Wheels & Tires FLEW OFF Trailer

[NickAtNyte]

After spending over $6000.00 for repairs and maintenance, part of which was for wheel bearings to be serviced at the dealer where I purchased my TS3250 5th wheel - we set off for vacation from Dallas to Corpus Christi. About 200 miles on our journey, just Austin, TX we felt what seemed like a bump. A car pulled up beside us and pointed at our trailer. We pulled over to the side of the highway to find that both wheels and tires were gone. 17 hours and $2,000.00 out of pocket expense later, we were back on the road. Nervous about what had happened I asked the repairmen if they would check the lugs on the driver's side. Every lug nut was loose on the driver's side of our trailer. I got notations from the repair people as to their opinion of the cause of our breakdown. They looked at the drums and said it appeared as if the wheels were not properly serviced. Now I have a wiring mess to repair and wheels to replace. The dealer denies any responsibility.... Are replacement wheels available for my 2009 Big Country? And the Fender Skirt on passenger side will need to be replaced also. Can anyone look at the drum from one of the wheels that flew off my trailer and determine the cause?

 

[Roller4tan]

Re: ATF: Big Country - Wheels & Tires FLEW OFF Trailer

Looks to me like the lug nut were loose and wheel wobble caused the lug bolts to fail. Did you check the bolts prior to your trip?

 

[danemayer]

Hi NickAtNyte,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I also would feel like there's an obvious connection between the service provided and the subsequent failure. But it can be difficult to prove.

One complication is that trailer manufacturers note that the stresses on trailer wheels requires you to check and torque the lug nuts several times after wheels are mounted. The servicer you used could very well point to this. I've attached a page from our 2011 manual that speaks to the requirement.

 

[wdk450]

After spending over $6000.00 for repairs and maintenance, part of which was for wheel bearings to be serviced at the dealer where I purchased my TS3250 5th wheel - we set off for vacation from Dallas to Corpus Christi. About 200 miles on our journey, just Austin, TX we felt what seemed like a bump. A car pulled up beside us and pointed at our trailer. We pulled over to the side of the highway to find that both wheels and tires were gone. 17 hours and $2,000.00 out of pocket expense later, we were back on the road. Nervous about what had happened I asked the repairmen if they would check the lugs on the driver's side. Every lug nut was loose on the driver's side of our trailer. I got notations from the repair people as to their opinion of the cause of our breakdown. They looked at the drums and said it appeared as if the wheels were not properly serviced. Now I have a wiring mess to repair and wheels to replace. The dealer denies any responsibility.... Are replacement wheels available for my 2009 Big Country? And the Fender Skirt on passenger side will need to be replaced also. Can anyone look at the drum from one of the wheels that flew off my trailer and determine the cause?

Nick:
It sure SOUNDS like the lug nuts were screwed on, but not set with a torque wrench. I think you need to get a report of this service failure, and decline of any liability to both the Heartland Service and Sales management. Does your state have a Bureau of Motor Vehicle repairs board who might have legal oversight over repairers? If nothing else, file a report with the State Attorney General's Consumer Affairs department. I would also put a posting on RVServiceReviews.com about this service experience. I recommend that all potential RV buyers check out their prospective selling dealer here. What are the small claims court collection limits in your state? I just did a websearch, and found that the limit in Texas is $10,000.
I would be curious if you visited the dealer service department if they could SHOW you a torque wrench for setting lug nuts, or quote the Heartland /Lippert lug nut torque specs.

Oh, on the replacement wheels: Heartland buys its wheels/tires through Tredit Tire in Elkhart. They are on the vendors list on the left side of this website's forum portal page. You might want to have a photo of your wheels to e-mail to them to make sure you get the right thing. I had them do a warranty replacement on one of my wheels that had a cracked spoke (their wheels have a lifetime guarantee), and they were EXTREMELY easy to work with.

 

[Apropdoc]

Just by looking at the pictures, I am not so sure it was loose lugs alone...if you look closely, some of the lug studs show a torsional failure (over-torqued). They may have been previously 'Smoked On' by somebody who's elbow hadn't been calibrated in lieu of a proper torque wrench. The way that some lugs have heavy AND light rust indicate previous crack/failure (oxidation starts at time of initial failure), while the others have little rust, newest failure (unable to hold the load of the broken lugs leading to total failure of the wheel lugs). This is one technique we use to perform metallurgical failure analysis in the aviation industry (applies to all situations).

 

[Silverstone]

Good day together.
Sorry for your really bad experience and big service bills! I am originally from Germany and do live for about 12 years in Canada. My wife and friends say always to me that I shouldn't do it - but here we go again. :angel: Apologies to everyone I do offend now but it scares me like crazy how shops work in North America. Most of all it seems to me that "mechanics" do not have any certificates or training to work on anything in a shop. I worked in the service department of a FORD dealership and - wow - some guys shouldn't work around there at all. No idea on what engine oil has to go in what engine or even much easier - normally!! - were are the lift points on a car! Damages done to customers cars - and I was told not to tell the customers....
Most of this guys wouldn't get a job close by a German shop. No offense!

Now to your post:
Some mentioned it already, proper tools aren't always in a mechanics tool box here in North America. I drove semi trucks around North America, from east to west and from the Alaskan border to the Mexican border. Every time I had to visit a shop I had not a good feeling in my belly! The easiest questions got most of the times no answer. My question to you would be: "Did you get your re-torque decal signed after 100 km / 60 miles from a shop on your way?" (I honestly hope you did stop and got all of your wheels checked!!?) If not - the bill is on you. I also hope that someone told you that you had to get a re-torque done and when to do it.

After the damage is done - you rarely can blame the shop who did the work if you don't have proof that you did your part. Everybody should plan trips after axle / brake work so they can get to a tire shop or dealer to get wheels re-torqued and (most important - documented!) Best would be - get it done the same day even if you drove only 20 miles home. I personally drive after a shop visit to shop my groceries and right away back to the shop / dealer who did the work. I let them loosen the lug nuts and tie them proper on again watching closely what they do.

You are very lucky you didn't get hurt or got damages to your car on top. I saw some trailers who got completely destroyed on the highways in my life.

 

[wdk450]

Gang:
This uncensored owners forum is one of the most valuable benefits Heartland lets us have. We don't want to cause it to go away, or be heavily moderated, by giving out public advice that could involve Heartland or its dealers in legal litigation, no matter how justified we think this friendly advice to a fellow owner is.

I made a mistake yesterday in advising legal action PUBLICLY ON THE FORUM to a fellow owner who it seemed had been wronged. I think all posters on this forum need to safeguard its continued existence by making such advice on legal actions CONFIDENTIALLY by clicking on the original poster's name and sending out a PM (Private Message) to the fellow owner with these opinions.

 

[CDN]

Just by looking at the pictures, I am not so sure it was loose lugs alone...if you look closely, some of the lug studs show a torsional failure (over-torqued). They may have been previously 'Smoked On' by somebody who's elbow hadn't been calibrated in lieu of a proper torque wrench. The way that some lugs have heavy AND light rust indicate previous crack/failure (oxidation starts at time of initial failure), while the others have little rust, newest failure (unable to hold the load of the broken lugs leading to total failure of the wheel lugs). This is one technique we use to perform metallurgical failure analysis in the aviation industry (applies to all situations).

Apropdoc is correct! This failure was waiting to happen on stressed studs, Some are clean breaks, looking closed they are fractured from stretching then just snapped, others where in trouble before. Can not say how, when or who.

Very sad situation overall.

 

[mlpeloquin]

Before our trip to Goshen rally two years ago, I had my dealership inspect and grease the bearings. At the Goshen rally, I purchased lubed bolts and bronze sleeve bearings. When we got home I proceeded to install the lube bolts and bearings. I found the lugs were so over torqued a great deal of the threads pealed off. I had to use a breaker bar to remove all of them and one I had to use a three foot pipe on the end of the breaker bar to get it off. I was lucky it came off. Lug almost completely stripped. I had to go to a local trailer supply for new lugs and lug nuts. The real luck was on a 8K plus mile trip my wheels did not fail. Since I had the wheels greased, I only checked the lug torque without loosening the lugs. Just wanted to make sure they did not come loose! So my dealer will never get my rig in for service again, or my business.