Your experience with leaf spring failures

[MtnGoat]

Was talking to some RV friends about leaf spring life span. Most of them haven't had a spring failure. So I figured to ask this forum about your experience. At what (life) time or mileage intervals have you encountered a spring failure. And to what extent was the collateral damage?

[Marcm157]

You should add a choice for never had a spring failure and/or replaced a failing spring proactively to avoid a catastrophic failure.

[citgodan]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

You should add a choice for never had a spring failure and/or replaced a failing spring proactively to avoid a catastrophic failure.

x2 and how long you have owned the trailer

[RoadrunnerII]

Replaced all 4 springs and upgraded last spring on our 2017..Lippert covered cost under their spring axle warranty.
Had one flattened spring others not to spec
Trailer was never overloaded.
Went from 4 leaf 3000 lb springs to 6 leaf 3500lb

RoadrunnerII

[Learjet]

1st travel trailer...47,000 miles no failures.
current 5th wheel...40,000 miles no failures.

[Mopar_Earl]

Never had one fail, but had to replace them due to flatting out. Cheap china steal springs. Had bushings fail.


Earl

[JFlightRisk]

No spring issues, but did upgrade to wet bolts and bushings at about 8 years. I like to be able to lubricate friction components

[RobPotter]

Had a failure in January to my right front spring. Tires rubbed for about an 1/8 of a mile and needed replaced. Tow bill was $600, Spring replacement was $400 and 2 new tires were $600. I am replacing all springs with 5 leaf #3000 springs and wet bolt kit. I will be doing the labor. Total parts cost was $350.

[Jagiven]

I have never had a leaf spring failure on a TT. My old Ford Ranger (94??) broke a spring.

Had an old Nomad, lost an equalizer, dropped the height of the TT on the driver's side, did not notice it, tore out the sewer system pulling into a BLM CG in Montana. That was decades ago, don't recall the costs. Fixing the sewer was the worst part of the job.

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by RoadrunnerII

Replaced all 4 springs and upgraded last spring on our 2017..Lippert covered cost under their spring axle warranty.
Had one flattened spring others not to spec
Trailer was never overloaded.
Went from 4 leaf 3000 lb springs to 6 leaf 3500lb

RoadrunnerII

Did this conversion require longer U bolts?


The reasoning for my questions is scheduling and financing springs, bolts, bearings and brake parts. Tires are replaced at 5 year intervals. Bearings checked every 10k miles or 2 years. Brakes, springs and bolts checked and lubed as required every year. The yearly maintenance interval being in Spring.

[RoadrunnerII]

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

Did this conversion require longer U bolts?


The reasoning for my questions is scheduling and financing springs, bolts, bearings and brake parts. Tires are replaced at 5 year intervals. Bearings checked every 10k miles or 2 years. Brakes, springs and bolts checked and lubed as required every year. The yearly maintenance interval being in Spring.

Nope same length U bolts
Lci actual sent U bolts but they where smaller OD than what trailer had... 1/2 inch vs 9/16 inch I used the 9/16

RoadrunnerII

[mrmom]

Poll should have a box for "No Damage". I have a 2015 and have had no issues. Never had an issue with my landscape trailers either.

[Bakedalaskan]

I have had three springs break. One on a triple axle toy hauler in South Carolina. Two on a two axle toy hauler. (One in Alaska and one in Yukon.) All three happened due to pothole, construction zone, and a bridge approach with abrupt edges. No damage other than the broken spring. With all this experience I can now replace a spring in an hour and carry two spares all the time. I also carry bolts and shackles. I carry springs because it is impossible to find a replacement in South Carolina on a Sunday and it is a four hour round trip in Alaska/Yukon to get a new one. One very important idiom: anything you have spare parts for will not break or if you don't have the parts to fix it it will break. I have seven decades to prove it.

[crockettlarry]

Originally Posted by Bakedalaskan

I have had three springs break. One on a triple axle toy hauler in South Carolina. Two on a two axle toy hauler. (One in Alaska and one in Yukon.) All three happened due to pothole, construction zone, and a bridge approach with abrupt edges. No damage other than the broken spring. With all this experience I can now replace a spring in an hour and carry two spares all the time. I also carry bolts and shackles. I carry springs because it is impossible to find a replacement in South Carolina on a Sunday and it is a four hour round trip in Alaska/Yukon to get a new one. One very important idiom: anything you have spare parts for will not break or if you don't have the parts to fix it it will break. I have seven decades to prove it.

Truth!

[JFlightRisk]

Moderator Note

I've added a poll option for "Never experienced a failure".

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

Moderator Note I've added a poll option for "Never experienced a failure".

.
.
.
I asked "Was talking to some RV friends about leaf spring life span. Most of them haven't had a spring failure.

So I figured to ask this forum about your experience. At what (life) time or mileage intervals have you encountered a spring failure. And to what extent was the collateral damage?

The point was gathering info from those that had a failure. And what if any damage did they encounter.

Thanks anyways

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by Bakedalaskan

I have had three springs break. One on a triple axle toy hauler in South Carolina. Two on a two axle toy hauler. (One in Alaska and one in Yukon.) All three happened due to pothole, construction zone, and a bridge approach with abrupt edges. No damage other than the broken spring. With all this experience I can now replace a spring in an hour and carry two spares all the time. I also carry bolts and shackles. I carry springs because it is impossible to find a replacement in South Carolina on a Sunday and it is a four hour round trip in Alaska/Yukon to get a new one. One very important idiom: anything you have spare parts for will not break or if you don't have the parts to fix it it will break. I have seven decades to prove it.

I always thought I was the "most prepared" with spare parts. I carry quite a bit of stuff but you win. I never even considered carrying a spare spring!

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

I always thought I was the "most prepared" with spare parts. I carry quite a bit of stuff but you win. I never even considered carrying a spare spring!

We seldom hear of a spring breaking on a car. But trailers are another story. I'll just pickup a spare to be on the safe side. Who knows? Probably never need one....

[Sola123]

Broke one last October … replaced them all

[crockettlarry]

Since this thread started, I got under my trailer and inspected mine pretty carefully. I don't see any issues but it makes me wonder if I need to just carry one or two in my already loaded trailer. Might end up helping a fellow camper if not myself. I've also wondered about doing the wet bolt kit.

Got a lot of financial commitments all of a sudden. Both vehicles need repairs or maintenance and I have my work trailer that rarely moves but I would like to fix it up so that I can move it more and use it. It needs brake assemblies x 4 and probably drums and maybe even a good amount of sanding and Por15 on the frame. Oh and I'm paying for my own wedding next month. Now comes along protential issues that should have been over engineered at the factory.

Larry