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Old 10-16-2007, 12:39 PM   #21
bstark
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Whoa guys! Let's go over to my trailer, sit a spell, drink a few Colorado Kool-Ades and talk politics instead!
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Old 10-16-2007, 06:21 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by morscuba
Are you the one with the blind fold on or the rose colored glasses??
Nope I'm the one that doesnt have a lot of sarcastic come back's or hates the world cause I got a supposedly crappy deal from Doubletree, and I'm not the one that was born with s**t for brains. Go on keep haten the world brother, it'll make me feel a whole lot better known you do.[/quote]

DT isn't being blamed in this thread so you must be the blind folded one.

Google Lippert frames and you will see how long they have been making bad welds on frames and axles. It isn't just on DT product line either. There is a NHTSA recall on Lippert for bad axles welds earlier this yr too.

Do some homework instead of calling names, you will be better off foe it.
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Old 10-16-2007, 06:42 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by morscuba
Just because the front axle didnt break hitting the obstruction doesnt mean SQUAT!!!. And if you really look around at some of the weld shops and RV shops they have plenty of work to do on axle and undercarrage's. I think maybe some of the folks on the forum gotta bad case of "lets blame someone, anyone".
I'm not trying to blame anyone, I just want to know why it happened. I've hit many potholes with my cars and trucks and never broke anything. If they can build a car or truck to withstand potholes then why can't they build an RV to hold up to them?
In 2005 DT was using 7000 lb axles, in 2006 I think it was they went to 8000 axles as standard equipment, why? maybe they figured out the 7000 lb axle isn't enough under their trailer.
As another poster said it might be in issue with the 36RE3 with more weight on the left side. The 2 units they I know of that failed were both 36RE3 with left side spring hangers broken.
I had my individual wheels weighed at the first MS Rally, front axle had 6175 lbs with 3500 of that on the left side, rear axle had 6125 lbs with 3200 lbs of that on the left tire, I know they are heavier on the left side.
It wouldn't take more than $100.00 in steel to beef up the frame where they weld the spring hangers, I really don't see it being a big deal.
I will tell you this much, when you are driving on the interstate doing 65 MPH and you look in your mirror and see your tire and axle just flopping around back there and your A--hole puckers up I don't think you will be apologizing for Lippert or DT then.
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Old 10-16-2007, 07:06 PM   #24
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HOBO
go back and read what I wrote.. I didnt call anyone any names. I wrote
" I was't the one born with s**t for brains. either you cant read or the statement struck close to home. Only thing I said to you I was getting a whole lotta joy outta you being pissed off at the world. I'm done going back in forth with you so you post anything you want and have fun, and enjoy blaming who ever for what ever.. Its good for the soul brother.. Me I got better things to do.
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Old 10-16-2007, 08:45 PM   #25
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OK, let's get back to discussing the issue at hand! What failed and why. Looking at the pictures I see 2 things that have bothered me. One, the weld did not fail. The tubing itself was punctured. The other thing I see is that unlike my frame the bottom of the frame does not look like it is straight across, but rather that it goes up in the area of the spring hanger. Maybe it's some kind of optical illusion! In any case this failure required some extreme forces. People say "my car/pickup never failed" that is a red herring! Designing a frame for an RV is totally different. The designer must comprimise between strenght and weight. Sure they could design a frame that would never fail under any load, but then it couldn't be towed with any pickup. None of us can possibly know how this trailer was towed/treated/loaded. This being the internet anyone can post/say anything. When someone on here says "I never speed, never run over loaded, never went on horrible roads, never ran over a curb at 60 mph, etc we have no way of knowing if that is true or not. We should not get overly exorcize defending the owner or the manufacturer because we do not have enough info to defend either one. It's enough to know that we should check our frames etc on a regular basis and that applies to every company out there because they all have basically the same issues. If you don't believe this you need to get out more and talk to other RVers. Then you'll find that there are frame issues with every company.
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Old 10-16-2007, 08:54 PM   #26
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I hope every one knows there is a difference in the frame after 2004. The frame before 2005 was a Leland frame, somewhere they switched to a Lippert around 2005. Maybe this is why some of the early ones are not having a problem, also they were rated for 16k gvw, a lot less than the ratings on the Lippert frames.
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Old 10-17-2007, 04:26 AM   #27
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I had to replace the rear axle after hitting a big hole with my previous 5th wheel. I was going about 50 MPH around Cincinatti on the southern side of the interstate loop. It was the first and only time the cuboards came open and dishes broke.

It was bent real bad.
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Old 10-17-2007, 04:42 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rverdlm
OK, let's get back to discussing the issue at hand! What failed and why. Looking at the pictures I see 2 things that have bothered me. One, the weld did not fail. The tubing itself was punctured.

I believe that the tubing was weakened when the spring hanger was welded.

The other thing I see is that unlike my frame the bottom of the frame does not look like it is straight across, but rather that it goes up in the area of the spring hanger. Maybe it's some kind of optical illusion! In any case this failure required some extreme forces.

It is the way the picture was taken, optical illusion. The frame does indeed go straight across. Extreme forces? none that I'm aware of, normal potholes, YES, overloading? not the 3 times I've had it weighed.

People say "my car/pickup never failed" that is a red herring! Designing a frame for an RV is totally different. The designer must compromise between strength and weight. Sure they could design a frame that would never fail under any load, but then it couldn't be towed with any pickup. None of us can possibly know how this trailer was towed/treated/loaded.

I under stand it can't be designed like a car or truck but they could put a little reinforcement in the stress areas without adding much weight to the rig. I would much rather have a stronger frame than granite counter tops.

This being the Internet anyone can post/say anything. When someone on here says "I never speed, never run over loaded, never went on horrible roads, never ran over a curb at 60 mph, etc we have no way of knowing if that is true or not. We should not get overly exorcize defending the owner or the manufacturer because we do not have enough info to defend either one.

I don't much care what you believe. When I made the original post it was because I wanted people to go out and look at their frames/welds/spring hangers/axles and what not to make sure they are safe going down the road. This whole thread has gotten out of hand.


It's enough to know that we should check our frames etc on a regular basis and that applies to every company out there because they all have basically the same issues. If you don't believe this you need to get out more and talk to other RVers. Then you'll find that there are frame issues with every company.
Yep I'm checking mine this week, I have a company coming to the house to ultrasound the entire frame, it will tell me the thickness along the entire length, now just trying to figure out how to get to the pin box area without taking the front cap off to check the steel in that area. Will remove cap if we have to.

You are right every company has frame issues but if you do a google search you will see that the majority of the issues are coming from Lippert frames. Oh never mind disregard that statement, you can't beleive anything you read on the Internet.


Dave, correct me if I'm wrong please. If my memory serves me right I think you were towing a vehicle behind the MS when I saw you at the first rally. If I do have that right can you tell me if you did anything to beef the frame up? or did you just had a hitch to back of the frame?
I'm just being curious is all.
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Old 10-17-2007, 08:37 PM   #29
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I looked at the pictures of the spring hangers and they are different then what I have on my 06 TK3. I wonder if they made a change or if it's part of my magnum suspension. I will try to attach a picture of mine so you can compare.
I have been having problems with the shock brackets though and that is deffinatly a QC problem with the welds. Called Lippert today and talked to a fellow that got up on the wrong side of the bed. I'll try again tomorrow.
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Old 10-17-2007, 09:00 PM   #30
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Picture didn't work so I'll try to explain it. Mine has a gusset welded to the spring shackle and to the frame. It's about 6 in across on top and goes down to within an in of the bottom of the spring shackle. Lack of these gussets could be the reason they bent and tore the frame.
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Old 10-17-2007, 09:01 PM   #31
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Ade, yes please attach a picture I would love to see the difference.
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Old 10-17-2007, 09:11 PM   #32
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I'll try again.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg spring_shackle_849.jpg (59.1 KB, 272 views)
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Old 10-18-2007, 12:23 AM   #33
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Looks the same as mine.
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Old 10-18-2007, 07:59 AM   #34
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Looks the same as mine, 2005 #2375. Gussets at front & rear hangers
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Old 10-18-2007, 08:51 AM   #35
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There were no gussets in the pix of the failure in the beginning of the thread. I wonder if they just got left off of that frame or if they were a change to latter frames. They might have had a part in keeping that from happening.
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Old 10-18-2007, 10:33 AM   #36
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Quote:
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There were no gussets in the pix of the failure in the beginning of the thread. I wonder if they just got left off of that frame or if they were a change to latter frames. They might have had a part in keeping that from happening.
You're right, there wasn't any gussets on my hangers. I wonder when and why they started using them? Never mind about the why part, I know why so that leaves when?
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Old 10-18-2007, 02:54 PM   #37
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My unit # is 2367 and it does NOT have any gussets - - but it will shortly!
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Old 10-19-2007, 04:19 AM   #38
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Mine has the gussets. #2163

They don't look like the pic that is on here thow.

I will try to get a pic and post it here.
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Old 10-19-2007, 01:21 PM   #39
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Our 05 38RL3 S/N 2046 with magnum susp. has the same gussets as ADE's picture. Shock brackets still intact, but welds are ugly!!

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Old 10-21-2007, 08:58 AM   #40
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Our rig #2366 does have the gussets. They are located in front of the front axle and behind the rear axle. We ordered the unit with the 8,000 lb axles and Trailaire suspension. Bstark, I have no idea why two 38' units in sequential order would be different in the installation of gussets. What suspension option did yours come with?
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