what upgrades can prevent this
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 846
Likes: 460
From: Up in Texas
Common sense is about all that will prevent that. The camper was way to heavy for the truck, the frame failed do to fatigue from being way overloaded. There is plenty of analysis of this incident to read out there on the internet.
tldr; never trust a salesman.
tldr; never trust a salesman.
More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 550
Likes: 262
From: Northwest CT
Combined they were way too much stress.
FTE Legend
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 31,880
Likes: 9,172
From: Western NY
I know nothing about towing like that but thinking out loud, isn't the frame open in that location where it broke? If one wanted to reinforce the frame, wouldn't boxing the frame and fabbing up additional cross members strengthen it work?
All that said, taking into consideration what you guys said about having too big a bed camper plus towing the additional load makes sense about why that happened.
All that said, taking into consideration what you guys said about having too big a bed camper plus towing the additional load makes sense about why that happened.
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Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 14,266
Likes: 2,187
Looks like the fail was just forward of the forward leaf spring mounts….which is the weirdest part of the whole frame.
so could a weight distribution hitch have moved the stress more forward on the frame away from the area immoderately in front of the forward leaf spring bolts.
I’m curious since I plan a slide in and will probably want to tow a small toy hauler
i have an f-450 with helwig over leafs ( both leafs installed), summo springs (2500lb rears) , silastic shackles (hd version)
Plan on traction bars as wrll
so could a weight distribution hitch have moved the stress more forward on the frame away from the area immoderately in front of the forward leaf spring bolts.
I’m curious since I plan a slide in and will probably want to tow a small toy hauler
i have an f-450 with helwig over leafs ( both leafs installed), summo springs (2500lb rears) , silastic shackles (hd version)
Plan on traction bars as wrll
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 846
Likes: 460
From: Up in Texas
I know nothing about towing like that but thinking out loud, isn't the frame open in that location where it broke? If one wanted to reinforce the frame, wouldn't boxing the frame and fabbing up additional cross members strengthen it work?
All that said, taking into consideration what you guys said about having too big a bed camper plus towing the additional load makes sense about why that happened.
All that said, taking into consideration what you guys said about having too big a bed camper plus towing the additional load makes sense about why that happened.
Flex metal far, often, and long enough it will break.
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FTE Legend
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 31,880
Likes: 9,172
From: Western NY
That looks like my gen truck and even if a F450, still had the open part of the frame.
Didn't Ford upgrade and make the Super Duty frames stronger for the new Alumina Duty trucks?
Didn't Ford upgrade and make the Super Duty frames stronger for the new Alumina Duty trucks?
FTE Legend
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 31,880
Likes: 9,172
From: Western NY
Welding on modern frames is not a good idea, it is cheaper in the long run to buy the right truck for the task. The pictures of the failure in the op were throughly investigated the sales people for both the truck and camper misrepresented capability and ratings, and the customer did no research to verify it was a compatible combo. The owner also put many more miles on the combo than most others that used the same combo.
Flex metal far, often, and long enough it will break.
Flex metal far, often, and long enough it will break.
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Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 14,266
Likes: 2,187
just did a quick and dirty lookup for my year truck....there are no charts to show slide in camps and tow behind combinations. no warnings about not doing it either.
https://tailoredtrucks.com/wp-conten...wing-guide.pdf
https://tailoredtrucks.com/wp-conten...wing-guide.pdf
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 846
Likes: 460
From: Up in Texas
It's there, max payload, max tounge weight, GCVW.......
Like most things in life, just because you get away with it 1 time or a 100 times doesn't mean you'll get away with it forever. Many examples of this in engineering, it is why there are safety factors and the reason they scale with life safety concerns.
Like most things in life, just because you get away with it 1 time or a 100 times doesn't mean you'll get away with it forever. Many examples of this in engineering, it is why there are safety factors and the reason they scale with life safety concerns.
FTE Legend
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 31,880
Likes: 9,172
From: Western NY
I remember seeing this video... you Alumina Duty guys have what appears to be a fully boxed frame which the 11 to 16s did not. And it looked like that pre 17 dually broke where it's not boxed...
Now not saying that this means you can do what the guy in the pic did, but it appears those new trucks have a pretty strong, redesigned frame under them.
Now not saying that this means you can do what the guy in the pic did, but it appears those new trucks have a pretty strong, redesigned frame under them.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 846
Likes: 460
From: Up in Texas
I remember seeing this video... you Alumina Duty guys have what appears to be a fully boxed frame which the 11 to 16s did not. And it looked like that pre 17 dually broke where it's not boxed...
Now not saying that this means you can do what the guy in the pic did, but it appears those new trucks have a pretty strong, redesigned frame under them.
https://youtu.be/mvkz5XY4oTY?si=zBkJzOcghwsZHmN4
Now not saying that this means you can do what the guy in the pic did, but it appears those new trucks have a pretty strong, redesigned frame under them.
https://youtu.be/mvkz5XY4oTY?si=zBkJzOcghwsZHmN4
FTE Legend
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 31,880
Likes: 9,172
From: Western NY
That looks like a 450 from what appears to be the commercial wheels the 450s come with... the 19.5s IIRC.
Last edited by Overkill2; Apr 13, 2025 at 07:23 PM. Reason: Correct post