2021 Northpoint 310rlts/Dexter Axle defect

Lov2run1 · 09-23-2021, 04:46 PM

Good day all, I don’t like being the bearer of bad news but FYI:
We purchased a 2021 Northpoint 310rlts in April. It was manufactured 11/20.
Recently, noticed the left rear tire/drivers side, was bald 2 inches in from inside edge. I inspected other tires and there’s no wear on those tires. This rig has 3300 miles on it. I did further inspection and the left rear tire is cambered out at front of tire. There’s no wear on right rear tire. I did measurements on center of front hub to center of rear. It was 36 5/16 inch. The right side is 36”. This measurement on left side of is consistent with the spring axle mount at bottom leaf to rear of mount. I contacted my mobile tech who came out Monday, evaluated and took pictures, contacted Jayco Warranty, sent pictures and then they forwarded on to Dexter Axle. Dexter axle emailed my service advisor this morning and the bad news is that they won’t take responsibility of the worn tire, because it could have been from road surface or not level when parked, etc. but now the good news…..as a friendly customer gesture and in no way is this warranty related, they will ship free of charge to my Tech, 2 axles and spring assembly with the first 2 1/4 hour labor on them. This job is about a 10 to 12 hour for completion and that with no complications. My Tech is so sharp and sent Jayco an email back, asking Dexter to supply all blueprints and specs on the axles so they can do their own diagnostic first. Techs view is what happens if this same thing happens again down the road. I’m guessing this is what happens when there’s a serious problem but wasn’t found out until what’s taking place right now. Please inspect your rigs to see if there are any similar problems. In the mean time, I’m not settling for nothing less then their full responsibility. God Bless and Safe Travels to all.

White Ox · 09-23-2021, 07:05 PM

So, something interesting to note....

While I'm NOT saying you don't have an axle problem, I am saying that you may not have one. Let me explain....

Tandem Axle trailers have two axles - the back mount of the front axle spring and the front mount of the rear axle spring are fixed - meaning, those two ends are considered "rigid". However, as you compress those springs, because they are an arch to begin with and when flattened out, the arch becomes a line and that line must be longer, the axle itself moves AWAY from that rigid mounting point. So, in effect, as you compress the suspension, the axles move away from one another.

Because the above is an undeniable fact, if you load one side of the trailer MORE than the other side, then the axle ends on the lighter side of the trailer will be closer together than the axle pair on the heavier side.

When there is a difference in the distance between the front and rear axle as defined above, the axles themselves are no longer parallel - and are thus, at an angle.

Now, I can't tell you at what angle you start to see wear on 1 tire, but I know it happens. and it's usually on the tire that's "dragging" behind.

You can do a quick check to see if your suspension is more compressed on one side than the other by measuring to the ground from the frame in between the tires. Then you can put a jack under the frame and lift the low side to match the high side and then measure between the axles again - if they are still out, then I'd think you have a bent axle. If not, well, you have a suspension / weight distribution problem and changing out the axles likely won't fix the issue.

Clear as mud?

And if the axles ship with brakes / hubs on them already, then there is no way it should be a 10plus hour job. If they don't ship with brakes / hubs, well, then it MIGHT take 1 guy that long.

Cincinnati Kid · 09-23-2021, 07:26 PM

We had Lippert fix ours with one of those no questions asked/non-warranty Dexter replacements. Lippert installed the axle, but also did some serious repairs on the frame- Welded a broken crossmember, added extra angle iron and rebar support between the frame rails. They did additional welding on other frame components. No charge under warranty. Total time for all that- less than 5 hours.

Then we noticed a tire wearing unevenly on the other axle. Local dealership replaced that axle and tire. Maybe 8,000 miles later, no more excessive twisting of wheels, and no abnormal wear. I still don't know if the bent axle ripped the frame, or the broken frame bent the axles, but it's good for now.

Lov2run1 · 09-24-2021, 02:17 AM

I appreciate your comments. My Tech is going to look into all those measurements first before committing to new axles. I also am going to check those measurements in between wheels from ground up to bottom.
Brakes and hubs not included so the manpower is about 10 hours. I’ll keep you posted once we have a diagnosis on problem.
We were headed to Murphy, NC on October 4 but will be cancelling that trip. Thank you again.

Lov2run1 · 09-24-2021, 02:26 AM

Wow, Cincinnati Kid! You had some real problems. Sorry to hear what you went thru. What 5th wheel do you have? Thanks for sharing the info. We’ve got the ball rolling to have this repaired. We have a great Mobile Tech who will do all the work on our home base RV site. I’ll keep the post going as I receive more info. I do hope that there are others on the forum that will check for any defects with their units. Hopefully this is not a major problem in manufacturing. Thanks again

Cincinnati Kid · 09-24-2021, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lov2run1

Wow, Cincinnati Kid! You had some real problems. Sorry to hear what you went thru. What 5th wheel do you have? Thanks for sharing the info. We’ve got the ball rolling to have this repaired. We have a great Mobile Tech who will do all the work on our home base RV site. I’ll keep the post going as I receive more info. I do hope that there are others on the forum that will check for any defects with their units. Hopefully this is not a major problem in manufacturing. Thanks again

We have an Eagle HT 28.5 RSTS, a smaller 5th wheel. We have a long list of things that have been repaired under warranty, including a complete roof tearoff and replace. Our goal has always been to not let the many service issues keep us from camping. They have delayed some trips for us, but we've never had to cancel a season like some of the horror stories we've read. Keep on them (nicely), and don't let it sit at a dealership unless it is impossible to move.
Suggest you ask the service people to drop the coroplast and take a look at the frame above the axles to make sure everything is connected/ aligned. If they won't do it, do it yourself, just to verify that everything is connected properly.

poohbear · 09-24-2021, 07:14 PM

Can't you buy new axles with disc brakes attached from that company that comes to you & does the upgrade. I'd rather put that 8+ hrs of out of pocket towards that upgrade but that's me.

jetlag · 09-25-2021, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poohbear

Can't you buy new axles with disc brakes attached from that company that comes to you & does the upgrade. I'd rather put that 8+ hrs of out of pocket towards that upgrade but that's me.

That would be Performancetrailerbraking.com
The installer will come to the house, sometime in late October in our case. brake package has been here for near 45+ days.

ARoamer · 09-25-2021, 06:15 AM

We're going through the bad axle dance with our dealership. 2020 pinnacle 32rlts. Both rear tires have excessive wear on the inside edge, nearly bald after 3500 miles. I placed a straight edge on the rear tires on both sides, it does not contact the front tires on either side, there is at least an excessive toe out issue, possibly camber also. I can even gun sight it and tell it's bad. Currently my dealership says I should get a new rear axle and 2 new tires. This problem seems to be quite common across rv brands if you do a internet search. Evidently it's cheaper to kick all the bad axles out the door than have them properly checked at the factory. BTW, this is warranty issue #31 on this 5th wheel.

Lov2run1 · 09-25-2021, 06:27 AM

Thanks gif that info. Seems Dexter is not taking accountability for a in house problem. Are they going to replace tires also? Have you incurred out of pocket? Hope you’re back on the road soon.

Lov2run1 · 09-25-2021, 06:32 AM

We’re not buying the axles. Dexter is shipping axles and spring assemblies. No hubs and braking. As far as an upgrade…….brakes are fine…..if it works and it’s not broken, why replace it. Thanks for your input.

bcsparks · 11-30-2021, 09:27 PM

the axles on my 2020 northpoint 377rlbh bent twice. I have the onboard generator with gen prep and washer dry combo which both add a lot of weight but are factory upgrades. Jayco refuses to acknowledge the axles are underrated for this camper but has trplaced them with a special order 7400 lb axle that works with the same lug wheels and tires. I tried to push them to go to the 8000 lb axle to no avail. There is no accountability to the manufacturers. This is a major safety issue that they appear to want to sweep under the rug.

Lov2run1 · 12-01-2021, 05:31 AM

Happy you were able to push for the upgrade and get the axles. Please report your issue to the NHTSA. We need to make Jayco, Dexter, Thor accountable for these issues. If you follow all the Jayco 5th wheel groups on Facebook, you’ll see how widespread this is. Be well, be Safe and Be Thankful..

bcsparks · 12-01-2021, 07:10 AM

The problem with the special order axles are that they take weeks to be made. If I bend am axle legitimately on a trip, it is impossible to replace elsewhere

Lov2run1 · 12-01-2021, 07:20 AM

If you have a reliable Mobile Tech, have axles shipped to them and have installed……at your place. It will cost you a service fee but a lot better then relying on a dealer and having them put you off. This is how we had our axles swapped out. We were also reimbursed by Jayco for the 6 hours labor. 2 men, 3 hours each.

bcsparks · 12-01-2021, 07:36 AM

there was about 30 other items including the slide frame having to be reinforced that were warranty items

You may also like: