Cracked Frame

Estancio

CRACKED FRAME. The thing is when you do a routine inspection of your T@B, you might very well find something wrong. The same rough roads that broke my gas line, also fractured the camper frame on both sides. Anyone know if NuCamp covers such damage in a 2011 Pleasant Valley T@B? If not, I'll get out my welder, fabricate some reinforcing plates, and fix it next week.

Verna

The cracked frame “incident” was for the 2015 models. The fix was to weld a piece of frame over it, as I recall. No, they probably wouldn’t cover a 2011 frame under warranty, sorry. 

I know of one fix that they asked the welder to weld a new piece long enough to cover 10” on either side of the crack, if that much would fit. This gives you a starting point for your welding.

jkjenn

Yikes. The 2015 issue was deemed to be a defect from the frame manufacturer. 

Was this trailer in an accident or taken off road?

Bayliss

@Estancio, although it is different than what you discovered, here is the thread regarding the 2015 frame cracks (mentioned above):

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/6542/frame-cracks-where-tongue-bolts-to-frame/p1

Dutch061

Worst part is that it appears to have been cracked for a while based on al of the rust.

Brad

BrianZ

Where would I look to find that cracked area of frame to check for cracks?

jkjenn

Dutch061 said:

Worst part is that it appears to have been cracked for a while based on al of the rust.

Brad

Steel oxidizes pretty quickly.

Verna

BrianZ said:

Where would I look to find that cracked area of frame to check for cracks?

It would be underneath, to the left behind the step and directly opposite on the driver’s side.  There actually were fewer than 50, if I recall correctly, from this forum. It was a production problem from the frame manufacturer. 

And, @BrianZ, it was only on the 2015 models. 

Estancio

I've never seen a cracked frame on anything that moves in my 73 years. So it is clear to me that this was an engineering problem -- either faulty materials, or faulty method of fabrication. 

ontheroad

@estancio are you the original owner?

ChrisFix

Estancio said:

I've never seen a cracked frame on anything that moves in my 73 years. So it is clear to me that this was an engineering problem -- either faulty materials, or faulty method of fabrication. 

I've got to agree with you. Where it is cracked - right at the bend in the frame -  sure looks like the stretched metal from the bend isn't up to the job it was designed for.

Denny16

Yes, that was my thought also.  I would weld a reinforcement bit next to this, overlapping the crack by 8-10 inches on both sides.
cheers

Estancio

My initial inspection seems to reveal that the Frame Channel was cut at the bottom, bent to the proper angle, then only spot weld to hold the bottom mitre together. However, the more I look at it, that appears to be a rip and not a mitre cut. Only the frame manufacturer knows for sure.

JCALD

That would explain the failure. It simply was not completed when manufactured.

Dalehelman

It’s important not to mistake the cracks the in this post with the one’s found on a few 2015 320’s. I was the OP for that thread. As a follow up to that. I have yet to make any repairs and to date there has been zero change. IMHO the cracks in this post present a clear and present danger, and need a proper fix.