NHTSA Complaint #11390312 — 2011 WINNEBAGO JOURNEY

RV SLIDEOUTS OFTEN HAVE PASSENGER SEATING. ON CERTAIN MODELS OF POWER GEAR SLIDE SYSTEMS, THERE IS A LOCK SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT THE SLIDEOUT CAN'T MOVE WHILE DRIVING. THESE LOCKING MECHANISMS CIRCA 2010 - 2012? WERE DEFECTIVE AND OFTEN JAM IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION. THE OPERATOR HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE LOCK IS INOPERATIVE AND NOT HOLDING THE SLIDEOUT CLOSED. THIS PRESENTS A DANGER TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE COACH AS A VEHICLE IN MOTION, AND A DANGER TO PASSENGERS WHO ARE SEAT-BELTED INTO THE SLIDEOUT. IN 2012 POWERGEAR AND KWIKEE (BOTH DIVISIONS OF LIPPERT ( LCI INDUSTRIES) & WINNEBAGO OFFERED AN "UPGRADE" KIT TO FIX THIS SLIDEOUT LOCKS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY RECALL! ATTACHED IS THE POWERGEAR BULLETIN REGARDING THE KIT SUPPLIED TO 'UPGRADE' THE LOCKS SO THEY WOULD NOT FAIL IN THE OPEN POSITION. I HAVE TRIED TO GET LCI TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY REFUSE. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON MANY BRANDS OF RV'S THAT USE THE POWERGEAR ARM AND PINION SLIDEOUT MECHANISMS. A WEB SEARCH OF THE RV FORUMS WILL YIELD STORIES OF RV OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD VARIOUS STANDINGS AND MAJOR PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THESE LOCKS. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS ONLY THAT I DISCOVERED THESE LOCKS ON MY COACH WERE NOT WORKING AND AM DEEPLY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY BECAUSE OF THE RISK POSED BY TWO OF MY SLIDES NOT BEING LOCKED. LCI HAS DECLINED TO DO MORE THAN OFFER A 25% DISCOUNT ON THE ENTIRE SLIDE MECHANISM (MUCH MORE THAN NEEDED TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE).