Which toy haulers Do or Don't use Lippert (LCI) frames?
Title says it all. I know Northwood (Desert Fox) doesn't, but unsure about some of the others out there. I'm pretty sure everything Keystone makes uses LCI frames.
Forum Discussion
IMO, wouldn't be so fast to discount all Lippert frames.
From what I've been told all LCI frames are more or less custom ordered by the RV manufacturer to their specs. LCI has base size models that need to be spec'd, custom built for each individual model run specs.
In my 2007 era of LCI frames, was told they could be sold with or without DOT certification specs depending what the rv manufacture wants/buys. WW did their own dot sticker ratings, what a joke. All big tt WW TH of that era and size where all gvw13,000lb. Didn't matter what the 'real weight was, didn't mater if it was 28'-32'+4 like mine, all rated at 13,000 gvw.
So blame the RV manufacturer for not specing out a strong enough frame for their TH. Keep in mind its a balancing act of compromise between strength and weight savings...
Don't think for 1 minute that lipert hasn't seen each and every frame problem one of their frames has sustained. They are an old company and my bet is they have learned from their(or manufactures)mistakes building or ordering frames. Granted I have seen some questionable welds from LCI and that is their fault no doubt. But imagine the cost of something as big as a TH frame all tig welded with nice picture perfect x-ray checked welds.
Check the dot sticker for proper GVWR, TW and correct empty weight, after you weight the trailer on a real scale.
Make sure the sticker matches the real world weights before you buy. That will tell you how concerned the RV manufacturer was with ordering and correctly DOT certifying the correct frame for each particular trailer.If you buy from a reputable RV manufacturer and check over the frame for poor quality welds and construction and all of the above, you should be fine.
My WW has a stout LCI frame. But imo not stout enough for the real weight of the TH. The sticker listed GVW is 13,000, tw is 1100. Not even in the ballpark for the real TW or GVW. At least it has 3 6000lb axles. Never had a problem with the frame but did get South Cal RV doctor to do their beefy frame up date. My LCI framed WW TH is solid as the rock of Gibraltar now. But it is one heavy fat pig for a TT...
So in my case, I blame WW not LCI for shorting the DOT sticker on GVW/TW and thus failing to order/build the correct strength frame for real world GVW/TW. Thank God for South Cal RV Doctor...
jmo
From what I've been told all LCI frames are more or less custom ordered by the RV manufacturer to their specs. LCI has base size models that need to be spec'd, custom built for each individual model run specs.
In my 2007 era of LCI frames, was told they could be sold with or without DOT certification specs depending what the rv manufacture wants/buys. WW did their own dot sticker ratings, what a joke. All big tt WW TH of that era and size where all gvw13,000lb. Didn't matter what the 'real weight was, didn't mater if it was 28'-32'+4 like mine, all rated at 13,000 gvw.
So blame the RV manufacturer for not specing out a strong enough frame for their TH. Keep in mind its a balancing act of compromise between strength and weight savings...
Don't think for 1 minute that lipert hasn't seen each and every frame problem one of their frames has sustained. They are an old company and my bet is they have learned from their(or manufactures)mistakes building or ordering frames. Granted I have seen some questionable welds from LCI and that is their fault no doubt. But imagine the cost of something as big as a TH frame all tig welded with nice picture perfect x-ray checked welds.
Check the dot sticker for proper GVWR, TW and correct empty weight, after you weight the trailer on a real scale.
Make sure the sticker matches the real world weights before you buy. That will tell you how concerned the RV manufacturer was with ordering and correctly DOT certifying the correct frame for each particular trailer.If you buy from a reputable RV manufacturer and check over the frame for poor quality welds and construction and all of the above, you should be fine.
My WW has a stout LCI frame. But imo not stout enough for the real weight of the TH. The sticker listed GVW is 13,000, tw is 1100. Not even in the ballpark for the real TW or GVW. At least it has 3 6000lb axles. Never had a problem with the frame but did get South Cal RV doctor to do their beefy frame up date. My LCI framed WW TH is solid as the rock of Gibraltar now. But it is one heavy fat pig for a TT...
So in my case, I blame WW not LCI for shorting the DOT sticker on GVW/TW and thus failing to order/build the correct strength frame for real world GVW/TW. Thank God for South Cal RV Doctor...
jmo
