Frame Failure Symptoms List

Below is somewhat of a comprehensive list of FRAME FAILURE symptoms. Make a list of all of your possible symptoms before contacting your RV assembly/manufacturing company, and make sure when you do, you do this through email, not phone calls. You will want a paper trail of the conversations when it comes to any of the RV assembly/manufacturing companies (OEM). Trust me on this!

If you feel strongly you have actual frame failure and even moreso after it has been thoroughly inspected, you should first file a formal complaint with:

NHTSA
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you do this

As Soon As Possible!

Filing this complaint before submitting your request to your OEM may help expedite your repairs. Ensure you get your case number from NHTSA before contacting your RV OEM.

Note: Measurements of the pin box alone do not verify whether you have frame failure or not. Do not let a dealership or your RV assembly/manufacturing company try to tell you anything different. Make them remove the filon (under the pin box) and inspect all the welds for cracks or breaks. Also, examine the back of the frame near the suspension. If you have a frame/structure warranty, it should cover the entire frame!

— Sawdust on/in furniture in the nose of the RV

— Furniture rubbing wall or moving up and down or forward and back

— Broken furniture in the nose of the RV

— Lag screws unscrewing and/or loose in the upper deck

— Missing lag screws

— Bent lag screws Excessive noise, popping, grinding, or creaking of walls when lowering and raising trailer on/off truck

— Trim pieces on the front exterior moving when hitched vs. unhitched — this IS frame failure.

— 5th Wheel pin box "sinking up" into RV upper deck when lowering onto the truck.

This is frame failure — URGENT DO NOT TOW!

— Roof membrane separating at front cap

— Nose cap separating (pulling away) from roof membrane (this IS frame failure)

— Stress fractures in fiberglass on the cap of RV are a possible sign

— Pinch molding coming loose from underside of 5th wheel skin or Filon

— Screws backing out and/or breaking on the slide in the upper deck

— Delamination at the bottom of the sidewalls close to the trim near the front cap