Join me in the RV shop as I take a look at a cracked RV frame—yikes! After completing some other repairs to the unit, one of our porters noticed too much “slop” in the pin box while moving the unit on the lot. After completing a frame flex measurement, we found that there was over an inch of movement. We have removed the undernose material of the fifth wheel and exposed some catastrophic cracks in the frame of this RV.
Check out the cracks and join in on the conversation about the major repairs that will be required.
The cause of a broken RV frame could be all over the map: bad steel, bad welds, inadequate frame design, tire blowouts, emergency stop, overloading and/or driving too fast over bumps.
Here are some other things to think about to prevent a cracked RV frame:
- Unbalanced load: Make sure you load your cargo uniformly to maintain balance during traveling.
- Insufficient hitch weight: Too low may lead to an unpleasant and jarring ride. Make sure that the correct ride height is adjusted.
- Worn or damaged pin box: Inspect for signs of wear or damage, such as cracks or worn-out rubber bushings. If damaged, it may need to be replaced.
- Inadequate suspension: Make sure your trailer’s suspension is adequate. If the suspension is too stiff or soft, it can cause jerking. We recommend Roadmaster Comfort Ride to reduce the damage during traveling.
- Speed and driving habits: Slow down and avoid sudden movements when towing. It can result in jerking, among other issues.
Make sure you check out Dustin’s website, California RV Specialists, and their YouTube channel for more helpful information, and see our published articles on RVtravel.com and other social media pages.
More from Dustin
- Make sure to inspect your fifth wheel pin box and undernose area
- Why install the Roadmaster Comfort Ride System?
##RVDT2211
Maybe it was the chinese steel. The proper steel shouldn’t crack and I know back a few years ago some of the foreign steel wasn’t up to par.
Our 4 year old RV is in the shop being repaired for the same issue. We have been full timers for the last 4 years, put about 40,000 miles on the 5th wheel, and all of a sudden the pinbox had a lot of movement just as we got to the owners rally. They are telling us we are overweight, we added solar and a washer/dryer unit (it was wired for both), which still doesn’t add to what they say we are over by, so maybe we have to drive it empty. All the storage we have is in the front of the RV so it can’t be evenly distributed throughout the coach.
I think the frames need to be fortified, if they claim the rv is good for full timing, and also, storage needs to be better distributed throughout the rv instead of all in one spot.
We met a guy at the rally who doesn’t full time but was driving his rv on a road that was under construction. His wheel hit a big pothole, not visible until you hit it, and his pinbox detached and slid to the back above the front storage door. Now he is waiting on insurance to pay him to get a new one.
We also heard of a third Rv with pinbox movement at the rally but got no details.
This is really dangerous and it’s scary. I wonder how many more people are having this issue.
It seems that much that comes out of China isn’t “up to par”.
And maybe it was poor welding,inadequate engineering, undersized material or just plain junk. Everything costs money and the name of the game is make profit. That can be accomplished by sub par everything
I agree with Thomas D, rv frames need to be better built and engineered. Farm fifth wheels are much better built. Out fifth wheel frame broke and the repair shop said if we bought a new unit to bring directly to the shop to have additional bracing installed.
Thank you, Dustin. I’m amazed at how fast many people pulling trailers go past us when we’re driving our DP. I figure that we feel all the bumps in the road and they largely do not. I guess the trailer frame wishes they did feel the bumps more. Maybe they’d slow down some.
I think it comes down to due diligence. Anybody that travels regularly in an RV whether it’s a travel trailer motorhome or 5th wheel knows that you spend a lot of time fixing things, be prepared!!! After all that’s half the fun, right guys (and ladies)?
We purchased our 2013 Redwood used in 2016. During our first road trip of approximately 700 miles, we discovered that one of our brake lights stopped working. I checked the bulb and the connection, but could not find the problem. We took the RV to Alaska Spring and Performance to have them look at it. We had a good experience with them in the past and they traced the problem to a broken wire under the trailer along the frame. They repaired the wire, and we soon took another road trip. The light quit working again. We went back to Alaska Spring and Performance. They suspected there was an undiagnosed issue. Upon further inspection, they discovered that the welds on all sixteen crossmembers along the frames were cracked, which caused the wire to be broken. Although it could not be proven, they believed this was the result of faulty assembly from the Redwood factory. And of course since the RV was out of warranty we were stuck with the repair bill.
5th wheel farm/horse trailers don’t do this. The RVs are under engineered, probably to cut down on weight for advertising and cost cutting. There are some really nice horse trailers out there with living quarters up front and a lot of “toy” hauling space in back. You will probably pay for the heavy duty frame though.