Factory aluminum rims cracking

[tarheelcamper]

I have a 2014 Elkridge 37 Ultimate. After having my 5th wheel for a year I noticed a tire that kept losing about 10 pounds of air a month. I had it inspected and found there was a hairline crack. I had it welded and since 2015 have had no problems with that rim.

This past Wednesday I checked my tire pressure and had one down from 110 to 60 psi. I took it to our local Blacks Tire. They check everything and could find nothing wrong with the tire. I mentioned the rim as that was the problem with the other tire and was told they checked all over for leaks. I had them replace the valve stem as a shot in the dark. They also stated that the tire was only 5 psi low. Mentioned that maybe my pressure gauge was off. Not true, but anyway I checked to make sure the tire psi was 110 and went on our camping trip.

While on the trip I noticed the tire looked low. I got my gauge out and the tire was down to 20 psi. I had the tire swapped out for the spare and made it home yesterday. I took the camper back to the tire shop and they notice a crack in that rim as well. This is the second one to have an issue.

The rims are rated to handle the pressure of the tires. I checked that before I upgraded my tires to Sailuns. Is anyone else having these problems? The image below are not of my rims. However, they are the same style.

 

[danemayer]

I believe Tredit has a lifetime warranty on the wheels. I'd give them a call.

 

[Roller4tan]

On my Last 5th wheel (SOB), I had two wheels crack with E rated tires (80psi). Tredit replaced both for free and paid the remount charges. My Bighorn had a pin hole leak in the rim right off the sales lot, Tredit replaced it as well, before I put G614s on. Doesn't say much for these rims.

 

[donr827]

I also had a small leak. Called Treadit and they replaced it for free. The only problem might be matching the current wheel.
Don

 

[TravelTiger]

Ditto on Tredit replacing rims with defects, they really take care of you. You just have to give them the info they request. We had one rim crack on the spoke on our 2010 ElkRidge back in 2012. Took care of us, including shipping overnight to make sure it got to us where we were at the time. (Cody, WY)


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[tarheelcamper]

Thanks for all your responses. If I may ask, what was the turn around time to receive a new rim after you first reported it to Tredit? Thanks

 

[jnbhobe]

I think they react real soon, Not sure what they will say about the one you welded. But if you needed it welded to continue on your way they may cover it.

 

[TravelTiger]

Thanks for all your responses. If I may ask, what was the turn around time to receive a new rim after you first reported it to Tredit? Thanks

I called, they emailed paperwork. I emailed completed paperwork and pics they requested, and I think within hours they were shipping the new wheel.


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[tarheelcamper]

I wanted to give an update. Yesterday I called Tredit and spoke with a lady in the warranty department who told me what info they needed. I got all the info from the inside side of the rim, bill of sale and pictures of the crack. This morning I went to their website and entered the info and uploaded the pictures. About 2 hours later I got an email that they were sending out a replacement. From Indiana to North Carolina where I live it should take 2-3 days to arrive. Super pleased with the customer service.

I can't thank everyone on this forum enough. If I hadn't started this thread and gotten the responses I did, I would not have know the rims had a lifetime warranty.

 

[porthole]

If I am reading it correctly, you have two wheels that have failed.
Tredit should be replacing all the wheels if they are of the same era.

Hi-spec had a run of bad wheels where the inner portion of the wheel was not as thick as it was supposed to be be.
My first wheel failed on the way to Goshen 2013 and was replaced by the tire dealer under warranty (Trailer Tire and Wheels in Edon Ohio)
2 years later I had 2 more wheels fail within 400 miles of each other.

Hi-spec, like Tredit has a lifetime warranty and promptly shopped me 5 replacement wheels (I also had a matching spare).

And they did ship 5 of the wrong color and promptly sent out 5 more with return labels for the first set.
They only required two of the five wheels to be returned and also include labels for those as well.

I scrapped the others as "clean aluminum" and got $25 per wheel. That helped offset my dismount and mount of the tires.

There is a very good chance Tredit and Hi-spec use the same company in china to cast their wheels, so there is a good chance they have similar defects from the same era.

 

[BigGuy82]

I've got a '17 so hopefully they have remedied their original problem. However, is there a common area where these things crack (hub, spoke, outer edge)?


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[porthole]

common area where these things crack (hub, spoke, outer edge)?

Aluminum wheel failures

 

[tarheelcamper]

This past weekend I had another rim crack. That's 2 in a month. I have started another claim with Tredit. I have also asked them if they would consider replacing the other 2 rims aswell. One of those I paid to have it repaired a couple of years ago when I did not know Tredit had a warranty. They said that voids the warranty. I can understand that but also know that the rim could fail at another point. It would be bad if a rim had a catastrophic failure and someone got hurt or killed.

 

[JohnD]

We have a 2015 Prowler with the same wheels and haven't had any issues with them so far.



We did get rid of the BlowMax tires before we pulled off of the dealer's lot.

 

[BigGuy82]

The limited amount of times I've worked with Tredit (twice), they always seemed to have their act together. Both times were just orders, but I always had fast, couteous service and prompt delivery.

Question for you - are you concerned about the Towmax tires that are on those rims?

 

[porthole]

Do you rims have date codes?
If so are they a similar time frame?

Post your pictures here as well.

Did you look through my post and expeierence with Hi-spec I linked to above?

Are your cracks similar to what I posted?

 

[tarheelcamper]

The limited amount of times I've worked with Tredit (twice), they always seemed to have their act together. Both times were just orders, but I always had fast, couteous service and prompt delivery.

Question for you - are you concerned about the Towmax tires that are on those rims?

The picture I used is not of my tires and rims. It was just one that I found online at the time. But, yes, I was concerned about the Towmax tires when I purchased my Elkridge. I litterally drove the rig home and the next day took it to my local tire store and traded the blowmax's for Sailuns.

 

[tarheelcamper]

Great news, Tredit has agreed to ship me 3 new rims giving me a complete set of 4. That means they are going to cover the one that I had repaired also. Though they said the warranty was void on that one.

I have included pictures of one of my rims. The 3 rims cracked at the same stress point where the spoke meets the base. All cracks were to the inside. I don't have a picture to post, but, the new rim that I receive a few weeks ago is beefed up in that area.

 

[porthole]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Tredit and Hi-Spec wheels were made in the same factory around the same time frame as my wheels were.

Although I had no problem getting Hi-Spec to replace all 5 wheels.

Once I supplied them with pictures and the date codes they shipped them right out - twice (wrong color first time), along with call tag for a return of two of the wheels.

The wheels that didn't get returned were scrapped, $25 each for 'clean aluminum'. That helped cover the $160 for the dismount-mount.

 

[MCTalley]

We woke up to cracked rim #2 today. Cracked in same place - just inboard of a spoke. We are not in a position to have one shipped to us for another 600 miles (we drove 200 of that today, so 400 to go).

I might try for having them send me three replacements, as well.