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Old 04-26-2017, 07:54 AM   #1
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Broken A frame at front of trailer

I recently purchased a 2015 M 185RB Salem and the previous owner had overloaded by approximately 200lbs (he said his weight was 4012lbs FR says max wet load is 3810 and wouldn't cover any warranty) on his first trip to Quartside, Arizona. This resulted in a bent axle and ruined tires . He then had the axle replaced with a 7k axle and 8k springs and 15" tires. The axle is flipped so the trailer is off the ground quite a bit hitch height is approximately 26" when trailer is level.
Last night when inspecting the hitch "A" frame I noticed it moves up and down at the lightweight c channel and a couple of broken welds in other words it's about to fail disastrously. I'm going to weld in some crossmembers and tie it all back together but has anyone else seen this?
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Old 04-26-2017, 08:33 AM   #2
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Wow! Sorry to hear about your trailer. My bet is he overloaded the trailer much more than 202 pounds. The other possibility is he took the trailer off-roading and traveled fairly fast. That may put enough excess stress on the trailer, to cause that kind of damage at 200 pounds overweight. It also would explain the axle and tire mods.

Adding cross members and rewelding the entire tongue sounds prudent. Be sure the tech triangulates the tongue position, to ensure it is centered and level. If not, you'll have other problems towing it. You may want to get under the trailer and look over the entire frame. Look for broken welds, bent cross beams, etc. You can then get those rewelded, while they do the tongue.
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Old 04-26-2017, 08:47 AM   #3
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Yes they did say that they took it across the desert, I'm thinking about tying it back a little bit further on the frame also with extra crossmembers
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Old 04-26-2017, 09:08 AM   #4
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He didn't do you any favors by putting a 7k axle with 8k springs. That is too heavy and there probably isn't enough weight in the trailer to let the suspension do it's job. This will result in a hard bouncy ride and will probably shake everything loose and put more strain on the framework. Allowing the suspension to move freely takes the jolt out of rough roads. If they were looking for more travel and a higher stance, he should have installed higher arched springs and maybe a 4500lb axle.
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Old 04-26-2017, 09:15 AM   #5
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Good point, all adding up to more A frame flex and weld stress on an already poor design at front frame
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Old 04-26-2017, 09:22 AM   #6
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The frame themselves are not true I beams, but a welded up version. Lighter weight, but not nearly as strong. Without the suspension travel absorbing the shock of rough roads, I wouldn't be surprised if the frame would end up being bent in the future. It has happened before.
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Old 04-26-2017, 09:39 AM   #7
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What I didn't like, was the way they tied the A frame to the "I" beam they had a .120 wall formed c channel that they cut out notches for the a frame to slide through and only welded the sides creating a hinge that ultimately would fail. Add an overloaded trip on rough terrain and viola. I worked for Country Coach for 20+ years so I understand that mentality. I'll fix it and over build it, but thats what I do. ....I like the lighter axle and arched springs idea
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Old 04-26-2017, 09:52 AM   #8
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I have a 2018 2715vs with a tongue weight of 1010 lbs. I asked the factory why the increase of tongue weight from a 2017 (870 lbs). They said they had reports of tongue flexing so they went from 6" I-beam to a 8" I-beam tongue.
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Old 04-26-2017, 11:20 AM   #9
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Mines flexing at the formed c channel that ties the I beam to the a frame
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Old 04-26-2017, 12:12 PM   #10
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I would take it to a frame shop and have them do the work. If your welds fail and it causes an accident you may have big liability issues.
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Old 04-26-2017, 12:48 PM   #11
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Keep the axle, get lighter weight springs. No need to add more expense than you need to. Consider a spring setup that gives you the travel you need, then consider adding shocks.
The beefier or lighter weight axle will make no difference in the ride of the trailer. Tire pressures and spring rates will make the biggest difference.
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Old 04-26-2017, 12:59 PM   #12
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Running WD hitch bars that are overrated for the trailer weight is very hard on the A frame.
Over loading the trailer and running heavier WD bars to compensate is not good.
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:01 PM   #13
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I was certified for the welding I'm about to do during my 20+ years at Country Coach, I'm not too worried about that....I've done a fair bit of welding
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Old 04-26-2017, 03:01 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulie1138 View Post
Keep the axle, get lighter weight springs. No need to add more expense than you need to. Consider a spring setup that gives you the travel you need, then consider adding shocks.
The beefier or lighter weight axle will make no difference in the ride of the trailer. Tire pressures and spring rates will make the biggest difference.
That's exactly what I was thinking and I may replace the 15" rims with 14" I think 4500 lb springs should do it
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Old 04-26-2017, 03:02 PM   #15
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That's exactly what I was thinking and I may replace the 15" rims with 14" I think 4500 lb springs should do it
I'm not going to load it like the previous owners did.
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Old 04-26-2017, 03:04 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by MtBiker View Post
Running WD hitch bars that are overrated for the trailer weight is very hard on the A frame.
Over loading the trailer and running heavier WD bars to compensate is not good.
Good info, thanks I have lots of RV repair and assembly experience, not a lot of towing. ...[emoji2]
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