Thread: Doing something different

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Even tho it says I'm doing something different, it still means - greasy hands

A while back I received a 'notice of defect' about the axles on my 35' 5th wheel RV from the manufacturer's attorneys office. This defect was probably the final straw that broke the RV companies financial back. They used wheels with the wrong backspace and that would destroy the bearing and spindle. The bearing that was used - the same little one Ford uses on the rear axle of a Mustang and a bearing I had multiple failures with on two of those cars!!!!! Dexter Axle Co. sold me replacement and upgraded axles at cost - me along with lots of others. The 155 pound each brake/axle assemblies came in a week or so ago, but the weather changed from cool to dam' cold, so I decided to disassemble and store them in my basement. It took a bit of persuasion, but they are apart. One axle is - ugly and I'll be contacting Dexter for some replacement parts including one axle shaft and a set of shoes and one bad inner bearing. I'm also changing the 4 outer Chinese made unknown bearings for some domestic Timkens, but those at my cost.

Here are a few photos of what I found:

GREASY FINGER PRINTS - OTHER SHOE IS ABOUT AS BAD


DEFECTIVE SPINDLE MACHINING


DIDN'T COME APART EASY


ABOUT A POUND OF GREASE PER SIDE

Not hard to see why they went broke!!!!! Going to be able to get anything from them to defray some of the cost????

Dave,
It sucks to get the notice from their attorney's, basically telling you of the problem but that the company has nothing left to give. Many who don't have the knowledge and drive to make the repairs themselves will be out lots of $$$ taking their RV units to the shop for upgrades to correct a design problem. Sounds like you're on your way to getting your's ship shape!!

Roger - a couple of the folks that had the axles installed by an RV service facility ended up paying over $700 for the 2-3 hours of work required to install the axles. Then of course there is the added time factor and costs to get there, leave the trailer then return to pick it up after the work was done.

I'm on a couple of RV forums and it amazes me how some of the owners of even the simplest trailers or campers ask questions about tasks most of us here could do between breakfast and our mid morning coffee break. I'm guessing that an awful lot of them don't have much in the way of survival skills in the real world without a credit card to pay someone else.

Dave S - I'm contacting Dexter in the morning. I just got a customer service managers name, phone and email. My guess, a set of brake shoes and a pat on the head about the crappy looking axle

A busted axle or bad brakes can cost alot of heart acke.
I have had a few close calls over the years because of stuff like this.
Some of these companies try to do stuff so cheap that it makes it
dangerious for other traffic on the road. And lets face it the average
person drivving around with a trailer or a fithwheel are not Mechanic's.
Kurt

Originally Posted by vara4

A busted axle or bad brakes can cost alot of heart acke.
I have had a few close calls over the years because of stuff like this.
Some of these companies try to do stuff so cheap that it makes it
dangerious for other traffic on the road. And lets face it the average
person drivving around with a trailer or a fithwheel are not Mechanic's.
Kurt

And many people pulling tralers assume that losses to their load will be covered by their insurance when they have a problem - not true! Only the liability portion links to the load, if you damage someone elses property with something coming off of your trailer. Any loss coverage to the equipment/item carried is insured on the equipment/item. My insurance guy says it is amazing how many businesses using trailers daily think that their tools & equipment are covered by vehicle/trailer insurance when they are in fact uninsured in transit. Not sure how that works for an RV as opposed to a hauler.