NHTSA Complaint #10217950 — 2007 HOLIDAY RAMBLER ADMIRAL

I OWN A 2007 HOLIDAY RAMBLER ADMIRAL MOTORHOME WITH A CAREFREE ECLIPSE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AWNING ON THE RIGHT SIDE. ON OUR TRIP OUT, WHILE DRIVING, I NOTICED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR THAT THE AWNING ARMS WERE SLIGHTLY AJAR. THEY WERE FULLY CLOSED EARLIER IN THE DAY. AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR DESTINATION, I OPENED THE AWNING. FROM THE ONE QUARTER OPEN POSITION IT SNAPPED QUICKLY TO THE FULL OPEN POSITION- I.E., NOT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE ELECTRIC OPENING MOTOR. A VISUAL CHECK BY ME CONFIRMED THE GEAR MECHANISM WAS TURNING THE ROD ATTACHED TO THE ROLLER THE AWNING WRAPPED AROUND, BUT THE ROLLER ITSELF WAS NOT MOVING, AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT RETRACT. A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AT CAREFREE RECOMMENDED ROLLING THE AWNING IN BY HAND, AND THEN USING BUNGEE CORDS OR STRAPS TO HOLD THE AWNING ARMS IN, AND TAKE TO A REPAIR FACILITY. I TOLD THEM I WAS RETURNING HOME AND THEY GAVE ME A WARRANTY LOCATION. ON THE WAY HOME, EVEN THOUGH THE CANOPY WAS ROLLED UP AND THE AWNING ARMS TIED, THE CANOPY UNROLLED. HAD THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT THE AWNING ARMS BEING PHYSICALLY LOCKED UP BY ME, THE AWNING WOULD HAVE FULLY EXTENDED 8 FEET INTO THE LANE TO THE RIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE AWNING MAY HAVE ACTED AS A SAIL AND CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY COACH. TO LOCK THE AWNING ARMS IN, I HAD TO DRILL HOLES IN THE MOUNTING RAILS NEAR THE TOP- WITHOUT THESE HOLES BEING DRILLED, IT WAS NOT FEASIBLE TO LOCK THE AWNING ARMS IN PLACE. THUS, HAD I TRIED TO DRIVE THE COACH BY SIMPLY ROLLING THE AWNING UP UNTIL ITS COVER WAS OVER-CENTER, IT DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE FULLY EXTENDED WHEN THE AWNING UNROLLED IN THE AIRSTREAM. I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *TR