Forest River, Inc. is recalling certain 2017-2019 Forest River Georgetown and FR3 motorhomes

Oct 31, 2018 — Recall Campaign #18V768000

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Forest River Georgetown and FR3 motorhomes, 2018-2019 Berkshire motorhomes and 2018 Charleston motorhomes. The motorized windshield roller shade at the driver's seating position may unroll without warning while driving.

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 4,790 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

18V768000

Manufacturer:	Forest River, Inc.
Recall date:	October 31, 2018
NHTSA Campaign #:	18V768000
Units affected:	4,790

Description:: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Forest River Georgetown and FR3 motorhomes, 2018-2019 Berkshire motorhomes and 2018 Charleston motorhomes. The motorized windshield roller shade at the driver's seating position may unroll without warning while driving.
Consequeces:: If the windshield roller shade unrolls while driving, it could block the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective action:: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a fastener to ensure the motor will not allow the shade to roll down during while driving. The recall began November 28, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7605. Forest River's number for the recall is 68-0822.
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 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.;
2019 FOREST RIVER GEORGETOWN Complaints
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-53 Motorhome. The contact stated that when retrieving the vehicle from the independent dealer for regular service, when driving it was observed that the rear window was missing. The contact then called the independent dealer to confirm if the window was there, however, it was not. The contact drove the vehicle back to an independent dealer where they glued the window. The contact stated that the failure recurred multiple times. The contact stated that they were aware of the Lippert Recall Number: 21E047. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, however, no case was opened. The contact stated that the manufacturer referred them to another manufacturer for the remedy. The contact stated that they scheduled an appointment with the dealer for the recall remedy. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.;