178 axle support |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Topic: 178 axle support Posted: 04 May 2019 at 1:07pm |
There has.
Check out the other active thread on axles for a couple of conversations I had with the sales techs at Lippert last fall. Most companies won't let consumers speak directly to their engineering staff, they keep them in the back room and feed them peanuts. Why? They have nothing to gain except increased liability if the engineer says the wrong thing. I slightly object to the implication of the term "real" engineer. I am a real live engineer, worked as one for 40 years. There are other engineers on this forum as well. We're not all that unusual you know, you could pass us on the street and not recognize us for what we are unless we forgot to remove our pocket protectors. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2653 |
Posted: 04 May 2019 at 2:07pm |
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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Awchief
Groupie Joined: 04 May 2018 Location: Biloxi, MS Online Status: Offline Posts: 83 |
Posted: 04 May 2019 at 2:43pm |
“Check out the other active thread on axles for a couple of conversations I had with the sales techs at Lippert last fall. Most companies won't let consumers speak directly to their engineering staff, they keep them in the back room and feed them peanuts.”
Thank you, that answers my question.
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Michael
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2595 |
Posted: 04 May 2019 at 5:43pm |
I thought engineers used duct tape for their glasses when the super glue doesn't hold. Hmmmm?
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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Toyanvil
Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2019 Location: Bakersfield Online Status: Offline Posts: 157 |
Posted: 04 May 2019 at 7:28pm |
I talked to an engineer at Lippert before I bought my RPOD. He was the one who confirmed the overhang problem. He told me they build what FR ask for right or wrong and when FR orders 1000 axles they build them to the spec FR gives no question's asked. After I bought my RPOD I called Dexter to see about having an axle build to repair my RPOD and was told the problem is the overhang and the Dexter axle would have the same problem if the frame was not widened. This is why I built my supports, I thought I would give them a try before changing to leaf spring/air bag axle.
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David and Danette
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1218 |
Posted: 04 May 2019 at 7:30pm |
Do you think Forest River when they built the R-Pod had engineers approve the frame and axles of the R-Pods?
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2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |
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Toyanvil
Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2019 Location: Bakersfield Online Status: Offline Posts: 157 |
Posted: 04 May 2019 at 7:34pm |
Mine is at 5/16, the frame shop arched it all the way across instead of just the middle to help keep it cambered, that's why it looks like more.
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326 |
Posted: 04 May 2019 at 8:07pm |
I expect that was a whole lot less expensive than replacing the axle. I should have done that instead of taking it where I bought it. As it is, that place no longer is a dealer for R-Pods. It is now an even longer drive to get to one from here.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 05 May 2019 at 5:49am |
That response from the guy at Lippert is exactly why most companies keep their engineers in the back room and feed them peanuts. Lippert is the manufacturer who made that axle with that support spacing and its Lippert's label on the axle rating it at 3500 lbs. Not FR's. So Lippert is in the end responsible for fitness for use, they can't claim FR "forced" them to do it. I'm speculating but most likely what really happened is that the FR sales account executive at Lippert won the internal argument to accept that order at that price point and that required Lippert's engineering dept to reduce their normal axle load safety factor. That safety factor is not regulatory as far as I can tell so its whatever they think it needs to be. its not a black and white thing. That kind of thing is very common in manufacturing companies especially ones that service a few large OEM's. Its the old sales vs. engineering battle and sales usually wins. Duh, the engineers aren't the ones bringing in the cash. The safety factor on that axle isn't way off the mark either, looked like around 2.5 to 3x when I checked it, meaning you'd have to have a 2.5 to 3g bump load or around 4000 lbs per wheel to get a failure. That does happen but not commonly. So while its no consolation to those that have had an axle failure, its not clearly that bad either. The actual failure rate isn't that high or there would be hundreds or thousands of folks reporting axle failures. And, axle problems are not by any means limited to rPods. If you do a web search you'll see these kinds of issues and concerns cropping up with many different makes and models of trailers. Weak axles seem to be endemic in the travel trailer industry. An interesting project might be to get something like this and stick it to an axle to monitor actual bump loading accelerations. You can get an accelerometer app for smartphones but I'm not going to strap my iphone to my axle. www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Accelerometer-Triple-Axis-Acceleration-Transducer/dp/B01MRPKDV9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?gclid=CjwKCAjwk7rmBRAaEiwAhDGhxHekWdTW6ZDHHkE74oFgWlLnJmUxkNfSmeP6D0hHexgd5C5QhWtC9RoCXaoQAvD_BwE&hvadid=153659459887&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9009855&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1o1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=1951565213553423548&hvtargid=kwd-15395111&hydadcr=18031_9433042&keywords=accelerometer+sensor&qid=1557052264&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 05 May 2019 at 6:00am |
When that dealer told you you couldn't put a different or modified axle under there what he meant was that HE as an authorized dealer couldn't do that. YOU as the owner can do anything you want as long as you're not wanting to make a future warranty claim. The way you did it does give you a fresh warranty on your new axle, if that's any consolation to you.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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