TC bends frame of Dually - pic

[Boatycall]

I apologize if this has been posted before, I just saw this. It's not 'shopped (We have to resize pics for the forum, I have the higher-res original and looked it over pretty close). You can see obviously the frame is bent, rear bumper of camper damaged from hitting trailer tongue.

Anyone seen this before and have the back-story on it? All I have is the pic, no details. Since I haul a very heavy camper with a trailer, I'm quite concerned.

I also can't tell if this is a F350 or 450.

[jmckelvy]

I looked under my 06 RAM 3500 dually this morning. Everything looks good. I wanted to check after carrying the new AF 990 to Alaska this summer. That camper is lots heavier than my Northstar 8.5 Arrow.

I tried to get some info and measurements of the RAM frame. I'm not sure if "fully boxed" is the right term but the frame from front to back is fully enclosed. Appears like a tube compressed on the sides to form a beam with rounded tops and bottoms. The sections are about 8 inches tall and 2.8 inches wide. It was difficult to get a precise thickness but it appears to be about 0.2 inches thick.

[jmckelvy]

Found this on youtube. I don't know if this is an isolated incident or not. I had a 2001 2500HD with no known issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBNll0bTYZo

I am going to crawl around under my RAM 3500 today and check things out.:)

[garryk6]

A very good friend of mine did this very thing to a 1990 Dodge Cummins ex cab longbed. He was moving to Kodiak, Ak and while driving to the ALCAN with a very heavy tandem axle haul mark, and while traveling about 70 mph, he hit one of those pesky frost heaves. It launched truck and trailer into the air. But with all that force, and the heavy trailer, it bent the truck frame in the same place just not as far. He continued to drive the truck after fixing a few minor things the remainder to Kodiak. Then used a large piece of I beam two chains and a hydraulic jack. This happens a lot on the ALCAN. Overloaded trailers, excessive speed and frost heaves or bad road conditions.

Garry

[okan-star]

Ford , GM , Dodge are all good trucks
What we do to them sometimes causes issues
I had Air bags on my truck , no more , but still have the holes I drilled for them
As I was investigating cracked and bent frames I ran across a few caused by air bags also, heres one

[bighatnohorse]

I stopped at the Torklift booth at the RV show in Seattle today and picked up a brochure that illustrates frame damage from trailer overload.
They have the same information on their website.
Thot that it might be of interest:

The fix:

Source: Chassis Upgrade

[trail-explorer]

Bedlam wrote:
Toyotas are not supposed to bend that way either...

WTH?!??!?

[trail-explorer]

sleepy wrote:
It's never required a chip

You can't chip one anyway.... the days of installing a "chip" are long gone.

[Bedlam]

Toyotas are not supposed to bend that way either...

[portscanner]

Here is another one but I think they put it on the lift wrong

[Super_Dave]

Utah has safety inspections. They go as far as failing the vehicle if there is a chip in the windshield.

[jimh406]

rickandleed wrote:
If you want to talk bent Ford frames, ask anyone who owns a Ford Raptor pickup. They bend in the same place.

I would like more details about where exactly in the frame the F350s bend, but I'm not worried about mine bending at the moment. My SRW carried it for almost 8 years. I'd say I have a little time with the F450, but who knows.

[okan-star]

Reddog1 wrote:

Raften wrote:
In light of my recent frame experience I have come to realize that if you haul heavy a frequent roll around under the truck inspection is a really good plan. Just saying

It helps to understand why the Highway Patrol has Weigh/Inspection stations. There was a time I welded/repaired truck frame that failed inspection. I am not suggesting we have this type of inspection for all vehicles, but do understand for big rigs.

It is my understanding that some states require safety inspections every year or two. I wonder if it includes the frame?

Semi off topic but in CA if you get into a place , ie flatbed or over unladed wt above 8000 lbs , or over 11000 gvw and they say you need CA and DOT #`S (not a clearly defined area) then you do get your truck inspected each year by CHP motor carrier division , Guess that's a good thing in some cases

[rickandleed]

If you want to talk bent Ford frames, ask anyone who owns a Ford Raptor pickup. They bend in the same place.

[Bedlam]

NC's inspection is a joke compared to what I went through in Germany. Where I live now has no safety inspections but we do have emission testing.