Forum Discussion

Leonandlisa's avatar
Leonandlisa
Explorer
Sep 17, 2019

front passenger side sagging when connected to truck

I have a Fuzion 302 5th Wheel toyhauler. I recently built a shop so I can keep it under cover and now that the shop is complete I am going through everything on the trailer. The shop floor is completely level (not sloped). I noticed when a disconnected the truck and put the same height of blocks on both sides that the passenger side of the trailer would hit the blocks first before the drivers side.

I connected the truck again and measured to the ground, and the passenger side of the frame is 1" closer to the ground then the drivers side. If I adjust the two front jacks and allow the passenger side to hit the blocks 1st, and level out the front of the trailer when taken off of the truck I am sitting flat all around 4 corners of the frame.

So to get more detail I hook the truck up again, take the weight off of the trailer jacks, and the passenger front corner settles and is lower than the drivers side.

My concern was a damaged (cracked) frame or broken weld to allow this difference. I took off the front panel exposing the front of the trailer (generator and propane access) and under the raised portion of the trailer. With all of the framing exposed I don't see any damage, and I can't see where it is moving.

Is 1" - 1-1/4" of sag OK, nothing is popped out of place, nothing is separating inside or outside. It could have been this way all along, I just noticed because I now have a flat surface to park on.

Opinions, additional things to look at while I have that front end exposed to the frame?
  • jkwilson's avatar
    jkwilson
    Explorer II
    Sep 17, 2019
    People pay thousands of dollars extra to get floors level within an inch. Use a level to check your rig, not a measurement to the floor.
  • Leonandlisa's avatar
    Leonandlisa
    Explorer
    Sep 17, 2019
    jkwilson wrote:
    People pay thousands of dollars extra to get floors level within an inch. Use a level to check your rig, not a measurement to the floor.


    I have used a level to verify my info above, I didn’t add that, but used that as my basis.
  • bpounds's avatar
    bpounds
    Nomad
    Sep 17, 2019
    I would start by visiting a truck scale and measuring the weight on left side versus right side. It might be as simple as unequal loading. Really though, going down the road not quite level side to side is not unusual or anything to worry about, as long as tires are within load range.
  • laknox's avatar
    laknox
    Nomad
    Sep 17, 2019
    bpounds wrote:
    I would start by visiting a truck scale and measuring the weight on left side versus right side. It might be as simple as unequal loading. Really though, going down the road not quite level side to side is not unusual or anything to worry about, as long as tires are within load range.


    That was my first thought, too.

    Lyle
  • Leonandlisa's avatar
    Leonandlisa
    Explorer
    Sep 17, 2019
    I have weighed the trailer, but not each side individually.

    Thanks for the input.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Sep 17, 2019
    Does your camper have slides, or more slides on one side than the other. If the trailer weighs more on one side than the other, this could the frame to appear to be leaning.

    In the past, there were many posts on these forums about TT and 5ers that were parked level, but when the slides came out, the trailer leaned. The reason was because of the weight of the slides being greater on one side than the other, causing the lean.

    The solutions were many, but the simplest was to just measure the difference in the height when the slides were out (remember, they were level when slides were retracted). Then when parking, put that much lumber (thickness) under the tires on the low side when unhitching. Then when the slides were retracted, the weight would cause that side to sag down, but the end was a level floor. Then the stabilizer jacks were deployed and everything was fine.

    The other solution was to add an extra leaf spring on the side that would be low to make it more stout on that side. But when traveling then, one side would be softer, the other side more stout, causing some strange performance on the road.

    My suspicion in your case is, the trailer simply weighs heavier on one side, causing the lean. What kid of toys do you have in the garage that might not be evenly weight distributed?
  • bucky's avatar
    bucky
    Explorer II
    Sep 18, 2019
    Depending on usage over the years you may have a worn or broken leaf spring on that side.
  • Bob_Shaw's avatar
    Bob_Shaw
    Explorer
    Sep 18, 2019
    A friend of mine had a Fuzion and did have a broken frame. If it weremine, I'd get it checked. Better to find it now than when you're on the road.
  • Leonandlisa's avatar
    Leonandlisa
    Explorer
    Oct 04, 2019
    So thanks for the comments and suggestions, after weighing everything the drivers side ended up being just a little heavier since the slides are over there.

    I did find the fix, as suggested I checked the springs and they were wore out. I was able to buy new ones and replace them all and the trailer is sitting back up in the air and also level.

    Just wanted to say thanks for the suggestions.

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