Beef up (fish plate) “I” beam frame

afidel wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:
Lippert makes what the manufacturers want. If the manufacturers wanted stronger more durable components, they would get them; as long as their willing to pay for them. Suppliers don't make a bunch of frames then go see if someone wants to buy them. Suppliers build frames to the manufacturer's specs. The price and specs are negotiated before the supplier even turns on the light switch in the plant. Everyone is on the same page and knows exactly what is what. The manufacturer is getting exactly what he wanted and paid for.

Exactly, and the manufacturers are producing what the customers will buy. They are making tradeoffs between price, weight (towability), length, structure vs interior appointments, etc. I know I'm not willing to pay what it would cost for a 16" fully boxed frame and the MDT that it would take to tow it. My problem with the industry isn't with building to a price point, it's poor QA/QC. For example a weld should never break, if it does you've first **** up the welding, and then **** up the QA.

The manufacturer may spec what the frame needs to accomodate, but LCI does the engineering. The manufacturer has 0 liabilty should the frame fail, unless they choose to assume some of it. LCI warrants the frame. LCI sucks and essentially has a monopoly. They bought out almost every other frame fabricator involved with the RV industry or undercut them out of business systematically. The RV industry sucks as well. Birds of a feather.

wing_zealot wrote:
Lippert makes what the manufacturers want. If the manufacturers wanted stronger more durable components, they would get them; as long as their willing to pay for them. Suppliers don't make a bunch of frames then go see if someone wants to buy them. Suppliers build frames to the manufacturer's specs. The price and specs are negotiated before the supplier even turns on the light switch in the plant. Everyone is on the same page and knows exactly what is what. The manufacturer is getting exactly what he wanted and paid for.

Exactly, and the manufacturers are producing what the customers will buy. They are making tradeoffs between price, weight (towability), length, structure vs interior appointments, etc. I know I'm not willing to pay what it would cost for a 16" fully boxed frame and the MDT that it would take to tow it. My problem with the industry isn't with building to a price point, it's poor QA/QC. For example a weld should never break, if it does you've first **** up the welding, and then **** up the QA.

That doesn't say much for the manufacturers if they do "under spec" the frames and other components to save money,although it is much the same with auto manufacturers. Even if you think "you get with you pay for", that really doesn't mean anything anymore. Manufacturers will still use the cheapest **** they can get away with like putting lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig even though it is pretty.
Curly

Lippert makes what the manufacturers want. If the manufacturers wanted stronger more durable components, they would get them; as long as their willing to pay for them. Suppliers don't make a bunch of frames then go see if someone wants to buy them. Suppliers build frames to the manufacturer's specs. The price and specs are negotiated before the supplier even turns on the light switch in the plant. Everyone is on the same page and knows exactly what is what. The manufacturer is getting exactly what he wanted and paid for.

I’m glad that you folks mentioned Lippert......I suspected as much! “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck.....”! Lippert has a long-standing, traceable trail of producing garbage. From their frames, to their axles, and most things they produce/sell! As much as I hate government intervention....The RV industry has long needed some form of “quality controls, much like the automotive industry or aviation, to name a couple! memtb

With the way they put axles under these trailers that are barely strong enough to support the weight from the factory.... If you are going to add another couple hundred pounds of steel (maybe more depending on thickness of plate) I would take a serious look at the axle ratings.

Lippert actually has a part number for patching their pathetic frames. While it is much shorter than your proposed fix, it shows the need for it. Patch

I’m reasonably certain, that if done properly, it should help. I fail to see how increasing the “web” thickness can hurt, only help! The sad part...you have to consider doing this! memtb