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ace44's avatar
ace44
Explorer
Jun 19, 2014

Frost Heave 1, Toy hauler 0....

Well back in April we hit a frost heave on the Sterling highway doing about 50 mph, I think the truck and trailer caught air...... Long story short after attempting a fix the insurance company totaled our 2005 gearbox. Really a sad day for us as we really liked it. So now we are looking again.

Here is what happens when the road causes structural damage.

  • Back in the 60's Frost Heaves were common in Montana and Idaho.

    Have not noticed them on the newer interstate highways. Still some on the 2 lane sate highways.

    Often after all the frost is out of the ground the frost heave will settle back down and the road is somewhat smooth and level. But the asphalt typically breaks up in the area and the road crews will dig it out resurface only for it to happen again next spring.

    It is a spring time thing from the frozen ground thawing at an uneven rate.
  • Wow...sorry to see a thing like that happen! But up here in AK, it's an unfortunate regular occurance. My old Gooseneck trailer suffered to a frost heave once...
  • Frost heave is when the cold causes the road surface to buckle and push up...
  • Wow that is painful, luckily the insurance company is stepping up?

    Excuse my ignorance, and maybe it is an Alaska thing, but when you say "Frost Heave", what is that? I'm picturing a snow drift that has frozen into ice along the highway? Please educate me (us).
  • ScottG wrote:
    That's an incredible amount of damage. I can only imagine where else it has loose parts.


    I put a jack under the hitch and started lifting and you could see the hitch disappear about an inch before the rest of the trailer started lifting. Just such a bummer.
  • fj12ryder wrote:
    Is that the front cap? Hard to tell from a single picture.


    Sorry, but yes it is the front cap.
  • That's an incredible amount of damage. I can only imagine where else it has loose parts.