What Did You Do To Your Redwood Today?

[Ford truck guy]

Steve , I am tired just reading about the work your doing....

[Grizzby]

Steve, you'll love full-timing...always something to do. This week I had to repair the black tank dump valve, replaced a cooling motor on the Dometic fridg, replace the anode rod and flushed the water heater tank. Now in the middle of washing and waxing the rig. Trying to get these done in preparation of my disc brake install. Kit should arrive this week.

A while back while working on the RW, a fellow camper walked up and stated there is a "three" rule to RV's...as you are fixing one item, two additional items are preparing to break. I think there may something to that rule! With that being said...we love our full-timing lifestyle, and at this point, would not change it for any other.

[riciren]

I purchased the Joy Rider Shocks from Ford Truck Guy, had them installed at a local trailer repair shop, they mostly specialized in big horse trailers and heavy duty tandem utility trailers, they are the ones that also installed the heavy duty shackles, brass bushing and wet bolts for me. Have not had the opportunity to take out the Redwood and to feel the difference but hopefully soon.

[spindrift]

Originally Posted by riciren

I purchased the Joy Rider Shocks from Ford Truck Guy, had them installed at a local trailer repair shop, they mostly specialized in big horse trailers and heavy duty tandem utility trailers, they are the ones that also installed the heavy duty shackles, brass bushing and wet bolts for me. Have not had the opportunity to take out the Redwood and to feel the difference but hopefully soon.

Would appreciate a performance report when you've had time to put on some miles.

[Elliott & Vicky]

Back to the broken springs. The spring bundle is actually a common item and the spring shop I was towed to had 4 of them in stock. He took them apart and upgraded them before he replaced them. Quote from him: "You have a 7000k suspension under a trailer that should have a 10,000 suspension."

[Ford truck guy]

Originally Posted by Elliott & Vicky

Back to the broken springs. The spring bundle is actually a common item and the spring shop I was towed to had 4 of them in stock. He took them apart and upgraded them before he replaced them. Quote from him: "You have a 7000k suspension under a trailer that should have a 10,000 suspension."

Although I am not a spring guy , I will disagree with him... Just look at the numbers on these things...
RW 38RL GVW = 16,500#... Pin weight - 3,500#... Axle Weight - 13,000#

No reason to put axles capibale of carrying 20K under a trailer that at MAX weight will probably only ever see 14K - 15K...

This is just my opinion... For what it's worth . .

[Dave&Ginny]

I'm not sure what the solution is for the springs or why they fail. I wonder if the downward motion that has a hammering effect on "pot holes" could be the issue. Or it could be caused by using inferior metal when making the springs.

Too heavy of a spring will cause other issues within the structure of the trailers as they bounce down the road.

[Elliott & Vicky]

My RW weighs out at 16000 lbs minus 4000 pin weight equals 6k per axle sitting on flat level ground. When it is traveling on the roads we have today, I expect the axles and suspension are seeing far more weight than this.

[Shane Wood]

You have to Rember there is still usually a 5-1 safety factor built into that axle so if it is loaded to 7000 lbs it will not let go hitting bumps in the road. If I was running 7000 on each axle I would consider upgrading. With your weights if you upgrade to say 8000 axles you will start beating th sh!! Out of your trailer.

[Char & Steve]

I'm still thinking that trailers this heavy and long should have 3 axels.


Steve

[Shane Wood]

A little plastic cutting and some welding you could doit

[Grizzby]

Originally Posted by Shane Wood

A little plastic cutting and some welding you could doit

Yeah...and then we could all go back to the ole Goodyear Marathon's...ha, ha, ha!

[Shane Wood]

Yup wouldn't need those big G614s

[RCAircraft]

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

I'm not sure what the solution is for the springs or why they fail. I wonder if the downward motion that has a hammering effect on "pot holes" could be the issue. Or it could be caused by using inferior metal when making the springs.

Too heavy of a spring will cause other issues within the structure of the trailers as they bounce down the road.

Our RW 36RL has a GVWR of 16,000 pounds per the label on the exterior. At last year's rally in Shipshewana the Escapees scales had me at 12,600 pounds for the four wheels and 3,700 pounds on the pin. If loaded to GVWR my factory tires would have been overloaded by 250 pounds per tire. The springs, if rated for 7,000 each or 28,000 pounds for the set of four should be okay. Just the tires were under rated. The new 17.5 inch tires, going on this week with new rims, are rated at 4,900 pounds per tire at 110 PSI which surpasses the trailer's GVWR. If the springs are rated at 3,500 pounds each or 7,000 pounds per set of two for each 7,000 pound axle then there could be a weight/rating issue when loaded up to the GVWR of 16,000 pounds.

[rob_fla]

I believe a 7000 lb. axle would have two springs rated at 3500 lbs. each for a total of 7000 lbs.

[RCAircraft]

Originally Posted by rob_fla

I believe a 7000 lb. axle would have two springs rated at 3500 lbs. each for a total of 7000 lbs.

That is I what I am thinking. I have seen several post mentioning 7,000 pound springs. Must be intended to read 7,000 pounds per set of two. I am learning more everyday on my RW suspension system. Wish I would have dove into this stuff before incurring the recent damage to our RW from a blow out at 65 MPH. What a mess. Now it's in a shop a few miles from Redwood's plant being repaired. It's the same shop that did the original paint job.

[Shane Wood]

Originally Posted by RCAircraft

Our RW 36RL has a GVWR of 16,000 pounds per the label on the exterior. At last year's rally in Shipshewana the Escapees scales had me at 12,600 pounds for the four wheels and 3,700 pounds on the pin. If loaded to GVWR my factory tires would have been overloaded by 250 pounds per tire. The springs, if rated for 7,000 each or 28,000 pounds for the set of four should be okay. Just the tires were under rated. The new 17.5 inch tires, going on this week with new rims, are rated at 4,900 pounds per tire at 110 PSI which surpasses the trailer's GVWR. If the springs are rated at 3,500 pounds each or 7,000 pounds per set of two for each 7,000 pound axle then there could be a weight/rating issue when loaded up to the GVWR of 16,000 pounds.

Bob
If your 4 trailer tires = 12600 lbs and your pin weight is 3700 your trailer is already weighing 16 300 lbs you are already 300 lbs over your gvwr. At that tim you had 3150 lbs on each tire your springs are rated at 3500lbs each. You are still fine

[RCAircraft]

Originally Posted by Shane Wood

Bob
If your 4 trailer tires = 12600 lbs and your pin weight is 3700 your trailer is already weighing 16 300 lbs you are already 300 lbs over your gvwr. At that tim you had 3150 lbs on each tire your springs are rated at 3500lbs each. You are still fine

Agree the numbers look high and the RV was all but empty at that time including the tanks, food pantry and basement. The pin weight looks suspiciously high. The sum weight on the four tires was 12,400#.

The tire weights came in at 3,350 to 3,495 pounds. The blow out occurred with the 3,495 tire (rear street side) that had about 2,000 miles and 80 PSI. I plan to have Escapees weigh my RV and new truck at this year's rally. The new 17.5 inch tires and rims are rated at 5,000 pounds per tire (a little more weight also). Also added a TPMS for further help.

Just received word that the RV shop near the Redwood factory completed repairs and painting today. That blowout sure caused some grief and damage. Heading out tomorrow to pick up our RW.

[Shane Wood]

glad you got everything back together. Hopefully you have no more issues

[Tomkidder]

My RV is sitting in Atlanta GA having an estimate done for a blow out repair. the tire took out the window the remote key pad and the door hand rail all of the J panel bent a support on the frame and some paint. good thing I bolted the j panel to the hangers or it too would left on the Highway.