Message:
Everyone: I post this a a safety reminder if the following ever happens to you on road. Please note that both VW is working on the issue of the "four" radiator cooling fans that have failed. Sally, I wanted to keep VW and Winnebago in the loop as to what conversations I have had with the NHTSA and the VW/Winnebago dealer who recenlty repaired my new fans. The following e-mail was sent to them after they called me to discuss what occurred when the fans flew apart. I told them that a Tennessee state road side assistance mechanic was the first on the scene. He opened up the hood and had my wife start the engine. After a few seconds the fans started and the RV started shaking while pieces of the fans started flying out. The mechanic instantly shut the hood and told my wife to stop the engine. I have some sharp pieces of the fans if you would like to see them. He was not hurt. Have you heard anything back from anyone in your company? Mr. Abbott, It was a pleasure talking to you the other day. I took my Rialta into the VW/Winnebago dealer to have the loose fan replaced. After the mechanic inspected it he let me know that he decided to replace both of the fans under warranty. It appaered that both of the fans motor shafts were okay. The problem appears to be with the plastic hub on the fans. The fan with the 7/8" play was either warped or wearing away the plastic that connects to the shaft. This has all happen within 2000 miles and less than two months of service. He decided to replace the other fan and motor when he noticed the same wear starting to appear. As a Rialta mechanic he has replaced other VW Fans that shattered but never saw it were the plastic hubs came loose. Because the replacements are being handled by VW you need to contact them to obtain the defective fans. The mechanic will also get back to me on what hose got nicked when the original fans blew apart. When I took the RV in for service I had the VW/Winnebago dealer's customer service agent open the hood and look at the fan with the 7/8" play. He placed his fingers on the fan blades; against my recommendation, and was surprised on how loose it was. But that was nothing compared to the shock he got when the fans automatically started five minutes after it had been idle. He shut the hood and stared like a deer in the head lights. Luckily he was not hurt. Thank You, Carl B. Knapp