Forest River, Inc. is recalling certain 2019 Forest River Berkshire motorhomes

Sep 13, 2018 — Recall Campaign #18V623000

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Forest River Berkshire motorhomes. The affected vehicles have entry doors with latch rods that may be improperly adjusted, allowing the door to open while moving.

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 56 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

18V623000

Manufacturer:	Forest River, Inc.
Recall date:	September 13, 2018
NHTSA Campaign #:	18V623000
Units affected:	56

Description:: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Forest River Berkshire motorhomes. The affected vehicles have entry doors with latch rods that may be improperly adjusted, allowing the door to open while moving.
Consequeces:: If the door opens while moving it can increase the risk of injury or a crash.
Corrective action:: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will readjust the door latch rod, free of charge. The recall began October 9, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-522-1368. Forest River's number for this recall is 40-0853.
Notes:: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Affects the following:

2019 FOREST RIVER BERKSHIRE

2019 FOREST RIVER BERKSHIRE Complaints
I am submitting a follow-up complaint regarding a previously reported front axle weight and capacity issue on this motorhome (original ODI complaint #11398920). At the time of the original complaint, the front axle was already operating at or above its rated capacity under normal conditions, even after removing factory-installed components and redistributing weight rearward. Despite removing approximately 820 lbs from the vehicle, the front axle weight was only reduced by about 200 lbs, indicating a systemic weight distribution problem rather than a loading issue. Since that time, the issue has escalated into a safety failure. We recently experienced a blowout of the front left tire while operating the vehicle under normal conditions. Based on prior weight measurements and ongoing inability to bring the front axle within safe limits, I believe this failure is directly related to the overloaded front axle condition. This appears to be a known design limitation. Forest River revised subsequent model years of this same unit with increased front axle and tire capacity, suggesting awareness of insufficient capacity in earlier models. Additionally, numerous owners of similar units have reported the same front axle weight issues. The vehicle cannot be operated within safe front axle limits without removing essential functionality (such as fuel or standard equipment), which is not practical or intended use. Given the progression from a documented weight concern to an actual tire failure event, I am requesting that this matter be formally reviewed or reopened as a safety defect investigation. I can provide supporting documentation including CAT scale tickets, prior correspondence, and details of the tire blowout incident upon request.;