| Issue ID | 539332 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10118643 |
| Manufacurer | FOREST RIVER, INC. |
| Brand | FOREST RIVER |
| Model | TRAVEL TRAILER |
| Model Year | 2005 |
| File date | 27/12/04 |
| Component | SUSPENSION |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | I purchased a 2005 lexington motorhome from a dealer in san diego, california which was manufactoured by forest rive, inc. I started a trip around the country and shortly into my trip i discovered that apparently due to a design defect, under the motorhome slideout 4 holes allow carbon monoxide into the cabin. At first the carbon monoxide came from the generator exhaust but later we discovered that another vehicle parked next to the motorhome also presented a problem. Measurments of over 450ppm where registered on the co2 alarm. I ended up in emergency twice and had three exposures and confirmed poisonings of carbon monoxide. Forest river inc. Manufactured the motorhome and has yet been willing to address the issue. If it had not been for my co alarm, i feel i would be dead today. The factory (of course) denies there is a problem with their design. Because of this life threatening defect, i am not morally able to sell this motorhome as it is a death trap. I feel the factory has a moral obligation to notify the owners of the many models that use this slideout design in their motorhome of this potential life threatening problem before someone does die or suffers serious damage from this very dangerous poision. Also, the manufacture apparently did not do the ford recommended alignment of the body after building the motorhome and the vehicle was dangerous to drive. I was however able to get a ford dealership to repair the safety problem. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 5000 |
| Number of Occurences | 3 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | SAN DIEGO, CA |
| VIN pattern | 1FDXE45S84HXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 1 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 19/10/04 |
| Was original owner? | Y |
| Anti-lock brakes | Y |
| Cruise control | Y |
| Number of cylinders | 10 |
| Drive train type | RWD |
| Transmission type | AUTO |
| Vehicle speed | 0 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | 10000 RV SALES, INC. |
| Dealer's telephone number | 858-492-1300 |
| Dealer's city | SAN DIEGO |
| Dealer's state code | CA |
| Dealer's ZIP code | 92123 |