Ever had TT frame failure?

carringb wrote:
I had the A-frame break off my Weekend Warrior. I was on the way back to the dealer (cross country) to get it we-welded after I saw a crack start. Total failure south of chicago, closing the interstate for 5 hours while 4 heavy wreckers cleared the trailer from the freeway.

HOLY S**T.

How much did that cost you and how much time did you spend in jail ?

Around here you would have been in a world of hurt.

To the OP. If you think there is a problem get it checked out before you end up in a situation like the one above.

downtheroad wrote:
On our 5th trailer and never had a frame failure.

I doubt your "frame" is aluminum. Frames are always steel. You probably have aluminum framing in the walls...and possibly the roof.

Good luck with it. And sadly, terrible roads are not limited to Calif.

The frame on my camper is all aluminum. I'm positive about that. There aren't many companies that make them that way, but they do exist.

No problems so far though.

Whangler wrote:
... after seeing what happened to your Springdale "DutchmenSport". Did you keep the trailer after the a-frame collapsed?...

Actually, yes. We kept the Springdale for another 6 years and absolutely no more issues or problems with anything (except hail that beat out the skylight in the shower 4 years later). I saw how the repair was done, the integrity of the metal, it's weight, looks, everything and had 100% confidence after the new tongue was fixed.

The reason we ended up trading it, was because we kind of lost interest in this camper and were not using it so much in the last year of ownership. We realized the floor plan was just not working. The couch was incredibly uncomfortable, watching television from the living room was awful, it had no slides so it was beginning to feel cramped. When we were in the camper we were basically on the bed all the time as the living area was just not comfortable. We realized we simply did not enjoy this camper any more. That is the only reason we traded for the current one.

Funny though, the current camper we have now, the living room is so comfortable now, we don't want to go to bed!

I've had cracks where the cross members attach to the sides of the fake I-beam as mentioned by Myredracer.

You will find that many, if not most, trailers have the tongue angled upward. The frames on lightweight trailers are very weak. I have checked mine and others by using a good quality level to check the frame and the tongue and have never found them to be the same. Just think, some use the tongue as a reference and believe that the trailer is sitting level.

I had the A-frame break off my Weekend Warrior. I was on the way back to the dealer (cross country) to get it we-welded after I saw a crack start. Total failure south of chicago, closing the interstate for 5 hours while 4 heavy wreckers cleared the trailer from the freeway.

I would visit a frame shop before I made any wholesale decisions or tried any weight removal. If/when you wish to sell this RV, an air conditioner will be a plus. Besides, removing it only causes additional risk of water damage.

If you have an accurate laser, you can easily see if things are straight or bowing. I have one that has an exit point of almost exactly one inch from the case side. It is also has a magnetic strip. I can turn it on, stick it on a piece of steel up to 100', and, with a ruler, tell you if it is off 1/8" of an inch. Most frame shops have more accurate devices.

Thanks for the info fellas. To clear up a few things, yes the frame is steel, the walls and roof structure are aluminum. I'll definitely take it in to the frame shop for inspection after seeing what happened to your Springdale "DutchmenSport". Did you keep the trailer after the a-frame collapsed?

What about the aluminum wall and ceiling frame? Do those ever fail? I'm thinking if I keep this one, I'll remove the air conditioner from the roof since I never use it. That can't help matters with that 100lb hulk just sitting up there.

CHeck out the toy hauler forum. There's been a number of Weekend Warrior units with frames that bent similar to yours.

I managed to put a kink in the frame of my Rockwood trailer from backing too sharply.

Our Springdale when it was just 2 years old:























Keystone fixed it 100%. I didn't have to claim on insurance or pay anything. New A-frame was far superior to the original.

Moral of the story ... if you are having doubts ... get it checked out. I hit that bump just the wrong way, and ker-splat .... no second chances! Damage done!

If you have ANY doubts about the frame integrity... fix it or junk the trailer.

Looking back, this seemed like a terrible experience, but it really was not. No one got hurt, the trailer got towed to a safe place where the repair could be done, and it cost us nothing for the repair. Granted, it was overwhelming in the moment.... but it always passes. Looking back, it was just another experience under my belt. Would I want to go through something like this again .... ABSOLUTELY NOT! But I embrace the experience!