A happy ending?

TCA did an outstanding job of explaining what I feel is the primary reason this guy's frame failed---improper COG. If the COG had been located directly over the rear axle, and not a number of feet behind, this particular failure would have never occurred---even overloaded as he was.

If the owner of this truck would have taken the time to visit a scale (unloaded and loaded), yes, he would have discovered his truck was overloaded. However, he would have also discovered his front-axle was being off-loaded hundreds and hundreds of pounds---indicating a COG far behind the rear axle.

IMO, it's not a simple case of calculating GVWR and payload and calling it safe. *Where* you place the payload (COG) is a critical consideration, too.

Double post.

I'm not reevaluating based on that frame breaking. I don't know what all the truck owner was doing, but the fact remains there are lots of overloaded vehicles that never break. I think it's more likely that he added more stress to the frame by having a poor suspension solution/worn suspension and/or the type of roads he drove.

That being said, I'm under my GVWR sticker which is 14500. When I first bought my truck, it had 95K miles on it. The first trip with the TC I hit a bump on I-90, and it sounded like it hit really hard. It's hard to describe the sound, but I knew that wasn't right. So, I bought new shocks. The previous owner used it to haul horses cross country with a large gooseneck, and it had regular service based not he Carafe. They obviously didn't think the shocks were worn out ... at least they weren't replaced. All it took was to load the TC, for me to notice it. I have no idea what their pin weight was on their trailer loaded.

In other words, some of us notice things that aren't quite right while others just keep driving. I wasn't driving the truck that had the frame break, but it's hard for me to believe there were zero warning signs if I had been driving. Of course, this is just speculation on my part.

I've seen it before with other vehicles. For instance, my friend drove his vehicle every day. One day, I rode with him and asked him what that noise was. He said, "I don't know ... it's been doing it a few weeks." After I mentioned it, he took it to the shop and all of this front end components were worn and were so bad that the shop told him to leave it. It was ready for a catastrophic failure. Who knows how much longer he could have driven it.

Similarly, most blowouts on RVs aren't really from overloading at normal pressure. Instead, it's usually because they have low pressure. If you are paying attention, you should be able to notice it.

YMMV.

mkirsch wrote:

deltabravo wrote:
This situation has me really taking a closer look at my RVing situation, all because I am over the GVWR of my truck

Several thoughts have crossed my mind:
1. Sell the pristine 2009 truck in my signature, which only has 75k miles on it and buy a newer truck with a higher GVWRE
2. Sell my AF 992 and get a smaller truck camper.

By rv.net TC forum standards, and the loudest advice given here, that guy had at least another 1000lb of payload capacity left.

He was NOT overloaded. The truck had an AAM axle. Can't be overloaded.

If he wasn't overloaded, you sure as heck aren't. Hit the road and enjoy yourself.

That story has many folks re-evaluating their RV config. Too bad they don’t come here for reassurance they are in fact under max towing/payload.

mkirsch wrote:

By rv.net TC forum standards, and the loudest advice given here, that guy had at least another 1000lb of payload capacity left.

He was NOT overloaded. The truck had an AAM axle. Can't be overloaded.

If he wasn't overloaded, you sure as heck aren't. Hit the road and enjoy yourself.

Not sure why you’re stuck on this.…lol
Like some sorta weird “told ya so” to someone you don’t know, or simply maybe you don’t understand what’s being discussed at more than just a very basic level?
But it’s the lack of comprehension that causes folks to do dumb things, on either end of the spectrum.
Case in point, this thread. OP outwardly appears to be a very knowledgeable guy aboot all things car and camper. And then with the blink of an eye, a question or contemplation like he’s making, makes you realize the comprehension level is low.

Not unlike the broken Dodge Frame guy. Just opposite.

deltabravo wrote:
This situation has me really taking a closer look at my RVing situation, all because I am over the GVWR of my truck

Several thoughts have crossed my mind:
1. Sell the pristine 2009 truck in my signature, which only has 75k miles on it and buy a newer truck with a higher GVWRE
2. Sell my AF 992 and get a smaller truck camper.

By rv.net TC forum standards, and the loudest advice given here, that guy had at least another 1000lb of payload capacity left.

He was NOT overloaded. The truck had an AAM axle. Can't be overloaded.

If he wasn't overloaded, you sure as heck aren't. Hit the road and enjoy yourself.

^Why? Aside from human nature to glom onto the latest “thing” and worry aboot it?
Were you worried the day, week, month or year before you saw a broken Dodge truck guy telling the world his woes?
…Didn’t think so.

He sold the truck right after getting the camper back home.

On another note, $17k seems far too reasonable of a cost to completely disassemble and reassemble a truck. Especially a new one.
Heck just a hood fender and grille and an extra 2 panels re spray cost half that much on my truck at the body shop a few months ago. ..

Well no sht Sherlock…
The attempt at actual or feigning ignorance by the owner is disgusting lack of due diligence, something seemingly common in the RV owners world unfortunately.
And it does not need a newspaper article to announce that “insurance covered it”. This is still a pathetic public display of idk what to call it.

On the upside, found the guy to box your frame no problemo senior for adamis!