Upper Deck Frame Cracking Under Bedroom Fllor

DGS

Member
Upper Deck Frame Cracking Under Bedroom Floor

I have an 08 Bighorn that I have owned for about 2 1/2 years. Just love the trailer and has been good times on travels. No issues and the wife and I have enjoyed fixing it up on the inside. Coming back from our fall vacation hit some pretty ruff roads that I believe may have finally broke the frame on the upper deck under the bedroom floor. As you can see from the attached pictures the frame is ripped. Not cracked, and no failed welds. May discover more when I pull up the flooring under the bedroom. From the visual inspection performed after removing the filon in the pin box and under hung area. The door side wall is moving about an inch and a half. Pic 822 shows how much the wall is moving. The other pic's show how much the upper deck is dropping. Enough to bend the aluminum frame and actually broke it in several places. I am asking the group if anyone has had such a failure like this, and was there any modification or guidance from Lippert on this type of repair. Any help on the repairs that you may have done is greatly appreciated.
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Update- Thank you to those that have responded. After removing bedroom floor to expose the frame and upper deck area. See attached pictures. I will be able to confer with Lippert on the area and type of repairs to correct issue and hopefully reinforce so this does not reoccur. Of all of my searching on many forms and the internet I have not found any related frame cracking issues in this area. Many on pin box area and spring hangers. The pin box area of this frame is very well reinforced and structural sound. All 2X6 box beams in the pin box only transfers load to two 2X6 Vertical beams that are the support back to the vertical upper deck structure that is tied to the 8 inch frame. What I found interesting is that all of the 1X2's six in total that are tied to the rear of pin box 2X6 to the upper deck horizontal 2X3. Were only shoulder welded at the 1 inch side of the material and not a 100% weld, on either side of the structure. Seems that there is not enough structure front to back. Horizontal 1X2's just don't supply enough structural support in my observation. I'll know more when I discuss with Lippert. I am hopeful that they have encountered similar issues with other frames and are truthful and forthcoming to me about the remedy.
Upper Deck Floor Support Typical Weld.jpgTypical Floor Structure.jpgDoor Side Back Horizontal Support Crack.jpgDoor side Upper Deck to Vertical Support.jpgOff-Door side Upper Deck to Vertical Support.jpgUpper Deck Floor Area Frame Cracks_Marked.jpgDoor side Upper Deck to Vertical Support_2.jpg
Door Side Wall Support.jpg
 
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carl.swoyer

Well-known member
Re: Upper Deck Frame Cracking Under Bedroom Floor

If you contact lippert they will be able to assist you with your issue. They probably won't cover it, but they will be able to tell you how to correctly repair it. Deflection in a common problem but can be fixed. Your insurance may cover the cost of the repair. Usually welders will add steel gussets and additional welds in and around the pin box area.
Most larger RV dealerships with a body shop should be able to assist with the process as well. You may want to inspect the I beam (frame) for twisting and cracks.
You can also upgrade your insurance coverage before moving forward.
Good luck

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SNOKING

Well-known member
I believe Lippert has contacts for local mobile welders around the country that can come on site and at least get it road worthy to move it to a shop for final repair. Chris
 

AKDallBH

Member
We have an 08 bighorn (3670RL) that has had significant problems with the frame on the overhang. It was the first year they made them full time living, and the frame is just not up to the weight. Ours has broken twice, the first repair was not done as well as it should have, but we also got ran off the road by an semi, and dropped 6"at speed off the pavement to a pullout.

We ended up getting it fixed properly in Wichita Kansas ar a dealership. He stripped the rokd and sidewalls back to the bathroom. All the wall welds were broken both top and bottom. The beam to the overhang was cracked, Anand most of the welds under the overhang were cracked and broken.

They replaced the aluminum beam with a steel one, but there was still a ton of flex when they put it on the hitch, so they put in gusset reinforcements along the main beam and along the side risers.

The good news insurance paid for it (both times), the second time it was on my auto policy as we were towing when it happened. The repair took several months, added several hundred pounds of weight to the front end, but seems to have fixed the problem. Hauled it back to Alaska without incident, and it is doing well.

Find a repair shop with a very good welder!.

Also have them put in an extra electric motor on the landing gear, so each side has it's own motor. It is two **** heavy for one motor and a jackshaft!

We love the camper, especially the layout of the kitchen! At this point the I surance has paid more for repairing it than we paid for buying it.

Good luck.
 
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