Sidewall crack / broken frame welds. Who has repaired?

[bikemechanic53]

I've seen the various threads about sidewall cracks and the underlying broken frame welds. But I've not seen any posts of anyone completing the repair on their own. Only posts of owners trying to get dealers or Keystone to do the repair under warranty.

I've got the same problem with a 2016 Carbon 387 I recently bought from RV World in Yuma AZ.

Instead of removing the front cap and the sidewall, I'm considering adding a steel plate covering the sidewall area where the broken welds are (most likely).
I'll tie the various aluminum frame members to the steel plate with a bunch of screws, through the fiberglass/wood side panel.

Any thoughts from people on this repair technique?

[chuckster57]

Without verifying where the cracks are, your guessing. How thick of a plate? What size screws? I would wonder about water intrusion and the frame rusting out.

I get that you might not want to tear it all apart, but IMO that the only proper repair. Once the crack(s) are found you can weld the cracks and add material.

[bikemechanic53]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Without verifying where the cracks are, your guessing.

Correct. Based on other people's reports and pictures, it's a pretty good guess.

Originally Posted by chuckster57

How thick of a plate? What size screws? I would wonder about water intrusion and the frame rusting out.

10 Gauge plate, 40 2" x 1/4" screws. Living in the western deserts, water and rust are not significant concerns for me. It hasn't rained here since November.

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I get that you might not want to tear it all apart, but IMO that the only proper repair. Once the crack(s) are found you can weld the cracks and add material.

All true. But I don't have the thousands it would cost to have a dealer do the work. So a simpler fix may have to suffice, if this fix will actually hold the aluminum frame components together. Definitely some unknowns here.

[chuckster57]

Frame will be steel. The only aluminum would be the “studs” in the wall. The walls are set above the floor so you have to know how far down to get into the frame.

IMO any decent welding shop/welder would be able to resell the cracks and add gussets once the filon is removed at the front. 2 people should be able to remove that piece in a couole hours.

[bikemechanic53]

Thanks for the info. But I'm sensing that you have not done this repair yourself. I'm hoping to hear from people who have done this repair on their own. Not through a dealer or Keystone.

Anyone out there?

[JBM3M]

Originally Posted by bikemechanic53

Thanks for the info. But I'm sensing that you have not done this repair yourself. I'm hoping to hear from people who have done this repair on their own. Not through a dealer or Keystone.

Anyone out there?

That is an assumption on your part and from my limited perspective you should listen to Chuckster, he knows his stuff, I think he either works on RVs or did for a living. Listen to him.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by JBM3M

That is an assumption on your part and from my limited perspective you should listen to Chuckster, he knows his stuff, I think he either works on RVs or did for a living. Listen to him.

Thanks, I am currently employed at an auto/rv collision center after 10 years+ of dealerships. I appreciate the vote of confidence.

[Nankipoo]

I would take Chucksters advice if it was me.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by bikemechanic53

I've seen the various threads about sidewall cracks and the underlying broken frame welds. But I've not seen any posts of anyone completing the repair on their own. Only posts of owners trying to get dealers or Keystone to do the repair under warranty.

I've got the same problem with a 2016 Carbon 387 I recently bought from RV World in Yuma AZ.

Instead of removing the front cap and the sidewall, I'm considering adding a steel plate covering the sidewall area where the broken welds are (most likely).
I'll tie the various aluminum frame members to the steel plate with a bunch of screws, through the fiberglass/wood side panel.

Any thoughts from people on this repair technique?

Can you post some pictures of the damage, you may get by by dropping the panel under the bedroom floor, and do the repair from under there.

[ChuckS]

If the repair isn't done properly.. removing the front cap and filon wall to get to the wall stud welds that are broken then you end up with nothing more than what I call a Bush League repair... it will degrade the value of the RV if you ever wanna sell and get a new one.

If you aren't gonna ever sell it then its a personal choice as to whether the repair you are considering will last and how it will look..

For me it is a repair left for a place that has the facility to remove the cap and filon and make the repair to the studs and maybe add in some gussets under the front frame vertical section at the side wall junction..

I have the skill sets to do the repair and make the welds.. I don't have a covered area to do the repair so I would not attempt it for that reason..

When I make repairs to my fifth wheel I always keep in the back of my mind is this repair something that another person would be satisfied with.

The repair I made to my torn Darco under one of my slide outs was such a repair and after over a year the repair is as good as the day I made it and cosmetically and mechanically it is great.

YMMV

[hawghauler]

My 2 cents ( 25 yr body/frame tech )

Skin it out pull the tig over and correct the problem think of it like dropping a motor/trans cradle to rwplace a rail that's damaged beyond repair

These campers are made of Styrofoam glass and ply add an ignition source and get some marshmallows

As far as plating it up goes I believe you'll pull the self rappers out of the aluminum studs the first time it flexes going out of the lot / driveway

If it's worth doing its worth doing right and we both know after you run screws through the glass the whole side is gunna need repair respray so detrim inner and outer removed pull Styrofoam insulation that sets between studs tig it back together and rebuild the wall


This will be a ton of work I haven't jad a modern camper this far down so I'm sure you'll come across a dozen problems to solve before you get it open enough to weld safely

[GaryAG]

We had our trailer frame repaired by Kaiser Brake and Alignment in Eugene, Oregon
541-344-5887 Cary was shop foreman

[bsmith0404]

I’ve never had a need to do any repair like this, but I have seen people try to do repairs with replacing the filon and many times delamination is a result. Maybe it’s because I feel more comfortable with wood and interior repairs, but, why wouldn’t removing the interior wall board be an option to access the welds and make the repairs? It’s just light weight wall board, and is easy to work with.

[ChuckS]

Some of the welds that need repair and reaped would be tough with the Filon wall in place

[chuckster57]

If I get the chance, I’ll post pics of the ‘21 Voltage we have in the shop. Got side swiped on its maiden voyage. Took out the left front corner, front compartment, and lots of the road side. I had to cut the luan/filon to get to some joints to reweld. The steel frame is pretty much wide open, but no cracks there.

[DDuncan51]

Several years ago. The frame weld on my 5th wheel broke, call it a crack. The metal was still straight. I had a nephew who happened to have a welding truck, is a certified welder and he repaired it. The break was right above where the front shackle attaches on one side of the trailer. We pulled the wheel and he spent the better part of 2 hours repairing everything that was broke. While I stood there with a water hose. When he was done, it looked better than new.

I'm sure if you look around you can find a welding shop that can effect repairs.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by DDuncan51

Several years ago. The frame weld on my 5th wheel broke, call it a crack. The metal was still straight. I had a nephew who happened to have a welding truck, is a certified welder and he repaired it. The break was right above where the front shackle attaches on one side of the trailer. We pulled the wheel and he spent the better part of 2 hours repairing everything that was broke. While I stood there with a water hose. When he was done, it looked better than new.

I'm sure if you look around you can find a welding shop that can effect repairs.

There is a significant difference in repairing cracks on the steel chassis rails of a trailer and repairing cracks on the aluminum frame that's "buried in styrofoam" in the laminated walls.

While there are some similarities, there's a "world of difference" in what happens before and after the actual welding takes place.