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05-25-2018, 01:11 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Central Minnesota
Posts: 141
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Warning - trailer coupler assembly broke off
I happened to run across a post on May 24/25, 2018 on the Facebook group: R-Pod Owners. An Eric Mantz which owns a new 2018 HDR 180, had his trailer coupler break off.
Photos are attached. Mr. Mantz claims this is only the 2nd time he has taken the trailer out and was only going 35mph when this occurred. It appears to be due to faulty welding. Images attached.
I've suggested that he should contact the DOT as I feel there is a real possibility of other trailers from this production run could have the same defect.
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2016 Coachmen Viking Legend 12RB A-Frame
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit w/Tow package
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05-25-2018, 07:04 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: x
Posts: 12,423
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I would think Forest River would put out a safety warning to inspect your trailer tongues for possible cracking.
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Retired Navy
Jake my sidekick (yellow Lab) 10/04 - 05/20
2017 RAM 2500 CC 4X4 Cummins Diesel
2016 Flagstaff 26 FKWS
AF&AM & El Korah Shrine of Idaho
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05-25-2018, 07:10 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Iowa
Posts: 266
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You can tell by the 1st picture those chicken scratch welds are crap. No penetration, looks like it was mostly surface slag that held the coupler on. Im kina surprised he was able to take it out a "second" time.
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021 Ram Rebel 1500
2017 Shamrock 233s
Waterloo, Iowa
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05-25-2018, 07:36 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Waynesville
Posts: 14,428
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaDog
I would think Forest River would put out a safety warning to inspect your trailer tongues for possible cracking.
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Forest River and Lippert should contact ALL R-Pod owners to have this Checked! That Welder??? may have screwed up more than 1!  Youroo!! 
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05-25-2018, 07:42 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
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Quote:
Originally Posted by youroo
Forest River and Lippert should contact ALL R-Pod owners to have this Checked! That Welder??? may have screwed up more than 1! Youroo!! |
There are millions of people who claim they can weld, yet have no idea of what they are doing. Some of them even call themselves “Welders”. Some even have jobs as ‘Welders”.
Yes, even you could go to Home Depot this morning, spend a few hundred dollars and become a “Welder” by lunchtime.
Bruce
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2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
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05-25-2018, 02:32 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright
Posts: 970
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Good heavens! Glad they weren't going very fast. makes me want to go out and look at the welds on my trailer tongue and see if I see any cracks.
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2015 Palomino SolAire 20RBS
2022 Silverado 2500HD LT Duramax 4WD
2015: 18 days; 2016: 21 days; 2017: 19 days; 2018: 26 days; 2019: 8 days; 2020: 0; 2021: 10 days.
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05-25-2018, 02:48 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Monticello, IL
Posts: 1,696
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Whenever I think that MAYBE Lippert has gotten their act together...something like this happens.
This is the 21st century, I would have expected Lippert to have automated/robotic welding in place for consistency and quality, but I guess not. 
"Hey Joe, want to grab some lunch?"
"Oh, sure! Let me finish welding on this coupler real quick..."
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2017 GMC Canyon - CCLB, 4x4, 2.8L Duramax, ARE Z-series shell
2013 Shamrock 21SS
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05-25-2018, 02:55 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Medina, OH
Posts: 118
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I think I would add some bolts too.
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Prime Time Manf. Crusader 270RET 2012
Ford F150 5.4L B&W Companion Hitch
updated to Andersen Aluminum Ultimate Hitch 2017
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05-25-2018, 07:14 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: crete,il /texas
Posts: 498
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OMG �� good thing you were going slow ! Did the safety chains hold ?
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05-25-2018, 07:24 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Frederica DE
Posts: 1,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DieselDrax
Whenever I think that MAYBE Lippert has gotten their act together...something like this happens.
This is the 21st century, I would have expected Lippert to have automated/robotic welding in place for consistency and quality, but I guess not.
"Hey Joe, want to grab some lunch?"
"Oh, sure! Let me finish welding on this coupler real quick..." |
The company I work for recently spent several million dollars on robotic welding equipment. The same U.S. robotic equipment manufacturer that supplies most of the automotive manufacturing industries. This was done to solve welding issues we were having in the plant. Year and half for R and D at manufacturers facility then moving equipment to our plant. The system has yet to be fruitful in producing product.
We have 80 some people welding in our plant, 25 are really good welders. Bottom 30 welders are guys that can pull a trigger. But we have quality control and welding certification testing standards in place. Even the best of us have had issues though. Not excusing what we are seeing here but bad joints happen.
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2016 Ford F250 XLT 4X4 6.2L
2015 Rockwood Signature Ultralite 8329SS
Hensley Arrow
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05-27-2018, 06:30 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 9,584
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Certification...
Quote:
Originally Posted by nomad297
There are millions of people who claim they can weld, yet have no idea of what they are doing. Some of them even call themselves “Welders”. Some even have jobs as ‘Welders”.
Yes, even you could go to Home Depot this morning, spend a few hundred dollars and become a “Welder” by lunchtime.
Bruce
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Well, there is a certification process. You can't be hired to weld on an oil pipeline unless you have the right certifications.
I wonder whether Forest River or Lippert have certification as a requirement for their welders.
Larry
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01-11-2019, 10:56 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Gold Canyon, AZ / Midlothian, TX
Posts: 161
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Just saw this and will reinspect the welds on our 2014 Rpod 182G.
I may also drill and install a couple 3” grade-8 bolts through the coupler and frame - one on each side - as a safety measure.
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---
Regards - Randy
Cedar Creek Cottage 40CFE
Thor Vegas 25.5
Randy’s Rod Shop & Fabrication
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01-11-2019, 05:55 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,397
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Bad welds = bad results. Hope no one was hurt/damaged.
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--2005 F350 Superduty Crewcab, 6.0, 4wd, short bed, 3.73 gears;
--2016 Montana 3711FL, 40'
--2014 Wildcat 327CK, 38' SOLD
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01-11-2019, 06:22 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Virginia
Posts: 9,904
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I doubt that Forest River has any welders, they buy the frames already assembled.
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2005 Dodge 3500 Cummins
2017 Wildwood Lodge 4092 BFL
1966 Mustang GT
1986 Mustang SVO
Lillie Spoiled Rotten Boxer Mix
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01-19-2019, 10:30 PM
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#15
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Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oaklevel
I doubt that Forest River has any welders, they buy the frames already assembled.
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Frames are supplied by Lippert according to specs from FR. They supply many of the parts of pieces used by FR across their line.
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02-06-2019, 12:51 PM
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#16
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Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 62
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Ops, wrong thread
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02-06-2019, 01:05 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 5,059
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__________________
Al
I am starting to think, that I will never be old enough--------to know better.
Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as not to offend the imbeciles. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Russian Novelist
S.E. Mich. Flagstaff 26FKWS / 2022 F-150 3.5 EcoBoost SCrew Propride
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02-06-2019, 01:52 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Seattle, WA
Posts: 17,334
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Finster
You can tell by the 1st picture those chicken scratch welds are crap. No penetration, looks like it was mostly surface slag that held the coupler on. Im kina surprised he was able to take it out a "second" time.
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Growing up I had a neighbor who was a welder in the Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. He referred to welds like this as Chicken Turd Welds. He taught me how to weld.
The pictured welds look like someone was afraid to get the metal too hot. Probably would have stronger results if he'd just glued the coupler on with J-B Weld.
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"A wise man can change his mind. A fool never will." (Japanese Proverb)
"You only grow old when you run out of new things to do"
2018 Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BDS
2023 f-150 SCREW XLT 3.5 Ecoboost (The result of a $68,000 oil change  )
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02-06-2019, 01:58 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Port Charlotte Fl/Hinsdale Ma
Posts: 4,823
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DieselDrax
Whenever I think that MAYBE Lippert has gotten their act together...something like this happens.
This is the 21st century, I would have expected Lippert to have automated/robotic welding in place for consistency and quality, but I guess not.
"Hey Joe, want to grab some lunch?"
"Oh, sure! Let me finish welding on this coupler real quick..." |
 :roflb lack:
the whole RV industry. Until the government step in nothing is gonna change.
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02-07-2019, 10:49 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Seattle, WA
Posts: 17,334
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DieselDrax
This is the 21st century, I would have expected Lippert to have automated/robotic welding in place for consistency and quality, but I guess not. |
Robots are great but expensive. Don't become cost effective until they are used for really large welds (like in the ship building industry) or for welding the same part, in the same position, piece after piece after piece.
There are places where "humans" are still better than robots although robots don't have to have their butts kissed to get more work out of them
Also, if a robot is programmed incorrectly it can produce dozens, if not hundreds, of faulty welds exactly the same.
__________________
"A wise man can change his mind. A fool never will." (Japanese Proverb)
"You only grow old when you run out of new things to do"
2018 Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BDS
2023 f-150 SCREW XLT 3.5 Ecoboost (The result of a $68,000 oil change )
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