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05-12-2019, 08:25 AM
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#1
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: GLASTONBURY
Posts: 72
M.O.C. #19250
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Suspension Concern
I have a 2016 305RL. I noticed yesterday that the passenger side wheels were very close together. I looked under the trailer and saw one end of the equalizer(CRE/3000) hard up against the frame of the trailer. This doesn't seem normal. I am parked in my yard on fairly level ground. I have never seen the wheels this close together as I put that side up on blocks to help level it and this is the first time the block wouldn't fit between the wheels. I attached a picture of the passenger side and driver side equalizers. Can any one tell me whether I should be concerned?
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2016 Montana HC 305RL
2013 GMC 3500HD Denali SRW
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05-12-2019, 08:35 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Milwaukie, OR
Posts: 1,571
M.O.C. #23668
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How do things look at the outer ends of the springs? Are the hangers/shackles intact?
Also, if the other side looks normal I would compare the system side to side so see if something is different between the two.
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Jeff & Sandi (and Teddy - 7lb Schnorkie)
2018 Montana HC 305RL / HW Progressive EMS
2015 RAM 3500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 DRW / Demco Recon Hitch on RAM Puck Ball
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05-12-2019, 09:56 AM
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#3
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: GLASTONBURY
Posts: 72
M.O.C. #19250
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Everything looks intact as I remember. Nothing disconnected or broken.
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2016 Montana HC 305RL
2013 GMC 3500HD Denali SRW
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05-12-2019, 10:23 AM
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#4
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Marion
Posts: 115
M.O.C. #19116
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I also have a 2016 305RL This does not look correct. I would send pictures to Morryde and see what they think. Do you have the lube bolts installed? may be a good time to install them Let us know what the outcome is
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05-12-2019, 10:34 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,774
M.O.C. #12947
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It sure looks like you have a broken spring. On the top photo, the right hand spring appears to be flat instead of having a curve like the left one. I’m thinking the right spring is bad.
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05-12-2019, 10:52 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Posts: 2,727
M.O.C. #7992
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Could it be the Ubolts are loose and the axle shifted? I think that is what happened to Richfaa a few years back.
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2006 3000RK
2009 Ram 2500
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05-12-2019, 04:38 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimcol
Could it be the Ubolts are loose and the axle shifted? I think that is what happened to Richfaa a few years back.
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That is exactly what happened on our 06 34400.It resulted in having the IS from Mor ryde installed.
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05-12-2019, 05:09 PM
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#8
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: GLASTONBURY
Posts: 72
M.O.C. #19250
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Thanks for all the good feed back. I have sent an email to MoRyde this morning with pictures. Hopefully somebody will get back to me on Monday. I'll have a look under the trailer again tomorrow and look at the bolts and springs. What are the shear springs you refer to? Is it the rubber portion inside the shackle assembly I see sticking out? What should I look for on these?
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2016 Montana HC 305RL
2013 GMC 3500HD Denali SRW
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05-12-2019, 05:15 PM
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#9
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: GLASTONBURY
Posts: 72
M.O.C. #19250
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Forgot to mention in my original post that on the ride home I noticed that the passenger side rear tire was running hotter than the rest so I suspected there was a problem when I parked it. Then seeing the wheels so close together started me looking under the trailer at the shackles. Another reason to have a TPMS.
Thanks again for all the good feedback, I'll keep you posted.
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2016 Montana HC 305RL
2013 GMC 3500HD Denali SRW
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05-12-2019, 09:32 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: 1000 oaks
Posts: 978
M.O.C. #19630
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Something has definitely shifted. What do the forward spring connections look like?
There is a center bolt that goes through all of the leaves of the spring pack down the center. There is a nut on the top you can see on the spring pack. The bottom is a protruding head that fits into a socket on the axle. If this gets loose or breaks (shears) the spring pack can move allowing the axle to shift. When this occurs you will see a shift in the alignment and spacing of the leaves of the spring pack. This might be what happened here but the spacing could be covered by the shackle making it appear to have shifted.
You can do a rudimentary alignment with a tape measure going from a point on the axle to a point on the ground. i.e. use a plumb bob from the king pin to the ground and make a mark. Then measure from that point to each axle at identical points on both sides and see where the measurements indicate a problem.
Let us know what you find.
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2011 2955RL Gen-Y Executive Kingpin
2022 GMC 2500HD Duramax/Alison
4X4 Crew Cab/Standard bed.
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05-12-2019, 12:07 PM
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#11
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: No Town
Posts: 432
M.O.C. #19482
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Looks like one of your springs is missing. I count 5 on one side and 4 on the other. Am I seeing this correct?
__________________
Don & Ann Wheeler:
2017 Montana 3791RD, 2017 RAM 3500 Diesel Dually, Aisin, 4.10, Sailuns, Disk Brakes, TST TPMS.
Don: USAF Ret., Fighter Pilot - Vietnam Vet '66-'67 & Ann: Ret., Texas A&M Ph.D.
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05-12-2019, 12:24 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Fall Creek
Posts: 1,337
M.O.C. #3699
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I think I see 5 leaves on both sides, looks very strange.
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Bob and Nancy Kassl Fall Creek, Wisconsin
2015 Montana 3440RL Legacy Edition, G614's, Pressure Pro TPMS, Dish Tailgaters
2016 GMC Sierra Denali 3500 CC SRW, Iridium Metallic, Duramax Allison Transmission
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05-12-2019, 02:19 PM
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#13
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Farmington
Posts: 80
M.O.C. #17288
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I would be very concerned. I would not tow it until it gets resolved. Right now, your axles may not be parallel to each other and that's bad. Your tires may wear out fast.
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05-12-2019, 03:33 PM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Omaha
Posts: 6,795
M.O.C. #7560
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Bob, you definitely have a problem. As jimandpat stated-contact MORryde customer service and tell them what the problem is and send them the pictures. I would also have to go along with jimcol and go under the unit and check the torque on the U-bolts on the axles. It looks to me that one of the U-bolts have loosened up and the axle has shifted. You can have this taken care of by any tractor/trailer shop that works on heavy duty trailers. I took mine in last year to have the axles and tires aligned because I was getting extreme wear on one axles tires. Contact MORryde and see what they have to say before contacting a trailer shop! A third idea may be that the shear spring on the suspension has gone bad. I just had my unit into MORryde to have those replaced because I had a couple shear spings crack and bulge. Let us know what you find out.
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05-13-2019, 10:29 AM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: POINTBLANK
Posts: 1,916
M.O.C. #19944
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did you notice the gas line clamp is broken also? Makes me want to have plates welded in to box that piece of frame. After it's back together, give some thought to having the alignment done. Could the frame manufacture provide some assistance?
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RAM 22' DRW 3500 Crew LB 40 gal reserve tank / RETRAX Bed Cover / 2020 373RD HC / IS / MOPEKA Tank Monitor / Furrion Side&Rear Cameras
Slide Toppers / EMS-HW50C / Sailun 85's
3rd AC / Dometic 320
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05-13-2019, 11:08 AM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Tacoma
Posts: 1,567
M.O.C. #20475
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That would ex-plane the problem! Time for some extra bracing welded in or install the X-Factor bracing to stiffen up the frame.
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Bob & Carol Washington St
2017 HC HM352RL 2018 Dodge 3500 laramie CC LB 4x4
Curt Q25 with puck system, Factory air bags
Happy Trails
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05-13-2019, 11:31 AM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Milwaukie, OR
Posts: 1,571
M.O.C. #23668
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I'm glad you found it. Looks like you possibly hit a pretty decent bump. There must have been some extra heavy flexing to bend the beam and snap the gas line clamp. I'm glad it didn't also break the gas line itself.
__________________
Jeff & Sandi (and Teddy - 7lb Schnorkie)
2018 Montana HC 305RL / HW Progressive EMS
2015 RAM 3500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 DRW / Demco Recon Hitch on RAM Puck Ball
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05-15-2019, 07:09 AM
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#18
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: GLASTONBURY
Posts: 72
M.O.C. #19250
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Just thought I'd add a few pictures. Is there anyone out there that has had the frame bend and break like this before? The trailer welding repair guy I've talked to has said it is very unusual for the frame to wrinkle like that unless there was a collision. He said that normally hitting something in the road would cause a bolt or spring to break or the tire to blow but not bend the frame.
__________________
2016 Montana HC 305RL
2013 GMC 3500HD Denali SRW
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05-15-2019, 07:30 AM
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#19
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 1,789
M.O.C. #14547
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Somewhere in your travels it appears you have 'hammered' a bump/pothole at highway. Look at the torn fabric above the tire. While that fabric contact is not unusual, it happened on our 343RL but nowhere near as bad as what yours shows. If your HC has 5200 pound suspension as ours had, it really needs to be upgraded with 6000# springs. I also added a 1" spacer and 6000# outer wheel bearings (along with disc brakes). While not a cure-all, it will help with spring compression and rebound and possibly a whipping motion that may have caused that damage. I know that the heavier springs and added spacer corrected a nasty wallow over bridge approaches and departures
Then there is the chance that yo dragged that rear frame hard such as going into a poorly designed gas station or similar driveway as I have with ours. You wont even know that you did it until you notice that the rear bumper plug is gone
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Dave W
2014 Montana High Country 343RL (Sold!)
2011 Ford 6.7 Lariat CCLB (Went to PU Heaven)
2019 F150SC XLT SE Sport,w/full tow package
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06-05-2019, 07:56 PM
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#20
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Established Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: McAlester
Posts: 32
M.O.C. #23890
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Gussets on my 2017 HC 305RL
Quote:
Originally Posted by CT Wanderer
Just thought I'd add a few pictures. Is there anyone out there that has had the frame bend and break like this before? The trailer welding repair guy I've talked to has said it is very unusual for the frame to wrinkle like that unless there was a collision. He said that normally hitting something in the road would cause a bolt or spring to break or the tire to blow but not bend the frame.
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I finally got around to inspecting the suspension bracket to frame connections after reading of your problems. There's a gusset like this on top of the frame flange at every spring hanger to frame weld. I didn't see see any of these on yours. If not, looks like Lippert forgot something.
Still not real stout looking, since these are pretty thin gussets which are only stitch welded. However, I've inadvertently run the trailer over several curbs, etc., and nothing's broken yet.
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