Lippert frame reinforcements Jayco & Crossroads OEM

[Snowman9000]

We toured the plant where Jayco builds their big Pinnacles and toyhaulers. I snapped some phone photos of the reinforcing on a Lippert frame for a big unit. I think it was for a TH. Maybe it will give people ideas on their own DIY strengthening.





By contrast, this what I saw when we toured the Crossroads factory this spring. The frame may have been for a slightly smaller fiver, but not much smaller if any.


Following shots are of a rear hitch receiver mounting at Crossroads. The hitch is rated for 3000/300.




Apparently I didn't photo a hitch mounting at Jayco.'
:S

[CKNSLS]

jimmyfred wrote:
..........The thing is , IF they would use stronger , thicker metal in their spring hangers they wouldn't have to reinforce them ! My T.Supreme weighs 13,220 empty and has NO reinforcements on the hangers , at all ! , jf

It cost less to reinforce them than to add heavier ones.....apparently. Your rig leans towards "higher end" and the vast majority of trailers are built to a price point.

[jimmyfred]

..........The thing is , IF they would use stronger , thicker metal in their spring hangers they wouldn't have to reinforce them ! My T.Supreme weighs 13,220 empty and has NO reinforcements on the hangers , at all ! , jf

[CKNSLS]

This thread is as good as those RV accident threads where everyone pontificates how the accident happen.

Here we have a manufacturer putting together a trailer, and posters who with the exception of one poster, saying how inadequate the welds are. And the poster who said the welds are ugly, but strong is a Welder.

I wonder how many trailers are going down the road with uneventful miles with these welds?



The only thing this thread will do is assure there are no more cameras on their "factory tour".

[57_Panhead]

I had some 2" square tube welded between the spring hangers on all 3 hangers on our Jayco Eagle SuperLite. Our frame was built just before Lippert bought the frame division from Dexter so I'm confident the welds are of a better quality. I can't understand why all the builders don't add these braces in all TTs and 5ers.

Steve

[TheAmRheins]

Heartland is now using a system called Correct Track for the frame alignment on all its fifth wheels, beginning last August according to the latest owners club newsletter.

Definitely a step in the right direction...

[SuperDutyMan]

As a welder.....those are some ugly welds! Not saying they are not strong or unsafe,but ugly!

[ScottG]

It's not the bracing that makes those welds so bad, it's the welds themselves. They have little or no penetration and weren't built up correctly.

[whporwil]

I have those same gussets on my 2008 Designer.

[Snowman9000]

TakingThe5th wrote:
X2 on those bad welds. I'm not an engineer, but it seems there is no bracing for lateral forces. We all know how wheels get stressed in hard turns and there doesn't seem to be any provision for that.

That's what the angle irons running across the hangers are for. It makes a box out of what was a flexible design. By contrast the Crossroads is still open, although they've added a little something to make the beam more stable. They do have internal crossmembers though.

Mine has the weak crossmembers and no gussets on the side. I'm going to add something to mine like what Jayco has specified.

[Snowman9000]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Top photo.....
At least they have done some reinforcement of forward & rear leaf spring shackles BUT center shackle is still weak.
Or did you notice that the center shackle was reinforced later..just no pix?

I would bet the ranch that what you see is what there is. I'm sure it's done by Lippert before it goes to Jayco. On the center hanger, on all of them actually, there is a plate on the side of the frame connecting the top and bottom rails. It's not all that noticeable in the photos. That would stiffen the frame itself. The center hanger must not be turning up as a problem area, I suppose.

[TakingThe5th]

X2 on those bad welds. I'm not an engineer, but it seems there is no bracing for lateral forces. We all know how wheels get stressed in hard turns and there doesn't seem to be any provision for that.

[Snowman9000]

gmcsmoke wrote:
I didn't think Jayco used lippert frames

Me too. Well, they do now.
Leland Frame was sold to Dexter. Dexter sold their frame business (maybe more) to Lippert.

[ScottG]

Those are some terrible looking welds.
Of course they're no worse than those on my own trailer. 😞

[joebedford]

Did you see any BIG rigs? That one will only have two axles.

[Old-Biscuit]

Top photo.....
At least they have done some reinforcement of forward & rear leaf spring shackles BUT center shackle is still weak.
Or did you notice that the center shackle was reinforced later..just no pix?