poor frame design on travel trailer

Ralph Cramden wrote:

JBarca wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:


In as much as I live 60 miles from the factory (Palomino), I've been there numerous time and I've never seen a 'I' beam anywhere on the property except as part of the building structure.

No one that I know of, not even shanty builders use I' beams. They are all fabricated (welded) hot rolled steel, usually the cheapest stuff they can get.

Huntindog wrote:
You really hang out at the Palomino Sabre factory?
I have been there once. When I toured the factory after picking up my new Sabre. I have pics of my models frame on the production line. I have shared them with Jbarca in email conversations. He can vouch for them. I am not setup to post them here on this forum.... But yes my frame is a TRUE I beam frame. 1/4" thick as I measured it with a dial caliper.
Lippert can produce a HD quality frame, IF the manufacturer is willing to pay for it.

Since I was mentioned and I have been following this post, I'll comment. Huntindogs Sabre 10" frame is one of the so called RV I beam frames and his has 1/4" flanges and web which is heavier than most I have seen on a TT. Many are more commonly 3/16".

He has a special one that at the time it was made, Palomino was putting them under the Sabre campers of his weight range. Remember Forest River bought Palomino and things may have changed in recent years verses when his camper was made. I do not know the current day Palomino practices if they are the same, but his vintage was a heavier 10" beam. His is not welded, the frame rails are rolled you can tell by the fillets between the web and flanges.

As far as the RV industry I beam, I myself do not consider them I beams. A true I beam has very thick and wide tapered flanges. These beams we have in our campers are called MH beams at some of the steel mills. MH standing for "Manufacture Housing" beam. They are made just for them. The RV industry jumped on the MH wagon as it is a way to get a higher section modulus (A size/shape/strength calculation) of a beam due to the shape at less weight. Many are made from high strength low carbon steel to get higher strength from the shape. They are not A36 steel but in the 50ksi yield range. A572-50 or A529-50 or other similar steel.

Mine camper and Hunting dog's are 10" tall beams on similar GVWR campers. His frame is heavier than mine in the thickness area. Looking at the RV lots on current day Forest River frames and even some Jayco's I have seen, the new craze seems to be downsizing the 10" to 8" on 10,000# to 11,000 GVWR campers. Each brand within the FR line does something different. You can see this in the Rockwood line and others. Some are 8" some are 10" but the GVWR is the same area. I have even seen larger 5er's with these 8" frames. Not for me. The 10" is not adequate for all conditions on a 10K GVWR camper and going to 8 must of been a cost cutting thing or something.

Hope this helps

John

You have a 2004 shown in your sig, and Palomino is no longer associated with Sabre as Forest River broke them apart awhile ago. I am fairly sure a Palomino Sabre 30BHDS would of been a 2010/2011 or earlier?

I can see rolled shapes being used back then, but not today. I've never heard them called manufactured housing beams, we call them MWB's. (machine welded beam).

No different than every structural member in a pre-engineered metal buildings used as warehouses and manufacturing facilities.

Anyhow not an issue as just because a beam is rolled does not necessarily equate to it being stronger than a machine welded and fabricated beam. The details are in the engineering and the actual assembly, which is where Lippert drops the ball.