How to avoid RV "Frame Cracking" failure - 5 tips from a tech!

Frame cracking is a type of frame failure that impacts both 5th wheels and travel trailers. In today's video I'm going to be answering the following questions about RV "frame cracking":
- What is RV "frame cracking"?
- How to spot frame cracking/frame failure on a RV?
- What causes frame cracking/frame failure?
- How do I avoid RV frame cracking/frame failure?
Some of the resources I talked about in the video:
FREE "Don't Buy a Lemon" Guide - www.undercoverrvshopper.com/m...
FREE "Don't Get Stranded!" Checklist - undercoverrvshopper.com/
Tool-Free RV Maintenance Course - undercoverrvshopper.com/tool-...
Frame reinforcer I recommend from the video - amzn.to/447hPTk
If you buy using my link I get a small commission, but it won't cost you any extra!

[@bradralph3317]

Thanks for the info.

[@phildouglas54]

Well done sir. Thank you.

[@user-nt3ds2bn5x]

Thank you Jacob. Very good information

[@OmahaWayne]

Another great video, thank you sir !!!

[@HemiDad1963]

Thanks Duane you’re the best.

[@geraldpaben7344]

Excellent video as usual… thanks Duane

[@undercoverrvtech]

Thanks!

[@charleswesley9907]

The most important point is to visually inspect your I beams at the points where they are cross braced for stress cracks. Those cracks show up as very fine rust colored lines where the vertical cross braces are welded between your larger I beams . This occurs 3 ft plus or minus before and after and between your tandem axles . The torsional forces put on your frame when making turns is visually apparent by your wheels scrubbing and contorting . Avoid any sharp turn. Take a look at the wheels when you are making any turn and listen to the creaking and popping when you make that turn. That is severe loading on your suspension and frame . While you can mitigate really heavy stresses you can not eliminate all of it so regular inspections is imperative . My frame was starting to lean and fail. I caught it and corrected it and repaired it and it was a 28 ft light Travel Trailer . The cross braces ripped out of one side and pushed through the other beam .And even Grand Design 40 ft 5th wheels still uses 1/8 inch wall thickness steel throughout .

[@theodorependers1369]

excellent thanks

[@undercoverrvtech]

You are welcome!

[@Badgeweefixstuff]

Very good video well done 🛠️🇨🇦🛠️🇨🇦

[@undercoverrvtech]

Thanks!

[@JeffinTD]

Excellent video. I’ve seen people scrub triple axle rigs hard, on pavement, and run over speed bumps way too fast. Weld wise I don’t often see evidence of porosity, but I do see undercut, too cold, roots not wetted in, generally inconsistent. The problem with welding a bit of plate between the edge of the flange sloped onto the web, imho, is that kind of brace focuses stress where it meets the web. Don’t have to be Nostradamus to predict cracks in the web just above such a brace. To me I like the idea of cutting a strip of plate to fit between the legs of the spring hanger, bending it to a V and welding it to the insides of the spring hanger and the bottom of the flange. Seems like that kind of brace will spread the load on the bottom of the I beam but will still flex a bit and maybe not create a stress riser. I’ve seen a bit of angle across the bottom of trailers, welded to spring hangers on both sides- but I’d prefer to maybe weld on brackets and bolt in the main span (if you had to pull a tank or otherwise fix something).

[@Capt-John-T-Moore]

Enjoy your videos. I have used your information to fix my rv’s plumbing issues. This video just added to information I will be using when maneuvering my rv’s. Thanks Duane!

[@jimcollins8097]

Found web of our i beam frame cracked over each hanger on both sides 2013 forest river tt, lippert frame back in 2018. There was literally a link on lipperts website to sketches showing how to repair. Rv shop repaired the cracks, reinforced the web/flange joint, and welded square tubing to the hangers across the trailer at 4 places. Just inspected joints last week and seems ok

[@undercoverrvtech]

Thanks for the info! Yes I've seen the Lippert sheet showing the square tubing connecting the hangers. This is the same problem that the Mor Ryde x factor brace is trying to solve. Glad it is working well for you now!

[@stephenharvey5932]

Word games? Stress is what happens as you use this over bad roads. Things should be built with a little flex. But flex and stress leads to failure. Meaning the frame breaks. Too light of material, bad welds and loaded over the so called capacity.

[@backcountryboondockers]

Built like shit. Should be able to handle it as most trucks and trailers do.

[@horizontaldad]

Jacob, the installation of the suspension and the application of crossmembers and outriggers is a problem, one I had to deal with. It was resolved. In addition to the repair that was performed at the front and center suspension hangers I added a morryde crossmember at the rear hangers. Later I realized that the installation of this crossmember actually caused toe at the rear axle so I removed it. I see that morryde has changed the design, hopefully to eliminate this problem but I can’t tell from the info available online. I think you have correctly identified the primary load path that is likely to cause a lot of these issues and that’s side-load…. It would sure be easy to test for this and validate the designs or show the weaknesses. I hope some of the folks from the industry follow you and read these comments. Please keep up the good work … we need at least one manufacturer to build reliable rv trailers

[@undercoverrvtech]

Thanks for the feedback, and thanks for watching! Questions about the front and center hanger repairs - did they weld a square tube between the hanger to stabilize them?

[@patrickmckowen2999]

Great update👍 Undercover would be great. I can see places posting dead or alive pics of you 🤣 Cheers

[@undercoverrvtech]

lol, thanks!

[@danhunt3652]

👍

[@AdventuraHighway31]

Very informative video subject. Should I worry about my small travel trailer as well. 24ft, 4100 dry 6000 lb max. It's a 2021 Coachmen Freedom Express , so far I don't see any cracks or stress on its frame or spring hangers. Would you recommend the cross member kit for such a light trailer?

[@rickhunter-wolff]

I'm a certified NDT technician. Took my mag yolk and dry powder to my RV trailer. So, far, no cracks! I have my RV professionally oil sprayed to prevent the frame rusting. Had to clean the goop off to do the checks, and have had the rig resprayed.

[@rickhunter-wolff]

Reach out to your local NDT company and get this done. Yes, it's not free. But have you priced a replacement RV??

[@zibberfitchy]

I had the rear leaf spring hangers crack my frame. One of them completely came off. Had to get a mobile welder to come to my campground to make repairs. 2022 Grand Design 2910BH with Lippert frame.

[@undercoverrvtech]

Sorry to hear that, but thanks for the report!

[@JamesHolland-mo7ct]

What are your thoughts on Sumo springs on a FW. On the fence if these are a good upgrade since they are in contact with the frame I-beams.

[@wjohn214]

Is one MORyde frame support on the middle hanger ok, or do they need to be on all 3 of a tandem axle 5th wheel?

[@robertnasser9937]

The reason I put Morryde independent suspension on my rig.

[@undercoverrvtech]

I'd love to know how that performs for you! Thanks for watching.

[@robertnasser9937]

@@undercoverrvtech the ride is vastly improved and braking. Went from stock to Morryde 3000 then to the IS.

[@artlife6210]

3 rules I always had when owning a fifth wheel: Avoid twisting forces, Avoid bumpy roads, Avoid jacking and leveling without paying attention to whats happening under the rig.

[@brojerhwg5206]

avoid movement of any kind😂😂😂😂.... they look great in a museum.🎉

[@darrylt5300]

Does the Roadmaster Comfort Ride Leaf Spring Suspension Kit w/ Shock Absorbers help frame flex or hurt frame flex?

[@randyfilippi7919]

Good videos thank you. What about equalizer upgrades? Is it worth it and good for the rv?

[@undercoverrvtech]

I just posted a new video this morning about weight distribution (equalizer) hitches. Short answer is that most of the time you need them for safety reasons. Using one or not does not impact this frame cracking issue, this is a design issue from the manufacturers.

[@randyfilippi7919]

I’m sorry I meant the leaf spring equalizers.

[@chanfink4186]

Me and the wife are thinking of full time RVing in a travel trailer for my job so we are researching and your videos have helped a lot. I was just wondering if there has been any year make and model travel trailer that has passed your rigor scale as far as correct slides plumbing residential fridge and cabinets? Basically all the essentials were good and didnt require much upgrading?

[@undercoverrvtech]

Thanks for watching! I don't think I've actually seen a travel trailer with residential refrigerator. Usually those are found in high-end motorhomes and 5th wheels. I have retrofitted a residential and inverter in a TT that had a 12v refrigerator go bad. That was about half the price of the new 12v refrigerator. My database included in my RV Shopping Course makes it easy to sort by grade and RV type. That is going to be the fastest way to narrow down on travel trailers that pass my other checks, and you get the app to grade any RV you are looking at to get an instant score. Here is the link where you can see everything included, undercoverrvshopper.com/

[@chanfink4186]

What about the main things like correct slides plumbing and other stuff?

[@undercoverrvtech]

If an RV has Accu-Slide or bad plumbing, that category gets a zero score, and the RV gets an F grade in the database. So, if you search "travel trailer" then sort the results by grade, you will first see the highest scoring travel trailers in my grading system. If you see an "F" grade you know that it failed on either slides or plumbing, and you can look at the score columns to see where it failed. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions, thanks!

[@lkj0822g]

Yes, all good tips. That said, when you have frame failure as shown at 1:02, that is entirely on the manufacturer for using material that was too thin. Indeed, I am of the opinion that 99.9% of frame "failure", "flex" or whatever the buzzword of the day is used, is a direct result of the manufacturer substituting inferior materials (stitched together by monkees with MIGS) to save weight - all at a cost of risking your safety and the safety of your family. As long as consumers fork over tens of thousands, and in many cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the manufacturer and get past the warranty period, they don't care. An RV purchase is definitely a caveat emptor endeavor.

[@christopheryates2502]

My suspension hanger are long as you mention, but have predrilled hole about 2 inches higher on the hangers. Do you recommend repositioning the suspension to these? It would lower the overall height, so that doesn’t bother me.

[@undercoverrvtech]

Yes, that reduced the leverage the axles and springs have to twist the hanger left and right. I would lower it if it were my RV.

[@taitgreen7418]

Have you seen a bigger frame flex frame cracking problem with wide body 100" wide 5th wheels vs the 96" wide 5th wheel?

[@Itsa_Mea]

The wide frames with Rhinobox design are far less. Actually I have not seen one failure.

[@williamolliges2622]

Tip #5.A. - Avoid I40 in AZ.

[@gregbaucom-ci2cn]

I have a 1999 1 ton dully. I have a 2020 31 ft 274 RB Springdale. I also have air shocks. Do I need a weight distribution system??

[@undercoverrvtech]

Check you owners manual for the max hitch weight with and without a weight distribution hitch, then go to a scale and get your rear axle weights with and without your RV. If you are over the hitch weight rating for not having the WD hitch, then yes you need one. If the number of pounds of weight you are adding with the RV is less that that rating without a WD hitch then you are good.

[@xavierpacheco7297]

Where is the link to the axle frame reinforcer you mentioned?

[@OmahaWayne]

It's in his amazon store list

[@undercoverrvtech]

Thanks for catching that, I totally forgot to link it! I'm updating the description but here is the link - amzn.to/447hPTk

[@undercoverrvtech]

@omahawayne Thanks Wayne :) You're better at answering my comments than I am

[@4jkarnold]

Hi Jacob, trying to purchase your course, but it won’t go through on any search engine. My husband tried as well l. Could this be because we are trying to purchase on a mobile iOS device?

[@undercoverrvtech]

That's odd. If you email me with details - [e-mail] - I can see if I can trouble shoot it for you

[@timf6916]

Avoid potholes, that’s a good one.

[@ReflectedMiles]

The best way to avoid it is to not buy an RV or, if necessary, specify that the manufacturer use a frame that is designed to withstand 200% of the load and fatigue that their stock frame on the model you want is rated for. 😁

[@Luv2camp316]

Well, if the best move is not to buy an RV, why bother to watch this channel? As for specifying what frame and manufacturer is going to use good luck with that kind of work involved. I would be interested, however if anyone out there has ever actually done that? And what was the workload involved in making a manufacturer build a trailer to their specification on the frame?

[@ReflectedMiles]

@@Luv2camp316 1) Because I follow mobile industries in general, including this expensive, low end of it ripping off consumers en masse (I use my own cargo trailer build because that is much more easily done to my own specifications); and 2) Yes, there are also custom RV manufacturers that use real engineers that you can work with to develop a unit that is actually engineered correctly (shock and disbelief, given this industry), but of course you have to pay them accordingly. For example, New Horizons and SpaceCraft.

[@jimf1450]

Buy a toy hauler with rectangular tubing frame not C or I rails

[@phillipc4865]

The majority of fifth wheel frames were not designed for gooseneck connections either.

[@charliepiland3285]

From the Intro - it seems the wording most folks are using to discuss these issues is far too imprecise. “Flex” should be looked at as temporary deflections under stresses which are either transitory or results in no permanent damage. “Failure” should be looked at as a permanent deflection which results in permanent damage or a physical failure such as cracked weldment /cracked structural member. Flex should be normal…Failure should not.

[@undercoverrvtech]

You are correct that flex is normal. RV Manufacturers are working hard to relabel failure as "Abnormal flex." If there is anything to be trusted about a multi-billion dollar industry it is that they are good at managing crisis and making money.

[@betterwithrum]

Tip 5: so, no I-40 or I-22, and no Alaska?

[@keithburton3713]

This is all common sense duh

[@OmahaWayne]

It's not as common as you think :)

[@Itsa_Mea]

​@@OmahaWayneyou're referring to "sense", correct. 😂

[@JohnDoe-zz3hj]

LMAO, motor cycle trailer have a thicker frame than a RV,

[@backcountryboondockers]

I don't care what anyone one says. This shit should never happen. Thay are liable. Most trucks and trailers don't have any problems. They went cheap

[@chipsrafferty8362]

My advice,and it is from a degree of intelligence,don’t buy that garbage,Class B all the way. How in the hell can these manufacturers of these garbage trucks get away with this crap,not only bad design,try inferior workmanship,materials of lesser quality or gauge. You seem to be accepting the issue as a day to day happening,this should never be acceptable,design it as appropriate……GOOD GRIEF

[@sew_gal7340]

Based on 2 years of watching rv videos...basically: AVOID Jayco, Grand Design, Thor, and Winnebago at all cost. You've been warned.

[@JandAReview1]

Come on Forest River!

[@TonyBenton0728]

@@JandAReview1Riverstone is Forest River and they don’t have any frame failure or cracking.

[@JandAReview1]

@@TonyBenton0728 I’m a fan of Riverstone and Rockwood. Thank you Tony!

[@albertschneider5978]

I’m with forest river c class 2023 no problems 2 years

[@davehuber6949]

I haven’t seen anything on Jayco having problems can you tell me if the pinnacle is having frame problems

[@jimihendrix8535]

The best way to prevent this problem is do not buy one in the first place. They are all pure junk.