Investigation PE02053: Atwood Atwood

Status

CLOSED

Opened

Jul 1, 2002

Closed

Oct 31, 2002

Model years

—

Subject

Carbon monoxide intrusion

Component: Fuel system, other › Storage › Tank assembly › Filling/charging

Summary

During odi's investigation, little evidence supporting a safety related defect was found.most interviewed owners stated they had no problems with their hot water heater.several of these owners have owned multiple units over the years and found them to be very reliable.additionally, of the complaints received, most owners were satisfied with the oem's attention to their concern.odi staff also tested several rv's for co intrusion, none of which indicated reason for alarm. The testing confirmed claims that the wind had an adverse affect on the hot water heater'sexhaust venting system.however, the temporary phenomena required several things in order to occur.those being, the operator uses lpg instead of electricity and the wind is blowing on the side of the vehicle that the hot water heater is located and in the correct direction.even then, the unit is isolated from the living quarters and therefore the co would have to escape and infiltrate the living quarters and elevate the ppm level to where it would become dangerous.therefore, odi has determined that a safety realted defect trend has not been identified at this time and futher use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

An NHTSA investigation looks into whether a safety defect exists. Opening one is not a finding. Outcomes can include a recall, closure without action, or further inquiry.