2oldman wrote:
Good post myred
Thanks. I wish I could say more but I can't.
When we bought our first TT, I thought all you did was hook it up to your truck and drive off into the sunset to happily camp for ever after. Silly me. RV ownership as it turns out is full of a lot of potential pitfalls and problems from mild to severe.
patperry2766 wrote:
What are the brands that you are referring to with the substandard frame?
I had a list I did a couple of years ago but can't find it on my desk at the moment. I think V-nose was one. They are easy to spot at a dealer's lot or show by bending down and running a finger along the bottom of the vertical flange where the bottom flange intersects. You will feel the roughness of the weld seam. The mild steel also feels smooth in comparison to a forged beam. I know one manufacturer who calls the frame "heavy duty" (haha).
Sometimes I can tell the difference between the two types by hopping on the floor inside to see how much it deflects and bounces. A good frame is noticeably more solid feeling. Don't let a salesman or factory rep. see you do this. I did this once and a guy came running in all freaked out saying I could damage it. Scratch that brand off the list!
Another thing I found between frames is that some have additional bracing around the spring hangers using gussets and some also have a length of 2x2 welded to the bottom of the I-beam in the hanger area. Similar TT lengths and weights can have the extra re-reinforcement and some won't. All depends on what value the TT manufacturer places on it as it's them that provide the general specs' to Lippert. Lippert spits out whatever is asked of them and there are no regulations they have to comply with and no weight/length specs or classifications like there are on axles for ex.
