Lippert Frame Defects on Wolfpack

[photog]

Originally Posted by pammer82

The dealer we purchased from is "Western rv" in Leduc, Alberta. Be very careful with the fine print people! They are a very well known dealership in our parts, but they haven't been getting a very good review from us!

Thei'r not getting a good review from us neither, but for different reasons.

[pammer82]

Originally Posted by photog

Thei'r not getting a good review from us neither, but for different reasons.

Well it took nearly 6 weeks, and a lot of phone calls, but it's covered!

[BubbaTex]

Originally Posted by pammer82

Well it took nearly 6 weeks, and a lot of phone calls, but it's covered!

That is fantastic news for you! . I am convinced however that there is definitly an inherent design flaw in some lippert frames, mainly 5th wheel frames.

Best of luck!

[F40SPTS]

Thats the worst pics I've seen yet. Total failure around some joints. On my Lippert 19K frame, I have some undercut, but no broken welds yet. I see they have the same "dime stacker" running their MIG gun. He or it weaves the gun back and forth3/8" plus and it looks like crap and make for a lousy weld.

If run right, you can make MIG look as good as 7018 flat. Apparently lippert must hire those guys I see on the job, all they do is shake thier head up and down to say, " yes I can weld".........EEK!

[jacques]

Just joined the thread, and hope that all persons with 5th wheel Forest River trailers are made aware of the pending problem to look for.
Forest River as most of you know sells travel trailers, 5th wheels, and motorhomes under many different names. It will take the effort of the few to inform the masses....as usual.
When you see a Forest River product (especially a 5th wheel) enlighten the owners of areas to inspect, ie. apparently the hitch frame assembly, and the u-bolts on the axle.
We truly are in a sad state, for such a great country, to put profit above saving lives, and more importantly.......just doing the right thing because it is right thing to do.
Think I will put my plans to buy a "cheap little" Wolf Pup 17RR on hold, and tow my "cheap little" HD Road King Classic, on a "cheap little" MC trailer, behind my "cheap little" Toyota 4Runner, to the Grand Canyon and sleep on the ground in my "cheap little" 6 person dome tent (that my 5 children grew up with). The youngest is now 26 and I am 61. They are grown, and I have grown tired, of sleeping on the ground after 55 years of camping. (my parents had a tent also).
Thanks alot Forest River and Lippert.....You just screwed my summer plans with my best friend Jack (the dog).
Wishing everyone here a safe and happy road trip.
Sincerely...

[Hob]

After reading jacques input, just wanted to add Forest River lost selling us a Wolf Pack 295WP. I don't think they realize just how much they have lost by losing people like us one at a time. Somebody from Forest River needs to step up and tell us what is being done. The future trailers don't do a thing for the trailers sitting on dealer's lots that are there now and going to break.

Regards,

Hob
Bill, Linda and a not so brilliant Brittany

[295WP]

Our 2008 Cherokee Wolf Pack 295WP has also failed. We have not had ours torn down yet to see the frame but our bed surround is broken and the plywood under the bed is bowed up, no longer flat.

When we pulled into our driveway after an all pavement trip to and from Moab UT (stayed in a paved campground too) I thought that the trailer was somehow closer to my pickup bed rails, but figured I was imagining it. Once I parked the trailer in it's spot I was positive that the bed rail clearance had changed. We used to have about 8-9 inches of clearance and it now appeared to be about 5-6 inches. I looked at the pin box and immediately noticed that the front leading edge of the pin box was tilted up instead of level like previously.

I went into the bedroom over the pin box and saw that wood trim was laying on the bed and that the driver side of the wood cabinets around the bed were shattered. I pulled the mattress out of the way and the floor was no longer flat it was convex, confirming that the pin box was being pushed in to the living quarters and thus lowering the actual trailer closer to my truck bed rails.

Had I noticed this on the road I would have unhooked immediately. I am very thankful that we made it home safely without at worst an accident injuring/killing us or anyone else and at the very least not damaging our truck. After seeing the pics in the first post I consider us extremely lucky.

I will be posting on the failure page, notifying NHTSA, as well as contacting Lippert and Forest River.

Pics to be posted shortly.......

EDIT: We regularly carry 2-3 dirt bikes which weigh 200lbs, 250lbs, and 155lbs.

[crocus]

The front frame members are obviously under-engineered, as this should never happen. It would be a shame if this ended up in a class-action lawsuit.
It is bad enough if it was just the welds that failed, but more than one has had the main cross member tear, as it was simply not made of heavy enough steel. Obviously the factory never tested them, and must have simply been "hoping" they would survive?

[295WP]

Pics:




Notice the ends of the level....

[295WP]

After researching this problem many have reported that the screws holding the nose cap trim in place pop out due to the flex caused by the poorly engineered frame. Some feel this is a sign of worse things to come. In my case it was...