Can't find location of frame crack/issue. Now what?

[Stupendous]

The trailer is a 2008 33ft 5th wheel toy hauler. A driver side aluminum panel bows out when I connect my truck and raise the legs. Originally, the panel was cracked and the crack would expand when the legs were lowered and contract when the legs were raised. During the replacement, the repair shop didn't find anything on the side.

I've removed all the aluminum paneling under the overhang but cannot locate the issue. However, I can now watch trailer parts grow apart/come back together when lowering legs/raising legs. I noticed this happen on the driver side near the curve of the overhang.

Side note. 3.5 years ago I dropped the trailer when I had the passenger side leg disconnected for repair. The trailer landed on the driver side leg (was not connected to truck). I imagine the frame was tweaked then and the problem has grown over time. That's just speculation but the crack I had in the panel started small sometime after and has grown the last 3.5 years. The frame was not inspected during the repair/insurance claim process

The trailer is worth ~$9,000 (if it wasn't for this) and I just spent $2,800 in repairs. No loan. I hate to keep throwing money at it because I'll quickly approach it's value. I was planning to sell after repair but don't want to spend more in repairs than it's worth.

Anyone have advice? I'm lost. Thank you.

[Retired_JSO]

Coming home one day from a short camping trip, I noticed the trailer moving back and forth an inch or so perpendicular to the pin. Upon reaching home, we noticed a crack in the front slide area from the lower left corner of the slide at an angle toward the front. I removed the filon sheeting from the entire overhang. Using a bright flashlight, I was able to find 2 broken welds in that same area that allowed the upright part of the rv to move on its own while the lower frame stayed straight. We did not reweld that part of the overhang but welded some 2X4 box tubing all away across the front overhang which made it stronger and did away with the movement. The walls of our fiver was supposed to be screwed through the frame into the wall but we found they had missed 7 screws up there too. Ours was a 2004 FR Sandpiper. I believe the small size angle used to support that area led to the broken welds but the screws missing was pure crappy workmanship and QC.

[MPI_Mallard]

You'll need to remove everything under the deck so you can access the up-right members to see where it's cracked, mine was on the front ones at the top, fortunately Cedar Creek did the whole repair at their cost ( on a 10 year old fiver',that's their idea of customer service!) and after they had Lippert re-do it twice they did additional gusseting just to beef it up. a good welding shop should be able to fix that for you, good luck!

Red Green: When the going gets tough, switch to
power tools.

[newman_fulltime]

The weld where the upperplatform is welded to the upright is broken.