2003 Keystone Cougar

GOING FROM CALIFORNIA TO LAS VEGAS ON INTERSTATE 15 ABOUT TEN MILES FROM THE NEVADA STATE LINE WHEN I HEARD A WHOLE LOT OF THUMPING FROM MY COUGAR FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. I HAD JUST TRAVERSED A VERY ROUGH SECTION OF ROAD WITH CONCRETE BARRIERS AND NO SHOULDERS ALONG THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED OVER ONTO THE PRECARIOUSLY NARROW SHOULDER AS SOON AS IT SEEMED SAFE. IT REALLY WASN'T SAFE. I SAW THAT MY FRONT TIRE ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS SHREDDED BUT THAT THE REAR TIRE WAS STILL HOLDING THE FRONT TIRE JUST OFF ITS RIM. I FOUND A BETTER SHOULDER. I GOT SOME RV ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE BIG REPAIR TRUCK PULLED UP BEHIND ME AND THE GUY PUT ON MY SPARE. HE MENTIONED THAT HE SMELLED A LOT OF PROPANE, SO I SHUT OFF THE TANK SUPPLY VALVES. I TOOK A LOOK UNDER THE RV NEAR THE SITE OF THE FLAT. THE SHEET METAL WAS PULLED OUT AND THE PLASTIC FENDER PANEL BROKEN. ALSO THERE WAS A ?T? IN THE PROPANE LINE NEAR THE TIRE WITH A TERMINAL CAP AND A TINY PIECE OF CRUMPLED UP COPPER TUBING POKING OUT OF A FITTING. AFTER TURNING ON THE PROPANE I COULD TELL IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS LEAKING BADLY, SO I TURNED THE PROPANE OFF AGAIN. LATER, I REALIZED THAT MY HEATER WASN'T WORKING. I DISCOVERED THAT I APPARENTLY LEFT PIECE OF THE HEATERS PROPANE COPPER SUPPLY LINE ON INTERSTATE 15. THE COPPER LINE LED THROUGH THE UNDERCARRIAGE ABOVE THE TIRE THAT WAS DESTROYED LEAVING A TELLTALE HOLE. THE TIRE RESIDUE SHREDDED THE COPPER GAS LINE IN SHORT ORDER. CONSIDERING HOW THE REST OF THE PROPANE SUPPLY LINE IS RATHER SOLID BLACK PIPE, I WOULD CONSIDER THIS GROUNDS FOR A RECALL. FLAT TIRES SHOULD NOT CAUSE DANGEROUS PROPANE LEAKS! FIXING THE HEATER HOSE SEEMED STRAIGHTFORWARD ENOUGH. I BOUGHT A MADE UP REPLACEMENT HOSE AFTER REALIZING THAT THE ORIGINAL COPPER HOSE WAS NOT THE BEST AND EASIEST WAY TO GO. I THEN DRILLED A SMALL HOLE UP THROUGH THE FLOORING ABOUT A FOOT FROM THE ORIGINAL HOLE. THE NEW HOLE IS OUT OF THE WHEEL WELL, CLOSER TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE FIFTH WHEEL. OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KEYSTONE COUGAR RV. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2652. THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG AMMONIA ODOR COMING FROM THE UNIT AND THE REFRIGERATOR WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. THE REFRIGERATOR WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE HEAT TUBE WAS FRACTURED WITH A SLIGHT LEAK. THE REFRIGERATOR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS DISPLEASED TO KNOW THAT DOMETIC WOULD NOT REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE COOLING UNIT. THE PART NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 07/29/08 *BF