Frame snapped

[shuniah]

So driving down the highway, after hitting some construction bumps we have a “clunk”, and the frame snapped.

There’s no welds or rust at the point it snapped- what the hell caused this? We are a long way from home- we can get a shop to weld it, but is it just going to happen again?

[redbarron55]

It has been cracked for a while looking at the rust along the bottom.
Search the many other threads on cracked frames.
Box the bend with plates on both sides and you should be good to go.

[floyd]

It appears that your trailer is mounted to the frame much like a Trillium.
If so, it is a simple matter to remove the body with ordinary hand tools.
Also on my trillium the bolts were rusted through and needed replaced.
Good idea to check them anyway.


If not like the Trillium...
To quote Allen Sherman..."Mudda Fadda kindly disregard this letta!"

[norm wright]

Hi, I`m not happy to hear your frame cracked as judy & I have a 1981 surfside and a 1984 bigfoot .. We are doing a lot of work
on the surfside and hope to sell it in a couple of years when we
get it done .. things such as NEW wiring through out using the
blade type fuse block for different circuits.. Moved battery from
under front bunk/bench,, twin 20 lb tanks,, new regulater..
An outside Driverside light ,, two outside curb side amber lights,,
Reinforced roof .. We already installed a 3 speed reversible Fantastic Fan
with rain cover.. New Hitch on the front,, Many more things as we
plan to sell it when we get it finished and DON`T want the future
owners to have any problems .. Sooo to do all this and then find out the frame is not good to start with is quite bothersome to say the least !!!! I`m wondering if there is any way to get the frame tested ?? We are putting on a New hitch as the one on it is NOT
adjustable and I belive its the original .. I wonder how many more
are out there like this and not safe on the highway !!!

norm wright
81 surfside
84 bigfoot
milk river ,alberta

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by norm wright

Hi, I`m not happy to hear your frame cracked as judy & I have a 1981 surfside and a 1984 bigfoot .. We are doing a lot of work
on the surfside and hope to sell it in a couple of years when we
get it done .. things such as NEW wiring through out using the
blade type fuse block for different circuits.. Moved battery from
under front bunk/bench,, twin 20 lb tanks,, new regulater..
An outside Driverside light ,, two outside curb side amber lights,,
Reinforced roof .. We already installed a 3 speed reversible Fantastic Fan
with rain cover.. New Hitch on the front,, Many more things as we
plan to sell it when we get it finished and DON`T want the future
owners to have any problems .. Sooo to do all this and then find out the frame is not good to start with is quite bothersome to say the least !!!! I`m wondering if there is any way to get the frame tested ?? We are putting on a New hitch as the one on it is NOT
adjustable and I belive its the original .. I wonder how many more
are out there like this and not safe on the highway !!!

norm wright
81 surfside
84 bigfoot
milk river ,alberta

get under there, clean the frame, use a very bright light and look for flaws.

[redbarron55]

If you redo a frame and clean or sandblast it prime it with a white primer and top coat with black.
This makes it easier to later find cracks as the cracks in the black paint might show up the white primer.
Painting white over black works too.
In my opinion given enough road miles every frame with this type of bend with the inner collapsed will fatigue crack and fail.

[stevebaz]

Originally Posted by shuniah

There’s no welds or rust at the point it snapped- what the hell caused this? We are a long way from home- we can get a shop to weld it, but is it just going to happen again?

Caused by fatigue. You have a very weak tongue structure butted up to the cross brace at the front of the trailer. That stiffens the frame under the shell of the trailer at that point load in the frame structure stops and the flexible front works against the stiffer part of the rear. Eventually this breaks. You cant just weld the break you have to do more reinforcing of the structure so the load doesnt just stop at the repair part. Just part of owning a 40 + year old trailer.

[shuniah]

He fished some kind of bar inside the frame, then welded it with a long flat bar against it, and added a “fish plate”, and then went and re inforced the other side in exactly the same spot.