sagging front end

[j. davidson]

We have a 2009 Bighorn 3055. When the front landing jacks are down, the front end looks fine but when the trailer is loaded and sitting on the pickup the underside of the front end and the front sidewalls have a gap of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. The caulk seal in this area is broken. The trailer is at the dealer now for some other warranty repairs. The dealer says that they talked to the factory and that this is normal. It doesn't seem normal to us. With the caulk seal breaking each time the trailer is pulled, water should be able to get in there. Have any of you other Bighorn owners had this experience and if so was it remedied? Thanks for any info that you can give.
j. davidson

 

[mrcomer]

Don't listen to your dealer. Take pictures of before and after/hooked-up and un-hooked and get into contact with Heartland directly. Send them the pictures and find out for yourself. This is not normal.

Mark

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Odie & Janice, this certainly doesn't sound normal. Do as Mark suggested and take some pictures of both situations, hooked up and not hooked up. Call customer service 877-262-8032 and explain your problem and ask for an e-mail address to send the pictures. The factory is currently closed for the Holidays and Customer Service will close at noon on the 24th so please have a little patience.

 

[gmc]

I have a 3055 and it does not sag as you say. It certainly sounds like a problem. If you can post some pictures.

 

[leftyf]

Don't listen to your dealer. Take pictures of before and after/hooked-up and un-hooked and get into contact with Heartland directly. Send them the pictures and find out for yourself. This is not normal.

Mark

I hope I'm wrong...but, it is sounding like a broken frame to me...my 3055 does not do that...so, I'd say it's *NOT* normal.

 

[j. davidson]

Thanks for all of your thoughts on the front end problem. We talked to someone at Heartland today. He said that he would contact our dealer and work with them on the problem. Hope we can get it resolved. We'll keep you posted on how this turns out. We do think that it is frame related. Anymore ideas please let us know.
Odie and Janice

 

[jimtoo]

Hi j. davidson,
I moved your question from ATF to Bighorn Frame since you have talked to someone at the factory. Also, all comments or reply's do not have to be moderated in this area. The factory customer service will be closed 12/25 through 1/4. But please keep us up dated on your problem.
Jim M

 

[Delaine and Lindy]

Sounds like Frame Flex issue, and that isn't good if it is the problem will only get worse. GBY....

 

[caddojay]

You "may" have a weld that has worked loose, somewhere in the front frame. We had the similar issue with a Doubletree and a weld had broken on one side and was getting ready to stress the opposite side. I'd absolutely contact the factory rep in your area. I'd bet money they would want to have look under the skin.
Like my wife has told me numerous times, "if it has testicles, or is mechanical, it will give you trouble, sometime".

 

[Bob&Patty]

Well Caddojay, I think the better half has your #. J. Davidson our BH does not sag. A weak or cracked weld sounds more likely. I am sure Heartland will make it right and safe. Bob

 

[alaska dodge]

I have a 09 Big Horn 3370 that is doing the same thing, let me know what yo find out so i can have mine looked at.

Bill

 

[sailorand]

Odie and Janice
Had similar problem with our 3055. I took all of the screws out on the vertical front and the overhang. Found that there was only about 1/3 of the screw holes had screws in them. The Fiberglass panel is backed with plywood and the screws were in there and had no "bite" Re screwed everything with screws into the aluminum frame and recaulked everything.
I thought of a weld letting go but found nothing amiss with the welds. I laser measured the frame with weight on the pin and off with on frame and found no frame movement.
I believe that the lack of sufficient screws and improper bite of the screws was our problem.

 

[kakampers]

Sailorand...would you have any pictures of what you found and how you fixed it?

 

[sailorand]

Sorry I do not have any pictures. I removed the plastic cover for the screws then then screws. Where there were screws into metal I replaced those with 1" #10 screws and then drilled holes for the rest of the screws into metal and used 1" #8 screws. To get inside to the metal framing you have to drill on an angle to get the screw to bite.
This seemed to pull things back together ok. My recaulked seam has not broken again. I went from the front of the overhange down through the arc to the front bottom and along across the lower front I used 3 times more screws than were there originally.
As said before, the fiberglass is backed with plywood and you have to put the screws in on an angle to get them into the aluminum frame.
The plastic scew covering comes out easy and it is aeay to put back in.
Good luck

 

[kakampers]

Thanks...I am assuming you are talking about the screws that hold on the covering that is under the bedroom and runs down the lower front of the 5er, that encloses the front cargo compartment...is that correct?

 

[sailorand]

Ken
Yes that is correct, the screws that hold the covering on.
I did a visual inspection of all the welds from the main frame to the goose neck and could see no movement in the steel structure members. I used a laser beam level to see if there was any flexing in the frame and could not see any flexing. I cannot explain why the covering opened up at the corners

 

[Forrest Fetherolf]

Same on my 3600RL, fiberglass covering and wood backing was cut to short for the span side to side and "L" metal edging would just slightly cover gap. I repositioned the "L" metal and used longer sheet metal screws to reattach covering to metal frame.

Forrest

 

[kakampers]

thanks Sailorand and Forrest...gonna give this a try on our 3600RL too...

Hope you all had a really nice Christmas.