Broken main I-Beam

[Gerryw]

I have a 2019 Heartland North Trail. This week while camping I noticed the back end of the RV was sagging. After inspecting under the trailer I found the main I-Beam on the passenger side by the back leaf spring shackle was cracked. The back shackle on the driver side, was broken off the main I-Beam and the beam was cracked. Is the manufacture required to fix this? Do I need to take this to a Heartland Authorized Dealer to get it repaired?

 

[david-steph2018]

Sorry to see this has happened. With the way this looks, I would not move it, the rear shackle looks like it is totally disconnected from the frame.

I would call Heartland, have the last 6 of your VIN, and talk to them. Being a frame issue, more than likely, Heartland will say to call Lippert.
But I would be ready to call your insurance company, have a backup plan, in case both would deny responsibility for the issue.

 

[Gerryw]

Thank you for your prompt response. I had intended to call Heartland but was not aware that this is a Lippert frame. Calling the insurance Co would be helpful also. Thanks again for your advice!

 

[david-steph2018]

Look at the sticker on the frame, best bet it is probably a Lippert frame.

 

[sengli]

There have been a lot of threads on this same issue. Most are about the frame hangers just like yours being ripped off the frame. I would call a mobile welding place, easy fix for these guys. I personally would have them re-enforce the other side too, while they are on site. These frames are made from recycled buicks from china.

I had a frame issue on my fiver last year. Called lippert out to the dealer for a look see, it was around $300 for the service call. But I live in northern Indiana, they were based out of Goshen so it was close to them.

 

[Gerryw]

The frame is Lippert.
Did Lippert cover the cost to fix it?
I live in Mesa Az, so not close to Goshen, but there should be a lot of welding places here... Valley is close to 3 million people.

 

[cookie]

Check around for a large truck/trailer repair shop. They should be able to make the repairs and do an alignment.

Peace
Dave

 

[sengli]

No, lippert did not pay for anything on my particular issue. I thought I had a frame failure in the front of my fifth wheels frame. Would be a very tough sell, to get them to pay anyway on my older unit. But I did require their insight if a repair was going to be required. Plus they sent out a truck with a portable welder and they could have affected repairs if needed, right on the spot. My dealer was clueless as to what to do for me, nor would they have done any welding type repairs.

 

[Dahillbilly]

Call Lippert Customer service 432-547-7378, have all info ready & see if you can find a label/sticker for the frame. Framws have either a 3 or 5 year warranty. If not under warranty like stated above find a heavy trailer repair center to weld & alig axles. Good luck

 

[rhodies1]

You may want to send your pictures to the NHSTB .this is a serious issue which could cause an accident.
You,your family or some other family could have been hurt of killed if you lost control due to the wheel assembly coming off the trailer.

 

[david-steph2018]

The frame is Lippert.
Did Lippert cover the cost to fix it?
I live in Mesa Az, so not close to Goshen, but there should be a lot of welding places here... Valley is close to 3 million people.

I bought tires for our rig from Best Drive, out in Tolleson February 2022. Call them and explain what is going on and see if they can recommend a good mobile welder to come out and help.
623-936-8473
They may know somebody who can help you out.

 

[Routemaster]

Hey Gerry.
This is a company below that came recommended to me.. when I found out I have a loss of camber to my frame shall we say, I still have not contacted them yet again to make an appointment, James and James the son. Maybe because they are situated not far from you they are in Apache Junction perhaps you might contact them.
Den.

Arizona Frame and Fabrication

arizona truck repair and modification,frame repair,welding,suspensions

arizonaframe.com

 

[Gone_Campin]

I have a 2019 Heartland North Trail. This week while camping I noticed the back end of the RV was sagging. After inspecting under the trailer I found the main I-Beam on the passenger side by the back leaf spring shackle was cracked. The back shackle on the driver side, was broken off the main I-Beam and the beam was cracked. Is the manufacture required to fix this? Do I need to take this to a Heartland Authorized Dealer to get it repaired?
View attachment 68395View attachment 68396

I had the same issue occur on a trip to Yellowstone in July....Mine is a 2021 Twilight Cruiser (made by Heartland). Again, it is a Lippert Frame that Heartland does not want to warranty. I've been trying to work with the dealer that I purchased it from in May 2021 to get the manufacturer to honor their structural warranty, but they just keep pushing it off.

 

[Gone_Campin]

I also just filed a report/complaint on the NTHSB website and uploaded my photos to them. Manufacturer won't honor their 3 year structural warranty.

 

[Dahillbilly]

I had the same issue occur on a trip to Yellowstone in July....Mine is a 2021 Twilight Cruiser (made by Heartland). Again, it is a Lippert Frame that Heartland does not want to warranty. I've been trying to work with the dealer that I purchased it from in May 2021 to get the manufacturer to honor their structural warranty, but they just keep pushing it off.

I would call Lippert Support Customer service and talk with them; send them the pictures see what they tell you.

 

[Gone_Campin]

I would call Lippert Support Customer service and talk with them; send them the pictures see what they tell you.

I did. They asked me to send pics of the axle serial numbers, so I did. Then they asked me to send pics of the frame serial number and I did. Then they said that I needed to take it back to the dealership so they could verify the purchase date, so I did. About a month later they told the dealership to go through some step by step process to weld-on a support behind the shackles and see if it helps..... The dealer is scheduled to do that next week, but if it doesn't provide enough strength to keep the back-end from flexing (because the door sticks do to the frame breaking), I will have to take it back and see if Lippert will honor the warranty to completely and effectively fix the problem. Been working with the dealer, Heartland and Lippert on this since August 8th, and they (Lippert) have just finally agreed to pay for this intial step (Heartland said it wasn't their problem because they didn't manufacter they frame).

 

[Dahillbilly]

I did. They asked me to send pics of the axle serial numbers, so I did. Then they asked me to send pics of the frame serial number and I did. Then they said that I needed to take it back to the dealership so they could verify the purchase date, so I did. About a month later they told the dealership to go through some step by step process to weld-on a support behind the shackles and see if it helps..... The dealer is scheduled to do that next week, but if it doesn't provide enough strength to keep the back-end from flexing (because the door sticks do to the frame breaking), I will have to take it back and see if Lippert will honor the warranty to completely and effectively fix the problem. Been working with the dealer, Heartland and Lippert on this since August 8th, and they (Lippert) have just finally agreed to pay for this intial step (Heartland said it wasn't their problem because they didn't manufacter they frame).

hopefully you have a case # from Lippert so Lippert can tract the process.

 

[Bogie]

Lippert does (or at least did) have their own mobile techs. You might ask about having one of them do the repair. Their trucks are equipped with welders and they should have the knowledge to fix your problem. You might inquire about that when you talk to them.

 

[Routemaster]

Lippert did visit me a couple of years ago here in Deming NM when he lifted up my rear driver-side quarter wall to match the floor and welded extra outriggers for support.

 

[Routemaster]

I do have problems but not as bad as yours yet. I am not a fabricator but got to thinking about what I sketched for a better way to weld our hangers all so maybe weld in the slotted plate perhaps this is done already. Thoughts?
Remembering what our college lecture in England said to us in the heat-treating class was that after welding steel together with the stress at the joints the molecules are not at all happy then you place them in an oven heat up to a cherry red and let the welded parts cool down and there are then happy again. Funny how one remembers this sort of thing.
I think if they were to place the frames in an oven and heat up the frames there would not be so many failures at the hangers and other places, but what do I know?
I do know that when I used to machine pads bore holes on helicopter jig frames and other fixtures I could tell the difference between stress-relieved fabrications and none the finish was not the same, the heat treat process was to hold fine tolerances.
Merry Christmas.
Den and Bev.