NHTSA Complaint #10395636 — 2011 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN

VEHICLE IS A NEW GEORGETOWN 300S MOTOR HOME WITH A ROOM SLIDE OUT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. OVER THE SLIDE OUT IS AN AWNING SOMETIMES CALLED A TOPPER THAT IS ROLLED VERY COMPACTLY WITH A TORSION SPRING WHEN TRAVELING. UNDER CERTAIN WIND CONDITIONS (30 MPH WIND FROM LEFT AT 60 MILES PER HOUR FORWARD COACH SPEED) THE TOPPER WILL VIOLENTLY UNROLL, IMPACTING THE MOTOR COACH CABIN, AND RESULTING WITH VERY LOUD WIND NOISE THAT APPEARS TO BE AN IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. STOPPING VERY QUICKLY CLEARS THE PROBLEM YET SERIOUSLY DISRUPTS ADJACENT VEHICLES. THE TOPPER IS MANUFACTURED BY DOMETIC AND INSTALLED BY THE GEORGETOWN FORREST RIVER ASSEMBLY PLANT. THE VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS BY DOMETIC FOR THE INSTALLATION CALLS FOR AN AUTOMATIC LOCK TO BE ATTACHED AT THE LEADING END OF THE TOPPER SLIDE ASSEMBLY TO PREVENT UNINTENTIONAL UNFURLING WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE GEORGETOWN ASSEMBLY PLANT ATTACHED THE AUTOMATIC LOCK AT THE TRAILING END OF THE SLIDE ASSEMBLY AND WITH INSUFFICIENT CONTACT RESULTING IN THE ABOVE DESCRIBED ACCIDENT. CHECKING WITH THE RV.NET SAFETY BLOG THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN FAILURE BY GEORGETOWN. EXAMINING THE NEW MOTOR HOMES ON THE DEALER LOT WHERE I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, IT LOOKED LIKE ONE IN FOUR VEHICLES HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD A LOW CONCERN LEVEL DEMONSTRATED FOR CORRECTING A MANUFACTURE'S DEFICIENCY. WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE LIMITED EXPERIENCE DRIVERS PILOTING MOTOR HOMES 30-45 FEET LONG WITH A CAR TOWED BEHIND, AN UNEXPECTED IMPACT TO THE CABIN CAN EASILY LEAD TO A VERY TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCE. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE A GEORGETOWN ADDRESS THAT ACCEPTS SAFETY ISSUES EITHER IN MY SALES DOCUMENTATION OR ONLINE AT THEIR WEBSITE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER. *TR