SAFETY WARNING FOR TOADS

[aksnowman]

My brother started full timing this year and yesterday while disconnecting the Toad he noticed there was something wrong with the RV side of the tow receptacle. When he got underneath the back of the RV he found the tow hitch was bolted to the frame but that the frame had cracked where the two bolts are installed. The crack is about 4" long and if not discovered likely would have resulted in the separation of the Toad from the RV. I am to sure of the Model but the RV is a Thor product, 38' long and only a couple of years old.


Click For Full-Size Image.

[rockhillmanor]

Looks like an add on.

There is no rust on the underbelly, "except" for where that is bolted on.

[Bruce_Brown]

wildmanbaker wrote:
From the picture, that is the Ford frame that has failed, not an extension added by the Thor. I can't say for sure, but it looks like someone used a weight distributing hitch with this setup, that it was not designed for one. More than likely, the factory information packet also says to not use a weight distributing hitch either.

Take another look. There is clearly an extension slipped into the factory frame and welded. The extension failed right to the intersection of it and the factory frame. This one is on Thor.

[ArchHoagland]

Good post...brings out the fact that everyone should get down under their coach and inspect their towing assembly every now and then.

Stuff happens.

[down_home]

Looking at the photo is that not the sub frame with the horns attached to the toad not the MH?
At any rate ours is welded on the Mh and on the toad we have the tow sub frame and bolts checked that are attached to the toad.
So far so good in 12 years+. Six years+ on this toad. Ours is a Roadmaster.

[Dale_Traveling]

For what it's worth the images are 10 minutes old and taken of a 12 year old Thor Hurricane 31D gas chassis coach. The hitch is bolted to extensions welded to the chassis. Lots of miles since 2011 towing a 2005 CRV and a 1998 Accord. Prior to spring of 2011 no idea what the first owner towed.

Initial impression of the failure image it really looks like at some point the hitch was overloaded for vertical weight somehow. Owners of gas chassis rigs really have to watch the weight when towing. There's a lot of frame and extensions behind the rear axle. Makes for a rather efficient level using the axle as a pivot point. Extensions also have to be considered.

The average rig is only rated for 500 lbs vertical. For horizontal weight it's a difficult target to meet. There are new production rigs with 8K lbs advertised tow limits but when you do the math it is very difficult to make the combined weight other than with a very light loading of the coach.

[aksnowman]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
I said that if the height difference was great, the force on the hitch could be greater, even if the tow bar WAS level. This is called leverage and that leverage will increase as the height difference increases. Hitches have a rated capacity when the load is level with the hitch receiver. If the drop hitch put the ball too low it could possibly have hit the ground at some point and put a lot of increased stress on the hitch/frame.

Now that point about a riser or extension is a good one... I will be asking him if he used one.

[aksnowman]

You can forget about the use of a WDH... there never was one on this Class A. Brother tows a small truck and previous owner towed a small trailer with a golf cart on it.

[aksnowman]

sundancer268 wrote:
Looks like an old crack with what I think I see is rust where the metal cracked. This probably has been growing for a while if it was a fresh break there would be a bright shine to the broken pieces.

I was thinking the same thing. There is a spot by the l bracket that looks like the frame was weakened by the welder... do you see a burn thru?

But the other side was cracked the same and there is no welding on that frame.

[aksnowman]

Easy big guy, nobody said it was a bad weld. I was agreeing with your statement that "It won't hurt to take a look at your own hitch" because I too almost lost my hitch even though it was a factory installation and I had dragged a Jeep around for 30K miles before it became an issue.

Just a quick answer, wasn't meaning to seem ill tempered...

Were you using a riser or an extension?

[sundancer268]

Looks like an old crack with what I think I see is rust where the metal cracked. This probably has been growing for a while if it was a fresh break there would be a bright shine to the broken pieces.

[Dutch_12078]

Our shop repaired similar frame damage on a mobile command center built on an F59 chassis a few years ago. The damage was caused by the vehicle backing into a low concrete wall.

[wildmanbaker]

judelaurenzo25g wrote:

wildmanbaker wrote:
From the picture, that is the Ford frame that has failed, not an extension added by the Thor. I can't say for sure, but it looks like someone used a weight distributing hitch with this setup, that it was not designed for one. More than likely, the factory information packet also says to not use a weight distributing hitch either.

How can you tell a WDH was used? I don't see the hitch or the bars.

Did you catch that sentence? Have you ever removed an WDH stinger from the receiver, with the bars still attached? If you have, you know that their is considerable force usually up on the stinger. The bars tend to make a more fixed coupling between what is being towed and the TV. If the hitch is not a WDH, it can do just what you see in the photo. But then again, its just my experience.

[wa8yxm]

That bracket in the photo.. Mine not only cracked it SPLIT at 55 mph right where the bend is Both of 'em broke,

Now the safety cables don't work in that configuration as they hook to the receiver on the bar the brackets hold
Nor did the break away as it too was hooked to the cross bar (it is no longer)

The US-gear brakes did stop the car safely along with the motor home (there was just enough left to keep it rolling) but I lost the rear wheel on my Bicycle. (It is carried on the hitch usign a dual adapter.. Tore it up bad) Got of to the side and with a bit of help from Ohio State Police got it apart. and the bicycle loaded in RV. got the wife installed in the towed and on to a fix-it-shop (Simmons Sons Service as I recall. they work on Train cars)

They built me new brackets. They SERIOUSLY built me new brackets. like 2x the thickness. plus reinforcement braces.. It works. NO problems since

NOTE use of a DROP/Rise hitch... Puts tremendous stress on that bracket.

[4x4van]

While the hitch was original equipment, the RV was purchased used (according to the OP). That damage could only have been caused by either overloading the hitch with too much tongue weight, or reasonable tongue weight but using an extreme drop or hitch extension, or finally, the RV being backed into something with the hitch taking the blow. Since we don't know what the previous owner did, there's no way to tell which scenario caused the break. But it is still a good idea for ALL of us to routinely crawl under our rigs and LOOK at things.

[D_E_Bishop]

Well to support you Snowman, I agree inspections are advantageous, we're leaving soon on a trip so the RV is out front. I inspected the hitch, it is a hitch manufactured by someone other than Winnebago but it is a bolt on hitch not welded. The hitch is rated at 5K and 500 lbs. The factory label does say not to use with a WD hitch. And yes the receiver was installed at the Winnebago Factory.