What makes up a GVWR rating?
I am wondering what it is in the design of a trailer's frame and suspension or otherwise that gives it a particular GVWR rating. Is it the axles primarily? We have a trailer with a GVWR of 6800 lb...
Forum Discussion
You absolutely correct, this should not be. We discovered bent spring hanger brackets (about 5/" to one side) the day after we picked it up. I had taken it to an independent RV shop to get a LP gas fitting and they noticed. I reported it to the dealer immediately and it took Lippert about 6 weeks to say it is "within spec."
I then took it to a frame shop which is also a government certified inspection facility. When the trailer is up on the hoist, the hanger brackets bend one way, and when the trailer is on the ground, they bend the opposite way. The lower flanges of the I-beam are distorted where the hanger brackets attach. When they push on one side of the trailer, the wheels go wonky and way out of camber. The spring and equalizer bushings are worn from all the flexing. We are on the west coast so it would have been towed about 2K+ miles to the dealer.
The frame is made from paper thin sheet metal. The beam is 3 pieces of sheet metal welded together to look like an I-beam. The metal is simply too thin. We are looking at $1,000 - $2,000 to do the remedial work. We have sent the report and photos from the frame shop to the dealer and they are waiting to hear back from Lippert. Not sure how this can be "within spec." The frame will eventuall crack and/or welds will fail unless it is fixed. Even then, it will still be substandard and the only way to fix it would be to replace the frame....
It's pretty pathetic that they are putting this stuff on trailers and trying to get away with it.
I then took it to a frame shop which is also a government certified inspection facility. When the trailer is up on the hoist, the hanger brackets bend one way, and when the trailer is on the ground, they bend the opposite way. The lower flanges of the I-beam are distorted where the hanger brackets attach. When they push on one side of the trailer, the wheels go wonky and way out of camber. The spring and equalizer bushings are worn from all the flexing. We are on the west coast so it would have been towed about 2K+ miles to the dealer.
The frame is made from paper thin sheet metal. The beam is 3 pieces of sheet metal welded together to look like an I-beam. The metal is simply too thin. We are looking at $1,000 - $2,000 to do the remedial work. We have sent the report and photos from the frame shop to the dealer and they are waiting to hear back from Lippert. Not sure how this can be "within spec." The frame will eventuall crack and/or welds will fail unless it is fixed. Even then, it will still be substandard and the only way to fix it would be to replace the frame....
It's pretty pathetic that they are putting this stuff on trailers and trying to get away with it.
