Hi Y'all
While I was underneath my fifth wheel the other day replacing a grey water valve, I noticed that the suspension components on the right side of the trailer (it is a tandem axle, each axle rated 7000 pounds) were severely bent inwards (towards the center of the trailer). The damage appeared to be mostly in the "I" beam trailer frame (it was twisted) and in the spring hangers (bent inwards).
To make a long story short, I was able to untwist the frame and hangers sufficiently so that the components appear to be hanging correctly. (I'm quite sure they are not completely correct)
I have two questions concerning this:
1. What might have caused this (and how to prevent it in the future)?
2. Where should I take the fifth wheel to have the alignment checked and corrected? (I am currently in the Atlanta, Georgia area)
FWIW, I have no idea when or where this occurred and I did not notice anything weird in the way the trailer handled. I tend to go back and forth across the US and put many miles on the trailer as well as putting it in some "difficult" places. My last trip took me from Los Angeles to Atlanta with stops in Seattle, Canada, and New York for a total of about 7000 miles.
Any help and pointers will be greatly appreciated.
Mike:h
