Warranty issue. In need of advice please.

[likesadvice]

I purchased a brand new TT in October 13. The unit was only used for 3 local trips this past summer to familiarize my family with camping before we took the TT on a 2200 mile trip in August 14. I'd noticed one tire was wearing poorly, but attributed this to the manufacturer putting on cheap bias ply tires. During the trip tires started burning off the TT. I never had a blow out, but the tires were very close, wearing on different edges. During the trip I shelled out $420 for 5 new radial tires and spent most of the 2200 miles driving white knuckled. In September I pulled the TT to my dealer for warranty repair. 55 days later the frame manufacturer finally sent someone to repair the camper. A leaf spring hanger was installed in the wrong place, making the spring hangers 2" out of square and thus an axle wasn't square with the camper. The repair technician welded a new spring hanger in the correct position and said the repair was complete. I have submitted a request for reimbursement for the tires and a 1 year extension of the frame warranty to make certain I don't have further issues. My question is - Should I be requesting more? Shouldn't the manufacturer have replaced some axle components, bushings and bearings after the TT was pulled nearly 3000 miles in total since manufacture? Should the technician have aligned the axles after installing a new spring hanger? The service manager told me he was surprised how fast the technician was in and out. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[likesadvice]

Thanks for the advice dadmomh and John. I have the TT stored for winter, but first thaw I'm going to bring it to a trailer shop for alignment. If nothing else, it will give me peace of mind.

John -

The first tire to show excessive wear was the door side rear. I replaced this tire with a new bias ply.

The next tire to show excessive wear was the slide side front. I replaced this tire with my spare.

The next tire to show excessive wear was the door side front. At this point I'd had enough. I couldn't drive the interstates in the North Dakota oil patch with another tire having the tread wore off one side. All tires were showing some irregular wear. I wasn't about to put on another bias ply. I had the tire shop put on 4 new steel belted radials and kept the first purchased bias ply as a spare.

The technician said the manufacturer made a mistake and improperly measured the placement for the spring hanger from the edge of the next spring hanger, rather than measuring from the previous spring hangers center hole.

So far, the buck has been passed a lot. The dealer keeps encouraging me to talk with the TT manufacturer. The TT manufacturer tells me the dealer should be taking care of everything, yet, they aren't responsible for the frame as that manufacturer has their own warranty. It doesn't help that I bought from a dealer 3 hours away.

I like my camper, it's very nice. I just want everything to be right and don't want to be taken advantage of. I'm not signing anything until the alignment is checked. Thanks for the help.

[JBarca]

Hi, Your saga happens... Not a lot, but it happens more then we think. And it happened to me too. I'll comment in blue

likesadvice wrote:


I'd noticed one tire was wearing poorly, but attributed this to the manufacturer putting on cheap bias ply tires. During the trip tires started burning off the TT. I never had a blow out, but the tires were very close, wearing on different edges. Were all 4 tires showing odd wear? or just the 2 tires on the same axle they moved the spring hanger on? Which tires were wearing and which spring hanger did he move?

During the trip I shelled out $420 for 5 new radial tires and spent most of the 2200 miles driving white knuckled. If you are still white knuckling it after the fix, this may be a different problem and need to help get that fixed too.

In September I pulled the TT to my dealer for warranty repair.

A leaf spring hanger was installed in the wrong place, making the spring hangers 2" out of square and thus an axle wasn't square with the camper. The repair technician welded a new spring hanger in the correct position and said the repair was complete. Again, was it only 1 hanger he moved? Or more? front axle or rear axle?

I have submitted a request for reimbursement for the tires and a 1 year extension of the frame warranty to make certain I don't have further issues. My question is - Should I be requesting more? If they actually give you a 1 year extension on the running gear, running gear meaning the axles, springs, hangers, shackles and equalizer, then that is an undertaking all by itself. Curious on how this comes out.

Shouldn't the manufacturer have replaced some axle components, bushings and bearings after the TT was pulled nearly 3000 miles in total since manufacture? They should of done an inspection to see if the severe scrub angle damaged anything else. If the inspection came out OK, then they would not need to replace. 3,000 miles is not really a lot of miles.

Should the technician have aligned the axles after installing a new spring hanger? The service manager told me he was surprised how fast the technician was in and out. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

There is not an adjustable adjustment on most campers that can be made to fix trailer alignment. The hangers are suppose to be welded in the correct place which sets the thrust angle. The axle tubes are suppose to have the correct camber and toe bent into this on day one. When they assemble the right parts to the correct hangers, alignments comes out OK.

That said he could of checked the alignment after the hanger move. They may have a portable setup or they can put it on a machine.

If you want to press for something, request an alignment report be part of the repair. Or take it to a truck spring shop as they often have a machine they can put the camper on to get an alignment report. Armed with an alignment report you now have proof the running gear is correct or not. If it is off, it will wear tires again. If it is right it will be OK. This report very soon after the repair can be used with the TT manufacture if it does not came out right, they still have work to do.

They may or may not pay for the worn tires under warranty. A hanger being welded on wrong can only happen at the factory. If an axle is bent, it can be argued you caused it and they do not warrant alignment. We have heard this all too often.

If you are into the tech stuff of trailer alignment, see my saga. I had hangers welded on wrong and both axles made wrong to toe anlge. I replaced both axle tubes and installed adjustable axles seats. I now can adjust thrust angle on my camper. Camber and toe angle is still not adjustable other then physically bending the axles which is done by some alignment places.

TT axle alignment & install - Detailed (long lot's of pics)

Hope this helps and good luck

John

[dadmomh]

From time to time some of us have experienced a wheel out of alignment but I can't recall anything as extreme as your problem. We had what we thought was 1 wheel out of alignment as that tire was wearing slightly more and different than the others. While going in for a replacement awning - don't ask - we had the recommended dealer check the axel. He felt there was a problem but it was still under warranty. The manufacturer of the axel wanted the dealer to remove it, ship it to them at our expense, they would look it over and IF they agreed that there was a problem would fix it. Otherwise all the shipping and labor was at our expense. Since the wear was not significicant, DH decided he could just keep a close watch and replace the tire much cheaper and less hassle than what the manufacturer wanted. Maybe this is their way of getting out of the warranty business.

In your case, I would certainly go back to your dealer and he should handle it with the manufacturer of the assembly and strongly suggest that they reimburse you for the expenses including the new tires. That said, they probably won't cover it. As far as lost time with your new trailer, that's been hashed over a zillion times and I don't know of anyone who has come out on top re that. If you felt compelled to get an attorney involved you might stand a better chance, but I'd guess they'd drag this out forever and come up with numerous reasons why it wasn't right and that their tech had fixed it. BTW, sounds like he did a half-way job to be in and out so quickly. Suggest you have it checked out by an independent dealer or repair shop at least for the safety factor. Good luck. Hope it works out well for you, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

likesadvice wrote:
I purchased a brand new TT in October 13. The unit was only used for 3 local trips this past summer to familiarize my family with camping before we took the TT on a 2200 mile trip in August 14.

I'd noticed one tire was wearing poorly, but attributed this to the manufacturer putting on cheap bias ply tires. During the trip tires started burning off the TT. I never had a blow out, but the tires were very close, wearing on different edges.

During the trip I shelled out $420 for 5 new radial tires and spent most of the 2200 miles driving white knuckled. In September I pulled the TT to my dealer for warranty repair. 55 days later the frame manufacturer finally sent someone to repair the camper.

A leaf spring hanger was installed in the wrong place, making the spring hangers 2" out of square and thus an axle wasn't square with the camper. The repair technician welded a new spring hanger in the correct position and said the repair was complete.

I have submitted a request for reimbursement for the tires and a 1 year extension of the frame warranty to make certain I don't have further issues. My question is - Should I be requesting more?

Shouldn't the manufacturer have replaced some axle components, bushings and bearings after the TT was pulled nearly 3000 miles in total since manufacture? Should the technician have aligned the axles after installing a new spring hanger?

The service manager told me he was surprised how fast the technician was in and out. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Paragraphs are really helpful..:W

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