3" Frame Recall on 15', 17' & 19' Escape Trailers

[Jmn n]

4" frame on our 19' completed and picked up January 8, 2014.

 

[StarvingHyena]

Oh Boy! What a can of worms. I feel sorry for ETI to have been caught up in this mess. Especially since (as I understand it) the frames were made by another shop.


I'm not an engineer and don't even have my 17A trailer to look at yet .... it's in production as of Monday of this week .... anyway my thinking is wondering about the cause of this problem. As welding generally causes metal to become more brittle ... is this the cause .... under engineering? Or should we be looking at the stiffing effect of weight distributing hitches transferring more stress to this joint and aggravating the problem?


This comes to mind for me as I'm trying to decide which of the new WDH offerings I should ask for. Been tempted to forgo a WDH at all and try my trailer out first. Although I have never towed an RV trailer, I have towed cargo trailers similar in size and weight to my 17A for many miles without a WDH and never had a problem. Maybe because I have paid attention to my tongue weight.


So back to my original question .... can a WDH be part of the problem here - focusing stress to these welds? Where without one the joint would be adequate?


Thanks for your input,


Tom

 

[reace]

To help clarify what you are looking for...the first photo is a 2008 17' with 3" frame, however it does not have a welded joint but rather a bend and is not included in the frame recall.

The second photo is the front driver side of a 15' with 3" frame and welded joint...and is included in the frame recall.

Hope that helps.

Reace

 

[gbaglo]

Thank you. Picture worth 1,000 words.

 

[CADreamin]

Ours, too, was completed in January 2014 and has a 4" frame. (Just as a point of reference ... )

 

[dspratley]

Our 2013 19 was completed in July and has the 4 inch frame.

 

[steve dunham]

Can this welding be done in the US for $50?

Not where I live . There are 3 welding shops in my area . Costs are between. $80 to $100 / hr
labor + materials & shop supplies. Minimum of one hour labor charge
If you can find a GOOD welder to do it for $50 I would be greatly surprised.

 

[Donna D.]

Checking frames for any brand of all-molded-towable should be a yearly maintenance item. There would be no way a manufacturer would be able to say "it's good until next Spring..." knowing each trailer is towed at different speeds on different roads by individuals who think maintenance can be anything from total ignoring to those that wax the underbelly of the trailer every 20 days.

 

[lancenadine]

Checking frames for any brand of all-molded-towable should be a yearly maintenance item.

The only way to confirm the structural integrity of the frame is to have the welds on the frame tested and the test methods would need to be contingent on the welding specification used.

This is not something an owner can do unless they pay for the testing and then you would really want to think twice before going down this road. I suspect not only would any spray insulation need to be removed but likely the trailer would need to be unbolted from the frame in order to access all the welds.


The frames on trailers such as Escape are required to pass certain certifications and inspections to comply to any applicable Canadian and US Vehicle Safety Standards among others.

I'm not too sure how you would include checking the trailer frame as a regular maintenance item beyond doing a visual which will tell you next to nothing other than yes, you may want to wax the underside on occasion.
I think the best anyone can really do is rely upon the manufacturer to provide notification in the event of an issue, which is what Escape has done.

I also wonder if there have been any catastrophic frame failures on any of the units noted as part of the recall. I'm certain someone would have heard by now.

 

[Ron in BC]

to those that wax the underbelly of the trailer every 20 days.

OMG, do people actually go that long between waxing?

Ron

 

[Ron in BC]

I suspect not only would any spray insulation need to be removed but likely the trailer would need to be unbolted from the frame in order to access all the welds.

No, the top of the plate is angled so that the weld isn't "on top". I doubt there's any need to unbolt from the frame.

Ron

 

[thoer]

When I asked about possible heat problems with the welding that close to the fiberglass Reace told me "The welding shop should use a shield to protect the fiberglass. We have welded up approximately 30 now and a simple piece of tin works to deflect the heat."

 

[Brian B-P]

There are 3 welding shops in my area . Costs are between. $80 to $100 / hr
labor + materials & shop supplies. Minimum of one hour labor charge

With the materials supplied by Escape, and only half an hour of work, the numbers work fine... except for that one-hour minimum, which is a problem.

 

[steve dunham]

With the materials supplied by Escape, and only half an hour of work, the numbers work fine... except for that one-hour minimum, which is a problem.

I assume that Escape is not furnishing the tools ,welding rod. ,grinding wheels , cleaner, rags, paint and other shop supplies. Escape says it takes a half hour but they done 20 of
them. I'd be willing to bet their first one took longer than 30 minutes . $50 seems low to me
for the repair but will see.

 

[Brian B-P]

I assume that Escape is not furnishing the tools ,welding rod. ,grinding wheels , cleaner, rags, paint and other shop supplies. Escape says it takes a half hour but they done 20 of
them. I'd be willing to bet their first one took longer than 30 minutes . $50 seems low to me
for the repair but will see.

Yeah, everything in that list other than tools are "shop supplies". I don't think I would have the welder do the painting - doesn't seem like a good use of their time.

I'll admit that I have little patience for shops (for any kind of service) that charge an hourly rate which reflects their (many and extensive) costs beyond labour, then tack on a substantial "shop supplies" charge. When do they start charging separately for rent, equipment, front office staff, and everything else that should already be in that $100/hour? Okay, rant over!

 

[Iowa Dave]

Any good welder worth his rod or wire ought to be able to run those beads in a matter of minutes.easy to get at, straight vertical weld, nothing fancy, one pass. My youngest brother welded booms on P&H cranes , on the inside, in full leather, laying on his back, side and stomach. for several years. Certified to 3 and a half inches thick, Federal Inspectors checking the work. That's tough welding. 50 bucks for this little job would look pretty good to a lot of men and women in my town. Just my $.02
Dave

 

[Ron in BC]

Yes, a quick and easy weld that even a beginner could do. The problem would only be finding a shop that doesn't have a minimum fee. Some shops are well over the $100. amount. The trick for some is to find a welder who's freelance and not bound up in a large minimum.

Ron

 

[Iowa Dave]

We had cedarrapids rock crusher, link belt cranes p and h cranes, universal exercise equipment, and several other heavy industry manufacturers in Cedar Rapids for many years. One by one they either went south or went south. We have a great community college here that turns out welders, cnc machinists and wind turbine technicians. Like anything else, sometimes you just have to look and ask around. My daughter had a Jeep when she lived in Salt Lake City. The hinges rusted out and the door was falling off. " what do I do dad?"
Dad. " When you see a stock car on a trailer heading home after the races, follow him. A couple days later when they sober up, drive over to his garage and ask him to weld the door hinges" . Done. 15 bucks and a cold twelver.
Dave

 

[Jim Bennett]

I know the welder I use would do it for $60, no problem.

Or, if you happen to be anywhere near North Vancouver, I know a guy with a welder. ;D

 

[Ray N]

.My daughter had a Jeep when she lived in Salt Lake City. The hinges rusted out and the door was falling off. " what do I do dad?"
Dad. " When you see a stock car on a trailer heading home after the races, follow him. A couple days later when they sober up, drive over to his garage and ask him to weld the door hinges" . Done. 15 bucks and a cold twelver.
Dave

In Salt Lake City??? Where beer is limited to 3.2% and is a sin to drink! Remarkable!