NHTSA Complaint #10861705 — 2015 ALLEGRO 450P

THE CAREFREE PARAMOUNT MOTOR HOME (MH) AWNING OPENED, BY ITSELF, WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 45 MPH ON MAJOR HIGHWAY, NOT TURNING, VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN OVER 100 MILES THAT DAY BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO RIGHT LANE, THEN OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT DAMAGE OR INJURY. EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE TIED AWNING TO SIDE OF COACH. LAZYDAYS OF TAMPA REPAIRED AWNING AND STATED THAT THE MOTOR FAILED WHICH ALLOWED THE SPRING-LOADED AWNING TO SELF EXTEND WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THERE WAS NO POWER TO MOTOR, HOWEVER, THE MOTOR/GEAR BOX ASSEMBLY IS WHAT HOLDS AWNING IN ... IN THIS CASE, A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE (MOTOR BOX) ALLOWED AWNING TO EXTEND BY ITSELF INTO ADJACENT LANE OF TRAFFIC WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH. A NEW MOTOR BOX WAS INSTALLED ON MY AWNING AND SEEMS TO WORK OK, HOWEVER, THERE SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT A SINGLE FAILURE COULD ALLOW THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. I AM NOT AN ENGINEER BUT LOGIC SEEMS THAT IN EVENT OF A FAILURE THE AWNING SHOULD STAY CLOSED, NOT OPEN. AT MINIMUM THERE SHOULD BE A BACKUP MECHANISM TO PREVENT UNINTENDED EXTENSION THAT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR INJURY TO PEOPLE IN MH OR OTHER VEHICLES IN IMMEDIATE AREA.