22E094 Awning May Extend Unintentionally – Carefree Freestyle Gearbox Housing

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2145 W. 6ᵗʰ Avenue Broomfield, CO 80020 Phone: 303.469.3324 Fax: 303.469.4742 www.carefreeofcolorado.com
IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL
January 6, 2023 RE: NHTSA Campaign Number 22E-094
Carefree of Colorado Freestyle Awning Part No. 015933-002
Dear Valued Customer: This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Carefree of Colorado (“Carefree”) has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in certain Freestyle right-hand gearbox motor housing assemblies (the “Gearbox Housings”) in production from February 27, 2020 to November 1, 2022 and is sending you this notice to alert you to that concern since you may own a Carefree awning containing this housing. Carefree’s primary concern is the safety of our customers. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding in this matter. What is the problem? There is a potential for cracks to develop in the Gearbox Housing. In a fraction of a percent of units, a Gearbox Housing has been observed with a crack that may develop into a fracture. In the event of a fracture, there appears to be a potential for release of the awning brake under certain in-use conditions. An awning that extends unintentionally while a motor home is in motion could be a distraction and/or present a road hazard to the vehicle driver or surrounding traffic, which can increase the risk of a crash without prior warning. As a precaution, owners should manually secure the awnings to reduce the potential for unintentional awning extension until they are able to bring their vehicle in to a dealership for inspection. What will Carefree do? Carefree will provide, at no cost to you, additional support for the internal components of the Gearbox Housing, which will alleviate the risk outlined in this notice. What if you already paid for this repair? If you previously paid for a repair addressing the issue described in this notice, then you still need to have your vehicle inspected by an authorized dealer to ensure that the correct
replacement parts were used. 2145 W. 6ᵗʰ Avenue Broomfield, CO 80020 Phone: 303.469.3324 Fax: 303.469.4742 www.carefreeofcolorado.com
You may be eligible to receive reimbursement for the cost of obtaining a pre-notification remedy of the problem associated with this recall.
Refund requests may be sent directly to Carefree of Colorado, 2145 W. 6ᵗʰ Avenue, Broomfield, CO 80020. When mailing your refund request, please include a copy of your original repair receipt and any other supporting documents evidencing that a repair was made. What should you do? Beginning January 23, 2023, owners should bring their motor homes to their RV dealerships so the awning and Gearbox Housing can be inspected. If, during the inspection, no crack is observed in the Gearbox Housing, additional supports will be installed. If, however, a crack in the Gearbox Housing is observed, a new Gearbox Housing with reinforcements already in place will be installed. Carefree estimates the time reasonably necessary to perform the inspection and additional support installation and/or Gearbox Housing replacement to be up to approximately forty-five (45) minutes. You may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590; or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov, if you believe that (i) Carefree has failed or is unable to remedy the problem without charge; or (ii) Carefree has failed or is unable to remedy the problem without charge within a reasonable time, which is not longer than 60 days in the case of repair after the owner’s first tender to obtain repair following the earliest repair date specified in the notification, unless the period is extended by Administrator. Carefree thanks you again for your cooperation and understanding.
Carefree of Colorado

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2145 W. 6ᵗʰ Avenue Broomfield, CO 80020 Phone: 303.469.3324 Fax: 303.469.4742 www.carefreeofcolorado.com
SAFETY RECALL NOTICE
January 12, 2023 RE: NHTSA Campaign Number 22E-094
Carefree of Colorado Freestyle Awning Part No. 015933-002
Dear Industry Partner:
As a follow up to our prior communications, this notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Carefree of Colorado (“Carefree”) is requesting your assistance in the above-referenced NHTSA campaign. Carefree has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in certain Freestyle right- hand gearbox motor housing assemblies (the “Gearbox Housings”) in production from February 27, 2020 to November 1, 2022.
Carefree is notifying the owners of the affected Gearbox Housings in order to correct the problem. They will be directed to the appropriate RV dealership for inspection/repair. A copy of this owner notification letter is attached for your information and in the event you wish to send it to your customers directly.
Carefree’s primary concern is the safety of our customers. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding in this matter.
What is the problem?
There is a potential for cracks to develop in the Gearbox Housing. In a fraction of a percent of units, a Gearbox Housing has been observed with a crack that may develop into a fracture. In the event of a fracture, there appears to be a potential for release of the awning brake under certain in-use conditions. An awning that extends unintentionally while a motor home is in motion could be a distraction and/or present a road hazard to the vehicle driver or surrounding traffic, which can increase the risk of a crash without prior warning. As a precaution, owners have been advised that they should manually secure the awnings to reduce the potential for unintentional awning extension until they are able to bring their vehicle in to a dealership for inspection.
What will Carefree do?
Carefree will provide a field modification instruction and additional support for the internal components of the Gearbox Housing, which will alleviate the risk outlined in this notice. The remedy outlined in this notice will be provided at no cost to the owner.
What should you do?
According to our records, the affected Gearbox Housings were purchased by your
company. Beginning January 23, 2023, owners have been asked to bring their motor homes to their RV dealerships so the awning and Gearbox Housing can be inspected. This inspection should be scheduled at your mutual convenience.
If, during the inspection, no crack is observed in the Gearbox Housing, additional supports will be installed. If, however, a crack in the Gearbox Housing is observed, a new Gearbox Housing with reinforcements already in place will be installed.
Please itemize the above-referenced NHTSA campaign number—22E-094—as completed work on your invoice (separate from any other charges) and include the owner’s name, address, and phone number, as well as the VIN, as a part of this repair when submitting your invoice to Carefree. How do you obtain components and labor approval?
Dealer Labor Allowance(s):
• Inspection and additional support installation: 0.50 Hours
• Replace Cracked Gearbox Housing (if required): 0.75 Hours To obtain the no-charge, additional support components or in the case of a crack, a new Gearbox Housing as well as pre-authorization to perform the repairs, please submit your request to warranty@carefreeofcolorado.com. Include the Carefree awning serial number (located on the inside of the lead rail) and the vehicle VIN (on the OEM Federal Placard located on the driver’s side door jamb) with your submission. This information will provide a record of the awning repair. If you have any questions your Carefree contacts for this recall are:
• Regina Whitehorse, rwhitehorse@carefreeofcolorado.com Phone: 303-410-6328
• Peggy Dunbar, pdunbar@carefreeofcolorado.com Phone: 303-410-6214
• Nancy Vickery, Nvickery@carefreeofcolorado.com Phone: 303-410-6319
What if the owner already paid for the repair?
In the even you are contacted by an owner who previously paid for a repair addressing the issue described in this notice, the owner has been advised to have their vehicle inspected by an authorized dealer to ensure that the correct replacement parts were used.
The owner also may be eligible to receive reimbursement for the cost of obtaining a pre- notification remedy of the problem associated with this recall.
If an owner contacts you regarding a pre-notification remedy of the problem associated with this recall, please advise the owner to submit a refund request directly to Carefree of Colorado, 2145 W. 6ᵗʰ Avenue, Broomfield, CO 80020. When mailing the refund request, the owner should include a copy of their original repair receipt and any other supporting documents evidencing that a repair was made. 2145 W. 6ᵗʰ Avenue Broomfield, CO 80020 Phone: 303.469.3324 Fax: 303.469.4742 www.carefreeofcolorado.com 2145 W. 6ᵗʰ Avenue Broomfield, CO 80020 Phone: 303.469.3324 Fax: 303.469.4742 www.carefreeofcolorado.com
IMPORTANT REMINDER ON VEHICLES AFFECTED BY SAFETY &
COMPLIANCE RECALLS: 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.
If you have questions or require additional assistance, please contact Carefree. Carefree thanks again you for your cooperation and understanding.
Carefree of Colorado

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OMB Control No.: 2127-0004
Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22E-094
The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
Manufacturer Name : Submission Date :
Carefree Of Colorado NOV 07, 2022 NHTSA Recall No. : 22E-094 Manufacturer Recall No. : NR Manufacturer Information :
Manufacturer Name : Carefree Of Colorado Address : 2145 W 6th Avenue
Broomfield CO 80020
Company phone : 800-621-2617
Population :
Number of potentially involved : 8,000 Estimated percentage with defect : 1 %
Equipment Information : Brand / Trade 1 :
Model : Carefree of Colorado Freestyle Part No. : 015933-002 Size : NR Function : NR
Descriptive Information : The units affected by this notice are based on the time period of the production dates to the component in question. There are approximately 8,000 units potentially affected by the issue of concern.
Production Dates : FEB 27, 2020 – NOV 01, 2022
Description of Defect :
Description of the Defect : There is a potential for cracks to develop in the gearbox housing. In a fraction of a percent of units, a gearbox housing has been observed to show a crack that may develop into a fracture. As a result of such fracture, there appears to be a potential for release of the awning brake under certain in-use conditions.
FMVSS 1 : NR FMVSS 2 : NR
Description of the Safety Risk : In the event of a gearbox housing crack that fully develops into a fracture,
there is a potential for an unanticipated awning deployment. In that situation, there also is potential for distraction to the driver of the motor coach as well as drivers of other nearby vehicles. There also would be the potential for debris coming lose from the awning.
Description of the Cause : NR
Identification of Any Warning
that can Occur :
N/A Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22E-094 Page 2 Involved Components : Component Name : NR Component Description : NR Component Part Number : NR Supplier Identification : Component Manufacturer
Name : ICSN
Address : 521 Princeland Court
Corona California 92879 Country : United States Chronology :
On or about August 31, 2022, an OEM notified the Company of a report of an awning deployment with a suspected crack in the gearbox housing. The Company promptly began an investigation in an attempt to replicate the occurrence. The Company initially was unable to replicate the occurrence. However, after further investigation, the Company was able to replicate the occurrence on November 1, 2022. At that time, the Company immediately initiated a stop shipment and stop production order. Description of Remedy :
Description of Remedy Program : The Company is presently moving quickly to investigate potential
remedies to avoid the condition from materializing in affected units and to better understand what units might be affected and under what conditions. Promptly upon concluding its investigation it intends to update NHTSA. How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component :
Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production : See above. On November 1, 2022, the Company issued a stop shipment and stop production order. It will not resume shipment and production until it can correct the issue of concern in production. Recall Schedule : The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22E-094
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The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
Description of Recall Schedule : NR
Planned Dealer Notification Date : NOV 10, 2022 – NOV 14, 2022
Planned Owner Notification Date : JAN 06, 2023 – JAN 06, 2023
Purchaser Information :
The following manufacturers purchased this defective/noncompliant equipment for possible use or installation in new motor vehicles or new items of motor vehicle equipment:
Name : Winnebago Industries Address : P.O. Box 152
Forrest City IA 50436 Country : US Company Phone : NR
Name : Chinook Motor Coach Address : 1482 North Eel River Cemetery Road Peru IN 46970 Country : US Company Phone : NR
* NR – Not Reported

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OMB Control No.: 2127-0004
Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22E-094
The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
Manufacturer Name : Submission Date :
Carefree Of Colorado NOV 22, 2022 NHTSA Recall No. : 22E-094 Manufacturer Recall No. : NR Manufacturer Information :
Manufacturer Name : Carefree Of Colorado Address : 2145 W 6th Avenue
Broomfield CO 80020
Company phone : 800-621-2617
Population :
Number of potentially involved : 8,000 Estimated percentage with defect : 1 %
Equipment Information : Brand / Trade 1 :
Model : Carefree of Colorado Freestyle Part No. : 015933-002 Size : NR Function : NR
Descriptive Information : The units affected by this notice are based on the time period of the production dates to the component in question. There are approximately 8,000 units potentially affected by the issue of concern.
Production Dates : FEB 27, 2020 – NOV 01, 2022
Description of Defect :
Description of the Defect : There is a potential for cracks to develop in the gearbox housing. In a fraction of a percent of units, a gearbox housing has been observed to show a crack that may develop into a fracture. As a result of such fracture, there appears to be a potential for release of the awning brake under certain in-use conditions.
FMVSS 1 : NR FMVSS 2 : NR
Description of the Safety Risk : An awning that extends unintentionally while the motor home is in motion
could be a distraction and/or present a road hazard to the vehicle driver or oncoming traffic, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Description of the Cause : NR
Identification of Any Warning
that can Occur :
N/A
Involved Components : Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22E-094 Page 2 Component Name : Motor Assembly, Small Box, 12V DC, Right Hand
Component Description : A motor which rolls and unrolls the awning, and holds the awning closed when not in use, located on the right hand side of the awning.
Component Part Number : 015933-002 Supplier Identification : Component Manufacturer
Name : ICSN
Address : 521 Princeland Court
Corona California 92879 Country : United States Chronology :
On or about August 31, 2022, an OEM notified the Company of a report of an awning deployment with a suspected crack in the gearbox housing. The Company promptly began an investigation in an attempt to replicate the occurrence. The Company initially was unable to replicate the occurrence. However, after further investigation, the Company was able to replicate the occurrence on November 1, 2022. At that time, the Company immediately initiated a stop shipment and stop production order. Description of Remedy :
Description of Remedy Program : Carefree of Colorado intends to coordinate the remedy of units identified
in this report in conjunction with Winnebago and Chinook Motor Coach. Although the specifics of the remedy are still being investigated, Carefree of Colorado anticipates that the remedy will be performed by Winnebago Dealers and Chinook Motor Coach Dealers. How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component :
Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production : See above. On November 1, 2022, the Company issued a stop shipment and stop production order. It will not resume shipment and production until it can correct the issue of concern in production. Recall Schedule : The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22E-094
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The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
Description of Recall Schedule : NR
Planned Dealer Notification Date : NOV 10, 2022 – NOV 14, 2022
Planned Owner Notification Date : JAN 06, 2023 – JAN 06, 2023
Purchaser Information :
The following manufacturers purchased this defective/noncompliant equipment for possible use or installation in new motor vehicles or new items of motor vehicle equipment:
Name : Winnebago Industries Address : P.O. Box 152
Forrest City IA 50436 Country : US Company Phone : NR
Name : Chinook Motor Coach Address : 1482 North Eel River Cemetery Road Peru IN 46970 Country : US Company Phone : NR
* NR – Not Reported

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