THIS MAY BE TOO OLD FOR YOU TO CARE. BUT RECENTLY I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD WRITE YOU. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ATTACH A PICTURE OF A 1/0 WIRE WITH ABOUT 4 INCHES OF IT INSULATION MELTED AWAY OR BURNT. THE WIRE IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE ENGINE STARTING BATTERIES. THE RIG IS A FRONT ENGINE DIESEL CHASSIS (FRED). WHEN WINNEBAGO MANUFACTURED MY RIG THEY BASICALLY COBBLED IT FROM THEIR DESIGN ON A FORD GASOLINE CHASSIS. THE FRED L NEEDS ENGINE STARTING BATTERIES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHILE THE FORD COULD START WITH THE BATTERIES UNDER ENTRANCE STEPS, NEXT TO THE HOUSE BATTERIES. TO MAKE THIS ADJUSTMENT WINNEBAGO RAN THE AFOREMENTIONED 1/0 WIRE BETWEEN THE NEW LOCATION FOR THE ENGINE STARTING BATTERIES TO THE HOUSE BATTERIES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY RAN THE WIRED BETWEEN A 3 INCH GAP BETWEEN THE EXHAUST AND THE FRAME. PERHAPS THEY THOUGHT THEY TOOK CARE OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM BY WRAPPING THE EXHAUST WITH SOME KIND OF INSULATION. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF PURCHASING THE RIG NEW, I CALLED THE DEALER TO COMPLAIN THAT THE ENGINE BATTERY DRAINED TOO LOW TO START THE ENGINE WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF SITTING. THEY PROCLAIMED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL DUE TO PARASITIC LOAD AND I SHOULD START AND RUN IT FOR A FEW MINUTES EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS CRAZY BUT I AHD A NEWER COVET THAT COULD NOT SIT IDLE FOR MORE THAN A MONTH. ABOUT A YEAR LATER THE BATTERIES DID NOT LAST FOR JUST TWO DAYS. I DECIDED TO MEASURE THIS 'PARASITIC' LOAD. IN SO DOING I BLEW THE FUSE IN MY 10 AMP BETTER. AFTER CONSIDERABLE EFFORT I FOUND THE MELTED WIRE. I RAN A NEW ONE, AWAY FROM THE EXHAUST, AND THE RIG CAN NOW SIT FOR OVER TWO MONTHS AND STILL START. I SUSPECT THAT THE INSULATION ON THE EXHAUST PIPE CREATED A HIGH IMPEDANCE FAULT THAT WITH TIME GOT WORSE.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11317282 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov