Great Dane Trailers is recalling 6,810 model year 2027 Champion and Everest van trailers because the welds on the landing gear k-brace may fail, NHTSA recall record 26V708 says. Great Dane will inspect the brace and replace it as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters are expected to be mailed Dec. 22, 2026.
A shop owner, owner-operator or fleet manager with a 2027 Champion or Everest on the lot has one thing to sort out first: is the trailer one of the 6,810? The model name and model year on the manufacturer’s label settle it. Anyone leasing a unit also needs to know whose name the letter will go to, since the notice follows the registered owner.
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What happens if a landing gear brace gives way?
The record says the k-brace welds may fail, and that the failure can leave the landing gear collapsing. NHTSA’s stated consequence is that a trailer landing gear that collapses increases the risk of injury. Landing gear is the pair of legs that holds the front of a parked trailer off the ground, so the people nearest the risk are the ones hooking up, dropping or working beside a parked trailer.
NHTSA files the part under its jack, leveler and stabilizer category. Two models are covered, Champion and Everest, both model year 2027, and the 6,810 count is the figure for the whole campaign rather than a number per model.
Who pays for the inspection and the new brace?
Not the owner. The remedy line in the record says Great Dane will inspect and replace the landing gear k-brace as necessary, free of charge, so the inspection comes first and a new brace follows where one is needed. The record gives Great Dane’s customer service line, 1-877-369-3493, for owners with questions.
NHTSA’s own recall guidance tells owners who get a notice to contact a local dealership for the repair, which the agency describes as free, and says manufacturers must fix the defect by repairing it, replacing it or offering a refund. An owner who is quoted a charge for this work can point to the remedy wording in the record.
Why not wait for the December letter?
NHTSA says manufacturers notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of a recall decision. For this campaign the record puts the mailing at Dec. 22, 2026, which is seven weeks away. The report reached NHTSA on Oct. 23, 2026.
Nothing in the record stops an owner from calling Great Dane before the letter lands to ask how and where to schedule the inspection. NHTSA also advises following any interim safety guidance from the manufacturer while a repair is pending, and the record lists none, so that is a fair question to put to the company on the call.
What should an owner have in hand when the phone is answered?
The recall’s full NHTSA number is 26V708000, and the trailer’s vehicle identification number, the 17-character VIN on its label, is the quickest way to prove which unit is meant. Owners with several trailers should write down each VIN, the model and where the unit is parked, since the inspection happens trailer by trailer.
NHTSA’s VIN lookup is a second check, with a catch the agency spells out: recent recalls may not show up until their VINs have been added. A lookup that comes back with no open recall for a 2027 Champion or Everest in the first weeks of this campaign is therefore not an all-clear, and the company’s customer line is the better confirmation.
Running a 2027 Champion or Everest through the winter?
A free brace inspection still costs a trailer its working days and an owner the time to arrange it, and the people who lose the most on recalls are the ones who let the notice sit in a pile of mail. The same pile usually holds the bills, plan notices and tax forms where retirees’ bigger money leaks hide.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
