Problems with fifth wheel travel trailers

[CUMMINZ]

In your lifetime of owning a fifth wheel camper, have you had any problems with the following:



Axles/wheels

Tires

Frame due to adding ball to 5er conversion hitch

Frame due to adding hitch to rear bumper



Please give short explaination and you do not have to mention make of trailer and was it due to lack of maintenance

 

[RColston]

Only problem has been with tires. My Hitchhiker 36RK was purchased used after sitting for probably 3 years. Had one tire ( rear pass. side ) shed it's tread. Goodyear happily replaced all 5 tires under warranty as well as paid for repairs to coach ($1800. 00 worth) as there was some sort of silent recall on them.

 

[merryman]

I have been pulling fivers since 1983; the only significant problem I have encountered was sever frame/kingpin box damage when I tried to use a goose neck adapter. The added torque of the adapter extension basically tore the kingpin box away from the frame.



Vaughn

 

[Diesel Nut]

Just speculating, but was that by any chance a "cheaper" coach like a Wildwood or Prowler or Sandpiper or something of that price range? I have heard of the cheaper coaches having that problems a few times, but all were caught early, and on older models. From what I have seen and been told the cheaper coaches aren't built as well as the more expensive, heavier coaches who have more of a budget for stronger materials and better craftmanship. I have a home made (but very stout) Gooseneck adapter and regularly check my pinbox and subframing and so far haven't noticed any problems. Bought the Carriage new, had gooseneck on it the day I picked it up. Been about 2 years and I would guess around 15K or so miles. Trailer is about 12 - 13K pounds loaded for work.

 

[merryman]

My fiver was NOT a cheaper one; I bought it new in '92 and at that time it had a "sticker" price of just over $40K. It was a great fiver till I put the adapter on it in 1997.



Vaughn

 

[Helohauler]

In your lifetime of owning a fifth wheel camper, have you had any problems with the following:



Axles/wheels

Tires

Frame due to adding ball to 5er conversion hitch

Frame due to adding hitch to rear bumper



Please give short explaination and you do not have to mention make of trailer and was it due to lack of maintenance

Bought my 5er in '96 and suffered through 7 blowouts over the first seven years with some pretty severe cosmetic damage. Upped my wheel size to 16 inch and put Michelin all steel construction XPS Ribs on and have had no problems since. It's nice to move down the road and not keep waiting for another "happening".

 

[RustyJC]

Here is the website for the Cody Coupler gooseneck adapter. Please note the following statement taken directly from the website (additional emphasis mine):

A word of caution is in order about the use of the Cody Coupler! Because of its design, additional pressure may be placed on the "King Pin" of the trailer it is mounted on. This is a result of the leveraging action involved. Because of this, we feel it is wise to mention several steps that should be taken by the owner of such a rig. These are "common sense" suggestions that could and should apply to any type of trailer hook-up.



REGULARLY INSPECT THE INSTALLATION OF THE COUPLER

Make certain the "King Pin" is securely attached to the Pin Box. Occasionally, additional reinforcement might be advisable.



AVOID THE "POP-A-WHEELY SYNDROME"

Smooth, even starts and stops are always better than the jerky motion.



TRAILER BRAKES SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER!

And properly hooked up.

Rusty

 

[jelag]

I've converted my 5th wheel to a gooseneck to fit the hitch in my trucks... found that the tires and axles were undersize for the actual weight of the trailer... I've changed the axles, springs, hangers and tires to get them up to about a 30% safety margin... Found plastic bushings in the axle hangers... . and heavy duty bronze ones are available with greasable fittings... .



Removed the stock battery and installed 2 larger HD batteries... Ran a heavy electrial cable through the trailer to upgrade the 12v system...



Installed an additional heater to use the trailer elk hunting when it its -20 outside...



Had to add to the frame... . so that it would clear the bed rails on my 1 ton 4x4 dually... and handle the roads to and from elk hunting.....

 

[cwsoules]

My only problem has been tire failure. My tires valve stems were rubber and I had a series of problems where tires were destroyed due to running with low air pressure. This is in spite of checking the air pressure each day prior to departure. When I replaced the valve stems I have only lost one more tire which may have been previously damaged. I do plan to replace my Goodyears with Michelin tires the next time.

 

[zues]

Tires are the only problem with my 5er. I went on one trip and noticed the tires flexing a lot. I had one blow out and the tire was new. The spare got me home. I weighed the trailer when it was empty and the empty weight maxed out the tires, so when I loaded the trailer the tires were over loaded.



I went to 235/85/16 LT load range E tires and no problems. They work so much better, and I feel much more confident towing in hot country.

 

[snapshot]

TIRES…. Most 5ers come with tires that are only suitable for the dry weight of the trailer. I changed my wheels and tires to match those on my truck and have been more than pleased. I did have trouble with the leaf spring hangers on my 5er. I found one that had “egged” out badly and after inspecting the rest found that all were starting to do the same. I replaced all with stronger ones I built myself. I have had no other problems other than normal wear and tear since. My 5er is a `93 and has close to 100K on it.

 

[RJOL]

TIRES…. Most 5ers come with tires that are only suitable for the dry weight of the trailer. .

Every new trailer will have tires that are capable to carry the posted GVW of the trailer. Remember... They calculate that about 20% of the 5th wheel weight will be carried by the truck. The problem comes when you overload your 5th wheel, either because you don't have the real weights (not the advertised dry weight), or load too much on it. I agree that a lot of times the weights are close to the max, but no reputable manufacturer is going to sell a trailer that is over the load ratings for the tires if you adhere to the trailer GVW.

 

[Spoon40]

Tim- It's good to hear you are happy with your XPS-Rib tires. My fifth whl trlr came with 16" whls. In seven yrs I have had three tread separations/blowouts. Two "Generals" and one "Dunlop", all occurred in extreme heat. I too hope these new tires solve the problem. GVW of our trlr is 12,500-Regards John

 

[snapshot]

I am sure that the tires are legal when they leave the manufacturer but from a practical standpoint they generally are inadequate IMHO. I base this on the fact that I have talked to literally 100’s of trailer owners who have had serious trouble with their trailer tires. Most people will purchase their trailer and be very careful to make sure their truck is equipped to handle it. Then they will put everything they need in all of the spaces provided, never dreaming this will overload the trailer. After all, all those drawers, cupboards, pantries and cargo bins are meant to be used aren’t they? Few people will have a scale in their driveway to check the loaded weight nor is it practical to use truck scales is many locations. The situation is further compounded down the road the first time they are not able to dump their holding tanks when leaving a campsite. Add to that a 110 degree day and very soon chunks of tires will be flying off of your trailer. I have witnessed this many times and the particle remedy was to upgrade the tires and wheels. I did it several years ago and have never had a tire related problem since. Before that I donated pieces of eight tires to the litter along Arizona & Nevada Highways.

I have noticed that the problem is much more prevalent with low to mid-range units. The top of the line rigs generally seem to have what they need and then some. In my case the upgrade was relatively inexpensive. Four new drums and four sets of bearings ran less than $250 and I already had the wheels that I had been using for my winter tires. Now I have the advantage of one size fits all, truck and 5er. <O

 

[rweis]

Today I had a spring seat weld break, allowed the axle to rotate 160*, which sheared the spring center bolt on the other end of the axle, which dumped 3 leaves out of the spring package, which allowed one end of the axle to rotate toward the rear of the 5er about 20*.



All during a brake check at 2 mph leaving a campground spot. Total distance traveled from weld break to complete stop about 12". If it would have been at highway speed it would have torn the axle off the frame, then the remaining axle supporting all the weight, which would have failed, and then ?



Anyone have suggestions other than checking the other axle for welds, replacing damaged axle?



Bob Weis

 

[Fireman]

Using a hitch on the rear of the trailer CAN cause problems. It would be best to consult the manufacturer for advice. From what I have found it's OK if you don't load the hitch excessively, several manufacturers have told me not to excede 300# hitch weight as the frames aren't designed to be heavily loaded on the rear. I talked to one guy who put a motorcycle carrier on the rear of his and carried a 700# motorcycle on it (the rack weighed about 250#), it ruined the frame on the trailer, now the trailer is junk. There are a few manufacturers like Teton that design and build trailers with hitches that will carry heavy loads like this, but most trailers simply aren't designed for it. That said, I'm going to put a hitch on mine, but will take care to insure that it never carries over a couple of hundred pounds.



Fireman