THE HEADBOARD ON THIS MOTORHOME IS AN APPROXIMATELY 40 POUND MIRROR AND WOODEN FRAME SUPPORTED ON THE PANELING WALL BEHIND AND ABOVE YOUR HEAD WHILE SLEEPING. THIS MIRROR AND FRAME DETACHED FROM THE WALL SEPARATING AND STRIKING THE PILLOWS THAT WE HAD JUST VACATED THAT MORNING. THE WEIGHT WOULD HAVE CAUSED SEVERE INJURY OR POSSIBILITY A FATALITY HAD WE STILL BEEN IN BED. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER (PHONE AND EMAIL WITH PICTURES) BUT ONLY RECEIVED A CAVALIER ATTITUDE ABOUT THIS ISSUE STATING IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND SUGGESTING I RE-GLUE OR SCREW THE MIRROR BACK TO THE PANELING IT WAS ATTACHED TO. WHEN I ASKED HOW AND WHERE THE STUDS WERE TO USE IN ATTACHING SUCH A WEIGHT TO THE WALL THEY COULDN'T TELL ME EXACTLY WHERE THE STUDS WERE. THEY ONLY SAID THAT THERE IS AN ALUMINUM CROSS MEMBER SOMEWHERE. THEY SAID THE ORIGINAL ATTACHMENT WAS DONE WITH A GLUE LIKE LIQUID NAILS AND PIN NAILS THROUGH THE FRAME INTO THE PANELING ON THE WALL. THEY SUGGESTED I DO THE SAME OR ADD SCREWS. I TOLD THEM I FELT THIS POSES A RISK TO MY WIFE AND I. THEY SAID THEY UNDERSTOOD, SO JUST TAKE IT DOWN AND REPLACE IT WITH A PICTURE. WHEN I ASKED HOW TO REPORT THIS SAFETY ISSUE SO OTHERS AREN'T AT RISK HE SAID THEY DON'T HAVE A MEANS TO DO THAT! HE ALSO STATED AFTER DRIVING DOWN THE ROUGH ROADS THAT IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THINGS TO FALL OFF THE WALLS!! IT SEEMS STRANGE TO ME THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE THIS SIZE FOR THINGS TO JUST FALL OFF THE WALLS! THIS VEHICLE IS ON A FREIGHTLINER HEAVY TRUCK CHASSIS! I BELIEVE THIS POSES TWO CRITICAL SAFETY RISKS, 1) POSSIBILITY OF BEING STRUCK BY THE MIRROR OR FRAME WHILE IN BED. 2) THE SUDDEN DETACHMENT AND ASSOCIATED NOISE IS A TREMENDOUS DISTRACTION FOR AN OPERATOR OF A 32,000 POUND VEHICLE THAT REQUIRES A SPECIAL LICENSE TO OPERATE.
- NHTSA ID
- 10763104
- Incident
- Aug 28, 2015
- Mileage
- 13,400 mi