I was driving back to Virginia from Florida last week on I-85 in NC at 65 mph. A truck driver honked his horn at me as he drove up beside me and pointed to my 5th wheel's back tire. As I slowed and pulled off the interstate, my Big Horn listed severely to the right, almost dragging on the surface of the road! I discovered the passenger side wheel on the trailing axle missing! The wheel, the hub, brakes, everything gone except the inner bearing ring and a mangled spindle nut! The spindle end was ground flat on the bottom side! The odor of burned grease was strong. I hunted for the missing wheel along side of the interstate for a distance, however, I never found it. Obviously it spun off the highway at a tremendous speed and launched itself into the woods, ravines, or somewhere else! Thankfully, no one was hit by the "missile" or it may have injured or killed someone. Also, we were thankful the RV didn't turn over and cause us to have a severe accident. I was able to drive the rig on three wheels, slowly until the next exit where I parked and called Good Sam Roadside Assistance for help.
Roadside service people showed up and determined that the spindle and axle were all one piece and the entire rear axle assembly had to be replaced. They chained the axle up to the frame to give more clearance and I drove the RV at no more then 30 mph, on three wheels, 20 miles to their repair facility (which is not an RV dealer). The RV is parked in Kannapolis, NC waiting for a new axle assembly (axle, hub, brakes, etc.) to be shipped from Lippert's factory to the repair facility. We drove home to VA and I will drive back down to NC to retrieve the RV whenever it is fixed.
My question to anyone is how did this happen. I am sure I have no more then 20,000 road miles on the Big Horn and I have kept the wheel bearings greased (through the fittings). It appears to me that the outer bearing ring and race must have snapped, the wheel tilted and eventually ground the spindle until it was flattened and let the wheel assembly fly off! The only thing I can think of that I might have done to cause the problem was when we were going to Florida in January, I was stuck in traffic on a two lane road where a fatal accident had happended. They closed the road for over four hours and told us to turn around and take another route. With great difficulty, backing up and going forward many times, with the RV's wheels going off the inclined shoulder and having to jacknife the rig a couple of times, perhaps this may have stressed the rear trailing axle and caused something to crack, later coming apart when I left for home. Or, maybe Lippert's axle was defective and metal fatigue caused the failure. I am now worried about the other axle. After the new axle is put on and I get home (hopefully OK), I am going to take the RV to the dealer to have them check the other axle and two front wheels.
Also, I need to find a new rim, matching the aluminum rims on the other three wheels when I get a new tire. I assume I can call Heartland and they can tell me where I can find one, or maybe they can ship me one from their factory?
Thankful to be alive and well,
Jerry Orndorff
Fredericksburg, VA
2011 Big Horn 3670 RL
2005 Chev. Silverado 2500 HD
Roadside service people showed up and determined that the spindle and axle were all one piece and the entire rear axle assembly had to be replaced. They chained the axle up to the frame to give more clearance and I drove the RV at no more then 30 mph, on three wheels, 20 miles to their repair facility (which is not an RV dealer). The RV is parked in Kannapolis, NC waiting for a new axle assembly (axle, hub, brakes, etc.) to be shipped from Lippert's factory to the repair facility. We drove home to VA and I will drive back down to NC to retrieve the RV whenever it is fixed.
My question to anyone is how did this happen. I am sure I have no more then 20,000 road miles on the Big Horn and I have kept the wheel bearings greased (through the fittings). It appears to me that the outer bearing ring and race must have snapped, the wheel tilted and eventually ground the spindle until it was flattened and let the wheel assembly fly off! The only thing I can think of that I might have done to cause the problem was when we were going to Florida in January, I was stuck in traffic on a two lane road where a fatal accident had happended. They closed the road for over four hours and told us to turn around and take another route. With great difficulty, backing up and going forward many times, with the RV's wheels going off the inclined shoulder and having to jacknife the rig a couple of times, perhaps this may have stressed the rear trailing axle and caused something to crack, later coming apart when I left for home. Or, maybe Lippert's axle was defective and metal fatigue caused the failure. I am now worried about the other axle. After the new axle is put on and I get home (hopefully OK), I am going to take the RV to the dealer to have them check the other axle and two front wheels.
Also, I need to find a new rim, matching the aluminum rims on the other three wheels when I get a new tire. I assume I can call Heartland and they can tell me where I can find one, or maybe they can ship me one from their factory?
Thankful to be alive and well,
Jerry Orndorff
Fredericksburg, VA
2011 Big Horn 3670 RL
2005 Chev. Silverado 2500 HD
