Fifth Wheel Landing Gear

[cmducote]

I'm hoping I can get some advice on this issue. My wife and I purchased a new 2019 Impression fifth wheel a few weeks ago. So far we've LOVED the thing! Except, when we returned home from a camping trip last weekend, I couldn't uncouple the trailer from my truck because only the lead landing gear leg was operating. Problem was, the bold connecting the landing gear cross shaft at the motor end had broken off.

Does anyone know where I can find the proper bolt to replace the one that broke? I found a piece of the bolt that broke off, but it looks nothing like the one on the other end of the shaft. I'm wondering if in the factory, they lost or couldn't find the correct bolt and decided to substitute?...

I've talked to the dealer where I purchased the unit, but got nowhere. All they're interested in is selling the units, not providing service after the sale (but that's another story all together). I went to the local hardware store and played around with various bolts and nuts, but the issue is that they'r all just a little to long. The end of the bolt hits the motor casing as the shaft rotates. My temporary fix for now is a cotter pin as shown in the pics.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[5picker]

I've had mine out on a couple different rigs and they are just common grade 2 bolts. You don't have to use a hex head cap screw bolt like shown in the other end.

If your bolts are too long, why not put a bolt in, tighten the nut and cut the rest of the bolt off flush with the nut?

[nayther]

Originally Posted by 5picker

I've had mine out on a couple different rigs and they are just common grade 2 bolts. You don't have to use a hex head cap screw bolt like shown in the other end.

If your bolts are too long, why not put a bolt in, tighten the nut and cut the rest of the bolt off flush with the nut?

I concur, replaced a few before. They're nothing special. Make sure both legs are supporting the load before you use the gear, that's probably what happened, one took all the load and it was too much for the bolt. They're also like shear pins to protect the gears.

[Jim34RL]

If you have enough room use a jam nut when fastening the bolt in place. When I replaced my bolt on my Cougar I used a grade 2, 1/4dia. 20THD, I think this was approximately 1-1/4 long for my application. You can use a machine screw with a washer under the head instead of a bolt to find the proper size to work for your needs. The reason for the jam nut is to prevent the nut from become loose and dropping of the bolt/screw and then allowing the bolt/screw to drop out and disengage again.

[mikepalliser]

Originally Posted by cmducote

I'm hoping I can get some advice on this issue. My wife and I purchased a new 2019 Impression fifth wheel a few weeks ago. So far we've LOVED the thing! Except, when we returned home from a camping trip last weekend, I couldn't uncouple the trailer from my truck because only the lead landing gear leg was operating. Problem was, the bold connecting the landing gear cross shaft at the motor end had broken off.



Does anyone know where I can find the proper bolt to replace the one that broke? I found a piece of the bolt that broke off, but it looks nothing like the one on the other end of the shaft. I'm wondering if in the factory, they lost or couldn't find the correct bolt and decided to substitute?...



I've talked to the dealer where I purchased the unit, but got nowhere. All they're interested in is selling the units, not providing service after the sale (but that's another story all together). I went to the local hardware store and played around with various bolts and nuts, but the issue is that they'r all just a little to long. The end of the bolt hits the motor casing as the shaft rotates. My temporary fix for now is a cotter pin as shown in the pics.



Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I use a 1/4 inch grade 8 bolts. On the motor side I believe it’s 1 inch long and on the other side it’s a 1 1/4 inch. It’s amazing the torque these 12 v motors generate to shear these bolts. I always keep 3 or 4 of each handy.

[onetonford]

I had just replaced my plastic gear box that had broke with a aluminum one and I used a button head screw and put locking nut and ground the end of the bolt off so it cleared.

[JP Camper]

Common, I keep a pack of spares with me now. The cause, from my experience is that the lead leg is a little lower than the other, the lead leg will continue to retract when the non powered leg has already retracted to its limit. It took some fiddling to get them matched up but so far so good

[5picker]

Originally Posted by JP Camper

Common, I keep a pack of spares with me now. The cause, from my experience is that the lead leg is a little lower than the other, the lead leg will continue to retract when the non powered leg has already retracted to its limit. It took some fiddling to get them matched up but so far so good

I marked mine with a marker at one inch from full retraction so I never bind them up.

[stephndudb]

Originally Posted by 5picker

I marked mine with a marker at one inch from full retraction so I never bind them up.

X2, but I used reflective red tape.

[Walholler]

I would suggest that you use a stainless steel bolt and a fiber lock nut, the stainless steel bolt will give you the strength so that it will not shear easily and will not corrode. The fiber lock nut will ensure that the nut does not loosen and you do not need a jam nut. If your bolt is too long after installation, install the nut and tighten it, then cut the excess length of bolt off. Or you could cut it before installation if you know how long it should be.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Walholler

I would suggest that you use a stainless steel bolt and a fiber lock nut, the stainless steel bolt will give you the strength so that it will not shear easily and will not corrode. The fiber lock nut will ensure that the nut does not loosen and you do not need a jam nut. If your bolt is too long after installation, install the nut and tighten it, then cut the excess length of bolt off. Or you could cut it before installation if you know how long it should be.

If you use this idea, and I think it is a good one, you should consider a Dremel tool with a cut off wheel because SS is hard to machine or cut. It will quickly ruin the teeth on a recip or saber saw blade.

[Jim34RL]

I would not use anything like a grade 8 bolt or a SS bolt since these do not shear easily. Why? The gear pack and motor are protected by the shear bolt on the landing legs. If this bolt does not shear under a heavy load you will fail something else IE: the motor or the gear teeth. Replacing these item are a lot more expensive and time consuming than replace just a $0.25 bolt and nut.

That is why the manufacture uses a SAE grade 2 bolt and nut to protect the motor and gear teeth.

[tahoe1840]

All of these are awesome ideas for you, we had the problem last summer while on the road and of course it happened on a Sunday when all the hardware stores in the little town we were in were closed. Keep a few spare correct length bolts with nuts attached in your tool kit. I got lucky and a RV repair guy was fixing a rig next to ours and he had a bolt that would work. His greatest help was to give the advice to never retract your landing gear to the bitter end or stop. I have a painted line on the gear nearest my up/down switch that I can watch while retracting the gear. I always stop on that line.

[Trawlerphil]

The bolts break because the designers didn't put a sensor in the landing gear to determine if it is all the way up or down, and the motor is easily capable of snapping a mild steel bolt. After breaking a few, I found making a mark with a magic marker around the leg at it's up position lets me stop before it bottoms out and snaps.

[Tundra 2014]

I suggest going to a hardware store and picking up several lengths of the same diameter, grade 3 bolts. Tractor Supply Company sells them by the pound. Also some nylon lock nuts, to have spares. They also sell shear bolts. I have used both on tractor brush hogs as shear pins, grade 3 and shear pins break at the same load. Shear pins are 4X cost and more limited in size and length.