Frame Flex Repair Pictures

[HamRad]

I agree with Doug. An eight of an inch is probably nothing to worry about. However a quarter of an inch may be something to start looking at very closely. If nothing is moving on the inside then you are probably still OK. But if it starts moving inside then you definitely need to worry.

Good luck.

HamRad

[bsmeaton]

Kenny and Virginia -

If the molding drops when on the landing gear, but closes back up when supported on the pin - It's the same as mine is doing and I have yet to find anything wrong.

If the molding drops when supported on the pin - I would sure drop the front and check those welds!

Brad

[Fordzilla]

Mine was moving a little bit. Probably closer to 1/8" when on the pin. While I was at the Rally I talked to the guys at the service center and they want me to come back later so they can take a look at it. They didn't think it was real bad but said it should be looked at to be sure. I felt comfortable after talking with them that it wasn't nothing major and they felt it could be repaired fairly easily. I haven't seen anything shifting on the inside at all. If I did I would probably have been a little more persistent with the dealer to figure it out before it gets too far out of wack.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Ours was minimal movement. they found broken welds on the opposite side of the visual movement. pulled cap and skin from overhang/bedroom area. repaired welds, put that wood in the channels with lots of screws from top and side, and 8 X 8 X 1/4 steel plate in 4 places at the pin.

took about 1 day, in by 6 AM out by 3:30.

Thanks Keystone and your great staff at the Service Center. We intend on keeping this unit for quite a while, so it is a relief to know it will keep on rolling down the road.

[richfaa]

If you have movement you have trouble developing. It may not be serious right now but it most likely will be down the road. My 06 3400 does not move..at all.. Get it documented at your/A dealer and give Team Montana a call.

[bsmeaton]

Well my 2006 Ford doesn't leak oil either - but I'm sure it will.

I agree getting it documented and repaired if somethings wrong - but some of these are coming back from Keystone after repair with a little movement. I'm just not convinced that movement on these older units is always a sign of impending doom.

Brad

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Brad,

Al and I had a private discussion with someone during the plant tour at the Rally. This someone is employed in the Service Center area of Keystone. Al asked some specific questions about our repair, and we were taken back to the plant floor for a visual explanation of what they did to ours and some of the differences in the manufacturing then and now.

Something that came out of that discussion was that they had a bit of an employee problem a few years back. Lets just say, that they, the employee (or employees) no longer get a pay check from Keystone. Said employee/s were not always installing the 2 inch wood piece that they were supposed to, and/or they were not installing correctly. That and some other issues that have been changed have contributed to the frame flex so many of us have experienced. It also explains why some of us have problems with our units and some others do not.

That is a little insider info. Straight from the horses mouth and we were not told to keep it to ourselves.

They also said at the tour, something akin to: "We are a new company, and we made and make mistakes". That impressed ole Carol

[Sunshine]

When we arrived at the rally in Goshen, we noticed a gap between the molding and bottom of the outside wall on the curb side overhang. Contacted customer service and they said bring the Monty in. The repair they did on ours sounds the same as what they did on Carol's unit. Darrell and the rest of the staff were terrific. Virgil thought the Montana towed great before this problem, and he says she tows even better now. The repair eliminated a squeak in the floor in front of the shower also. Thanks Keystone!

[OntMont]

quote:Originally posted by cstevens

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments.
We have narrowed our search to a Montana 3400RL and the Jayco Designer 35CLQS.

I have recently been researching after market pin boxes like Mor/Ryde and Trailair. It is interesting that these are promoted as reducing frame flex across the board, not just Keystone. I think versions of this problem are widespread in the industry. Probably just a result of the old weight vs strength dilemma.

[bsmeaton]

OntMont,

I noticed the same thing when looking at other pin boxes as well, they all talk about reducing front trauma to your trailer as well as your TV. May not show up the same, but I think they all take a few hits from the hitch jolts or there would be nothing for the aftermarket pin guys to brag about.

My dealer said he watches the pin boxes flex within the trailers when he picks them up using his little fork truck. All brands, even the used ones, with some doing it more than others. He says it's just a characteristic of the 5th wheel design and transfer of weight.

Course he's just a Dealer.

[ols1932]

It's right to be concerned about frame flex, but it is not just Keystone. It is industry wide but Keystone, manufacturing the #1 fifth wheel, is getting the publicity about this problem simply because there are SO MANY Montanas on the road.

Orv