Trailair Tri-Glide hitch failure

[azdryheat]

It only took 1.5 years for my Tri-Glide to destroy itself. While out on a month-long trip the chucking got worse over time. Any grease I put in the 3 rollers leaked out. It appears that the welds broke loose on one side and the Tri-Glide portion can be moved up and down with ease.

Anyone else have issues like this?

[B_O__Plenty]

I have heard of this before also. Check the side to side or twisting movement of the sliding portion on the lower jaw. There will be excessive movement as it starts to go bad. I think this happens more often with heavier pin weights. Mine is okay but my trailer is lighter. I'm not that sold on the Tri-Glide portion.

B.O.

[Winged_One]

Two things you mention give me pause. The pin weight (I am at 3340), and the lousy roads (Michigan doesn't have anything but this). Great, one more thing to worry about. 😉

[azdryheat]

I wonder if it could the the 3,500# pin weight (CAT Scale)? My Voltage, without toys is 16,500# (CAT Scale) and I figure we were at 18,000# for our long trip, which is well under the 19,000# GVWR and the 21,000# rating for the Trailair. With the lousy roads we were driving on it makes me wonder if the stress was too much for the Tri-Glide and broke some of the welds on the rollers?

[Winged_One]

azdryheat wrote:
It only took 1.5 years for my Tri-Glide to destroy itself. While out on a month-long trip the chucking got worse over time. Any grease I put in the 3 rollers leaked out. It appears that the welds broke loose on one side and the Tri-Glide portion can be moved up and down with ease.

Anyone else have issues like this?

Not yet, hopefully never.

I would be interested in any information you have as to what might have caused this. Especially if you have it looked at by Lippert or anyone else. Anything that could help prevent it happening to the rest of us with this pin would be appreciated.

[taken]

Boxer Lovers wrote:
I still believe the TriGlide is the best out there. Nothing matches it's ride and chuck reduction. The operating principle is rock solid. No need to discontinue the model.

And yet they did. The Tri-Glide was replaced with the Flex Air this year...

[Boxer_Lovers]

I still believe the TriGlide is the best out there. Nothing matches it's ride and chuck reduction. The operating principle is rock solid. No need to discontinue the model.

[taken]

I had a lot of noise with mine on my past rig but it didn't fail. I wonder if issues like this are why they discontinued the Tri-Glide?

[Boxer_Lovers]

The weld seals around the grease zerks cracked on mine also. The factory sent a new lower jaw assembly under warranty.

I sent pictures to Trail Air to verify the failure. My mobile r.v. tech got involved since he had installed the hitch. They expedited shipment.

No problems with the replacement unit.