Frame Failure - 22 foot International

[Foiled Again]

Did you change from a single step to a double?

[Johnhenry]

the new frame raised the door way 4-5 inches. The original steps work fine. The additional ground clearance is a plus. All the plumbing is much less exposed. The main thing I notice in towing is that it’s necessary to have a weight distribution hitch that moves the weight forward in my f150 tow vehicle.

[BradS]

Originally Posted by Johnhenry

Discovered numerous cracks in the frame on my 22’ international. Outriggers were sagging on curb side, all the usual problems with this model.

Repaired this with full length 2x4 frame under original frame. Which appears to have repaired most of the problems. This repair gives 4” additional clearance. It appears to be a relatively clean and simple fix, at a cost of 5K. Seems to tow fine with sway bars.

What year is your trailer?

[Johnhenry]

2005 22ft international.

[JECTJC]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

I sold my 2005 before I knew about the problem... I had heard rumors that 2002 - 2003 models might have problems, but that everything had been fixed in later models. Not so.

I REALLY liked the layout - especially the large comfortable wet bath in the rear corner, but I got seduced by a bigger model. I am finally reaching the end of wanting to full time, and this neat little layout is perfect for the one week rally or visit.

So... would I EVER really buy another one? Well a 2005 will be 15 years old in July of this year. New heat pump, water heater and probably furnace, converter, plus a new stovetop... and perhaps replace dinette with a couch and tray tables?

And a new custom frame and a Coosa board floor. The original subfloor was OSB (hawk, patooie, patooie) which surely added insult and injury to the frame.

And 10K in labor. Wonder how much of the.plumbing and wiring can be left intact when scooching the old frame out and new frame in? Maybe just pull furniture and lower interior skins?

And could I find a shell that hadn't been badly damaged by the frame failure?

Well, IF I PAID less than $4K for the shell, I might. But the handy are probably redoing their own, or have already scrapped them. It does make me queasy to think that these 22 footers really NEED a frame off to be truly usable.

So I guess I will just have to suffer with the Eddie Bauer I currently own.

Paula

June 2022
Talk about "foiled again"! I also like the layout, and without a,proper inspection, I bought a 2003 International CCD 22 with the dreaded rear wet problem under the desk. Upon pulling some "furniture# out, I discovered,that,this trailer had been worked on in the past. The wheel well covers had been removed and returned, but new holes were put into the siding!!! Basically, a bit of a,butcher job. No real Airstream,specialist would have done that. They also drilled into the subfloor and installed big eye hooks for tie downs. I have to pull out everything, but not sure,how,to disconnect. The furnace,that is under the desk. Yikes, at 70 years old, I should have known better. I am,tempted,to sell for thousands,less than I paid. Anyone want a fixer?

[Johnhenry]

I had purchased a 2005 22’ international from a dealer a several years ago. I had requested a frame inspection at the time of purchase however I wasn’t aware of the frame problems that this model has. I took there word that the frame was OK. I quickly discovered a crack behind the axel. The outriggers were also sagging.
I took it to Professional Trailer Repair in Tucson. They put a full length frame under the existing frame and reinforced all the outriggers. This raised the trailer 4”. I have put 20, 000 miles on this repair and it seems to be a good fix. I tows well at 75 plus and I like the extra clearance. There is an excellent write up on a similar repair in this forum. This year I installed new 3500# axels. The new frame is probably going to cost $7k or so. New axels would be 2.5k more. But in the end I seem to have a good very functional trailer. So if you can find one of these models in good shape but with a cracked frame and buy it for under 10k. It might be worth the trouble.