Bill,
Thank you for sharing the pictures and the story. If there's any cause and effect info you are prepared to intimate, now would be a good time for readers to hear all the factors you believe may have been contributory to the issue and what you do not feel were contributory factors. This will help others to know what to look for, what to do, what not to do etc.
Thanks Bill and sorry you had to go through this. See you next time I'm out west.
Jim:
Thanks for all your help and concern. As to my best thoughts on cause, I can only tell you to see post #35 on this thread, along with the agreement of most all consulted in the repair that cross bracing between the spring hangars (like the MorRyde X Factor product) should be installed. Some people can't be directly quoted by name on the cross bracing due to their association with the frame manufacturer. My welder and the Progressive Insurance inspector certainly advocated the cross bracing.
I think that an enterprising welder could clean up installing this bracing at big rallies like Quartzsite, and big 5th wheel rallies like ours. I know that doing this anywhere close to Elkhart/Goshen would be a touchy issue, so I wouldn't recommend it be done on site there. But I WOULD recommend that everyone that can take advantage of the discount offers MorRyde offers on Independent Suspension (which includes cross bracing and the removal of the entire spring axle suspension system) at the biannual Heartland National Goshen rallies. I don't have an interest on MorRyde's business future, I just want the best, least troubled, RVing future for all my fellow Heartlanders.
Someone asked about the Dexter Air bag IS system. It really looks nice, airbags like what the big truck trailers use (but they do not have IS), but while researching all of the other IS options, I could find very little actual data, or local installers, who were familiar with those systems. MorRyde has a fairly significant installed IS base on large 5th wheels, and is set up with service bays, campsites across the street from the service bays, and does these upgrades on a continuing basis. The big drawback to me about MorRyde is the 1 installation location for the entire U.S.