fj12ryder wrote:
I don't think that occasional usage to move a 5th wheel would incur damage to the trailer. If a need-to-move arose I think you'd be fine.
Regular usage...possibly another story.
I suspect it's the opposite.
Pulling on a nice smooth road, you don't cause enough stress for anything to fail...
But hit that one big pothole or hump and there can be enough force to cause a stress crack. Once started, even the forces on the smooth road may be enough to cause it to grow.
So it's a kind of luck of the draw. One bump that applies force in just the right way sets off the failure.
It's hard to collect empirical evidence as there are a huge number of 5ers out there of different designs. Some are designed to handle the extra loads. Others are small enough that even though they weren't specifically designed for it, they are OK and others are marginal.
