ATF: Bighorn - 2014 Bighorn Axel Lubrication

[BigGuy82]

Is the axle really rated at 5,200 but called 6,000? More likely the manufacturer uses a 6,000 part that's also labeled as a 5,200 lb part to reduce inventory and production cost.

I think it's fair to say there's quite a bit of speculation on many of these subjects.

Do you have to get into the minutiae? Some people want to. Others don't. When I was in Las Vegas, I asked the guy with 30+ years of axle expertise for his expert opinion on my situation and I trusted his answer. I could have dived deeper and looked harder, but in that case I chose to rely on the expert.

Oh, I hear you ... I'd trust his answer also. The problem I have is that when something does go kerflooie, it always seems that the customer did something wrong, hence warranty problems. For instance, in the example you gave above, how does one know if it is that scenario or if it is poor design? Way too much wiggle room on the supplier side in this industry.

Anyway, good luck with your axle problems. If you decide to upgrade and spend the bucks, is there a disc brake option?

 

[JohnD]

...this rant is directed at the RV manufacturing industry, because so much of what you read on these forums indicates that knowledge of this type of arcane minutiae is required in order to "enjoy the RV lifestyle".

...if I'm told in advertising that I'm using 6,000 lb axles, I don't expect a ration of BS because the "fine print" says it's really 5,200.

I know . . .

Our first travel trailer was an old beat up 1978 Coachman Cadet 24-footer . . .



I never knew how much it weighed . . . didn't really care.

Nothing worked in it except the electricity and the furnace (which we only used once during the almost 15 years we owned it).

And the trailer brakes only worked going up hill . . . not down hill when you need them the most out here in the Rockies.



It was the ugliest trailer in our neighborhood . . . body pieces (plastic fenders) peeling off in the strong wind storms we get out here in the wild wild west, and all covered with hail dings.

But it was ours and it was paid off!

It had no-name brand off-road truck tires on it when we bought it . . . and they were still on it when we traded it in almost 15 years later!

We never worried about axles . . . repacked the wheel bearings once (3 years after we bought it).

I checked the tires once at the beginning of the season and maybe once in the middle of the camping season, and they rarely, if ever, needed to be topped off.

I didn't know any better, so I drove 80 MPH to get to our camping destinations.

I pulled that thing all over the state of Colorado and a couple of times to Taos, NM and never worried about a thing.

Never once did we have it in the shop (except the trailer hitch shop, of course).

In many ways I miss that old beast . . . but I really don't want it back.

However, today it seems that any time I get a strange random thought flow through my pea brain (or heaven forbid I go 66 MPH), I need to pull over and check all of the tires for air pressure and tread separation . . . crawl under the trailer to make sure the coroplast isn't peeling off or water leaks . . . inspect the axles for hardware falling off and flat springs causing the trailer to ride on the tires (yes, had that happen with our last trailer) . . . have the wheel bearings packed every time I turn around . . . retorque every nut and bolt I can reach . . . the list goes on and on!

I guess the bottom line is this . . . they just don't make them like they used to.

 

[BigGuy82]

I guess the bottom line is this . . . they just don't make them like they used to.

Funny story that brings back memories. Our first one was a Coachmen 24' with a bunk bed and there were 5 of us ... a little tight. A lot of stuff didn't work like you said, but the coach was built like a tank.

The RV industry needs a wake up call like the auto industry got in the '70's. The only problem is that RV's are too **** big to be made in Japan (or now, Korea) and shipped over the ocean profitably.

Today's cars are marvels of reliable engineering compared to the cars of the "good old days". To bad RV's didn't follow the same path.

Oh well. it's still fun to hit the road or we wouldn't be doing it.

 

[rhodies1]

Is the axle really rated at 5,200 but called 6,000? More likely the manufacturer uses a 6,000 part that's also labeled as a 5,200 lb part to reduce inventory and production cost.

I think it's fair to say there's quite a bit of speculation on many of these subjects.

Do you have to get into the minutiae? Some people want to. Others don't. When I was in Las Vegas, I asked the guy with 30+ years of axle expertise for his expert opinion on my situation and I trusted his answer. I could have dived deeper and looked harder, but in that case I chose to rely on the expert.

Im saying they are 5200 lbs because my neighbour has a Keystone Montana High Country with so called 6000 lbs axles but he was told it was this rating when he went to buy wheel seals,he was asking for seals to fit a 6000 lb axle and had the details from the label on the axle ,,they told him it was 5200 lbs rating,.He was also surprised.
We all assume that each wheel has approx the same amount of weight ,I own a 2012 Bighorn 3455. My unit weighs 1000 lbs heavier on the drivers side 2 wheels than the passenger side,I had a spring flatten out and when trying to figure out the problem and had each wheel weighed.My left rear wheel has approx 300 lbs more weight on it than the front wheel on the same side.
My springs were rated for 3500 lbs each,my weight on this wheel is 3280 lbs without a tank of water,so with water,bouncing on the road,it flattened out the spring on the rear wheel bringing my suspension closer together on the drivers side and wore out the tire.
I upgraded the spring to heavier springs,this helped but I still have to realize I still have the same axle.
Im saying this because,I agree we trust these units are designed by the experts,I was told by the supplier,not Heartland that the unit was to heavy on the drivers side and as I told them,I purchased it,I did not design it .
Im not trying to frustrate you but I would take the data off of the axles and contact the manufacturer and ask then for the exact weight rating,I certainly hope they are 6000 lbs and if they are then why are you bottoming out and what's causing your axle to flatten out.
Have a great day.

 

[JohnD]

I'm not trying to frustrate you but I would take the data off of the axles and contact the manufacturer and ask then for the exact weight rating,I certainly hope they are 6000 lbs and if they are then why are you bottoming out and what's causing your axle to flatten out.

Not to worry . . .

That was our previous Heartland Trail Runner that was bottoming out, which was upgraded to heavier duty axles and springs, larger tires and wheels . . . then traded in one week later for our current Heartland Prowler.

It was they guy from Dexter who looked at the Prowler at the Vegas National Rally that said the axle was flat.

And, of course, blamed it on overloading . . .

We are not going to try to get this covered under warranty (been through that already last time) and are going to fix this ourselves.

Most likely will replace the rear axle and upgrade all four springs, plus we now need to replace the tires.