NHTSA complaint: 2000 MONACO COACH SIGNATURE — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE TRAVELING EAST ON I 40, 70 MILES EAST OF BARSTOW CA MY ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE ISOLATOR BAR TO MELT CAUSING THE ALTERNATOR TO SEND 25 VOLTS THROUGH THE COACH BURNING UP THE COACH BATTERIES AND STARTING A FIRE IN THE CABINET ABOVE THE DRIVERS HEAD. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE FREEWAY SAFELY AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER, ALSO SEVERAL SWITCHES BURNED UP. AT THIS TIME THE INVERTOR, SOLENOID, NUMEROUS FUSES, AND THE ELECTRONIC BOARDS IN THE AC BURNED OUT. I GOT THE VEHICLE PARKED SAFELY AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE RUNNING BY REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR & ISOLATOR. HOWEVER THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPAIR THE OTHER DAMAGE. I WENT TO ANOTHER REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THEY REPLACED THE INVERTER & AC BOARDS AND SECURED THE WIRES WHERE THE FIRE OCCURRED TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE. IT APPEARS THAT A SAFETY FEATURE FAILED CAUSING A DANGEROUS ELECTRICAL FIRE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE SECOND FIRE I HAVE HAD IN THIS COACH. THE FIRST WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND I DID NOT BELIEVE CREATED A SAFETY RISK. IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE ALSO BUT WAS A ROPE LIGHT THAT THEY HAD PLACED IN THE CEILING AND I DID NOT THINK WAS CONNECTED TO THE VEHICLE SYSTEMS. I NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER AND THEY OFFERED ME $500.00 TO GO TO THE REPAIR SHOP, BUT I DECLINED AND SIMPLY REMOVED THE HAZARD. ON BOTH OCCASIONS I HAVE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY REPORTED ALL FIRES TO YOU. *JB
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation