Recreational Vehicle/trailer Problems of Toyota Tacoma

We rented a vehicle consisting of the identified Toyota Tacoma with an installed cab-over camper (travel lite 550u-xs, VIN: [xxx]). While driving this rental vehicle on a two-lane highway with our family, including two young children (ages [xxx] and [xxx]), a fire ignited in the vehicle's built-in propane/gas stove system. We were not alerted to the fire by any onboard safety equipment, though the camper was equipped with a smoke alarm. We were alerted only by a passing motorist. The vehicle's smoke alarm did not activate until several minutes after the fire had already been extinguished by us using the vehicle's fire extinguisher, and after the smoke inside the camper had already dissipated. The smoke alarm sustained visible smoke damage and its exterior housing was melted, which we believe indicates the alarm was exposed to significant heat/smoke without triggering, or triggered only very late in that exposure. We believe this represents a serious safety equipment failure: a smoke/fire detection system that did not provide any early warning during an active fire, in a small space. This delay in detection could have resulted in serious injury or death. Additionally, we received no safety briefing regarding the hazards of the propane system at the time of vehicle handover. The vehicle overview video provided to us contained no safety information regarding the gas system, and we later discovered it depicted a different vehicle unit than the one we were actually provided, raising questions about whether this vehicle's specific gas/stove configuration and safety equipment had been properly reviewed or tested prior to rental. We made a best guess at cause in speaking with the responder fire department, but we cannot know for sure. To be clear, there was no issue with the Toyota Tacoma itself. We are submitting this complaint to ensure NHTSA is aware of this potential safety defect in the smoke alarm system and/or propane stove. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(.

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