lane hog wrote: Is it breaking in new places, or places that were already replaced/repaired?
According to the last post by the OP (complete with pictures) it is both breaking in new places as well as the repaired areas.
I am following this post with great interest because I wanted to upgrade to an all aluminum trailer prior to reading this. Now I am not so sure that I shouldn't hang onto my heavy steel framed 26' enclosed trailer.
2005 GMC 2500HD, AirLift suspension, TrailerSaver air ride hitch
2007 Gulfstream Sedona 34FBRW
Yamaha 3000i genset
Rotax 912 powered parachute
Loving DW, DS, DD GS Owners web site
After another close inspection today of the Aluma trailer, there are MANY defective welds on parts of the trailer that would (should) have no bearing on overloading the trailer. The door latch welds are all cracking! See more photos of this thing. I really think there is a serious issue with the build quality of this trailer. (keep in mind that it's a 5 year old trailer)
SSSStefan
2006 Chev 2500HD - Crew Cab D/A
2005 VW Passat TDI wagon - tow vehicle for the pup!
2005 Fleetwood Allegiance
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The fire department that I was with purchased an aluminum framed box and tank built on a Ford F550 chassis. The tank was a square 500 gallon one and the box had 3 compartments on each side, a hose reel mounted on top and a small gas engine and a 50 GPM pump on the rear. Set up with foam injectors, etc. for wildland fire fighting. The tank started leaking after a year, the weldments on the mounting for the hose reel broke twice and other cracks started showing up. The tank was reinforced with gussets on the inside and the cracks welded. After three years or so after welding cracks every year or so we finally sold it. Now realize that this was solidly mounted on the frame of the chassis with a minimum amount of flexing except that caused by the water sloshing in the tank, which would be minimal when the tank was full. Of course it was subject to some flexing when the frame twisted, but that didn't affect the tank.
My point being that welded aluminum bodies just seem to have problems. Aircraft are built differently with aluminum in that flexing ability is allowed, but that even eventually will lead to cracks as evidenced by a water bomber losing it's wings. Ridged welded aluminum construction can't flex except when the welds break. If the design has flex points which allow the normal amount of movement then the welds aren't stressed. Bolted connections will allow movement.
Listen to T-Bone, the thing has shattered like glass and the whole thing
is trash.
Even if they re-welded *ALL* of the welds, there will be hidden fractures
throughout the whole thing.
Since all of those pictures shows stress cracks/fractures, the whole
thing has been over stressed. Meaning all of the structural components
have been tweaked...work hardened and cracking.
Depending on the welding conditions, hydrogen embrittlement might be
one factor in this married with over loading.
That is a poor designed tongue for that GVWR as there isn't any type
of WD Hitch system that I know of that will handle that thing.
Your receiver isn't rated for that amount of dead weight either. Here
is a picture of buddies 06 GMC 2500HD Duramax receiver label. Note that
the dead weight rating is 1,000 lbs MAX and a trailer MAX weight of
7,500 lbs.
The huge amounts of flexing tin canned what I think hydrogen weakened
aluminum welds & structures. As all of this movement worked the alu,
the aluminum hardened to further create a glass like issue.
I recommend you toss the whole thing and either find another brand
trailer, or down size whatever you 'must' carry/haul.
Good luck!
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
That 10%-15% is a rule of thumb and best to actually weigh your trailer fully
loaded ready to go.
So much depends on the design and how/what/etc you load.
I always recommend above 12% as the min, as they tow better at that
high end and has to do with the amounts of weight transfered to the
TV's front end.
On the known flexing of this era GM receiver....additional issues factor if
your tires/suspension/etc are not right for that loading and terrain. It can
set up or attenuate harmonics.
Again, listen to T_Bone, he's my reference for anything to do with welding & metallurgy.
I did have a 1/2 hour long conversation with the president of ALUMA trailers today (AL) and he was friendly and said that I need to get the trailer to Mankato and they will take it from there and have their engineer (DEAN) review the entire trailer.
I told him I have no trust in this trailer and that it needs to be replaced, and he told me it's not their policy to replace trailers under warranty. He did say that they stand behind their products and if they deem it repairable that I should have full confidence that it will be safe. I did sense that there may be a possibility that they will replace it, but he did not want to commit to that over the phone without seeing the trailer.
So I understand that my truck's hitch was not rated for the weight, and I am going to address that, thank you for the heads up on that Ben.
So as for WDH, would this thing need a "V" tongue to be able to do it?
Several of you have said you don't like the tongue configuration, and I would like to understand what you don't like about it (not mine but their new ones.)
Upon another inspection just now of the trailer it looks like the entire roof structure has shifted forward due to the impact when the tongue broke. The side door and the ramp door - they are out of line with the frames and I have seen cracking of welds at the door frames.
Dunno, TDI. I can't see Aluma being this altruistic forever, especially if the new cracking comes down to damage from the impact just now manifesting itself.
Did you file a claim with your insurance company?... The over-reactor in me says the trailer may be a write-off, and the claims adjusters are going to be better equipped to go after Aluma than you will.
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