A-frame cracks

Inland RV Center, In · 08-05-2005, 04:05 PM

Frame cracked? Abusive use? Nah, you can do anything to the frame of an Airstream.

Don't bet on it.

Heavy duty tow vehicle towing an Airstream trailer without any wheel balancing, can result it severe damage to the frame.

The attached photo show an A-frame, cracked almost in half.

The frames on older trailers should be frequently checked for cracks.

The old frames were channel steel, not boxed steel, therefore they can fatigue must faster.

Andy

norbert · 08-05-2005, 04:20 PM

what years are we talking about?

Inland RV Center, In · 08-05-2005, 04:22 PM

All the years that used channel steel.

Andy

**Janet** · 08-05-2005, 04:32 PM

Which years used channel steel?

greg176 · 08-05-2005, 04:39 PM

I know my '61 did.Thanks for posting photo,always interested.It looks like corrosion of the upper chord of the channel played a part in the eventual failure.That is why I opted for replacing my frame.

http://www.airforums.com/forum...t=frame+repair

greg176 · 08-05-2005, 05:14 PM

Andy, I enjoyed your article in Airstream Life on towing and hope to read another some time soon.
I am currently in the market for a pickup.As I will be building a house on the island I was thinking if an F-250 for hauling.Do you think it would be better for the Airstream if I went with an F-150.

**Action** · 08-09-2005, 05:46 PM

Several posts of this thread were cut and moved to the Community Forum under towing. The title of that thread is called "Tow Vehicles"

Now we resume the regularly scheduled thread called "A-frame cracks"

Thank you.

>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

greg176 · 08-11-2005, 09:28 PM

I used to use the wheel balancer that Andy uses to balance Boeing 737 nosewheels at Nordair.Snap On no longer carries it.If you want to do it yourself here is a helpful link.

http://members.tripod.com/ronkilber//BALANCER.HTM