Forest River is recalling 60 model-year 2027 travel trailers, 31 Salem and 29 Wildwood units, because the outdoor griddle built into the exterior kitchen can be folded and stowed while it is still connected to the trailer’s propane line. The trailers were produced between July 16 and July 31, 2026, and the recall is catalogued by federal regulators as campaign 26V586.
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The company’s own consequence statement is plain: a griddle stowed while the gas is still in use can increase the risk of a fire. Nothing in the filing describes an injury, a fire or a customer complaint.
An Exterior Griddle Tray Left on the LP Line
The NHTSA campaign record classifies the part under oven, stove and cooktop appliances, and the manufacturer’s report points to the LPG gas line. The griddle tray can stay connected to the LP system while it is stowed for transport. Forest River calls the cause a manufacturing error and estimates that 100 percent of the 60 trailers have the condition, which makes this a build-process escape rather than a failure that develops with age or wear.
The practical hazard follows from what a griddle is. A flat-top cooktop runs on propane and carries a hot cooking surface, and an outdoor kitchen on a travel trailer folds into a stowed position for the road. If the tray is latched away while the burner is still being fed, the fuel supply and the heat source travel together down the highway, which is the arrangement the recall is meant to prevent. Forest River’s report does not describe the trailers’ burner controls or valve design, so the exact route from a stowed griddle to a fire is not spelled out in the filing, and the company says only that the risk of fire increases if the outside griddle is stowed while operating.
Because the trailers were still new, the exposure is narrow. Sixty trailers from a two-week production window is a small campaign by recall standards, and the filing says the plant was already correcting vehicles in its holding yard before they shipped. That leaves the open question of how many of the 60 reached a customer, which the record does not answer; owners of 2027 Salem or Wildwood trailers can check the identification number with the manufacturer or at a dealer.
A Production-Line Audit Found It in Fourteen Days
According to the Part 573 report, a Forest River corporate standard manager spotted the concern during a production-line audit on August 27, 2026. The Office of Corporate Compliance was notified on August 28 and began its research on August 31. The Corporate Recall Committee voted to recall on September 8, and the report was submitted on September 10, fourteen days after the audit. During the week of September 8 the plant began correcting affected trailers in its holding yard before they shipped.
That timeline matters because the model-year 2027 trailers were new when the audit caught them, and federal law keeps them off the market until they are fixed. Under 49 U.S.C. 30112, a person may not sell or offer for sale equipment or a vehicle with a defect related to motor vehicle safety about which notice was given. NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter reminded Forest River of the sales restriction in the same terms.
The Clamp Remedy and Owner Contact Numbers
Dealers will install a clamp on the griddle so it cannot be stowed with the gas connected, and the work is free. Forest River’s filing describes the fix as securing the LP line so the griddle tray cannot be stowed while connected. Under 49 U.S.C. 30120, a manufacturer must provide the remedy without charge, and its program must include a plan to reimburse owners who paid for a related repair first. The report says owners who already paid should still have the recall performed and may be eligible for a refund.
The NHTSA record says owner letters were mailed September 15, 2026, but the Part 573 report and the agency’s September 14 acknowledgment letter both listed October 19, 2026 as the expected mailing date, and the acknowledgment letter said the remedy was still being developed. Forest River must file an amended report once the remedy is final, so owners who have not received a letter should not assume the fix is available at every dealer yet.
The Part 573 report lists dealer notification and a phased owner remedy notification for October 19, 2026, and no interim owner notice is planned. NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter requires Forest River to send the agency copies of its recall communications within five days of sending them, and to file eight consecutive quarterly status reports followed by three annual reports, which keeps the campaign open on the agency’s books long after the first trailers are repaired.
Owners can reach Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-3167 and should cite the company’s recall number, 06-2095. The NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline is 1-888-327-4236. Forest River also keeps a recall search page under its owners menu where the campaign should appear once the company posts it.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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