Having Frame Flex one driver side front.

[caissiel]

Tought I would start a thread on my experience about the flexing of my front frame on the 2009 3500 RL.
I have been in communication with Art at Heartland.
My unit is now 6 years old so very iffy for heartland or Lippert taking responsibility.
My observation is that the floor under the bedroom and shower is pushed up and kinks are showing on the wall when hooked up to the truck. Everything looks good when not hooked up.
The door side is perfect.
It's been coming on now for a while with very little showing but on my return home from Florida the alignment at the storage doors and front cap has broken loose and everything moves.
Checked all the welds and beam attachments and everything is sound.
It looks like a drop frame bending under the hitch load.
I will put the laser alignment when I get home.
Plus remove the bottom cover to expose the frame.
The pin frame seam to be solid. I had a pin frame beam failure on our previous unit and been watching this one closely. It was a manufacture mistake but could not get any compensation.
Will be calling my insurance because it's not my only problem. The unit is a complete wreck after 6 years.

 

[cookie]

It is not unusual for Heartland and Lippert to repair the frame flex on older units.
Be patient. Has Heartland requested pictures of the problem?

Peace
Dave

 

[Bob&Patty]

Mine had the same issue. It was not the frame...it was some of the wall studs had broken loose inside the wall at the bottom. You might throw that into the discussion with HL. The wall outer skin was peeled back, studs rewelded and wood bracing was installed. Its now good as new. Just a thought.

 

[kakampers]

We too had the same issue on our 2008...as Bob stated above, it was NOT the frame...we had breaks in the welds on the aluminum sidewall. Our repair was the same as Bob's also....

 

[caissiel]

We did a repair to the front 2 x 3 tubing shearing at the front beam. I was stunned at the quality of the steel for supporting my 5th wheel hitch.
On the front beam on the driver side the crack was opened by 1/2 in when hitched and to my surprise the door side was also opening by 1/4 In. We repaired it by adding 3 times the welding area and additional 3/16 in thick metal to support the 11 gauge tubing. I had to get the help from a certified welder as the tubing is so light it was a challenge to repair.

After inspection there was no way my unit was leaving my yard. the driver side was only held by the side wall framing, and the door side was showing signs of failing.

I just got internet connection and will be talking to Art further as the damage is way more then I first taught.
It took about 2 hrs to take down the under panel and the damage was right in front and could see all failed beams.

I experienced the same problem with our previous unit but it was the front beam at the pin box that had failed. Then after my calculations the factor of safety was actually zero. So I blamed the failure on the SOB manufacturer for not using thick enough tubing.

Coming back to this unit it would not take much to have 3 short beams being 3/16 in thick and it would surely vastly improve the strength. maybe 15 lbs and $20 more. I could see the the 2 x 3 tubing was severely loaded and sheared on on side of the connection. To me tubing is nice to work with but is far from being structurally sufficient.

With all all that I just can't imagine towing my unit with a heavier truck. Due to past experience with pin failure I absolutly keep the truck light and it happened again. I heard many pin failures in the past but most was caused by pulling small trailers with HD trucks. I just cannot understand the OEM what they get away with. I was in the paper mill industry for 35 years and my full time preoccupation was the repair and replace OEM parts that were not engineered properly. There 1000's trailers out there that will eventually fail.

 

[aatauses]

I had this issue with a 2010 and HL helped me get it fixed and have not had any more issues with it---they actually removed part of the upper skin and put in horizonal braces.
al

 

[williamsonpaul]

Laurent, I just bought a 2009 Big Horn. Sounds like I just bought the same problem. When I hook up the trailer I see a separation on the drivers side wall at the trim almost as if the wall is supporting the trailer. When I set it back on the landing gear it goes back to normal. I was a welder/ Fabricator in my past career. This sounds like something I can handle. I'm not sure HL would give me the time of day being a second owner. Could you post the repair work?

 

[TravelTiger]

Laurent, I just bought a 2009 Big Horn. Sounds like I just bought the same problem. When I hook up the trailer I see a separation on the drivers side wall at the trim almost as if the wall is supporting the trailer. When I set it back on the landing gear it goes back to normal. I was a welder/ Fabricator in my past career. This sounds like something I can handle. I'm not sure HL would give me the time of day being a second owner. Could you post the repair work?

Call them, yes they may still help you. I know of another 2nd owner that got frame flex repaired. He just had to get the coach to Goshen. Takes about a week.


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[cookie]

Laurent, I just bought a 2009 Big Horn. Sounds like I just bought the same problem. When I hook up the trailer I see a separation on the drivers side wall at the trim almost as if the wall is supporting the trailer. When I set it back on the landing gear it goes back to normal. I was a welder/ Fabricator in my past career. This sounds like something I can handle. I'm not sure HL would give me the time of day being a second owner. Could you post the repair work?

By all means call Heartland, and have your VIN in hand when you do.
Brownstown is not that far from Elkhart. Take it in and have them do it. Sometimes the repair requires that the sides be cut and/or the front cap removed.

Peace
Dave

 

[williamsonpaul]

Thank you for your replies. Your right its 187 miles from door to door. But there is my doubt of road worthiness. I cant afford to damge my trailer, truck or injure people in the process. I will try Heartland. I used to work as a welder for a custom made boat trailer company. We always repaired our products no matter how it failed. After all it is a liability issue no mahtter how old.

 

[TravelTiger]

Thank you for your replies. Your right its 187 miles from door to door. But there is my doubt of road worthiness. I cant afford to damge my trailer, truck or injure people in the process. I will try Heartland. I used to work as a welder for a custom made boat trailer company. We always repaired our products no matter how it failed. After all it is a liability issue no mahtter how old.

My understanding was that it was not an imminent failure. We were diagnosed by HL in June of 2012, but could not take it to them until March of 2013. They said it was not a problem to use it normally until then.

Now if it's moving a few inches or flexing as being towed then that might be another story. Call HL and they will ask for specific pics. They can tell you how serious it is.


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[williamsonpaul]

That's a relief it's about 3/8" movement. Did they ever tell you where the failure was?

 

[TravelTiger]

They added gussets in a variety of places, we didn't get to see them all before the fiberglass was redone over the areas. We did see a Bighorn in the shop at the same time getting work done, but I cannot recall all the areas they had worked on.


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[williamsonpaul]

Thank you so much for the information. I'm sorry I didn't see this when I bought it. But I feel better knowing there are wonderful people such as you out there to make me feel I'm not alone. I hope HL is as helpful as you were. Even though it is used. My wife and I love it, no more bunk houses!

 

[caissiel]

Mine was not road worth I was lucky to make it home from Florida. I feel it was a problem when I left here for Florida but it surely got worst on the way back. I have it all together and I live in this unit and trust my work. How could I trust work the was not done right the first time. It's not my first time at hitch work repairs. I was told about Lippert product 7 years ago when I repaired my Glendale unit but accepted it as an other requirement to make the unit last.
We have no intentions to get rid of this unit. It's ours till we will get older and will need a smaller one.

 

[williamsonpaul]

Well its over now. The great people at Heartland repaired the frame flex issue. Not even a question asked about it. They pulled my bed room slide out, removed the filon side walls, removed the filon under at the pin box, even the cap. They had the front end totally removed. Replaced all of the filon with brand new even the lights! And to top it off they installed new fender skirts both sides no charge. I cant believe this kind of service is still out there. Thank You Heartland I'm a customer for life!

 

[jmgratz]

Well its over now. The great people at Heartland repaired the frame flex issue. Not even a question asked about it. They pulled my bed room slide out, removed the filon side walls, removed the filon under at the pin box, even the cap. They had the front end totally removed. Replaced all of the filon with brand new even the lights! And to top it off they installed new fender skirts both sides no charge. I cant believe this kind of service is still out there. Thank You Heartland I'm a customer for life!

That is why we have stuck with Heartland. Customer Service is the best bar none.

 

[ray587]

my 2012 Roadwarrior has done this since new. I contacted Heartland and sent pictures. I was told to removed the trim and pull out one of the lag bolts and measure it.I did and they said they were the right lenght. They set me a new piece of molding. Thats all. Never offered to repair. Its still flexing but not getting any worse.