|
11-26-2021, 11:12 AM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 7
|
Check Your Leaf Springs!
On the morning of November 12, 2012, I had a near-miss. I began to lose control of the truck and Excel IKR34 fifth wheel when I came around a curve going down a hill on US 180 about eight miles south of Glenwood, NM. All I could see in the mirrors was heavy smoke. My first thought was that I was in big trouble, my second was the trailer was on fire. I managed to get the truck and trailer shut down and pulled just off the road. I ran back to get a fire extinguisher from the truck box. Grant County Sheriff, Frank Gomez witnessed the event. The leaf spring on the left side of the fifth wheel completely failed. That caused the shock absorbers to fail and the front axle to shift backward. The two left-side tires slammed into each other and begin to melt. No fire, but a severely disabled trailer.
Sheriff Gomez was a tremendous help and contacted G & G Towing & Repair, Inc. in Silver City, NM, 59 miles distant. They didn’t have a rig big enough to haul us into Silver City so Charlie Goodyear and another mechanic named Pete came out to try to get the trailer in good enough shape to get into Glenwood where we were fortunate enough to find one open space at the Glenwood RV Park. The mechanics returned the next day to install a new leaf spring. They discovered the leaf spring on the right side of the trailer’s front axle was cracked so that one was replaced as well. They couldn’t replace the shocks and all the linkage as they didn’t have the parts. Mr. Goodyear recommended the leaf springs, shock absorbers, shackle links and bolts, and the equalizer be replaced on the rear axle. He also advised the shackle links, shackle bolts, the equalizer as well as replacement of the broken shock absorber on the front axle be replaced. I can't say enough good words about the support provided by G&G Towing & Repair as well as the kindness of Bucky Allred, owner of the Glenwood RV Park. The axles are Dexter 7000 lb. The rest of the chassis/axle components are Dexter as well.
I managed to get the rig home to Las Cruces, NM.
All four tires were replaced earlier this year. The left two tires need inspection and possible replacement.
The pocketbook hurts and will hurt some more before all is said and done but thank goodness that's all that hurts. We were fortunate.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
11-26-2021, 12:35 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,692
|
2012.........
What is the year of the 5th wheel?
What was the weight on 5vr axles in 2012?
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
|
|
|
11-26-2021, 02:26 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: So Calif
Posts: 3,522
|
Always an important point to check your tires and suspension before and during any tow or trip anywhere.
Curious why the op waited 9 years to share the story.
__________________
2020 Coachmen Leprechaun 270QB (COA Member)
Jeep Wrangler toad for the dirt
"Well done is better than well said"....Ben Franklin
|
|
|
11-26-2021, 04:12 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Plantation, Fl
Posts: 1,876
|
Perhaps he meant 2021.
__________________
2024 Jayco Redhawk 26 M (OCCC challenged)
2017 RWD F 150 with a drive shaft disconnect
|
|
|
11-26-2021, 07:14 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,692
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mich F
Perhaps he meant 2021.
|
Could be...I transpose numbers/letters all the tmie
Still curious on Year of 5vr and weight on alxes
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
|
|
|
11-26-2021, 08:52 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 756
|
Leaf springs degrade in strength over time and, especially, by amount of use. The constant flexing takes its toll on them. I have had at least 3 of them break over the years on my (heavily used) cargo trailers that I tow for work. I wonder whether there should be a recommendation to replace all spring axles after, say, about 50,000 miles of towing? I was getting a new axle last summer so I had them install new springs also, for peace of mind; the old ones looked okay but one often cannot see metal stress, they had been on there for at least 60k, and I would rather do a prophylactic replacement than have a breakdown at a bad time or place.
__________________
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
19' ETI Escape trailer
|
|
|
11-27-2021, 05:32 AM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SW Louisiana
Posts: 630
|
Just checked mine.
Looked A-OK.
__________________
A bunch of salvage title junk I rebuilt
|
|
|
11-27-2021, 05:38 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: Maine
Posts: 328
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boogie_
Just checked mine.
Looked A-OK.
|
Nice professional job there.
__________________
1986 Itasca Sunflyer 22 ft P32 chassis with 454 engine
|
|
|
11-27-2021, 07:36 AM
|
#9
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 7
|
Transposed the Numbers
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit
2012.........
What is the year of the 5th wheel?
What was the weight on 5vr axles in 2012?
|
My bad - the year is 2021. It is my intention to weigh the 5th wheel when the repairs are complete. The 5th wheel is a 2013 (correct year) Excel 34IKR.
|
|
|
11-27-2021, 08:00 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: N. E. Ohio & Lady Lake Fl.
Posts: 1,120
|
I had a somewhat similar incident a couple years ago, but mine was a broken hanger bracket that allowed the tires to come together. I believe the hanger brackets are a much more likely problem than a broken spring. I was fortunate enough to have a heavy duty strap to pull the axle back into position and get home for repairs. I have since welded a steel plate on the open end of each hanger to keep them from flexing.
__________________
Ron WD8CBT
I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left
|
|
|
11-27-2021, 08:01 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,349
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boogie_
Just checked mine.
Looked A-OK.
|
That adds a bit of lift to the springs as well.
|
|
|
11-27-2021, 08:47 AM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,692
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boogie_
Just checked mine.
Looked A-OK.
|
Nice...
With those U Bolts one is thinking ahead in case more are needed
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|