Coachmen Freedom Express 233RBS Hitc

[hilfikerkg]

We drove some roads with frost heave in Alaska and ended up bending the hitch. We don't think we did anything to justify the damage to the hitch. Wonder if anyone else is suspicious of the rust on the weld areas on both sides. Or is this a problem with the strength of materials Forest River uses.

[dbarr]

Does anybody think that a WDH might've been useful here?
I know mine loaded up with a week worth supplies weighs in at 860lbs TW and that's with empty FW.
Every thing you put inside, other than the refrigerator, goes in front of the axels. In fact, most goes all the way up front.

Actually, I'm surprised that the ball mount survived.

[TURBS]

I know what forest river will say.............


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "22"

[dbarr]

Originally Posted by TURBS

I know what forest river will say.............


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "22"

Overloaded.

Also, seems to me when I had my '04 F350 ( with F250 blocks ) pulling this trailer my ball was much lower than that to ride level.

[tjm]

There's not enough rust there to cause that kind of problem.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by dbarr

Overloaded.

Also, seems to me when I had my '04 F350 ( with F250 blocks ) pulling this trailer my ball was much lower than that to ride level.

[emoji6]


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "22"

[Mr Havercamp]

Overloaded?

You would have to work really hard at it to overload a 20/21' box front bedroom TT that has a specified / designed cargo capacity of 2214 lbs. Maybe he loaded a cube of bricks on the bed? My CC on our Roo which is basically the same physical size is only 1400 and change. Even with the 2nd water tank I added I am not close to it, so I don't know how you can get a ton of stuff in that 233RBS.....waterbed possibly?

Maybe the frost heaved road was more like driving it off a 5' high retaining wall?

I sure would like to know the wall thickness of that tube.


"Wonder if anyone else is suspicious of the rust on the weld areas on both sides."
Not really as Lippert welds always look like that......Your pic of the area that bent sure eliminates any doubt that Lippert does some prep and doesn't paint over rust. That is unless you have been towing it around for a couple of months with the bent A frame.


OP..........You didn't have a bike rack attached to your rear bumper did you?

[AquaMan]

I think it's a combination of a light weight trailer, load, and road conditions. Good news is, that a fairly easy fix for a good trailer shop. No camper structure to contend with.


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[hilfikerkg]

Had 1/2 tank of water, two 25 pound propane tanks 3/4 full, and 2 batteries. Doubt the max gross weight was even close. All that was in the trailer were clothes and some food. Nothing special that the factory did not provide for hauling.

Before the hitch bent, the trailer was SLIGHTLY nose low with the current ball hitch.

Repair shop said the C channel they used for the hitch was too light for Alaska and this is the 5th repair they did this year on trailers. They replaced with heavier steel and a complete tube style instead of the C steel.

[hilfikerkg]

On my F250, the trailer was slightly nose low with this configuration.

[TURBS]

Why no wdh?


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "22"

[hilfikerkg]

No bike rack attached.

[hilfikerkg]

with this light of a trailer and an F250, they did not feel it was needed. It handles fine. They said if I go to an F150, it would be advisable.

[bikendan]

Personally I would never take an ultralight TT to Alaska.

[dbarr]

Comes from the factory with over 600 lbs tongue weight. I'm at 860 with no water and I could easily see hitting over 1000. It's heavy on the tongue. I always thought that the axles were set too far back...they are way back compared to other trailers.

I pulled mine just under 300 miles to home the first pull without wdh and it nearly beat me to death. That was with my old 1 ton!

My '13 233RBS has boxed steel a-frame. If there's a design change FR must've known there was a problem.

[Mr Havercamp]

So the members that bent were only C's and not tubes? You're kidding?

If the gvwr is 7000 it should not matter how its loaded, what the road is like, wdh or not. Its rated for that weight and if youre at or under that weight if it bends, then that is what is known as an engineering failure.

[hilfikerkg]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Personally I would never take an ultralight TT to Alaska.

I did not take it to Alaska, but I'll pass your advice on to the local dealer that sold me the trailer.

[hilfikerkg]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

So the members that bent were only C's and not tubes? You're kidding?

If the gvwr is 7000 it should not matter how its loaded, what the road is like, wdh or not. Its rated for that weight and if it bends, then that is what is known as an engineering failure.

It was "c's" and I agree it should be stouter.

[dbarr]

25ft from bumper to hitch and the center of the axles are somewhere near 7 feet from the rear. That's a lot of trailer forward of the axles and hardly nothing behind....only the refrigerator and waste tanks. I like my waste tanks with some counter weight in them.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by hilfikerkg

It was "c's" and I agree it should be stouter.

Wow, they used C's made from bent plate. 6" are they? Looking at the picture dbarr posted well no wonder they bent. What year is the trailer?