Your recreational vehicle may be involved in a safety recall and may create a safety risk for you or your passengers. Safety defects must be repaired by a certified dealer at no cost to you. However, if left unrepaired, a potential safety defect in your vehicle could lead to injury or even death.

What is a recall?

Camping at White Tank Mountains Regional Park, El Mirage, Arizona © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

When a manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines that a recreational vehicle or item of RV equipment creates an unreasonable risk to safety or fails to meet minimum safety standards, the manufacturer is required to fix that vehicle or equipment at no cost to the consumer.

NHTSA releases its most recent list of recalls each Monday.

The number of RV recalls has increased significantly in recent years: 169 recalls were issued during 2016, 203 recalls during 2017, and 230 for 2018.

It should be noted that RV recalls are related to vehicle safety and not product quality. NHTSA has no interest in an air conditioner failing to cool or slide out failing to extend or retract—unless they can be directly attributed to product safety.

NHTSA announced 11 recall notices during September 2019. These recalls involved 8 recreational vehicle manufacturers—Forest River (2 recalls), Keystone RV Company (2 recalls), Newmar (1 recall), Braxton Creek RV (1 recall), Lance Camper (1 recall), Thor Motor Coach (1 recall), Jayco (2 recalls), Entegra Coach (1 recall)

Camping at Portland Fairview RV Park, Portland, Oregon © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Forest River

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Rockport box vans and service bodies, equipped with Uline Bulk Storage racks. Due to improper welding, the bulk storage beams may fail when loaded.

Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install replacement beams that were correctly welded, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 29, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-522-7599 or Uline customer service at 1-800-295-5510 or email at customerservice@uline.com. Forest River’s number for this recall is 29-1074.

Camping at Spartanburg-Gaffney KOA, Gaffney, South Carolina © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Forest River

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020 Catalina Travel Trailers. The fasteners securing the upper sleeping bunks may be too short, which can allow the bunk to fall.

Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fasteners to secure the bunk, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 9, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-8657. Forest River’s number for this recall is 205-1079.

Camping at Hidden Lake RV Park, Beaumont, Texas © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Keystone RV Company

Keystone RV Company (Keystone) is recalling certain 2020 Crossroads Cruiser 29SI, 27MK, 28RD, 24RL, and 29RK fifth-wheel trailers equipped with Morryde Rotating Pin Boxes. These pin boxes may be attached with bolts that are too short.

Keystone will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 5, 2019. Owners may contact Keystone customer service at 1-866-425-4369. Keystone’s number for this recall is 19-358.

Camping at Bellingham RV Park, Bellingham, Washington © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Keystone RV Company

Keystone RV Company (Keystone) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Hideout 25TH toy haulers. The trailers may be missing the Special Transportation Provision warning label in the garage area.

Keystone will notify owners, and dealers will provide the Special Transportation Provision warning labels, free of charge. The recall began on September 3, 2019. Owners may contact Keystone customer service at 1-866-425-4369. Keystone’s number for this recall is 19-359.

Camping at Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Newmar

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Mountain Aire, Essex, and King Aire motorhomes. The bedroom fascia header may fall unexpectedly onto the bed.

Newmar will notify owners, and dealers will add screws and brackets to properly secure the fascia header, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 19, 2019. Owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300.

Camping at Peach Arch RV Park, Surrey, British Columbia © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Braxton Creek RV

Braxton Creek RV (Braxton Creek) is recalling certain 2020 Bushwhacker trailers. The trailers may be missing the liquid propane (LP)/carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.

Braxton Creek will notify owners, and dealers will provide a plug-in 120 volt LP/CO detector, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2019. Owners may contact Braxton Creek customer service at 1-260-768-7932.

Camping at Golden Village Palms RV Park, Hemet, California © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Lance Camper

Lance Camper Manufacturing Corp. (Lance Camper) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Lance Camper 855S trailers. The 12 volt battery power and/or ground wire may contact the hot burner box of the refrigerator.

Lance Camper will notify owners, and dealers will install a clamp to secure the wire, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 14, 2019. Owners may contact Lance Camper customer service at 1-661-949-3322.

Camping at Laura S. Walker State Park, Georgia © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Thor Motor Coach

Thor Motor Coach (TMC) is recalling certain 2020 Chateau, Daybreak, Four Winds, Freedom Elite, Majestic, Outlaw and Quantum motorhomes. The battery cables may loosen on the battery isolation manager (BIM) or battery isolation relay (BIR), causing premature BIN/BIR failure or electrical arcing.

TMC will notify owners, and dealers will install lock washers to properly secure the battery cable to the BIM/BIR. If the cable was loose, dealers will also replace the BIM/BIR, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 20, 2019. Owners may contact TMC customer service at 1-877-855-2867. TMC’s number for this recall is RC000172.

Camping at Whispering Hills RV Park, Georgetown, Kentucky © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Jayco

Jayco, Inc. (Jayco) is recalling certain 2019 Embark motorhomes. The upper and lower steering shaft bolts may have been insufficiently tightened, allowing the steering column shaft to come loose.

Jayco will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the upper and lower steering shaft bolts, if necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2019. Owners may contact Jayco customer service at 1-800-517-9137. Jayco’s number for this recall is 9901434.

Camping at Meaher State Park, Alabama © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Jayco

Jayco, Inc. (Jayco) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Eagle HT fifth wheel trailers equipped with MORyde Orbital or You Turn Rubber Pin Box Wedge Kits. The pin boxes may have been equipped with bolts 1-3/4″ in length when they should be equipped with 2″ long bolts.

Jayco will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the bolts and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 20, 2019. Owners may contact MORyde customer service at 1-574-293-1581 or Jayco at 1-800-283-8267. Jayco’s number for this recall is 9901435.

Camping at Usery Mountain Regional Park, Mesa, Arizona © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Entegra Coach

Entegra Coach (Entegra) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Insignia, Anthem, Aspire, Cornerstone, Reatta, and Reatta XL motorhomes. The upper and lower steering shaft bolts may have been insufficiently tightened, allowing the steering column shaft to come loose.

Entegra will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the upper and lower steering shaft bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2019. Owners may contact Entegra customer service at 1-800-517-9137. Entegra’s number for this recall is 9901434.

Note: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Please Note: This is the eighth in a series of posts relating to RV Manufacturers Recalls

Worth Pondering…

It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn’t.

—Martin Van Buren