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Randall K. Wilson

Randall K. Wilson

Junior Member
A good friend of mine is a retiree. This gent worked very hard all of his life and was a good money manager as well. A couple of months ago he bought a new 5th wheel travel trailer with the remote controlled slide outs and remote controled awnings. Also he bagged a new GMC 1 ton 4 door cab pick up with the diesel engine to pull it. This RV has the "garage" in the back so that he can pull his Ultra Classic into the back of the unit. This whole rig is awesome, deluxe, and I'm sure cost a lot of money.
A couple of weeks ago he went on his maiden Journey. This couple departed from Central Indiana and drove to the Smokey Mountains. There they Unloaded the Ultra and road around the Smokies for a week.
He is back in town and I called and ask him if everything went OK. (this is his first RV and he is a rookie). He told me yes everything was perfect except for one problem. According to him his Ultra (The flagship of the motor company)...collapsed the floor of his new 5th wheel RV. The rear wheel broke through the floor and was sitting about 3 inches down in a hole. The area that collapsed was between two floor joist.
The RV Company is going to fix the floor because it is under warrantee. My pal has requested an additional floor joist be added in the area that failed. This is yet to be seen if they do it or not. He is also going to put some of that fancy checkered floor plate in the area where the Ultra sits, to make the floor more substantial.
I am still shocked that this incident occured.
 
tell your bud to see if he can determine the thickness of the plywood (it should be plywood) . if he cant and isn't really sure about the extra joist being installed to make sure the plate he puts in spans at least three of the joists.

after reading your post it makes me wonder about the quality of the rv. as a toy hauler, i would have to think that at least 3/4 in. plywood would have been used.

i just sit here thinking there is know way this should have happened.
 
As Labow says, sounds like they used too light guage plywood on the subflooring. If this is a toybox...you should consider thicker plywood as well as joists and cross bracing. As the saying goes...this is not your "gran mama' garage"...best to beef it up a bit.
 
I would want a explanation from the manufacture. As a weight limited. Wonder if it happened when he was riding it in, or while resting without the weight of a rider. Is he heavy?
 
I used to work on RV's part time, and most of them have particle board for the flooring. If you ever saw one put together at thier plant, you would be amazed that they don't fall apart going down the road.
Most of them are 2"x2" stick walls. If I were him I would run a piece of diamond plate the length of the bike so that both wheels are resting on it.
 
Jonas said:
I would want a explanation from the manufacture. As a weight limited. Wonder if it happened when he was riding it in, or while resting without the weight of a rider. Is he heavy?
Click to expand...

Jonas, I think the floor collapsed when he was motoring down the road. My understanding is he dropped the rear ramp and YIKES...his rear tire is sitting in a hole three inches deep.

cowboywildbill said:
I used to work on RV's part time, and most of them have particle board for the flooring. If you ever saw one put together at thier plant, you would be amazed that they don't fall apart going down the road.
Most of them are 2"x2" stick walls. If I were him I would run a piece of diamond plate the length of the bike so that both wheels are resting on it.
Click to expand...

Yes I think that is what he is going to do...a nice LONG strip of strong plate. For both wheels to rest on.
 
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3/4 marine plywood I'm thinkin would be best. they make most rvs 1 town to my east. my wife worked at quest in the boom time. it is amazing they stay together. but they do.
 
sounds like perhaps, the guy hit a large bump and the bike sorta lifted up and sat back down HARD! Just a guess. At any rate, never should have happened. Sorry to hear this but it could have been a lot worse. /bike could have fell through the floor and drug the road for hundreds of miles.

Bill
 
I have even seen this happen with enclosed trailers. My 6X12 Haulmark was modified by me when I picked it up. I used pressure treated 3/4 tounge and groove for the floor and the walls. Yes, it made the trailer heavier but it is so much stronger and gave me useable wall space to hang cabinets, mount a rolling tool box, three 3 foot flourescent lights and not have to wory about cracking through the cheap luan that they use on the walls from the factory.

I am glad his bike is ok.
 
I see lots of good suggestions here. The bottom line is something more needs to be done to strengthen the floor in the are where the bikes are to be loaded and tied down. When considering the weight of the bike, it is good to remember, when it is tied down the floor area under the bike is under more stress than just the bike weight. The tie down straps pull the bike down even more and where the straps are hooked, that are is pulled up, almost like trying to fold up the floor. So the strengthening needs to extend beyond the tie down points as well.

Mostly, it is terrible that this happened.
:bigsmiley15:
 
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