2010 5th Wheel with a broken frame at Pin Box
The welds have broken away from the frame and the steel has torn on either side of the pin box. My trailer is a 2010 Keystone Cougar XL-Lite 27SAB Fifth Wheel. I am the original owner. We were ...
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I know the feeling. I had a similar issue with my 2007 Colorado 5th. I discovered the issue in Manitoba and live near Edmonton. A local welder came on site and reinforced the hitch. He advised me to keep a close eye on it and I did. In several hundred kms I "thought" the issue may be recurring and took it to a welding shop in Dauphin where additional reinforcement was added. The shop advised me that this was the fifth time (over the years) they had repaired a hitch issue on a 5th wheel RV.
I made it home with no issues. The RV shops would not touch the repair because there was structural welding involved and their staff were not qualified for that type of welding. The welding shops did not want to take the nose cone off the trailer to properly access the problem area. Eventually I found a welding shop that claimed to have a staff member who had done that type of repair and were willing to take on the job. They advised me that the repairs that were done on the road were well done and would have stood up. Regardless, I had the reinforcements removed and the problem area replaced and strengthened.
Some RV facilities said they would remove the nose cone and bring a welder in for the welding portion of the repair. That would have worked for me because my trailer was movable. In your case all work will have to be done at your home either by yourself or a hired individual.
In my case, the cost of repair was significantly less than any type of replacement and like you, I was not about to "unload" an unsafe trailer on another (one RV dealership suggested selling it as is at an auction). My choices were to either have the trailer properly repaired or sell it with full disclosure.
I feel your pain. Good Luck.
I made it home with no issues. The RV shops would not touch the repair because there was structural welding involved and their staff were not qualified for that type of welding. The welding shops did not want to take the nose cone off the trailer to properly access the problem area. Eventually I found a welding shop that claimed to have a staff member who had done that type of repair and were willing to take on the job. They advised me that the repairs that were done on the road were well done and would have stood up. Regardless, I had the reinforcements removed and the problem area replaced and strengthened.
Some RV facilities said they would remove the nose cone and bring a welder in for the welding portion of the repair. That would have worked for me because my trailer was movable. In your case all work will have to be done at your home either by yourself or a hired individual.
In my case, the cost of repair was significantly less than any type of replacement and like you, I was not about to "unload" an unsafe trailer on another (one RV dealership suggested selling it as is at an auction). My choices were to either have the trailer properly repaired or sell it with full disclosure.
I feel your pain. Good Luck.
