Our 2022 GD 390RK has been doing well for almost 10,000 road miles. It creaks a little more than it used to and there have been a few little problems along the way, but I have not seen any frame issues. The rear kitchen makes it pretty tail heavy, but we pack it heavier in the front to compensate. We also use a Trailer Saver hitch and factory pin box.

The biggest modification I did was swap the clapped-out factory 7k springs for an 8k slipper spring and x-factor crossmember and it did make an improvement.

 

When we sold our Holiday Rambler 5th wheel, I seen the writing on the wall with these frame issues so decided to purchase a conventional camper. It doesn't pull as nice as a 5th, but so far has been rock solid.

 

Someday, Americans will stop thinking bigger is better. It appears the issues that manufacturers are having are with huge rigs.

I am certain, lessons are being learned to prevent this from happening again. Just like fuel tanks inside trucks.

 

And whats wrong with having fuel sloshing behind your back with the occasional release of fumes in the cab when you turn a corner? Ahh the good ol days of Steel dashboards and no seat belts.

 

Nothing wrong with that, it's the recipe on how to make a manly man. It's when you got in an accident and the neck broke off.

You know it was a problem when the fire department was bringing marshmallows.

 

I laugh about this because I had a 1967 Chevy C30 and remember the sloshing fuel tank and smell, as well as standing with 2 feet on the brake to stop it and two hands and a lot of muscle to park it. That was one hell of a truck.

 

I remember those days. I learned to drive in a Rambler Station Wagon, flat head straight 6 with a 3 speed column shift (3 on the tree). My first 4 wheel vehicle I ever bought was Dodge D100 with a Torque Flight automatic with manual steering and manual brakes. My next one was F 100 with a 302, 3 on the tree and manual brakes. My current project is a 52 International L121 with a 4 speed, 240 CI inline 6 with manual brakes.

 

There is also the fact that pin boxes used to be nearly “vertical” and the nose of the trailer square. But that meant an 8’ bed was mandatory. Then Joe ans Sally from Suburbia didn’t like a truck that was a truck, had to have a crewcab to haul the kiddos. Sally had a fit because that huge truck looking truck wasn’t eye appealing to all the neighbors, so here come the short beds. Now the 5er needs an kingpin that is about a foot to 18” further forward of the mounting point, putting a lot more leverage on the frame. Oh well, so what if the frame of the 5er can’t handle the added stress. We’ll just get a new bgger trailer!

 

Solitude is gone. Frame was confirmed to be bent and unrepairable above the suspension hangers on both I-beams. The support brace behind the pinbox that goes from side to side was also completely broken on the passenger side. I didn't even have a washer/dryer which would have been directly above the broken brace. I tried to get photos of the inspection but the shop was 100 miles from my house and I made the drive twice and waited all day but the inspector was a no show 4 different times. That's why it took a month to get it looked at and an estimate sent to insurance.

 

That an insurance write-off?

 

Well, it's time for me to add ours to the "crack in front of the bedroom slide" list. Wife noticed the crack back in July. It was barely noticeable to me at that time. After using and pulling ours another 1000 miles, the crack got noticeably bigger. I had a buddy that this happened to and he sent me a ton of info. I did a lot of Googling and YouTube video watching. I emailed Jayco and they declined to help with the fix. Said I was out of warranty of course. We bought the Pinnacle in early 2020. It's a 2018 model. Warranty expired in early 2022.
I towed it to the dealer last weekend. They are going to do an assessment and give me their take. I'm inclined to think that the frame is fine since the flex is less than a half inch when you take weight off the front jacks and apply it to the hitch. I'm thinking the wall in front of the slide is separating from the frame. Most are lag bolted and when those bolts loosen from running the slide in and out over the years, that causes issues including cracks in the fiberglass outside. I joined a class action lawsuit as well. No idea what will come out of that or if there even will be a settlement. In the meantime, I'm waiting on the dealer to give me the news. I'll report back here when I hear from them. This is really a low blow to have happen. And it happens to a lot of people. We bought a high end RV to last. Long enough so we could go south a few months after I retire. Now this happens. UNREAL. Can't even sell it or trade it without taking a huge hit. Thanks Jayco.
Below are some photos for your viewing pleasure. If you have a 5er built between 2018-2022, 38'+ long with a slide (or 2) over the from bunk, I would strongly suggest having a dealer look at it. Or if your handy, check the bolts that secure the walls to the frame. May save you from a crack. These issues are not manufacturer specific. Most involve the Lippert frame though.

 

Always nice to see when companies stand behind their work.... or not...

Sorry for the troubles.

 

How about the GM'S with the fuel tanks mounted on the outside of the frame rails! Firefighters used to call them Zippo,[ light up with just one strike] .

 

With all 5th wheels, there is flex. It's how you manage that flex that will make your product better. I do believe, there is no such thing as a high quality RV. They are all junk. Some are better, but it's just better junk.

I have a seem at the front of my slide. I always wondered why most 5th wheels have this seem. I found out the reason is that with the amount of flex on that area of the 5th wheel, if you did not have this seem, the panel would eventually break. A lot like large cement pads. Typically, cement breaks over time and by designing where they break is better than a random break.

If you look at this photo below, you will notice a white trim piece that covers the seem. If you look at a lot of 5th wheels, they all have this seam. I was surprised that you did not have this seem and that is why the panel broke. Mostly a poor design. If you would cut the panel so there is a seam, fix the panel properly, I bet it will never break again.

I sure hope the words I chose make sense. Usually, they don't.


Front/Lower vertical white trim covering the seam.

 

My 2021 Solitude did not have that seam on either side and it had opposing slides on the tongue.