2000 Volkswagen Eurovan

ON JUNE 13, 2003 BOTH OF OUR RIALTAS ELECTRIC COOLING FANS SELF DESTRUCTED AFTER STARING THE DESCEND DOWN EAGLE RIDGE MOUNTAIN IN TN. AFTER A FEW SCARY MINUTES MY WIFE SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED THE RV TO SAFETY WITH MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN AND SISTER ABOARD. BECAUSE OF THE MISSING BLADES THE UNIT CONTINUED TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY FOR FIVE MINUTES UNTIL IT COOLED DOWN. TWENTY MINUTES LATER MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE WORKING IN IDLE UNTIL THE COOLING FAN ATTEMPTED TO START ITS COOLING FUNCTION AGAIN. MY WIFE CALLED A TENNESSEE HIGHWAY HELPER WHO STOPPED TO LOOK AT THE UNIT AND IMMEDIATELY NOTED THE MISSING FAN BLADES AND CALLED FOR A TOW. THE RIG WAS TOWED TO VW OF CHATTANOOGA TENNESSEE WHO UPON INSPECTION DETERMINED IT NEEDED NEW FAN BLADES WHICH THEY DID NOT HAVE IN STOCK. TO HELP EXPEDITE THE PARTS I ALSO CALLED DEALERS LOOKING FOR PARTS. AFTER CONTACTING 5 VW DEALERS AND SALLY EBERLE AT VW; PER YOUR WINNEBAGO'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT NEITHER COMPANY ACKNOWLEDGED A HISTORICAL PROBLEM WITH THAT ENGINES DESIGNED COOLING SYSTEM. MRS. EBERLE MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINE IS DESIGNED TO AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN DURING A COOLING FAN FAILURE. LUCKILY THIS WAS NOT THE CASE DURING OUR DESCEND DOWN MT EAGLE. AFTER CONTACTING MANY VW PARTS DEPARTMENTS I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THEY NORMALLY STOCK A REPLACEMENT FAN ASSEMBLY FOR MY PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER. OFF THE WEB I HAVE ALSO MADE CONTACT TO DATE WITH TWO OTHER RIALTA OWNERS OUT OF SIX WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. TWO OF THEM HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR REPAIRED RIALTA. 1.) IS MY UNIT SAFE? 2.) MOST IMPORTANT - HAS THE PROBLEM BEEN FIXED??? *JB

THE VEHICILE WAS BEING DRIVEN UP A HILL ON A TYPICAL AUGUST DAY HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHEN THE RIGHT COOLANT FAN BLADES DISINTEGRATED. THE FAN AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THEN 97 MILES LATER THE LEFT COLLANT FAN BLADES DISINTERGRATED WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 5 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS. THE SECOND FAN AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THEN I DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT COOLANT FAN WAS RUNNING COUNTER TO ITS CORRECT OPERATING DIRECTION. THE MOTOR DIRECTION WAS CORRECTED BY REVERSING THE ELECTICAL CONNECTOR ON THE RIGHT COOLANT FAN, THUS CORRECTING THE POLARITY OF THE MOTOR, BUT ONLY AFTER HOURS AND MILES OF DRIVING TO FIND THE SOLUTION. I BELIEVE THAT THE COOLANT FANS ARE DEFECTIVE AS TO DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, AND MATERIALS AND HERE IS WHY: 1. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DESIGN THE ELECTRICAL PLUG SO THAT IT WOULD JOIN ITS RECEPTOR IN ONLY THE CORRECT POLARITY DIRECTION, BUT THE PRESENT DESIGN IS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE PLUG CAN BE FORCED TO CONNECT WITH THE INCORRECT POLARITY. SEVERAL DESIGN CHANGES WOULD INDIVIULALLY OR COLLECTIVELY MAKE AN INCORRECT CONNECTION IMPOSSIBLE. 2. THERE IS NO SEPARATON BARRIER BETWEEN THE TWO COOLANT FANS SUCH THAT DEBRIS FROM ONE FAN BLADE FAILURE CAN IMPACT THE ADJACENT FAN BLADE PROBABLY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE SECOND FAN BALDE. THE LACK OF SUCH A BARRIER IS A DEFECT IN DESIGN. 3. THE FAN DESIGN OF SEVEN BLADES WITH AN INTEGRAL MOLDED PERIMETER SHROUD, THE SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THE FAN BLADES AND SHROUD TO-WIT, PLASTIC, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF THE FAN PART ARE ALL DEFECTIVE FOR COOLANT FANS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE SO LONG AS THERE IS NO PHYSICAL INJURY TO THE BLADES. THERE WAS NONE IN THIS CASE. THESE COOLANT FANS DISINTEGRATED IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL OPERATIONS AND UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. DT