Cracked web in Frame

by jetskier on 8/31/2011, 1:58 pm

When I pulled the tire with the tumor off the trailer last week, I noticed a little rust line on the frame about 1" above the bottom flange. Upon closer inspection, the web was cracked where the cross member/floor trusses are welded to the web. After a little searching I came across this post on the rv.net forum. The diagram posted there is exactly where my trailer cracked.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24529042/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1.cfm

Here's a bulletin from Lippert for a fix: http://www.lci1.com/LIP/0135.pdf

I ground the area and put a generous weld. My guess is the lateral forces on that section of frame are causing the lower chord of the floor truss to pull on the web. The web wasn't bent, but the weld quality was probably issue. Not to mention they probably need a stiffener there since the web is thin.

I don't know if I'll go through the hassle of adding the 2" tube struts across each of the three spring hangers. I've often wondered why they weren't laterally supported in the past.

Just thought I'd pass this on. It's no where near as bad as the pin box frame issues others have reported.

I'm going to contact Lippert and see what they say and/or offer.

by Mopar_Earl on 8/31/2011, 2:21 pm

The newer frames have square tubing welded in those areas. My has them at each of the spring hangers.

Earl

by shooter on 9/1/2011, 1:04 am

...another thing to worry about....

by Scruffy and Tater on 9/1/2011, 1:47 am

Mike, that's exactly what I was thinking. The checklist keeps getting bigger.

by jetskier on 9/1/2011, 4:00 am

Mopar_Earl wrote:The newer frames have square tubing welded in those areas. My has them at each of the spring hangers.
Earl

Hey Earl, do you mind posting a photo or two of the tubing just for my reference?

by Portagie1968 on 9/1/2011, 4:47 am

WOW. Here we go again.

by Mopar_Earl on 9/1/2011, 6:33 am

Here's a pic I have on file. If you want more, let me know and I'll take them.

Earl

by Sean on 9/1/2011, 7:08 am

Mopar_Earl wrote:Here's a pic I have on file. If you want more, let me know and I'll take them.

Earl

Perhaps this would be a good fix before the problem arises.
There can't be much more on a lippert frame that can go wrong scratch

Sean

by bpdlk33 on 9/1/2011, 8:19 am

My frame has the tubes welded in place like Earl, I looked and my frame, no visible cracks. Let us hope this is the final answer to that cracking problem.

by jetskier on 9/1/2011, 11:07 am

From a structural standpoint, I can't see how those horizontal tubes stiffen the frame at the spring hangers unless the floor trusses are in line with the spring hangers. Mine are not. Some vertical plates (aka web stiffeners) would be a better solution to keep the beams from rolling on themselves.

Maybe they figured the tube would stiffen the lower 1 or 2 until you get above the bottom of the cross member angle on the inside of the frame.

I have a couple ideas that come from the seismic provisions of the building code that I may invoke.

by jetskier on 9/1/2011, 11:09 am

bpdlk33 wrote:My frame has the tubes welded in place like Earl, I looked and my frame, no visible cracks. Let us hope this is the final answer to that cracking problem.

Next favor, is there a floor truss behind this tube on your trailers? You can push up on the underbelly liner and feel them or look for the screws in the underbelly.

The function of the tubes would make sense then.

by Portagie1968 on 9/1/2011, 11:42 am

I have seen and driven many trailers and wondering why this frame is different from others and cracks.

by jetskier on 9/1/2011, 11:53 am

Portagie1968 wrote: I have seen and driven many trailers and wondering why this frame is different from others and cracks.

It's called steel and it costs a lot more per pound then it did 10 years ago. They are optimizing the design, but they are not doing enough dynamic testing (failure type).

by Portagie1968 on 9/1/2011, 11:56 am

Thinner is better type concept.

by onetonford on 9/1/2011, 12:01 pm

Here is what they did to mine. not much different then the square tubing IMHO they should of ran a flat bar top to bottom of web and one at each end of the bracket woud of made more sense.

by mattebury on 9/1/2011, 1:47 pm

Since this is a know issue does Lippert pay for this repair?

by jetskier on 9/1/2011, 1:49 pm

mattebury wrote:Since this is a know issue does Lippert pay for this repair?

I called Mike (the manager) at the Zieman Trailer plant in Oregon. He will repair it if I bring it to him and he does the work. That's 1200 miles round trip. I could fight it, but I can buy the steel for around $50 or less and fab it my way. It will be a fun project.

by Portagie1968 on 9/1/2011, 1:59 pm

I doubt it. There is one in the Bay area. I am wondering.

by mattebury on 9/1/2011, 2:01 pm

jetskier wrote:I can buy the steel for around $50 or less and fab it my way. It will be a fun project.

If only I had the skill . . .

by Treekiller on 9/1/2011, 4:29 pm

I believe Mor-Ryde has, for a couple of years, offered a system which performs the task of the square tubing between the spring hangers. It's called the "x factor". I really liked their setup. Just didn't want to spend the money. Lippert should be covering the cost of repairing all of these problems.

by jetskier on 9/1/2011, 4:57 pm

found it....

http://www.morryde.com/aftermarket/running-gear/performance-crossmembers-by-mor-ryde-60.html

http://www.morryde.com/uploads/products/files/60/XFactor%20Crossmember%20Installation%20Instructions.pdf

I'm just going to get some tubing like the Lippert fix and do some stiffening on the frame sections

by Mopar_Earl on 9/1/2011, 5:57 pm

The X-factors can be bought from Tweety's for the best price. I bought 3 of them but have yet to install them. Hoping this fall or in the spring. I want to add them to support the frame from rolling as well as support the spring hangers since I'm in the bottom holes.

Earl

by jetskier on 9/1/2011, 6:12 pm

Mopar_Earl wrote:The X-factors can be bought from Tweety's for the best price. I bought 3 of them but have yet to install them. Hoping this fall or in the spring. I want to add them to support the frame from rolling as well as support the spring hangers since I'm in the bottom holes.

Earl

Looks like a good prefab/universal fit system for those who don't want to mess with welding regular tubes and gussets.

I'm thinking about a HSS3x2x.188 for the center and HSS2x2x.188 for the outer hanger locations. Then stiffen the ends with a piece of 3/16 steel plate cut in a triangle vertically down the hanger. Need to talk to my steel guy. I have the 3x2 already leftover from my underbelly spare tire project.

by Mopar_Earl on 9/1/2011, 6:53 pm

jetskier wrote:
Mopar_Earl wrote:The X-factors can be bought from Tweety's for the best price. I bought 3 of them but have yet to install them. Hoping this fall or in the spring. I want to add them to support the frame from rolling as well as support the spring hangers since I'm in the bottom holes.

Earl

Looks like a good prefab/universal fit system for those who don't want to mess with welding regular tubes and gussets.

I'm thinking about a HSS3x2x.188 for the center and HSS2x2x.188 for the outer hanger locations. Then stiffen the ends with a piece of 3/16 steel plate cut in a triangle vertically down the hanger. Need to talk to my steel guy. I have the 3x2 already leftover from my underbelly spare tire project.

I have no welder or welding skills or such, so I gotta go store bought. Another thing about the X-Factors, they're bolt in so they can be removed if you need to get into the underbelly as well as move them to another trailer if you trade up or such.

Earl

by shooter on 9/2/2011, 3:09 am

I'll check our frame this weekend since I have to pull one wheel anyway (is loosing air, about 2 psi/day), think the valve stem (not cracked) isn't seated correctly.

by Portagie1968 on 9/2/2011, 1:49 pm

Might just be lose.

by Sean on 9/3/2011, 9:33 am

Mopar_Earl wrote:Here's a pic I have on file. If you want more, let me know and I'll take them.

Earl

Checked my frame today and it has the square tubes welded above all the suspension hangers.
Sean

by Portagie1968 on 9/3/2011, 2:46 pm

by Lograf on 9/6/2011, 1:13 pm

Here's a photo of how I beefed up the area above the hangers when lifted my cat 2". I added a 12" wide plate above each hanger because I have seen several RVs with cracked webbing on the I-beams.

by jetskier on 9/6/2011, 2:28 pm

I think I'm going to limit my cross tubing to the middle hangers. The front has the kitchen grey water drain ABS pipe running along the left side of the trailer. The middle would logically take the most load anyway. The web will be reinforced with some plating at each location and doubled up at the floor truss connection points.

Wildcat Owners from around the world. 5th wheels and TT's. A place to share your Thoughts, Mod's and Idea's.

Cracked web in Frame

Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame

Re: Cracked web in Frame