FLEXING TONGUE?

[Oasisbob]

I noticed the factory paint on my trailer tongue is coming off in large chips around where the load leveler bar mounts. Upon further investigation I notice the paint is also flakging off along the inside of the box channel the tongue is made of. Is this normal? Is my asumption correct that this is due to the frame flexing? Is is not doing this anywhere else. Welds look good. I am running 500 pound leveler bars. What's up?

[JBarca]

In these cases, pictures go a long way to helping see what you are up against.

I have seen several A frame failures when the A frame side rails are not stiff enough to resist the WD forces pulling down on them. When the A frame side rail twists, the A frame header back at the camper box has to resist the twisting or it starts to bend and buckle.

Again pics are really help full trying to help you on this one.

Look at the A frame header, pull a string or use a straight edge along the bottom of it. It is true straight left to right across the header? If the header starting to buckle to the front or the back of the camper?

The battery trays angles, assuming you have a battery tray made from thin welded in angle iron, are they starting to twist any? This would be left to right angles.

If you put a level on the side of the A frame rail near the WD chain or snap up area, check it before you hook with the WD. Get an idea of how vertical the side frame is. Then hitch up the WD bars and measure again in the same place. You should be able to tell by how much the bubble moves if the side rail is twisting.

You can also measure straight across from WD chain bracket to the one on the opposite side. Measure very accurately. Then hook up WD and measure again in the exact same place. If the frame is twisting, the top of the frame will become wider when the WD in hooked up as the frame is bowing out under the WD load.

Hope this helps

John

[Sultan1966]

Oops wrong type of forum...sorry.. Flexing Tongues got me off topic :B

[RJsfishin]

I would wonder if you have lots of miles over very dipity roads ?
If the tongue frame is 4" or taller channel or boxed, flexing would be unlikely.

All I do know, is that if it really is flexing in that short a distance, you can expect serious metal fatigue (failure) in the future.

[Rvpapa]

Or you could get a 2x6 piece of thin window glass and epoxy the ends to the channel. JB weld would work. When you arrive next time check to see if glass is broken.
Art.

[p220sigman]

I wouldn't think the box tube could flex enough to pop the paint off without any other problems. Not a materials engineer, but that is a **** ton of stress to not have any other signs of issues, especially given how relatively short the tongue is. I could see some flex over a long span, but the flex here would seem to have to occur between the coupler and where the tongue meets the frame under the structure of the trailer. I'd clean it, repaint, and add checking the welds to my pre-departure checklist.

[Oasisbob]

I am wire wheeling, sanding & repainting. Just wondered if the box channel really was glexing. I could learn to post pice but have never had any luck doing so. Welds look good so I guess all is well

[crasster]

Sometimes dings in paint can allow water to penetrate and get under the coat of paint. Can you chip all off, wire wheel, and spray paint to seal?

[RJsfishin]

Quote
Is my asumption correct that this is due to the frame flexing?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Thinking,.....what else could it be,......that would sure be my guess.

[TucsonJim]

It's impossible to tell without seeing it. Can you post some pictures for us to critique? If you've never posted pictures on this forum, use this link to do so.

Photo posting website