FYI Axel Failure

Since the axle assembly was on fire, I would change both tires on that side. You don't know what damage was down to the other tire/rim. Or take it and have the tire and rim inspected and get a report on the inspection. That kind of heat can cause a lot of problems that aren't visible.

I agree that Lippert axles may not be my first choice. Having said that...I can't imagine how anything on the axle could cause a bearing failure. Sounds more like a poor job of packing the bearing or a problem bearing that destroyed the axle. If you know ANYTHING about the wheel bearing axle relationship I can't believe you can lay any blame on the axle for this. JMHO

B.O.

With the info given, there is no way to determine what caused the failure. Having said that, Lippert is known for inferior workmanship. Was this the cause? Who knows. When you read the number of issues with Lippert, and compare them to major axle manufacturers like Dexter, and AL-KO you realize that something is wrong. How many, non RV manufacturers are using Lippert axles? I'll bet not many. I think the OP's experience with a reputable shop says a lot. Why is the RV industry stuck with these folks?

The excuse is always that Lippert builds what the customer wants, to the customer specs. Really!!! Who is the professional frame and axle manufacturer, Lippert or the RV assembler. It would be like saying that you want a trailer manufacturer to build a 20' long 4,500# rated frame out of 3" structural channel. That isn't a wise move. Maybe that isn't a good example since Airstream does that very thing. LOL
The frame manufacturer should know the GVW of the frame that they are building and should build it to withstand that weight in a variety of conditions. Obviously they need to build it to the dimensions specified by the RV manufacturer so that the trailer will properly fit on the frame, but they can't deny the responsibility that they have in building a safe product. Let's be honest with each other. It comes down to how much money they can make on an uneducated buyer. Having built many equipment trailers on and off since the mid 1970s, I can tell you that an average RV trailer could have a great frame built under it for about $300-$400 more than what they are currently building and that would include better axles, stronger frame, more GVW so you aren't traveling on the edge of it's capacity and workmanship that would last for generations. Check out an old silver Avion frame and compare to it a Lippert frame and you will see the difference.

Gdetrailer wrote:


Not really.

Lippert like Dexter manufactures the axles to the SPECIFICATIONS GIVEN TO THEM BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TRAILER.

Niether Lippert or Dexter sells to the general public.

The axle tags specify the MAX weight allowed for the entire axle/wheel assembly which is including the wheels. It is taken as a full assembly and the weakest component of that assemble mandates the max load available.

For instance, my Dexter axles have a tag of 3300lbs but yet the axle is in the 3500 lb "class" of axles and uses brakes and drums for 3500 lb axles.

Lippert gets a bad name more so since they manufacture so many axles when it is actually the manufacturer of the entire trailer SPECIFYING the axle weights..

Agree with Gde here.

Gdetrailer wrote:

69 Avion wrote:

1stvee wrote:
FYI-Has anyone had this problem? I purchased my 2011 Cruiser RV 24SD ViewFinder new. Used it about 3000 miles each year 2011 & 2012. I pulled & packed the wheel bearings each year. Jan 2013 had my local dealer pull wheels, inspect the brakes/bearings & repack bearings all 4 wheels. Near the end of a 3500 mile trip 9/12/2013 the right front bearing failed. It destroyed everything, even caught fire. After 2 days beside the road I got it patched enough to limp 150 miles to a Camping World. After 5 days of good intentions and some poor follow up. I was told a new Lippert axel could take up to 2 weeks to receive or I could stay in a hotel for another 3 or 4 days while the spindle was locally replaced. Each option was $700 plus. I called a little Trailer fabricator and repair shop about 25 miles away, Accutrak Mfg. Corp. Los Lunas, NM. The owner, Robert said he was very familiar with the Lippert axel problems. The next day for just over $500 Accutrak installed complete new Dexter axel assy. (axel hubs brakes bearings complete).
Here is a RUB. The Leppert axels under my trailer has ID Tags showing they are 2800 LB load cap. The Dexter replacement is 3500LB. Robert said he had stopped using Leppert axels a few years back, but did not elaborate. In all fairness to Lippert. Because I am clearly out of warranty I did not try to get any restitution from them. However as soon as I can recoup from the almost $2000 total cost of this failure I am going to replace the other 2800 LB Lippert axel with a 3500LB Dexter assembly.
1stvee

That is what I would do. A lot of "quality" axle manufacturers don't start giving you decent spindles, hubs and bearings until you get to the 3,500# rating. I had a local axle manufacturer take a Flexiride axle system and de-rate it to 2,000# by installing the rubber with about 1/3 of it removed from the center. This allows for the rubber torsion axle to "give" more, but also gave me the heavy duty axle components.

By the way, Lippert strikes again. You would think that with all the bad info on the internet, most educated buyers would refuse to buy anything with Lippert components.

Not really.

Lippert like Dexter manufactures the axles to the SPECIFICATIONS GIVEN TO THEM BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TRAILER.

Niether Lippert or Dexter sells to the general public.

The axle tags specify the MAX weight allowed for the entire axle/wheel assembly which is including the wheels. It is taken as a full assembly and the weakest component of that assemble mandates the max load available.

For instance, my Dexter axles have a tag of 3300lbs but yet the axle is in the 3500 lb "class" of axles and uses brakes and drums for 3500 lb axles.

Lippert gets a bad name more so since they manufacture so many axles when it is actually the manufacturer of the entire trailer SPECIFYING the axle weights..

And this is the whole truth and nothing but the truth…

Lippert has had problems with axle alignment and it can’t be blamed on anyone else…

But this isn’t a Lippert problem and maybe not even a Mfg. problem… I agree something was misadjusted in the last service…

69 Avion wrote:

1stvee wrote:
FYI-Has anyone had this problem? I purchased my 2011 Cruiser RV 24SD ViewFinder new. Used it about 3000 miles each year 2011 & 2012. I pulled & packed the wheel bearings each year. Jan 2013 had my local dealer pull wheels, inspect the brakes/bearings & repack bearings all 4 wheels. Near the end of a 3500 mile trip 9/12/2013 the right front bearing failed. It destroyed everything, even caught fire. After 2 days beside the road I got it patched enough to limp 150 miles to a Camping World. After 5 days of good intentions and some poor follow up. I was told a new Lippert axel could take up to 2 weeks to receive or I could stay in a hotel for another 3 or 4 days while the spindle was locally replaced. Each option was $700 plus. I called a little Trailer fabricator and repair shop about 25 miles away, Accutrak Mfg. Corp. Los Lunas, NM. The owner, Robert said he was very familiar with the Lippert axel problems. The next day for just over $500 Accutrak installed complete new Dexter axel assy. (axel hubs brakes bearings complete).
Here is a RUB. The Leppert axels under my trailer has ID Tags showing they are 2800 LB load cap. The Dexter replacement is 3500LB. Robert said he had stopped using Leppert axels a few years back, but did not elaborate. In all fairness to Lippert. Because I am clearly out of warranty I did not try to get any restitution from them. However as soon as I can recoup from the almost $2000 total cost of this failure I am going to replace the other 2800 LB Lippert axel with a 3500LB Dexter assembly.
1stvee

That is what I would do. A lot of "quality" axle manufacturers don't start giving you decent spindles, hubs and bearings until you get to the 3,500# rating. I had a local axle manufacturer take a Flexiride axle system and de-rate it to 2,000# by installing the rubber with about 1/3 of it removed from the center. This allows for the rubber torsion axle to "give" more, but also gave me the heavy duty axle components.

By the way, Lippert strikes again. You would think that with all the bad info on the internet, most educated buyers would refuse to buy anything with Lippert components.

Not really.

Lippert like Dexter manufactures the axles to the SPECIFICATIONS GIVEN TO THEM BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TRAILER.

Niether Lippert or Dexter sells to the general public.

The axle tags specify the MAX weight allowed for the entire axle/wheel assembly which is including the wheels. It is taken as a full assembly and the weakest component of that assemble mandates the max load available.

For instance, my Dexter axles have a tag of 3300lbs but yet the axle is in the 3500 lb "class" of axles and uses brakes and drums for 3500 lb axles.

Lippert gets a bad name more so since they manufacture so many axles when it is actually the manufacturer of the entire trailer SPECIFYING the axle weights..

Thanks for sharing. I wonder what the root cause is. Without knowing this we can't really blame Lippert. That said I am glad that both my RVs so far have Dexter axles and in the previous RV I only re packed the bearings once in the three years I had her and the bearings and brakes were in excellent shape when serviced. This after a trip to Canada and lots of shorter trips in the southern US.

Thanks for sharing this information.

We purchased our 2012 ViewFinder 24SD in 2011 and haven't had any problems with
it. Presumably it has the same 2800 lb Lippert axels as yours, but I'll check on that.

Our camper was just inspected last month and we had the bearings cleaned and
repacked. We specifically asked if there looked like any axel issues and none
were seen. We had already talked about going to a heavier-duty axel if/when
that time comes.

One thing we noticed about our ViewFinder is that it can hold ALOT of stuff and
even with the generous weight limits, it's pretty easy to overload. We weigh,
fully loaded, before our yearly winter trip so we know we're within the limits.

The Axles should definitely match. I would replace the remaining one with the same model.
As for why the bearing failed? The last person to touch it did something wrong. It was either too tight, too loose or contaminated.

1stvee wrote:
FYI-Has anyone had this problem? I purchased my 2011 Cruiser RV 24SD ViewFinder new. Used it about 3000 miles each year 2011 & 2012. I pulled & packed the wheel bearings each year. Jan 2013 had my local dealer pull wheels, inspect the brakes/bearings & repack bearings all 4 wheels. Near the end of a 3500 mile trip 9/12/2013 the right front bearing failed. It destroyed everything, even caught fire. After 2 days beside the road I got it patched enough to limp 150 miles to a Camping World. After 5 days of good intentions and some poor follow up. I was told a new Lippert axel could take up to 2 weeks to receive or I could stay in a hotel for another 3 or 4 days while the spindle was locally replaced. Each option was $700 plus. I called a little Trailer fabricator and repair shop about 25 miles away, Accutrak Mfg. Corp. Los Lunas, NM. The owner, Robert said he was very familiar with the Lippert axel problems. The next day for just over $500 Accutrak installed complete new Dexter axel assy. (axel hubs brakes bearings complete).
Here is a RUB. The Leppert axels under my trailer has ID Tags showing they are 2800 LB load cap. The Dexter replacement is 3500LB. Robert said he had stopped using Leppert axels a few years back, but did not elaborate. In all fairness to Lippert. Because I am clearly out of warranty I did not try to get any restitution from them. However as soon as I can recoup from the almost $2000 total cost of this failure I am going to replace the other 2800 LB Lippert axel with a 3500LB Dexter assembly.
1stvee

That is what I would do. A lot of "quality" axle manufacturers don't start giving you decent spindles, hubs and bearings until you get to the 3,500# rating. I had a local axle manufacturer take a Flexiride axle system and de-rate it to 2,000# by installing the rubber with about 1/3 of it removed from the center. This allows for the rubber torsion axle to "give" more, but also gave me the heavy duty axle components.

By the way, Lippert strikes again. You would think that with all the bad info on the internet, most educated buyers would refuse to buy anything with Lippert components.