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Thread: Camper wheel carrier weld repair
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2nd Jan 2022, 12:04 PM #1
Camper wheel carrier weld repair
Driving down the HWY outside Bourke 85km/h and the wheel carrier arm flings open on the 4by camper .... , stopped and had a look and the catch broke off causing it to open , upon inspection the wheel carrier arm is cracked , broken and slightly bent , looks a little rusted inside. The crack goes almost all the way around the outside . The wheel hangs off the end so a lot of weight on that bracket. Not happy as only got it a few months ago and it was first time out in it.
Its back home now , any ideas on how it should be welded and repaired properly ? Cheers.
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2nd Jan 2022, 01:03 PM #2Most Valued Member
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To me, it looks like a design fault, also send a pic to the manufacturer, so that they know there's a fault with the design Whether they do something about it or not, who knows, but they then know of a possible future problem.
Can you measure the thickness of the ripped bracket, it looks like it's only about 2mm, ideally should have been 3+mm.
I'd twist it back into position, remove the powder/paint coating, weld it and then wrap a piece of 50X5 flat around it and weld it to the main support, as well as the pivot point. That way it's supported ALL the way around.
What supports, if anything, the other end of the bar???
Any chance of a pic of the other end, please, so we can see what support, if any there is? That way I/we might be able to come up with something.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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2nd Jan 2022, 03:17 PM #3Philomath in training
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Talking once to a company that makes/ supplies bike racks that fit on tow bars, and the guy was saying that because of the weight of a full rack, a good pothole at speed has been known to snap tow bars off. If you have a heavy tyre on that arm, that may have happened here.
I'd agree with Kryn that some extra support may be needed to stop things bouncing around.
Michael
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2nd Jan 2022, 03:56 PM #4
Hi and happy New year to the lot of you.
If I may have 2 bob's worth please, can I mention the area around and inside the fracture?
It looks wet as there has been water laying inside the welded up stub. Check out the other end of the stub where it butts the vertical plate bolted to the rear bar.
Do you see the area in between the intermittent weld beads. Theres a rust stain there. Water has been entering there and pooling at the round pivot bar - basically inside the fracture.
Rusted from the inside out.
Its a cheap home fab job to make it out of thicker new bar and squirt in some fishoil before its sealed. I would not call the maker a manufacturer, perhaps another description which I am NOT allowed to use here. I would seal it with a weld bead to keep that water out.
Grahame
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2nd Jan 2022, 07:52 PM #5
Thanks for the replies & HNY 2022 , young bloke borrowed the trailer to go camping yesterday and apparently the arm fell off completely on its own .... unbelievable really, no choice now other than to make a complete new arm.
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2nd Jan 2022, 08:09 PM #6Most Valued Member
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That wheel carrier construction is totally inadequate.. Amazes me what they get away with these days.
Nev.
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2nd Jan 2022, 08:20 PM #7Most Valued Member
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Base it on the Kaymar tire carrier and use a stub axle and bearings for the pivot. Way stronger.
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2nd Jan 2022, 08:56 PM #8Most Valued Member
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What is the mounting plate bolted too? Take it off and check for rust under it. Stub axles make a good pivot point.
Nev.
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2nd Jan 2022, 09:13 PM #9Most Valued Member
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A bit of searching reveals a few problems with these campers depending on model.
Nev.
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2nd Jan 2022, 09:23 PM #10Most Valued Member
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Seems like the are made in China as well.
Nev.
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2nd Jan 2022, 11:39 PM #11China
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I would be asking for my money back. under consumer law in most state if some this not suitable for that which it was designed the manufacturer has to replace o or repair, if they are all the same then you would be entitled to a refund.
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3rd Jan 2022, 07:35 AM #12
It always cracks me up when the user name checks out.
I probably wouldn't go this far, but if it's new like you said and hopefully still under warranty, the Australian retailer would be liable for repair - have a chat to them perhaps? I'm a big fan of making people 'own' their mistakes.
Failing that you may have some kind of comprehensive insurance cover on it that may work?
My approach would be to just get some new material and weld'er'up - it would be a simple job, I've done a couple of these in the past- 5mm wall RHS/SHS is what I've used.
There is probably a lesson to be learned here for self reliance too- it could be much worse if this was something else (trailing arm) in a different place (eg Connie-Sue highway in WA). Remote touring tool kit would benefit from a hacksaw/file/tie wire pliers which could get you mobile if this happens somewhere untoward.
Stub axles do work well, and I've got a similar arrangement on my 4x4. The axle takes the load, and the swing arm locks against a supporting 3 sided steel bracket 'cup' top and bottom to prevent bouncing up and down. It's got a big over-centre locking clamp to tension it all down, and the tyre mount is such that the wheel nuts pull the tyre sidewall into the supporting bracket upright, so it has zero slop overall. This setup held up to a 33" MT on the silver city highway (prior to asphalt), the Cameron corner rd, and the Cut Line between Bourke and Tibooburra without a drama, plus lots of wheels-in-the-air type 4x4 tracks.
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3rd Jan 2022, 09:08 AM #13
Hi Iron Triangle
In view of that disaster, have you thought about the soundness of the remainder of the van frame construction.? Your draw bar in particular.
If the makers can make a poor job of the spare wheel frame, they are well capable of making a real bollox out of your draw bar or other critical part of your sub frame.
A check on the wall thickness of your drawbar RHS is a good start, followed by an through inspection of the welding and fab .
Is the name Ezy Trail or perhaps Trail littered by by van components falling off?
Grahame
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3rd Jan 2022, 11:55 AM #14Most Valued Member
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The OP said that he’d only had the camper a few months, but to me that arm looks a lot older than that - ie been used for a few years.
Regardless of the poor design which was never going to last, if its previously had a hard life then all bets are off in regards to what else might have issues.
As Grahame already said - it would be a good idea to give it a really good going over structurally, and based on what you find go from there. No point doing a strong repair job on the wheel carrier only to find a couple of months down the track that it’s ripped the side out of an thin/fatigued chassis rail.
Steve
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3rd Jan 2022, 01:36 PM #15
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