Axel replacement -- anyone to blame?

[Tburgh]

I am soliciting advice and suggestions re my 2011 MPG 185. I bought it used October 2012. Made one quick trip in November before winterizing. Due to family illness wasn't able to take my second trip until mid July this year. I drove some 2000 miles until a wheel bearing froze (probably) and the trailer had to be towed.

The day I broke down: I first recognized oil on the wheel cover but attributed it to all the road construction I passed through. The trailer was bucking but I attributed it to the strong winds I'd been fighting for two days. Finally a truck driver waved me down pointing to my tire wobbling. I pulled over and waited for help. Because I'd travelled so many miles on impaired bearings, the axel was damaged and needed to be replaced.

Question: when I bought the trailer less than a year ago, shouldn't I expect the trailer to have been fully serviced including the wheel bearings? Even if there was no "new vehicle" warranty shoulnt i expect implied certified travel ready? Would there be a manufacturers warranty on an axel? I have pictures of the damaged axel. This seems like a very uncommon occurrence and should not have happened on a relatively new camper. It seems to me the seller would be responsible for selling me a camper that's been thoughoughly inspected and serviced.

Any thoughts, advice or recommendations? I love my MPG but are there any peculiarities I need to be aware of? I appreciate any input. Tburgh

 

[jimtoo]

HI Tburgh,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

You purchased a used unit, if you purchased from a dealer, did the dealer give you any kind of warranty? Being a 2011 model it is probably 3 years old. Have the bearings been serviced or did you get any records from previous service?

Jim M

 

[danemayer]

Hi Tburgh,

While it seems reasonable to expect a trailer to be "travel ready", I'd be surprised if most dealers selling used trailers do much more than clean them up for resale and fix any obvious problems. It's very possible that the original owner never had the bearings repacked and I'd be surprised if the dealer went looking for trouble.

I'd suggest checking the caulking all around the trailer to see what needs to be done to prevent water intrusion. It's possible it's never been checked on your MPG.

 

[TravelTiger]

Unfortunately, used probably = as is, no warranty, unless they sold you an extended warranty.

Maintaining a trailer is much harder than it appears, and many first-time RVers don't comprehend the maintenance requirements until something happens (ie, discover a leak, have a blowout, etc.)

One has to be diligent and proactive to check running gear, and especially tire inflation, every trip. Check caulk every 3 months. Get bearings and brakes serviced every year. And more. Unfortunately, buying used, you don't really know if anyone did this maintenance.

I hope you can get it fixed and back to enjoyment status soon! The mpg is a great trailer, seems like everyone on the forum with one really loves it!

Welcome to the Heartland family, you will learn quite a bit here, and as a family we have a lot of fun together, too. Hopefully you can join a local rally near you and meet some great folks!


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[Tburgh]

Thanks all for your input. I am indeed learning that there is more to this rv'ing than I knew. Neglected to get service records from dealer as it had very few miles as a used trailer. I drove some 70 miles in WI over an incredibly rough washboard road that I couldn't escape from. I can't help but think this might have been part of my inevitable problem. I liked the MPG over other smaller TT's as it has bigger tires that wouldnt heat up as fast. While waiting for a new axel, I've been pouring over RV maintainance videos online. Looks like I will be creating new BFF's at a local service dealer. I'm also having a problem with the water heater not lighting.

Thanks again for the input, TBurgh

 

[danemayer]

Hi TBurgh,

We also have an owner-written Water Heater Troubleshooting Guide. While it doesn't cover everything on the LP side of the operation, some basic issues are covered.

 

[hoefler]

One other thing, you mentioned some very rough roads you have traveled. A good pot hole, obstacle in the road, curb, etc... will cause damage to the bearings, spindle, axle, tire, wheel, etc.. when struck at speed. Not to mention if overloaded, ( not implying anything ), any impact will be greatly multiplied. And, unfortunately for you, you have a single axle to carry the entire load. Suspension maintenance is a very important part of RVing, and should not be taken lightly.