REPAIRED: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

[haulinem]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

Heartland replied quickly after I sent before and after photos and they are going to be arranging a date for me to bring the unit back to the factory for repair.

Make sure and conduct a thorough check for damage resulting from the flexing so they can fix it all while they have it. I have already had the unit back to the dealer on separate occasions for the closet paneling and flooring that had come loose. I know the paneling was related to the flexing and am beginning to think the floor may have been as well.

Terry

 

[mattpopp]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

Thinking about this flexing. I would love to see video of a camera mounted watching the known effected areas while you travel at speeds down the road. Even more so when you hit a bad patch in the road. How bad is it flexing while traveling? Metal can only take so much fatigue before it fails.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 3 HD

 

[whp4262]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

I had a problem with my 3914. It was fine when on the landing gear but when hooked to the truck it would bow the panel on the side of the drawer cabinet next to the bed about 2 1/2". I used a Dremel multi tool and a strip of 1/8" plywood as a blade guide to trim the bottom of the panel. So far it seems to be working.

 

[haulinem]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

I had a problem with my 3914. It was fine when on the landing gear but when hooked to the truck it would bow the panel on the side of the drawer cabinet next to the bed about 2 1/2". I used a Dremel multi tool and a strip of 1/8" plywood as a blade guide to trim the bottom of the panel. So far it seems to be working.

The bowing panel may just be a sign of something more serious. I had the paneling in the closet bow and it was repaired by the dealer along with some other warranty issues several months after purchase. The bowing has returned but is more severe and in both closets. This time the support braces inside the paneling have detached and the paneling outside one closet has buckled and cracked.

I dropped the unit off at the factory on Monday for repairs. I must say that Michael and Eric at Heartland have been very responsive in addressing this issue.

 

[haulinem]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

Thinking about this flexing. I would love to see video of a camera mounted watching the known effected areas while you travel at speeds down the road. Even more so when you hit a bad patch in the road. How bad is it flexing while traveling? Metal can only take so much fatigue before it fails.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 3 HD

Matt, I had the same concern but was assured the issue causing the flexing would not affect the towability of the unit. I delivered the unit to the factory on Monday after some pretty rough sections on I65 in Indiana and it made it in one piece.

 

[whp4262]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

I took the pin box cover off and boroscoped the frame and welds under the front cap and in the propane bottle area. Didn't find anything cracked or broken but I plan to keep a close eye on it just in case.

 

[Wrenched]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

We got our unit back from the factory a couple of weeks ago. They had it for about 3-1/2 weeks.
They did a lot of work to it. Besides taking the front off, they also had to cut into the sides of the fiberglass near the front.
It was all fixed up nice and neat, polished - with the graphics replaced and perfect.
There's absolutely no movement/flexing now when hitched or on the ground.
Took it for a 600 miles shakeout in the Niagara Falls area for a few days.
All is good.
While it was there, they replaced a front hydraulic jack with a bad seal, and a return air grill that had been damaged by water at some point before we took ownership.
A trucking company from Montreal picked up our unit and brought it back to our door.
I'd like to particularly thank John Hawkins at Heartland for keeping in regular contact with us by email and answering all my questions and taking care of all my concerns.

 

[georges2]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

Recently noticed some issues with the paneling in and around the driver's side closet. Upon further inspection we found that there is substantial flexing going on when we transition from the front landing gear onto the hitch and tow vehicle. Has anyone else experienced this problem? I have initiated the warranty process with Heartland. I tried to include a video and some photos but just not tech savvy enough I guess.

Terry & Grace

ma oakmont a ce probleme de flexibilité et on doit defaire le mur avant de chaque coté pour reparé et solidifiez les montants dans le mur.ce mouvement de vas et viens a fait casser ma moulure en plastic sur un coté

georges.

 

[jimtoo]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

Hi George,

Welcome to the posting side of the Heartland Owners Forum. By the translate feature on Google your saying your Oakmont has the same problems with flexing and broken plastic trim. Have you contacted Lippert or Heartland about this problem? You don't have posted what year or how old your Oakmont is.

Jim M

Google translate of his post. oakmont my flexibility has this problem and we must defeat the front wall on each side for repairs and solidify the amounts in mur.ce movement has come and go breaking my plastic molding on one side
georges.

 

[haulinem]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

Picked the unit up from the factory and have taken it on two weekend trips (about 750 mi total). No signs of anymore flexing as before. Shout out to Eric McDaniel and his crew for their timely response and quality work.

 

[readytohitheroad]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

The unanswered question here may be why some units have this issue while others do not, and also what alteration to the manufacturing process has Heartland adopted to prevent this issue in future units?

 

[Wrenched]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

I agree. On our unit, I looked under the bed and behind the drawers in the dresser. At the floor, the factory had welded in long, large pieces of steel - a channel about 6 inches deep with a larger C channel welded to that. It was welded to the superstructure through the walls and went through the walls at the front of the unit.
There's probably an extra 150# of steel in our unit now. I'd like to poke my head into some newer units to see if they also have a similar setup to prevent the flexing, and if not, perhaps there has been a proper change in the engineering of the frame below decks like it should have been in the first place.

 

[mattpopp]

Since this thread came out I started to pay attention to my 300C. I had removed the plastic cover from the hitch due to it cracking from wind turbulence.

I noticed that the trailer hitch has some movement in it while transferring the load from the jacks to the hitch. When I transfer the load to the hitch. There is about a inch of movement up. And the vice versa when removing the load. There is no deflection in any of the panels or exterior body when this happens. No change in the interior as well. I don't see any seems shifting as well. I can only suspect this is normal on trailers with a heavy pin weight.

 

[bigd_rock]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

I just bought a used 2009 3914 and am having the same issue. wood Panel beside bed is buckling and poping off the trim where the little cubby hole is. When the landing gear is down its fine. Be happy your units are fairly new. this one is 5 years old and im in western canada, apparently im probably also up the creek with no paddle.

 

[jbeletti]

Re: Structural damage from flexing on 4100 King

I just bought a used 2009 3914 and am having the same issue. wood Panel beside bed is buckling and poping off the trim where the little cubby hole is. When the landing gear is down its fine. Be happy your units are fairly new. this one is 5 years old and im in western canada, apparently im probably also up the creek with no paddle.

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