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).

WHILE OPERATING THE DRIVER FRONT SLIDE, THE HARNESS THAT ENCASES ELECTRICAL WIRES IN A PLASTIC CHAIN, DID NOT FLOW BACK INTO THE BOX DESIGNED FOR IT. THE PLASTIC CHAIN FAILED AND THE HARNESS BACKED UP AND GOT WEDGED BETWEEN THE AREA IT SLIDES INTO AND THE EXTERIOR OF THE SLIDE OUTSIDE THE MOTOR HOME SQUASHED THE HARNESS AND ELECTRICAL WIRES. AND OF COURSE, BECAUSE YOU ARE INSIDE THE RV CLOSING THE SLIDE, YOU DON'T SEE THE DAMAGES UNTIL ITS TOO LATE. THAT HARNESS ALSO IS ATTACHED TO A METAL BRACKET WHICH IS IN RETURN ATTACHED TO THE MOVING SLIDE. WITH 50 AMP SERVICE PLUGGED INTO THE RV, I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A SEVERE ELECTRICAL HAZARD. THE PLASTIC CHAIN HARNESS ALSO BECAME DETACHED FROM THE REAR OF THE "BOX" IT SLIDES INTO WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE PERMANENTLY ATTACHED TO THE RV. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGES WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO MY COACH. I HAVE ALSO REVIEWED INTERNET FORUMS. THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS DESIGN. IT'S MY OPINION THAT ELECTRICAL HAZARDS LIKE THIS COULD CAUSE BODILY INJURY OR START FIRES. I AM SURPRISED THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN, NOR GOTTEN, ANY RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE. I HAVE HEARD OTHERS SAY THAT THIS WAS A BAD DESIGN, AND YET WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES KNOWS THIS, WILL NOT ELABORATE ON THEIR TECHNICAL FIX, OR A PUT OUT A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM SO THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN TO US OR OTHERS. WITHOUT RECALL, AND THIS HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE, THEY MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCK TO RECTIFY THIS ON THE ROAD BECAUSE THE DAMAGES COULD BE MORE SEVERE UPDATED 11/14/13*CN