Lippert frame issues

Mile High wrote:
Rich,
Do ask the question. I'm curious what Lippert says.

In the last few years it seams like the 12" Lippert I-beam Z-frame with 6-pt levelers has homogenized itself equally across the board. I crawled under Montana, Landmark, Sanibel, Redwood, and a few others and there isn't 10 cents worth of difference in the frames between brands.

With possible the exception of the DRV box frame, specs dictating one frame as superior over another out of Lipperts door is a myth.

I have that question in BIG letters and in the 5thh wheel. I tend to agree with you Brad although I am no expert. Another question..has anyone actually been to the Lippert plant and actually seen these "welders" welding on a frame. We have been there more than once and we saw a lot of automated weeding and cutting going on .We will go again as take another look. we have been to both Lippert and Mor Ryde and I get them mixed up as to what I saw where. We got a real good visual lecture on welding at Mor Ryde when we were having the Mor Ryde IS on the 06 3400.

Rich,
Do ask the question. I'm curious what Lippert says.

In the last few years it seams like the 12" Lippert I-beam Z-frame with 6-pt levelers has homogenized itself equally across the board. I crawled under Montana, Landmark, Sanibel, Redwood, and a few others and there isn't 10 cents worth of difference in the frames between brands.

With possible the exception of the DRV box frame, specs dictating one frame as superior over another out of Lipperts door is a myth.

While it may be true that some RV manufacturers "underspec" frames made by Lippert, its not likely that they specified shoddy workmanship and poor welds.

Newmar has always built their own frames.

"The biggest problem with Lippert frames is the manufacturer's specifications given to Lippert. Most frames are built by Lippert and built to manufacturer specifications.

"We have heard this over and over again on Rv forums but We have never seen documentation to verify that." Who has actually asked Lippert and received a reply that it is true. We will be at our Montana rally in September and lippert is always there. We will ask that question of both the manufacturer and Lippert..

The biggest problem with Lippert frames is the manufacturer's specifications given to Lippert. Most frames are built by Lippert and built to manufacturer specifications. So if the manufacturers cheaps out on the specs then the frames are often too light for the various stress points. There have also been some complaints about poor workmanship such as sloppy welds. My unit has a Lippert frame and the welds and overall workmanship look great.

Look on the frame near the king pin area. There should be a plate telling you who made the frame. You want to look for bad welds and cracks. If you are really worried get a certified welder to inspect it.

BK