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Topic ClosedBroken Welds on Floor Joists
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Junkinpod View Drop Down
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Joined: 04 Jun 2019
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Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Broken Welds on Floor Joists
    Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 9:52am
Floor Collapse -wet floor Posted: 22 Jun 2020 at 10:04pm

Followup on what I found when I removed all of the flooring.  2 of the floor joists have broken welds on the slide side, which is t has caused the wall to drop >1".  The collapsing floor is a structural issue and the welds should not have broken.  Attached are photos of the aluminum joist under the back bed that shows the broken weld and the bend in it on the slide-out side, the same joist on the door side, and the broken weld under the slide side.     I believe that the wet floor was the result of the 2" drop in the outside wall - shifting the slide out position and the rear hatch near the floor (won't close properly now).   This damage was not cause by me and any negligence on my part. I am seeking Forest River's assistance to repair this structural issue. (first aluminum welding shop has declined repair job)
Any suggestions as to how I can get Forest River's attention to cover the cost of this repair?  Thoughts suggestions?  

thank you to all who replied and provided info previously.
Belinda

1st 2 pictures are under the slide out. 
photo 3-5 are the floor joist under the rear bunk on the slide out side.  

  
Belinda
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2586 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 10:48am
I don't mean to be pessimistic, but this situation looks like, if you were paying for the labor and materials, it would be more costly to repair than the trailer is worth.  If you are doing it for fun/recreation with all your own labor and had a cheap source for materials, of course, that is a different matter.  I can see why a welding shop declined the work.  They'd set fire to the trailer if they tried.  I suspect that FR will say the welds broke because of user abuse, not as a result of poor workmanship.  Proving the contrary will cost orders of magnitude more than the value of a similar trailer in good condition. 
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Fred & Maria Kearney
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Posts: 305 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 11:16am
Belinda, can you provide the model year and floor plan and if you bought it new or used? If it is less than a year old and you are the original owner, it should be covered under warranty. 
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Junkinpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 12:12pm
It is a 2014 182g.  I bought it in 2015 privately, hardly used - looked like new, all stickers were in place on sinks etc.  2019 this issue appeared - with the dropped floor which got worse of the summer.  By Fall I took out all of the flooring... wood was wet - dehumidifiers and it sat covered for the winter.  I was really afraid to remove the wooden floor - but when FR said that they would not assist, I had to do something , so I spent a day removing floor boards and this what I found.  http://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2014-forest-river-r-pod-travel-trailer-floorplan-rp-182g-tr18302
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2586 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 3:41pm
Belinda, I think I'd go to the seller and ask for a refund.  If this condition was not disclosed and no one specifically said that it's being sold "as is," you might be able to get your money back based on concealment of a material fact, i.e. the broken welds.  Concealment of material facts can be considered fraud in some jurisdictions.  It all depends on the consumer laws of Ontario.  Ontario Small Claims Court may also be a good option.  It looks like their jurisdictional maximum is well over what you likely paid for the trailer.  This looks like it is going only in one direction, from bad to worse and the more you open things up, the more messy it becomes.
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Junkinpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 3:58pm
Thanks for the input and suggestion.  I'm really hoping that Forest River will step up and do the right thing and fix this mess.  They have repaired many others outside of warranty - so there are many precedents.  I'm learning more and more each day - as others come forward with their stories.  
 
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2586 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 6:27pm
Belinda, the warranty offered in Canada may be different, but in the uncivilized parts of North America, the warranty is limited to the original purchaser from an authorized dealer.  To wit: "WARRANTY COVERAGE SUMMARY OF WARRANTY: Forest River Inc., 55470 CR 1, P.O. Box 3030, Elkhart, Indiana 46515-3030 (Warrantor) warrants to the ORIGINAL CONSUMER PURCHASER ONLY, when purchased from an authorized Forest River Inc. dealer, for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase (Warranty Period), that the body structure of this recreational vehicle shall be free of substantial defects in materials and workmanship attributable to Warrantor." [Emphasis added.]  https://forestriverinc.com/downloads/TowableWarranty.pdf

Inasmuch as you are not the original purchaser and did not purchase the trailer from an authorized dealer, you may be "SOL."  Other than being nice, there is no reason why FR would want to get involved with youir problem.  And last I checked, Berkshire Hathaway is not really focused on being nice as opposed to making all the money it can for Warren Buffett and the other stockholders.  In addition, broken welds and a rotting floor are very serious indications of owner neglect, which would void any warranty that might otherwise apply.  Had the original owner dealt immediately with this problem, they may have had a chance to get warranty coverage, but as a second owner, compounded with the original owners likely neglect, your chances of convincing FR to fix it are about as likely as a comet hitting your house at 3:14 a.m. EDT, on July 17, 2020.  

As I suggested previously, you best remedy may be to try and get you money back from the seller who may well have concealed the true condition of the trailer.  I wouldn't necessarily blame FR for the problem you've encountered.  Though it may well be their fault, there is a significant element of owner neglect and possible mis-use.  Weld's in the floor frame don't generally fail unless they've been subjected to some pretty severe stresses, far beyond what the manufacture would reasonably anticipate.  It is possible that the original owner failed to address the water leakage issue and also took the trailer on some pretty rough roads, all of which could have contributed to the failure of the floor structure.  FR is not going to accept responsibility for the owner's conduct.

You may want to consult with a lawyer who deals in consumer issues in your area to see what you can do.  
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 7:14pm
How did the water get in? I'm not following how that's related to welds breaking? Are you sure there is no evidence of leaks higher up? 
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 9:17pm
Originally posted by lostagain

As I suggested previously, you best remedy may be to try and get you money back from the seller who may well have concealed the true condition of the trailer.

They bought this used in 2015.  I think going back against the seller at this point would be a total waste of time! 

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Posts: 6285 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 10:14pm
Was this ever used off-road? I don't know what could cause multiple welds to fail except subjecting it to conditions well beyond what could be experienced on average US highways.
StephenH
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