Mile High
Lone Tree, CO
Senior Member
Joined: 02/05/2008
View Profile
|
What are those things that look like gas shocks (2) attached to the frame in your weld pics? Is there a hatch in you underbelly? Just curious.
|
BruceStarkey
Ontario, Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 05/02/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
|
Charlan: Strike everything I said before! That is a much clearer pic of the rear and indeed, I was not seeing that end cap welded to that heavier channel iron. Terrible welds by the way, but then a pretty weld isn't always a strong one, it's just that the odds are better. A motorcycle frame showing welds like that would be taken off the market in a heartbeat!
I find it strange they would use a good quality channel iron with a heavy lbs.-per-foot rating for the pin-box supports and then use that much weaker rolled thin wall "C" channel stuff for the main front cross member. Engineers, you can tell 'em, but you just can't tell 'em very much!
In the pic. of the front of your cross member, is that the start of a fracture at the bottom of "C" channel on the other side as well? If so this lends credence to fore and aft forces acting on that framing. You can actually see the impressions of the ends of those side channel iron pieces and their end plates showing on the front side of that channel as though it were trying to "punch" it's way through from the rear.
Today is just the tomorrow you worried about yesterday!
'04' International 4400 LoPro 310Hp/950FtLbs 10Spd Harley/RV Toter
'05' Mobile Suites 38RL3
'01' Harley Ultra in the bike barn.
|
charlan
On. ca
Senior Member
Joined: 03/02/2004
View Profile
 Offline
|
BruceStarkey wrote:
In the pic. of the front of your cross member, is that the start of a fracture at the bottom of "C" channel on the other side as well? If so this lends credence to fore and aft forces acting on that framing. You can actually see the impressions of the ends of those side channel iron pieces and their end plates showing on the front side of that channel as though it were trying to "punch" it's way through from the rear.
Yes you are right, it had started to crack at the other hanger, if it had gone too we probably would have had a major problem on the road,the fellow that repaired it could not believe how badly it had been done, scary to say the least.
2008 LMM GMC 3500 SLT 4X4 HD LB Duramax 6.6 Turbo Diesel Dually 
Hijacker 4 Way Pivot, Integrated controler,
2004 Prowler Regal Advantage AX6 36.5 FLTS
|
charlan
On. ca
Senior Member
Joined: 03/02/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Mile High wrote:What are those things that look like gas shocks (2) attached to the frame in your weld pics? Is there a hatch in you underbelly? Just curious.
2 storage hatches under the overhang.
|
Mile High
Lone Tree, CO
Senior Member
Joined: 02/05/2008
View Profile
|
charlan wrote:Mile High wrote:What are those things that look like gas shocks (2) attached to the frame in your weld pics? Is there a hatch in you underbelly? Just curious.
2 storage hatches under the overhang. Ah - thanks. I've never seen that before.
|
|
|
capemayal
Cape May County, New Jersey
Full Member
Joined: 08/14/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
2009 HR Presidential
- Landing legs - replaced 3 times due to failures
Frame: Spot welded causing horizontal crack next to curb side wheels - there is no continuous weld on the frame
Left front axle - wheel came off while towing - with hub - nearly caused damage to passing vehicles.
Lippert products - show me where to get other mfgs
2009 Holiday Rambler Presidential Suites 37RLQ 5th Wheel
2006 Ford F350 CC SD DRW Long Bed "Gracie"
2001 International 4700LP Stalick Hauler "Lucy"
Remember Yesteray - Live for Today - Think about Tomorrow
|
Dayle1
Spicewood, Tx
Senior Member
Joined: 04/12/2001
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Guess I've missed this topic in the past, but here is my $0.02. In '06 I did have a problem with the outriggers on my unit. Other units did as well and that was across several maunfacturers, although I can't recall the other brands now. The problem was not bad welds, but the outriggers were either welded too high on the frame rails and/or too thin gauge. They would flex or take a very clear crease and then the steel would fracture at one of several places.
Although my unit was over two yrs old, an email to Crossroads with a few good pics got the ball rolling. They responded and contacted Lippert. Lippert sent a welder 350 miles one-way and completed the repairs in my driveway. Lippert made repairs on other units as well, one I observed personally since it was only 10 miles away.
We all hope for nothing but perfect products, but that is impossible with anything made by humans. At least we would like our's to be near perfect. And some of us are happy. Failing that, we as the customer want perfect factory support. Even that won't happen all the time, again human beings on both sides of the equation. Perseverance (yeah, who wants to work that hard) should work with a good company and a truly bad company should go out of business, but maybe not the timeframe we would like.
Larry Day
Texas Baptist Men-Retiree Builders since '01
'03 GMC 2500HD D/A EC SB, Jordan controller, custom RKI bed/hitch, Putco boards, TF 45gal tank, grey Speedliner
'04 CrossRoads Cruiser CF29RK, Mor/ryde IS, Carefree Eclipse 12V awning
Rig Photos
|
capemayal
Cape May County, New Jersey
Full Member
Joined: 08/14/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
Well, news on my Lippert problem - with my '09 HR Presidential.
Lippert is sending, as "good will", 2 complete axles, 4 hubs, hardware and brake kit for one of the axles.
I'll have to eat the labor.
But, I think Progressive is going to balk at the damage claim. The adjuster said today it sounds like a mfg defect.
Anyway, I want someone to pay for the lost wheel, 4 tires, scissor jack, and the labor for the repairs. Also have a fender skirt to fix, and the TrailAir Equaflex which is now bent.
I do have to say, though, that through this experience, Good Sam ERS was exceptional for me.
They arranged a mobile repairman to come nearly 70 miles one way.
However, he didn't want me to go to far - and he followed us about 3 miles. Started having smoking problems, so he insisted we leave it in a parking lot, which we did.
I called GS, and the tech there suggested I call back in the morning to arrange a tow, since it was too late and cold for me to wait around.
Well, the 5th needed a Landow flatbed. GS tried for 2 days before they found one, only to find out that the overall height would be too high for the highway.
In the end, I towed it at about 3mph, with the repairman following.
But, even though the GS couldn't get the tow - a safe one, they still went all out.
Kudos to J.D.Shire the G.S. tech who tried arranging everything. He even gave me his personal cell number, and he contacted me nearly every other hour to let me know how things were progressing.
But, Lippert - that's another story, for another time.
Al
|
kmh3212
Georgia
Senior Member
Joined: 01/21/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Mile High wrote:Sarahdove wrote:Sorry, I should have explained myself better.
We purchased our rig new in '06 and had only taken it out 3 times. Six months after we had it (3rd time out) the entire pin box and the frame collasped. We never any noise but when we arrived home from our camping trip the trailer was sitting about 4 inches from the truck bed. Our entire bedroom closet was crushed and on, and on , and on. My husband wouldn't even let me go look at the trailer when the cap was pulled off. He knew I would be devastated. So sorry to hear it happened. Not saying it's normal, but I have seen that more than once. There was an 03 Big Sky in the shop when I went to get parts and the Service Manager showed me the welds that had broke along the front of the frame allowing the floor to get shoved up between the walls in the bedroom. The first sign of trouble according to the customer was the mirrored closet doors that shattered, followed shortly after by the TV cabinet crushing. Devastating. Keystone took care of the repairs.
The factory told me to watch the side molding - if it drops when mounted on the hitch, it is possible the spot welds broke underneath and the frame flexes up while the outside walls push down, causing the molding to drop and tilt out. Mine happened to be the opposite, where the moulding would drop when supported by the landing gear, indicating the outside walls were separating from the weight of the frame when not supported by the hitch. The lag screws shown in the picture had stripped, and the factory fix was to run wood into the aluminum frame and re-tap the lag bolts up from the bottom. As stated earlier, Keystone/Montana agreed to take care of all the repairs, regardless of Lippert's disposition of the problem. We elected to let the Dealer take care of it and towed home a new one.
Milehigh, I just put my 2004 Montana with Lippert frame in the shop with the exact same separation as shown in your photo on the driver side and a separation of the vertical edge molding on the passenger side. The shop is to send photos of my fifth wheel to Keystone/Montana.
|
Mile High
Lone Tree, CO
Senior Member
Joined: 02/05/2008
View Profile
|
kmh3212 wrote:Milehigh, I just put my 2004 Montana with Lippert frame in the shop with the exact same separation as shown in your photo on the driver side and a separation of the vertical edge molding on the passenger side. The shop is to send photos of my fifth wheel to Keystone/Montana. Oh-No! Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you don't have any broken welds and it ends up being as minor as mine was to fix.
|
|
|
|
Posted:
12/14/09 07:08pm
