NHTSA Complaint #10289900 — 2004 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER

I WAS DRIVING MY RV HOME FROM A TRIP WITH MY GRAND-DAUGHTER AND WAS TRAVELING ON A BUSY 2-LANE HIGHWAY. I WAS GOING APPROX. 50-55 MPH AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES FOR SLOWING TRAFFIC, THE PRIVACY CURTAIN (THE CURTAIN THAT COVERS THE WINDSHIELD AT NIGHT WHEN PARKED) PULLED LOOSE FROM THE WALL AND SLID FORWARD IN THE TRACK COVERING THE DRIVER'S HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD, BLOCKING MY VISION. I HELD THE STEERING WHEEL WITH ONE HAND AND MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO PULL THE CURTAIN BACK SO THAT I COULD SEE WHERE I WAS GOING. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO SEE, I WAS ACROSS THE HIGHWAY CENTER LINE INTO THE ONCOMING LANE. THANKFULLY, THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AT THAT MOMENT. I HELD THE CURTAIN BACK WITH ONE HAND AND HAD TO DRIVE SEVERAL MILES BEFORE I FOUND AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO PULL OVER. ON CLOSER INSPECTION, THE CURTAIN STRAP WAS HELD IN PLACE WITH ONLY ONE SCREW INTO THIN WALL PANELING. THE SCREW WAS STRIPPED AND WHEN IT PULLED LOOSE FROM THE WALL THE CURTAIN RETAINING STRAP SLID TO THE FLOOR ALLOWING THE CURTAIN TO SPRING FORWARD IN THE TRACK. THERE WAS NO ANCHOR BEHIND THE WALL TO KEEP THE CURTAIN STRAP SECURED. *TR