Bent clevis pin

Ok, brand new 09 BC 3500RL goes into CW for leaking front door. Problem solved! (I'll check, just to be sure next time it rains in CA). Anyway, we go to hitch up and my DH can't pull up the legs on the front. Both legs are stuck. We go back inside and get techs to help us. After they looked at the problem, they think the person moving the RV into the bay area for repair did not have clearance and raised the legs too far up into the basement and bent the clevis pins. Both legs.
They went back inside and came out with a quick fix that I didn't like. A package of Barker Fifth Wheel Lite Snaps. My concern was the plastic. My Heartland parts were metal and just looked sturdier. Wouldn't Heartland use plastic if plastic was OK?<O</O
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DH was just happy they were going to get us on the road. I wanted my Heartland parts. Camping World is going to make it right and order the parts. They put the plastic ones on for now and will call when the new parts come in.
If the plastic ones work, maybe I'm just being a "you know what". Did I do the right thing by asking CW to replace my pins and brackets with the original parts that Heartland uses?<O</O<O</O

Hi
Well I would want metal, there must be a very good reason Heartland didn't use plastic. Besides CW broke it they should repair to manufacturers parts.

Good Camping

I think you were OK in asking for the better pin kits. But, the damage was most likely done when the unit was unhooked and set on the legs. The alignment of the pin brackets on the legs is very critical. If off just a little, the pin will not go all the way through to the far hole, resulting in the leg being supported by the outer hole only. The result is a bent pin. You should be able to see or fell the pin come through to the inside of the leg to the inner part of the pin bar kit.

Retracting to far would most likely blow a fuse and not bend the pins...

Speaking from experience. 2 times(1 me, 1 dealer).

Jim M

Jim, having a blonde moment....Can you explain this again.
If CW pulled the coach into the bay. They are not sure if it was pulled with truck or fork. Then put the legs down to do the repairs....if the legs were bent....how did they get the legs back up to tow it outside the bay area. We tried to pick up coach when it was already outside of the bay area. Legs would not go up. Are you saying the pin was bent after the repairs and put outside on the lot?
How do the pins get "off a little bit" ?
Thanks for the help.

Afdds,

Almost all service facilities use fork lifts to move units around. There is a good chance that when you unhooked that the pins were not engaged or all the all way through to the inside part of the leg. I am not saying it is your fault or it is their fault.... I don't know who extended the legs the last time before they were bent. But I do know that it can happen. I always put my hand around the leg and feel the inside of the leg to make sure the pin has come all the way through to the inner part of the leg. And also, I would need to look at the kits ( plastic parts your saying), but as long as the pin goes through both sides of the legs, you should be OK.

The brackets or side mounts that hold the pins to the legs do not support any weight. It is only the pins that go all the way through the legs that support the weight. So actually plastic would be OK.

Jim M

I would agree with Jim, in that since the pins are steel, they will support the weight. Only the external bracket/housing is plastic and bears no weight.

Upon returning my rig to the storage yard, I found one pin was not seating all the way through. Simple enough to loosen the two nuts (WITH TRAILER ON HITCH !!) and wiggle the assembly until the pin popped through freely. When setting up, it's easy to insure the pin is seated all the way by running your finger across the inside bracket plate, between the nuts or bolt heads. You'll either feel the end of the pin or an empty hole.

I will now look up what a clevis pin is. LOL I gotta a strange suspicion its those pins that go thru the extended front jack legs. I do what Jimtoo suggested by making sure they come thru completely.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/snaps-lite/7616

You can't see the back side of the pin. They're spring loaded and enclosed in the plastic. Camping world is ordering the Heartland parts and I can't remember if you can see the pin. I think it's bolted on and you can see the pin. Another reason to get the Heartland part back on the BC.

afdds said:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/snaps-lite/7616

You can't see the back side of the pin. They're spring loaded and enclosed in the plastic. Camping world is ordering the Heartland parts and I can't remember if you can see the pin. I think it's bolted on and you can see the pin. Another reason to get the Heartland part back on the BC.

Click to expand...

The OEM pins protrude about 1/8" through the plate on the opposite side of the mechanism so you can see it (if you get down on all fours!). Easier to just run your finger along the plate. You should be able to feel it sticking through in the middle of it, between the mounting bolts.