campaign program because it asks owners to perform the post-inspection and repair torquing of the wheel mounting nuts (at intervals of 10, 25, and 50 miles or until stabilized).to assure that this aspect of the campaign is completed successfully, odi has asked fleetwood to notify odi of any incidents of wheel separations that occur on campaign-repaired vehicles whose owners were asked to perform the post-repair wheel nut torque procedure.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
EQUIPMENT - RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
12/15/20081
 Dometic sent us a recall about their refrigerators in recreational vehicles. we had our refrigerator worked on per the recall and the repair place informed us of a yellow residue around the boiler and gas igniter indicating to them a refrigerator leak. dometic has refused to repair the frig even though they are aware of the faulty defect welds in the boiler tube leading to a possible leak. they are only installing a shield to retard the ignition if a fire should ignite due to the leaking gas from the faulty welds. our unit (dometic rm2652) is 4 years old and has definitely not been abused or overused. we believe dometic should have to replace the cooling units on the refrigerator that are defective. i understand that norcold has a recall and they are replacing the cooling units. *tr
03/10/200801
 1. freezer and refrigerator stopped cooling. ammonia spewed out of the rear refrigerator compartment. 2. failure only occurred once and refrigerator and freezer no longer cooled since the refrigerate was gone. 3. immediately called dometic to see if the refrigerator was still under warranty and if there were any recalls. dometic informed me that it was not under recall and was out of warranty by 1 month. a month later, at a local rv show, i found a gentleman that was a member of the rv refrigeration network association. on april 13, 2008, i drove 100+ miles to take my rv to shelbourne rv (423-629-2175 or 423-290-8367) in ringgold, georgia for repair. just over 1 month later i was able to pick up my rv, and drove back 100+ miles to pick it up. the repair bill (excluding gas) was $760!! *tr
10/03/20041
 Consumer had a motor home which included a samsung microwave. because of the vin this motor home was not included in the recall although the microwave had the same defect as described in the recall. *ak
STRUCTURE
05/29/2009100001
 Tl*the contact owns a 2004 (na) fleetwood wilderness advantage ax6 rv. while driving approximately 40 mph, the sewer tank detached from the vehicle. the dealer discovered that the frame failed and caused the sewer tank to fall off. updated 07/28/09. *lj the consumer stated the sewer tank dislodge from the frame and fell onto the road. the consumer disconnected the tank and proceeded to drive and within 3 miles the shock absorber broke puncturing the rear tire and causing a blowout. the dealer stated the frame twisted causing the sewer tank to fall off. the consumer also stated there was a recall. 05v289000 the consumer was informed the recall did not apply to his rv. updated 07/31/09.*jb
05/28/2005108/25/2004
 The first one is the angle iron bracket the propane bottle sits in rubs the bottom of the cylinder and could cause failure of the cylinder. the second one is the self tapping screws that attach the hold down straps for the generator fuel tank were in contact with the tank and could rub a hole in it. the third complaint is that the loaded weight of the trailer could exceed the specifications of the tires and axles. the two axles are rated at 6000 lbs. each and the four tires are rated at 3000 lbs each. when the tow vehicle hits a bump in the road it will transfer the fully load trailer weight to the tires and axles therefore exceeding the rated capacity of the tires and axles. the gvwr is listed at 13500 lbs. if you assume 1600 pound hitch weight that would leave 11900 lbs. on the tires and axles. no one i have ever talked to has ever weighed the weight on the hitch after loading. this could cause the tires and axles to be over loaded when you only have a 100 lb. safety margin. also they tell you to empty all holding tanks so as to avoid being overloaded. this is unrealistic as this is a fifth wheel trailer and people expect to use water and sewage when traveling. *nm
09/13/2005111/17/2003
 Nhtsa campaign number 05v-289 i contacted lippert and was told that my vin# does not match those in the above mentioned recall. however, my fleetwood wilderness 365 advantage ax6 fifth-wheel was towed 9/14/05 to lippert due to broken welds on the chassis. my husband was towing the vehicle when a passerby flagged him (on the freeway) and said to pull over due the excessive weaving of the trailer. he did so and saw that the unit had actually separated from the chassis and a bend was visible throughout the inside. he saw the broken cross straps and called fleetwood, who after much debate, contacted libbert and sent technicians to weld back together. lippert stated after welding it would be towable, but my husband refused and had a profession tow company take to lippert in rialto, where they are attempting to fix it. this sounds like the same problem experienced by the trailers in the recall and i do not understand why our vehicle was not researched for this recall...the potential for catastrophe was huge and we were fortunate the passerby was able to alert my husband before the trailer disintegrated on the 101 freeway. *nm
08/10/2005103/04/2005
 Dt: the contact owns a 2004 fleetwood wilderness advantage. a recall notice on the chassis was issued, and they told him to call one number. however they gave the consumer little or no information about the recall, they just told him the chassis was missing weld, to beef up the chassis, and about several instances where the chassis buckled. he asked fleetwood to come and pick up the trailer, and they refused to pick up the trailer. he asked to speak with a supervisor from fleetwood, and they would not let him speak with anyone. it sounded to him like fleetwood was unprepared and did not know what they were doing. in the recall letter that he received his name was misspelled. he had not spoken with the dealership where he purchased the trailer.*ak
STRUCTURE - BODY - ROOF AND PILLARS
2001
 When the consumer receiving the trailer he noticed that the roof was coming apart. the consumer sent the trailer back to the dealership to be repaired. the dealership replaced the roof but the roof is coming apart again. this occurred during the trip from the dealership in maryland to the consumer in maine. the cause of the roof coming apart is yet to be determined. *nlm
STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS
04/17/2008100001
 The folding slide-out bar under the rv is bolted with 2 small wood screws to a piece of plywood. the plywood is next to the tire and gets wet. the plywood then rots and the wood screw pull out. then the 3 ft metal support falls into the tire, destroying the tire, rim & support. *tr
08/23/2006208/25/2004
 Cracks in welds on main frame of trailer. dry rotted tires less than two years old. i do not have the trailer available to determine the brand of tire for sure but i think they are goodyear. the first year that we owned the trailer the tires were seldom exposed to sun light. *nm
SUSPENSION
05/28/2005108/25/2004
 The first one is the angle iron bracket the propane bottle sits in rubs the bottom of the cylinder and could cause failure of the cylinder. the second one is the self tapping screws that attach the hold down straps for the generator fuel tank were in contact with the tank and could rub a hole in it. the third complaint is that the loaded weight of the trailer could exceed the specifications of the tires and axles. the two axles are rated at 6000 lbs. each and the four tires are rated at 3000 lbs each. when the tow vehicle hits a bump in the road it will transfer the fully load trailer weight to the tires and axles therefore exceeding the rated capacity of the tires and axles. the gvwr is listed at 13500 lbs. if you assume 1600 pound hitch weight that would leave 11900 lbs. on the tires and axles. no one i have ever talked to has ever weighed the weight on the hitch after loading. this could cause the tires and axles to be over loaded when you only have a 100 lb. safety margin. also they tell you to empty all holding tanks so as to avoid being overloaded. this is unrealistic as this is a fifth wheel trailer and people expect to use water and sewage when traveling. *nm
TIRES
08/23/2006208/25/2004
 Cracks in welds on main frame of trailer. dry rotted tires less than two years old. i do not have the trailer available to determine the brand of tire for sure but i think they are goodyear. the first year that we owned the trailer the tires were seldom exposed to sun light. *nm

Car dealers selling


StateCityZipNamePhone
AKANCHORAGEA&M RV
CASANTA FE SPRINGS90670MIKE THOMPSON RV562-921-0958
FLBARTOW33830DUSTY'S CAMPER WORLD863-533-2458