PA State Inspection

doctor roy wrote:
Perhaps you should go to a RV dealer for your inspection.

Yes, I really should have taken it back to the dealer where I bought it. That would have been brilliant.

When I got my new and newly inspected trailer home I found that both axles were bent and one brake was not connected from the factory.

Took it back to the dealer and he said there was nothing wrong. I then replaced the axles at my expense and my own labor. The worst axle was sent back to the trailer manufacturer who then sent it on to Al-Ko. Al-Ko found that the axle was indeed bent, but would not pay for it.

Yes, really I am stupid for not subjecting myself to even more abuse.

Perhaps you should go to a RV dealer for your inspection.

raindove wrote:
And what gives anyone special exception to not inspect a trailer (which is required by law) and run it on the roads, where if something fails, other people are at risk?

That's your state's way to take your money. Most states don't do inspections.

I wouldn't let some clown touch my trailer either.

Lynnmor wrote:
OK, lets try this:

A. The trailer is my property, I paid for it and I get to say how it is treated.

B. I am the customer that is buying a service. The inspector should treat me with some respect.

Maybe with your attitude you don't command respect. It goes both ways. It's your property and you have the right how it is treated. But you were violating the law when you didn't get your property inspected for those few years. That's showing a lot of disrespect.

We don't have RV mechanical inspections yet, but AutoZone etc. can't code read vehicles because of law the repair lobby got passed. Follow the money, safety is secondary.

Lynnmor wrote:
OK, lets try this:

A. The trailer is my property, I paid for it and I get to say how it is treated.

B. I am the customer that is buying a service. The inspector should treat me with some respect.

Personally I think you are confused over what is a service and what it means to comply with the law. If the inspection was a service you could direct what is to be done, etc. and not have whatever done and the only consequences are you don't get the service. When you take a vehicle in for a state inspection you are not in control of what is going to be done if you want to get what you are asking for. Now if you don't like the way this place performs their inspections then your only option is to go somewhere else that you are happy with.

As far as the respect part goes you are conducting basically a business transaction and if you let personalities get in the way then you only have yourself to blame for not getting the end result that is not in your control. Civility would be nice, but is IMO not a prerequisite for getting a state inspection done.

I think you would be better served to approach this as wanting to get something (i.e. state inspection) and either accept whatever the business YOU CHOSE to perform that inspection wants to do or choose another business to you liking, but complaining serves no purpose and you're trying to make that proverbial pig not only sing but fly at the same time :W

Larry

OK, lets try this:

A. The trailer is my property, I paid for it and I get to say how it is treated.

B. I am the customer that is buying a service. The inspector should treat me with some respect.

Lynnmor wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
Every day we read of tire, brake, axle and wheel bearing problems on these forums. I wonder how many of these problems are caused by "mechanics" that perform annual safety inspections.
I have had so many problems with these inspections that I refused to have my trailer inspected for the last two years. Now PA has stepped up enforcement on the PA turnpike with an officer doing nothing all day long but look for stickers.
So I take my trailer to a local inspection station. The "mechanic" rolls out the largest floor jack that I have ever seen. I told him that he is not to use it because he can't jack anywhere near the wheel. He says "You don't like it when someone tells you how to do your job, the state tells me how to do mine, now just how do you want it jacked?" I told him that I don't want him to jack it and left.
If I would not have been there watching this monkey, he likely would have bent both axles.

YOU are wrong.

The jack CAN be placed anywhere EXCEPT the MIDDLE of the axle tube (the middle of the axle tube is the weakest point and has an intentional "bow" or "camber" built in, jacking here can bend or damage the tube).

I am not sure as to how you PLAN to change tires or inspect the brakes without JACKING UP the axle.

The best place for the jack is DIRECTLY UNDER the AXLE where the AXLE IS BOLTED TO the springs. This places the LEAST amount of stress on the axle and suspension.

Alternately if that can not be done then jack under the spring as close as possible to the AXLE.

Do not jack on the spring mounts or the equalizer.

If you are jacking on the FRAME of the trailer you ARE risking DAMAGING THE FRAME. The reason for this is you have to jack the frame considerably MORE to unload the springs in order to get the wheel off the ground. In effect you are TWISTING the frame to make that happen.

The inspection mechanic WAS doing it right in fact my mechanic has used a semi truck lift to lift the entire trailer off all four wheels at the same time. Placed the jack pads exactly under the point where the axle tubes are connected to the springs.

Believe it or not most PA inspection mechanics DO "know their stuff", I have only run into a couple of mechanics over the years that actually didn't have a clue.

Take it back and get it inspected...

On edit, the only other exception would be if you have TORSION suspension, on that type you are to place the jack BESIDE the tube basically on the frame. This will jack the entire frame up but places less stress on the frame. Jacking on a torsion axle can damage it.

It's great that you can say that I am wrong without even trying to comprehend what I wrote.
1. The jack was TOO WIDE so that there was no way to jack the axle under, or near, the spring.
2. The "mechanic" would not listen to a word I said.
3. I did not ask for advice on how to jack a trailer.
4. I replaced the axles myself when the trailer was new because they were already bent. I don't plan on doing it again.
5. I provided a jack point when I made the shock mounts that are on the trailer.

I call B.S.

1) axle tubes are NOT PAPER THIN and WILL "support" full weight at least 6"-12" inboard. If they couldn't support this weight on the inboard side what makes you think that they can support all the weight ON THE TIRE SIDE.

2) Mechanic IS trained and IS following procedures, in fact SAFE procedures for not only your trailer but the MECHANIC as well.

3) YOU can jack the trailer any way you want, heck perhaps a forklift or crane would "meet" your "standards" but for many other folks it seems to be more normal not to sweat it as long as the jacking is not in the middle of the axle tube.

4) The axles HAVE a natural "bend" in them, this "bend" is to provide the PROPER camber of the tires while under max loading conditions. Many people "mistake" this "bend" as if there is something wrong with the axles when there is nothing wrong with the axles.

5) If I was the mechanic I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT "TRUST" someones "back yard" mechanics jerry rig "jacking point" and therefore the mechanic was totally correct to not use you homemade part.

As far as what Dexter has to say, if you READ THE ENTIRE PDF they state that THEY (Dexter) can not guarantee the spring mounts nor any other suspension parts quality or strength. THAT IS WHY THEY MENTION JACKING ON THE TRAILER FRAME.

My suggestion is you find another shop, THERE ARE LOTS of them or perhaps since you feel your "quality and standards" are above all inspection mechanics that YOU should go and study and take the inspection course and test. Once you do that YOU CAN INSPECT YOUR OWN vehicles and trailer.

By the way, just because YOU don't like the inspection process it doesn't mean you are above the law. Get it inspected or perhaps move out of state, Ohio doesn't require inspections and often you can see right through their vehicles in places where there is no glass...

In PA, the govt. inspects RVs and cars. It's the roads and bridges that they can't seem to maintain!

I guess I just don't trust the government that much and I inspect and maintain everything because it will be me broke in the middle of no where. Before we inspect RV's out here we need to inspect cars. But then you would be picking on the poor people that can't afford to maintain them. We can't even make sure people are sober, have a license and insurance never mind that their car is a dangerous POS.