The Value of a Pre Trip Inspection

[ejered]

Under my 2008 3912 the other day and noticed something that just didnt look right hah, Im glad i took a crawl underneath it before my next big trip this week because what i noticed was not only a recipe for disaster but catastrophic failure and a very poor design for a trailer rated at 18k lbs take a look at what i found..

soo i called up dexter axle and had them send me their triple axle 33" spacing kit here are pics of the new setup i installed, installation was not that bad but i also had 2 helpers or tool gophers as i call them

very happy with the results and way more confident to hit the road now!!!
I suppose that this is proof that everyone should do a pretrip inspection prior to departure on your next voyage

 

[Bobby A]

Wow !! Good catch !! Glad you were not on the road.

 

[done-it-again]

That's pretty crazy, looks like it was bad for some time. Do you tow allot? That's one of many things on my to do list along with 16" wheels.

 

[RoadJunkie]

Wow! Since you do a pre trip inspection, was the damage the result of one trip? How long (miles) do you estimate it took to eat-up the bracket? Looks like a great fix and at least the springs look good.

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Looks like beefier shackles

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Ejered,

I have been considering installing the Dexter suspension on my trailer, a 2009 3210, triple axle.
Did you have to use the bottom mounting hole for the new equalizers? (I don't think that the top hole allows enough clearance.)
Did it change your ride height any? higher or lower?
I am concerned about raising the height of my trailer because my motorcycles have lowered suspension and the angle of the ramp door when opened is important to me.

 

[Bob&Patty]

I second the "WOW". I am amazed at how much rust is present for a California trailer. Do the "trunion" bolts have grease fittings in them?? If not, I think I would find some. Metal to metal on a heavy trailer needs some grease now and then. Glad you found the problem. Could have been ugly.

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Yes by the looks of it looks like it has been like that for a little
bit, this trailer maybe has just over 4500 miles on it. Detmer, I used the same holes that were used on my stock equilizers and it works great plenty of clearance for the new ez flex system. Yes I agree it does have some rust underneath it but more than likely a result of beach camping alot. By the looks of it the stock eq uses a plastic bushings with "dry" bolts. The new system changes all bolts to a wet bolt system with grease zirks and brass bushings or copper not sure! Just came back from a 800 mile trip and am very happy with the new setup!!! I would recommend this to anyone!! Way more beefyr than the stock setup!! I am still blown away that with that little mileage and under 2 yrs old that's what I found. Crazy!!! If I were to claim warranty more than likely I would get the same setup installed and not the wet bolt Dexter system who knows might b worth investigating but for under 400 dollars I feel a whole lot better!!

 

[PUG]

Holy crapola. One ugly looking mess waiting for an accident. Hope Heartland pays attention to this. I am crawling under mine as soon as I get home from this boating trip.

 

[lwmcguir]

Under my 2008 3912 the other day and noticed something that just didnt look right hah, Im glad i took a crawl underneath it before my next big trip this week because what i noticed was not only a recipe for disaster but catastrophic failure and a very poor design for a trailer rated at 18k lbs take a look at what i found..

soo i called up dexter axle and had them send me their triple axle 33" spacing kit here are pics of the new setup i installed, installation was not that bad but i also had 2 helpers or tool gophers as i call them

very happy with the results and way more confident to hit the road now!!!
I suppose that this is proof that everyone should do a pretrip inspection prior to departure on your next voyage

You make a great case for using wet bolts and keeping them lubed. Glad you caught it.
No one should pull out of the drive/storage without doing a complete inspection of the running gear. I try to do it when leaving and arriving.

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Everyone needs to keep in mind that the stock hangers and shackles are very light weight. If you get 6000 miles without wearing out a shackle you are doing well. Wet bolts should be installed as an inexpensive upgrade that will give you peace of mind and a lot longer life of the components. I prefer CP if you can swing it.

 

[beasleyrl]

Everyone needs to keep in mind that the stock hangers and shackles are very light weight. If you get 6000 miles without wearing out a shackle you are doing well. Wet bolts should be installed as an inexpensive upgrade that will give you peace of mind and a lot longer life of the components. I prefer CP if you can swing it.

We found ours was heavily worn when they were replaced a few weeks ago at Lippert with TrailAir Equa-Flex. The tech at Lippert indicated this was a wearable part and should be checked frequently UNLESS you add wet bolts. Based on these pictures and what I saw on mine, I would agree! However, I will also say we have significantly more than 4K miles on ours... Probably closer to 25K.