Forest River FR3 2017 Motorhomes: Ladder Hinges May Separate, Risk of Injury
Forest River is recalling certain 2015-2017 FR3 motorhomes and toyhaulers due to potential ladder hinge separation causing falls. Owners should contact customer service for a free remedy kit.
Use caution until it’s fixed
If the hinges separate from the ladder while in use, the ladder may fall from the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
What happened, in plain English
Forest River is recalling specific 2015-2017 motorhomes and toyhaulers because ladders with retractable hinges may separate while in use, increasing fall risk. This could lead to injury if the ladder falls from the vehicle. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1225896-forest-river-fr3-2017-motorhomes-ladder-hinges-may-separate-risk.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1225896-forest-river-fr3-2017-motorhomes-ladder-hinges-may-separate-risk · Updated October 8, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #16V828000
Cite this page
“Forest River FR3 2017 Motorhomes: Ladder Hinges May Separate, Risk of Injury.” GovInfoNow, updated October 8, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1225896-forest-river-fr3-2017-motorhomes-ladder-hinges-may-separate-risk. Based on NHTSA recall #16V828000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=16V828000).
Why it’s dangerous
The ladders have retractable hinges with a welded 'top hat' that can separate from the hinge while in use. If this happens, the ladder may fall from the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Who’s affected
Owners of Forest River FR3 motorhomes and specific toyhaulers from 2015-2017 models produced between September 2014 and May 2016 are affected. Those using the ladders for vehicle access are most at risk.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your Forest River motorhome or toyhauler is a 2015-2017 model with ladders made by Christianson Industries. The ladders have retractable hinges with a welded 'top hat' that can separate.
- Brand
Forest River- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Customer Service
Call Forest River at 1-574-206-7600 to arrange a free remedy kit installation.
What NHTSA says to do
Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a remedy kit to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began on January 3, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-11102016-0271.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 49 days.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Questions people ask
What models are affected?
Forest River FR3 motorhomes (2015-2017), Prime Time Spartan toyhaulers (2015-2017), Palomino Columbus toyhaulers (2013-2016), and XLR Thunderbolt/Nitro toyhaulers (2015-2016).
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #16V828000 (November 15, 2016)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 8, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.