May 14, 2021 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V350000
Breakaway Switch Power Lead Wired Incorrectly
The trailer brakes may not engage if the breakaway switch does not have power, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V350
Manufacturer Forest River
, Inc.
Components EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Potential Number of Units Affected 39
Summary
Forest River
, Inc. (Forest River
) is recalling certain 2021 Coachmen Spirit Travel Trailers. The Breakaway switch power lead is wired incorrectly and may lose power.
Remedy
Dealers will rewire the breakaway switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River
customer service at 1-574-825-8205. Forest River
’s number for this recall is 220-1336.
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.
RECALL 21V350, 2021-284 REMEDY INSTRUCTIONS
Make(s): SPIRIT TRAVEL TRAILERS
Model(s): MANY, SEE BELOW
Model Year(s): 2021
Concern:
The battery/house and the break-away wiring is incorrect on the battery disconnect.
Repair Code: RC-003-22-00-004058
Allotted Time: .50 HRS.
Inspection Code: N/A
Allotted Time: N/A
Disconnect the vehicles’ battery Positive and Negative, disconnect any House battery(s) Positive and Negative, if equipped with a generator ensure it is off and lastly, ensure the vehicle is disconnected from shore power. Block any tires/wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling. Failure to do so may result in electrocution, fire or other personal injury, property damage and/or death.
MODELS AFFECTED: SBT1943RB, SBT2557RB, SBT2963BH AND SBT3379BH
STEP 1: LOCATE AND REMOVE SCREWS HOLDING THE BATTERY DISCONNECT FROM THE FRAME (FIG. 1);
STEP 2: LOOSEN THE BATTERY DISCONNECT AND PULL THE WIRES THROUGH THE FRAME HOLE (FIG. 2);
STEP 3: LOCATE AND UNBOLT THE RED WIRES FROM THE SAME LUG ON THE BATTERY KILL SWITCH (FIG. 3);
STEP 4: PLACE THE RED BATTERY HOT ON THE “CONNECT” SIDE AND PLACE THE BLACK WIRE WITH THE
EYELET ONTO THE SAME LUG TOGETHER (THIS BLACK WIRE IS THE BREAK-AWAY SWITCH WIRE) (FIG. 4);
STEP 5: PLACE THE RED WIRE FROM THE TRAILER SIDE TO THE OTHER POST OF THE SWITCH (FIG. 4);
STEP 6: TIGHTEN LUGS DOWN;
STEP 7: CLAIM REPAIR CODE.
This Notice applies to your vehicle VIN listed above.
Dear Forest River
Customer:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. This notice is also sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Forest River
– Office of Corporate Compliance (“OCC”) has decided that a defect, which relates to the motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 2021 Coachmen Spirit travel trailer recreational vehicles. This is to inform you that your vehicle may contain a defect that could affect the safety of a person.
WHAT IS THE DEFECT/NONCOMPLIANCE?
The Breakaway switch power lead is wired to the auxiliary side of the battery disconnect. Without constant power to the switch, it may not engage when needed and consequently not allow the trailer brakes to activate.
EVALUATION OF THE RISK TO THE VEHICLE AND OPERATOR(S) RELATED TO THE RECALL.
If the battery disconnect is in the “off” position, the breakaway switch will not engage when needed, the trailer brakes will not activate which may lead to a crash resulting in property damage, injury and/or death.
WHAT IS FOREST RIVER
AND OUR DEALERSHIPS GOING TO DO?
Forest River
is notifying dealerships of the recall. You may have the recall corrected at any Forest River
dealership. However, it is preferable if you have your selling dealership perform the remedy. Forest River
completely covers your cost for the remedy; you will not receive any bill of sale for anything covered under the above recall number.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Please contact your dealer immediately and request a service appointment to schedule the free remedy. The remedy will include wiring the breakaway switch to the constant power lug to the battery disconnect. The vehicle Owner is responsible for arranging to have the work completed. Please state you have been notified by Forest River
of having a recall in process for your vehicle and provide the recall number for the dealership. It is also helpful to the dealership to have a copy of this letter when you take your vehicle in for the recall remedy. You may also visit www.forestriverinc.com for dealer locations.
HOW LONG WILL THE REMEDY PROCESS TAKE?
The estimated time of repair is .5 hours. However, the dealership may need to keep your vehicle or schedule an appointment with you for a later date to fit into their regular service schedule.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PAID FOR REPAIRS TO YOUR VEHICLE FOR THIS PARTICULAR CONDITION?
If you have already paid for a repair that is within the scope of this defect under recall, you still need to have this recall inspected and/or performed to ensure the correct parts and procedures were utilized.
Additionally, you may be eligible for a refund of previously paid repairs. Refunds will only be provided for within the scope of this defect under recall.
Please send the service invoice to the following address:
Coachmen Spirit
Forest River
, Inc.
Attn: WARRANTY MANAGER
423 N Main St
Middlebury, IN 46540
SEOCONTENT-START IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL Page 1 of 2 06/09/2021 This Notice applies to your vehicle VIN listed above. Dear Forest River
Customer: This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. This notice is also sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Forest River
– Office of Corporate Compliance (“OCC”) has decided that a defect, which relates to the motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 2021 Coachmen Spirit travel trailer recreational vehicles. This is to inform you that your vehicle may contain a defect that could affect the safety of a person. WHAT IS THE DEFECT/NONCOMPLIANCE? The Breakaway switch power lead is wired to the auxiliary side of the battery disconnect. Without constant power to the switch, it may not engage when needed and consequently not allow the trailer brakes to activate. EVALUATION OF THE RISK TO THE VEHICLE AND OPERATOR(S) RELATED TO THE RECALL. If the battery disconnect is in the “off” position, the breakaway switch will not engage when needed, the trailer brakes will not activate which may lead to a crash resulting in property damage, injury and/or death. WHAT IS FOREST RIVER
AND OUR DEALERSHIPS GOING TO DO? Forest River
is notifying dealerships of the recall. You may have the recall corrected at any Forest River
dealership. However, it is preferable if you have your selling dealership perform the remedy. Forest River
completely covers your cost for the remedy; you will not receive any bill of sale for anything covered under the above recall number. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Please contact your dealer immediately and request a service appointment to schedule the free remedy. The remedy will include wiring the breakaway switch to the constant power lug to the battery disconnect. The vehicle Owner is responsible for arranging to have the work completed. Please state you have been notified by Forest River
of having a recall in process for your vehicle and provide the recall number for the dealership. It is also helpful to the dealership to have a copy of this letter when you take your vehicle in for the recall remedy. You may also visit www.forestriverinc.com for dealer locations. HOW LONG WILL THE REMEDY PROCESS TAKE? The estimated time of repair is .5 hours. However, the dealership may need to keep your vehicle or schedule an appointment with you for a later date to fit into their regular service schedule. WHAT IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PAID FOR REPAIRS TO YOUR VEHICLE FOR THIS PARTICULAR CONDITION? If you have already paid for a repair that is within the scope of this defect under recall, you still need to have this recall inspected and/or performed to ensure the correct parts and procedures were utilized. Additionally, you may be eligible for a refund of previously paid repairs. Refunds will only be provided for within the scope of this defect under recall. Please send the service invoice to the following address: Coachmen Spirit Forest River
, Inc. Attn: WARRANTY MANAGER 423 N Main St Middlebury, IN 46540 DEPARTMENT OF COMPLIANCE VEHICLE SAFETY AND RECALL MANAGEMENT BUILDING 11 423 N MAIN ST MIDDLEBURY, INDIANA 46540-9218 NHTSA RECALL: 21V350 CANADA RECALL: 2021-284 FR ID: 220-1336 <<VIN>> <<OWNER NAME/DEALERNAME>> <<ADDRESS>> <<CITY>>, <<ST>> <<ZIP-XXX>> O Integrity O Safety O Quality O Customer Service IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL Page 2 of 2 What if you no longer own this vehicle? If you no longer own this vehicle and have the address for the current owner, please forward this letter to the new owner within 10 working days after the day in which the notice is received. You have received this letter because government regulations require that a notification is sent to the last known owner of record. Our records indicate that you are the current owner. PLEASE NOTE: FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THAT ANY VEHICLE LESSOR RECEIVING THIS RECALL NOTICE MUST FORWARD A COPY OF THIS NOTICE TO THE LESSEE WITHIN TEN DAYS. MAY FOREST RIVER
ASSIST YOU FURTHER? If you have difficulties getting your vehicle repaired, please contact your Forest River
Representative listed below: CONTACT PHONE CUSTOMER SERVICE (574) 825-8205 If you are still having difficulty getting your vehicle repaired in a reasonable amount of time or without charge, you may write to the following address: For Canadian Owners Please Contact: Head of Recalls Motor Vehicle Safety Investigations Laboratory Transport Canada 80 Noël street, Gatineau, Quebec, J8Z 0A1 Telephone (800) 333-0510 Facsimile (819) 420-4292 Recall ID: 2021-284 For US Owners Please Contact: Administrator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Ave, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 Or you may call the toll free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or (TTY: 1-800-424-9153). Or visit www.safercar.gov and search; Recall ID: 21V350 ******************************************************************************************************************* IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL Page 1 of 2 06/09/2021 Pursuant to USC49CFR §577.13 – Notification to Dealerships and Distributors – Paragraph B “It is a violation of Federal Law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by the notification under a sale or lease until the defect or noncompliance is remedied. Substantial civil penalties apply to violations of this law.” –Forest River
motorized and towable products are contained in this section- CANADA: Pursuant to the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Act, section 5 Companies who sell new non-complying vehicles may be in violation of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Substantial penalties apply to violations of this law. This notice is being sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. This is to inform you that your vehicle may contain a defect that could affect the safety of a person. Forest River
– Office of Corporate Compliance (“OCC”) has decided that a safety defect exists in certain 2021 Coachmen Spirit travel trailer recreational vehicles. Forest River
is recalling the defect model(s) to ensure the safety of our future retail consumers and your dealership. Forest River
apologizes for any inconvenience this action may cause your dealership; however, safety continued satisfaction and our commitment to building great products are of the utmost importance to Forest River
. The identified VIN referenced in the attached document(s). The designated Date range of production is 4/28/2021 through 5/6/2021. DEFECT/NONCOMPLIANCE: The breakaway switch power lead is wired to the auxiliary side of the battery disconnect. Without constant power to the switch, it may not engage when needed and consequently not allow the trailer brakes to activate. EVALUATION OF RISK: If the battery disconnect is in the “off” position, the breakaway switch will not engage when needed, the trailer brakes will not activate which may lead to a crash resulting in property damage, injury and/or death. SERVICE PROCEDURE: Dealership Service Department Service procedures for addressing the incorrectly wired breakaway switch can be found on Dealer Connect. The remedy will include wiring the breakaway switch to the constant power lug to the battery disconnect. DEALER REPAIR CODES: Dealer Connect UNITED STATES CANADA REPAIR CODE DESCRIPTION ALLOWABLE HOUR(S) 21V350 2021-284 RC-003-22-00-004058 REWIRE BREAKAWAY SWITCH .50 HELPFUL CONTACT INFORMATION: CONTACT PHONE CUSTOMER SERVICE (574) 825-8205 DEPARTMENT OF COMPLIANCE VEHICLE SAFETY AND RECALL MANAGEMENT BUILDING 11 423 N MAIN ST MIDDLEBURY, INDIANA 46540-9218 NHTSA RECALL: 21V350 CANADA RECALL: 2021-284 FR ID: 220-1336 <<DEALERNAME>> <<ADDRESS>> <<CITY>>, <<ST>> <<ZIP-XXX>> O Integrity O Safety O Quality O Customer Service IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL Page 2 of 2 The Recall shall be considered the utmost priority to remedy the 2021 Coachmen Spirit travel trailers in question. The retail consumer shall not be charged any amount of monies for remedy to their 2021 Coachmen Spirit travel trailers listed under this Recall. If your dealership has already performed the remedy to 2021 Coachmen Spirit travel trailers, your dealership is entitled to the reimbursement as stated above by filing a claim using the indicated repair code(s). If the remedy needs to be performed on an out of warranty 2021 Coachmen Spirit travel trailers in which the VIN falls under as stated in the identified VIN listing, your dealership is entitled to the reimbursement as stated above by filing a claim using the indicated repair code(s). Notice: In no manner shall a Forest River
Product Owner or Coachmen Product Owner be charged any fee(s) for scheduling, conduction or completion of the recall. Additionally, all dealership(s) that are Forest River
and/or Coachmen dealership(s) are Federally Mandated to perform the recall once presented with this recall whether by the Owner or Dealership receipt of this letter, without denial of service to the Owner. Lastly, denial of a remedy for this recall is a Federal Violation punishable by law resulting substantial fines and/or civil penalties. Federal Regulation requires that any lessor receiving this Recall must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days. If your dealership no longer owns this vehicle, please inform the Warranty Manager of the product listed above of the change of ownership. SEOCONTENT-END
1 Affected Product
Vehicle
| MAKE | MODEL | YEAR |
| FOREST RIVER | COACHMEN | 2021 |
9 Associated Documents
Remedy Instructions and TSB
RCRIT-21V350-3244.pdf 170.598KB
Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2021-2
RCLQRT-21V350-6359.PDF 211.139KB
Recall Acknowledgement
RCAK-21V350-2081.pdf 645.951KB
Recall 573 Report – Amendment 1
RCLRPT-21V350-6010.PDF 214.056KB
Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)
RCMN-21V350-4636.pdf 218.197KB
ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)
RCONL-21V350-0762.pdf 210.584KB
Defect Notice 573 Report
RCLRPT-21V350-8656.PDF 213.871KB
Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2021-3
RCLQRT-21V350-7457.PDF 211.24KB
Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2021-4
RCLQRT-21V350-4347.PDF 211.327KB
Latest Recalls Documents
- PROVIDES A SAFER AND MORE EFFECTIVE CONNECTION to your trailer, because it doesn’t rust, fray or become damaged while towing which keeps you and your trailer safer when towing
- THE COILED CABLE STAYS SAFELY OFF THE GROUND while you’re towing, preventing wear and tear to the cable and providing years of lasting use
- COATED CABLE WIRE ELIMINATES FRAY and protects your fingers from loose, sharp wire
- MEETS OR EXCEEDS ALL DOT REQUIREMENTS
- EASY ATTACHMENT WITH INCLUDED SPRING CLIP
- BRAIDED STEEL CABLE - Our breakaway switch features a high-quality braided steel cable that is resistant to corrosion. The switch is 48” long in total including the 16 AWG wiring.
- 12v DC POWERED - Our breakaway switch has been designed to be powered by 12v DC power provided by the internal battery, making it portable and easy to use in any vehicle.
- IMPROVES ROAD SAFETY WHEN TOWING - This breakaway switch will engage automatically the trailer's electric brakes if the trailer becomes detached from the tow vehicle.
- For use on trailers with an existing electric brake system
- Activates trailers brakes upon separation from tow vehicle to ensure a safe stop of the trailer
- Push to Test: LED's indicate fully charged, charging or (needs) recharge
- Complete system includes: Break Away Unit,Battery&Break Away Switch
- Quick and easy installation,side-mount installation design.Weather and corrosion resistant
- Connects tow vehicle to trailer breakaway switch
- Actives trailer brakes when cable is released during a disconnect
- 48-inch long cable
- High-temp nylon pull
- Trailer breakaway battery and system sold separately
- PROVIDES A SAFER AND MORE EFFECTIVE CONNECTION to your trailer, because it doesn’t rust, fray or become damaged while towing which keeps you and your trailer safer when towing
- THE COILED CABLE STAYS SAFELY OFF THE GROUND while you’re towing, preventing wear and tear to the cable and providing years of lasting use
- COATED CABLE WIRE ELIMINATES FRAY and protects your fingers from loose, sharp wire
- MEETS OR EXCEEDS ALL DOT REQUIREMENTS
- EASY ATTACHMENT WITH INCLUDED SPRING CLIP
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