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Four Winds Safety Issue

Yahoo Message Number: 550

I may have uncovered another significant safety issue with the Four Winds. The Upfitters guide recommends that Kodiak SVM's do not bring the exhaust pipe out ahead of the rear axle... My exhaust comes out 5" ahead of my passenger side rear duals... I believe all the Four Winds Kodiak Class C's do the same.

The logic is simply; the heat from the exhaust can cause the tires on that side to overheat, especially in the summer heat. But with the new 2007i diesel compliant engines, it is even more important. The exhaust gases during the regeneration process can reach temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees. I am driving down the highway when my coach begins to "regenerate." The heat from the process is flowing back and overheating my rear tires while I am driving 70 mph the highway... boom! A tire blows, and you know the rest... I think Four Winds will end up moving their exhaust systems on all their coaches, once this info gets to NHTSA...

Denny

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Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 551
I assume that is diesels only? My gasser comes out just in front of the rears and I believe may have also been the case before the w/b was lengthened as well.

D



On 4-Feb-08, at 1:19 PM,

Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 552

I don't know the temperature differences between gas and diesel... the Upfitters guide doesn't distinguish.. it just states that "tailpipe must extend 2-2.5 in outboard of body panels. Tailpipe exit ahead of rear wheels is not recommended." It just seems to me that with the high exhaust temps of the 2007i emissions, it would be an issue. I noticed a number of A gassers do exit ahead of the rear axle also.

Denny

Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 553
I have not seen a Kodiak chassis that does not have exhaust exiting
behind axle (diesel or gas). Mine comes out on the passenger side 12"
in front of tires and 6" outside of MH side.

Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 554
And they certainly do extend out the side (does that make the legal width wider than wall to wall?).

D


On 4-Feb-08, at 3:02 PM,

Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 555

The "legal width" you refer to includes only the chassis/body... accessories have an additional allowance on each side (mirrors, etc.) I think it is 18", either total for both sides or for each side, I don't recall.

Denny

Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 556
Not sure of that rule but I can tell you that the Canadian manufacturer Triple E would ship its units without awnings on since they had to meet US width laws (they'd transport through the US to Ontario from Manitoba and also ship to US dealers) and then the dealers would treat the awning like a dealer installed option.

D



On 4-Feb-08, at 5:18 PM,

Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 558

It's weird you would mention "Triple E" ... I have a Triple E Topaz fifth wheel parked on my left, and a Triple E Commander motor home parked on my right... not sure I had ever seen a Triple E before.... strange.

Denny

Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 565
We bought a 3 year old 2000 Commander with F53 in 2003. Better built than the next three by far and VERY well winterized. We often wonder why some jerk in the family just had to have a DP and thus we had to trade it. :(

D


On 4-Feb-08, at 7:07 PM,

 

Re: Four Winds Safety Issue

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 569

There seems to be a jerk in every family... we have one in our family too....Denny