Front Landing Leg "Snaps"

[boatdoc]

Hi Everyone, Just a heads up to check your 5th wheel landing leg "snaps", the spring loaded pins you pull to release the legs. They are nowhere near what the original snaps are. My door side one came apart at the welds, I fail to see these how they call these welds. Looking at the other side, it was just as bad but hadn't come completely apart. I'm talking about the 1" round tube that the pin go's thru and it's welds, bublegum, that hold it to the flat plate that go's against the leg.
Check them out and have the welder fix em up before the break all the way off like mine did. You'll have to either hook up to the TV or put your bottle jack under the frame to take it off to put a decent weld on it.

Please check them!! It won't be a pretty scene if they break while under way and the leg falls down.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Gary, any chance you can get us a couple pictures? I need to go out and look at mine but I'm not clear on your description. Are you referring to the foot part of the leg? The part that goes up into the square tube?

 

[cookie]

Gary, I don't know how that weld could just break under normal use. I do know however, and don't ask how I know, that if you raise your legs to high, that pin will make contact with the frame and break the welds. Also things get bent. Thank God for wire clothes hangers
Peace
Dave

 

[bill40]

Gary, Don't know if this is the same problem but the first time I parked my BC the left side spring loaded pin came completely out. When I tried to reinsert it it would not go in as far as the right side. Out came the bottle jack. This was a new unit being brought home from the dealer. I will pick up a pair of new ones befor we head out, mine are bolted on. Still should not have happened on a new unit. Bill

 

[azbound]

We had a similar problem with our BH at delivery. I noticed during the PDI one of the Snaps was bent, the dealer changed out both snaps and went up a size. Don't know the sizes but I believe the dealer replaced them with the largest size available. I have yet to see anyone with snaps as big as mine. I also suggest everyone take a good look at thier snaps, replacement is no big deal.

 

[boatdoc]

Here is a pic of the round cylinder welded to the flat plate stock, much unlike the OEM piece. Also a pic of our door glass. Sorry for being late with this.

 

[2010augusta]

The stained glass window is great. nice touch.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Thanks for posting the pictures. Now I understand and when reading your first post your explanation was clear once I knew what you were referring to. So far so good with our snap pins. I wonder if they break or get weaker if they are not fully engaged? One thing I'm always checking is that the pins are fully engaged before putting pressure on the jacks. I'll be taking a closer look at mine in the morning. Thanks! Nice window by the way. I was going to buy one at a show this fall but they weren't there this year. Maybe later.

 

[moose1]

I had to replace my "snaps" also, they were pretty flimsy but I got some new one that had a bigger pin but I had to drill all the holes in the leg to make it fit and I feel more secure with these 1/2" pin versus the 3/8" pin that were there from the factory.
These new ones are much stronger.

 

[nscaler2]

Thanks for posting the pictures. Now I understand and when reading your first post your explanation was clear once I knew what you were referring to. So far so good with our snap pins. I wonder if they break or get weaker if they are not fully engaged? One thing I'm always checking is that the pins are fully engaged before putting pressure on the jacks. I'll be taking a closer look at mine in the morning. Thanks! Nice window by the way. I was going to buy one at a show this fall but they weren't there this year. Maybe later.

We saw a stained glass artist at the Tampa RV show just last week. She had many great designs to choose from. The general price for one like goes in our doors was $225 at the show. Must have been a show discount because her site shows $259. Anyway here is a link to web site. www.rvstainedglass.com.

 

[Jimmyt5]

If you look at the site you will see my wife pointing to an Angel on our BH...

 

[wfwilson]

Snap Pins

On My 3400RL the origional pins we bent in the first season. I had to take them apart for raise or lower legs. I changed them for the T type as all RV stores. No Problem since.
Regards
Wayne

 

[Larryheadhunter]

Cookie,
On the newer models like yours and mine, the frame does get in the way and will bend or break the pins as in Gary's pic. I know because I have broken 2 sets so far. Heartland sells them for $45 the last time I checked. When the feet get bent, for one reason or another, they are a simple $11 replacement item.
On another note, make sure the pin goes all the way thru and comes out the other end to keep the leg from breaking or being weakened. That's what the good ole hammer is for after you bend a few pins. It happened at the LV rally and Forrest was kind enough to fix it for me, that mechanical whiz.