Almost Burned Up Our M/H: Add This to Your Checks

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Jeff

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A couple of years ago Ron Ruward found his muffler hangars shot and warned us all to check ours which I did and they were fine. I'll add another item to the exhaust list, take a screw driver and check the integrity of any stainless flexpipe that was used on your exhaust!

I pulled into the Campground here at Frisco, NC after a fairly short 60 mile drive down the Outer Banks at slow speeds and frequent stops. When I got out of the m/h (2001 National Tradewinds LTC) the air smelled like a smouldering campfire was going. The smell was the embedded wood used in molding our rear cap out of composite material. The flex pipe failed about six inches in from the attachment to the chrome cap used to extend through the motorhome body and pumped heat onto the rear shell long enough to burn away some of the wood and singe the paint on the exterior of the cap. The entire pipe was shot; in fact I am wondering if it was stainless or just galvanized flex pipe. The new is stainless and will be checked religiously!

I don't like to dwell on what might have happened if I had been on a longer pull at steady highway speeds when this happened. ???
 

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You sure dodged the bullet on that one.  Fortunately for us, our exhaust doesn't exit through the body but is below and I don't believe there is any flexible tubing in the exhaust run.  But it sure wouldn't hurt to take a look underneath regardless of how you think the exhaust is constructed.
 
Wow that was close.  Thanks for the warning I will be checking ours too.  Like Ned ours does not exict through the body and I don't recall any flexable in the exhaust but will check it to be sure.
 
Jeff, someone was sure looking out for you!!!

I have no idea how our exhaust is routed; but we'll be checking it out before we head home tomorrow, I'm sure.

So glad everying is OK.

Marsha~
 
Ours is strapped below the frame too.  I know because we had a heck of a time getting exhaust parts in Ohio last year after the Spring Rally, we noticed it was rotted through when we were working on the starter.  But it goes to show you that you really do need eyes in the back of your head to see everything!!
 
Yep, like Ron sez, dodged the bullet. Have you thought of buying a lottery ticket?  ;D

I wasted no time. Checked my pipes. I think they are stainless steel. It's an 05 Damon Challenger off the line in Dec of 04. No flex - all bent steel. No rust or corrosion - no hot spots. All attached at numerous locations, to the frame by steel hangers and fittings. Nothing flamable, close.

Checked the generator, also. Same methods and workmanship.

Thanks for making me look. Having an "entry-level" coach, I thought, "now there would be a good place to cut production costs!  ::)

I was very pleasantly surprised. They didn't cut costs there!  I wasted no time, getting out there and crawling under the coach.  ;D

Ray D  ;D
 
Not on my coach, but on my towed.. I've had what sounded like a failing exhaust for a while (Very soft rumble) and when I last pulled into a campground someone told me to look at the car.. Turns out the muffler was fully rusted off the cat.

At least I saved the tail pipe (It's stainless so it got re-used)
 
With the warning that Jeff has shared with the rest of us it would be a very good idea to check our own equipment to insure we do not have the same condition.
 
I'm surprised that there would be any flex used at all in a diesel exhaust system. In my opinion diesel exhaust is far too hot for safe use with flex tubing. Yeah,  there is probably some real good stuff available that will hold up OK, but it seems inherently risky to me. Garages use the stuff for temp hook-ups while working on an engine, but for every day use on the road? Not on my rig, thank you.
 

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