Frame Twisted?

[mnseasonal]

I have a 2012 3585Rl on a seasonal in northern Minnesota. When I closed it up for the winter I happen to notice the top left hand corner of the bathroom/bedroom pocket door had a 1" gap when closed. The bedroom closet door has the same issue. The bedroom entry door latches 25% of the time. Could the frame be twisted? Will re-adjusting the front jacks fix it and since I won't be able to get to it until next May will it permantly damage the frame if it is twisted? Thanks in advance.

 

[caissiel]

I had friends with smaller trailer twist the frames of their units by storing their units with the rear stabilizers down, The frost would cause the damage. We always stored our unit with the front landing gear down only and never had any problems. 1" is a lot are you sure you did not have excessive roof loading on your unit sometime, but its a 2012 it might be the 1st winter stored, or was it stored at the dealer before purchase. Are the front landing gear aligned with the axles, what I mean here has the unit been leveled side to side before the landing gears were leveled. If hydraulic leveling you might have a leaky cylinder going down and causing the frame to twist. Very possible with hyraudulic leveling. But our frames are very solid, Mine will not twist under normal conditions.

 

[GOTTOYS]

I had a couple different trailers on seasonal sites for 16 years. In the Winter I always let the tension up on all the jacks except the front ones., so the weight was on the wheels and the front jacks. I never left any slides out over the winter except on my Park Trailer that had tip-outs. That one used jacks under the tip-outs but I made sure they were very loose. I would see if you can have neighbor remove the tension from your rear stabilizers. You should never have much tension on them anyway....Don

 

[mnseasonal]

The camper was delivered and set-up thru the dealership last May. It was leveled side to side but the guy didn't put a level inside the camper but instead put the level across the back end. I never noticed the pocket door being like that before. Could the back end be level but the front be off?The front jacks have not leaked off and work fine. I had more than one person mentioned that looking at it from the front that the camper listed slightly to the off door side. The frig works fine and the water drains completely in the shower. I thought it was an opticle allusion since the ground had a cross slope. I put a level across the front and it did show an 1" difference. I didn't have any time to try to figure out the problem before leaving for the winter.The slides ran in and seated fine and the rear jacks have hardly any pressure on them. I just hope that if the frame is tweeked there is not permant and I can get it back to square one.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Dave, I'm wondering if the delivering dealer didn't level the axles side to side. In order for the rig to be near level, the axles need to be level. This is done the first time by using a level inside on the floor. It can be checked in several locations but the kitchen "mid-ships" area is usually enough. Once you're level there, then lower the front legs, unhook the truck and lower the rig till it's level front to rear. Using the level in the kitchen again. Once level front to rear, lower the rear stabilizers. Once it's all level, apply them stick on levels on the front wall near the landing gear switch and on the side under the bedroom slide.
I don't think any harm will be done leaving it as is through the winter.

 

[mnseasonal]

Ray, the set-up guy didn't go inside to check level but instead just put a level across the back of coach. Then he put the level on the frame right behind the front landing leg to check front to back. I'll use your suggestion and run a level mid-ship inside camper.The coach might have settled to the off door side and since the rear stabs are on blocks it could have caused a twist. Just a thought.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Ray, the set-up guy didn't go inside to check level but instead just put a level across the back of coach. Then he put the level on the frame right behind the front landing leg to check front to back. I'll use your suggestion and run a level mid-ship inside camper.The coach might have settled to the off door side and since the rear stabs are on blocks it could have caused a twist. Just a thought.

Settling is a definite possibility. The blocks won't settle near as much as the tires. Especially after walking around in and using the rig over time. If we're set up on grass or dirt, I usually have to go out and tighten up the stabilizers the next day. I added a set of scissors jacks just in front of the axles to help with the little bouncing we get. It helped a lot.
Have a good winter up there. Stay warm!

 

[mnseasonal]

Settling is a definite possibility. The blocks won't settle near as much as the tires. Especially after walking around in and using the rig over time. If we're set up on grass or dirt, I usually have to go out and tighten up the stabilizers the next day. I added a set of scissors jacks just in front of the axles to help with the little bouncing we get. It helped a lot.
Have a good winter up there. Stay warm!

Thanks Ray and everyone else for suggestions and comments. Also it seems like the ODS front landing jack might have settled even on cement block. I'm burning some brain cells figuring out if that would make the gap on the inside top left hand corner pocket door. Minnesota ground moves a lot I've been told. Adding stab jacks in front of tires is a good idea. We do get a bounce especially when walking down the steps from bedroom to kitchen landing. I will apply the feedback when I get up there next spring. We actually live in S. W. Iowa so it isn't as nearly as cold. Everyone have a safe and happy New Year.