Stress Fracture on 09 Canyon Trail 34FBRW

[Johnny West SASS-51592]

First Long Trip and have discovered a "Horizontal" Stress Fracture on left front outside wall just in front of bedroom slide on the bottom left side of the slide.

I came here to this forum and discovered stress fractures in this general area to be a rather common defect with these newer Gulf Stream 5th Wheels. I had stopped at a RV repair place during the trip. He advised that it was most likely a failed weld in the frame and suggested it should be checked as soon as I got home. I quit my vacation early to get home to have it repaired. In 1 day the crack extended another 2 inches between then and Home (about 1500 freeway miles). It's now about 6" long now, but only about 1/8th of an inch at its widest (point or origin). The crack doesn't seem as serious as the worry as to what has caused it in the first place.

Well I'm home and have taken the unit to Explore USA in Mesquite, TX. I have been very pleased with their Service Department. RV Tech very helpful and also located several cracks forming around the top of the front cap and roof. Possibly a stress related issue associated with the original failure that has caused the larger side fracture.

I'll try and keep you posted on the outcome. Although I feel that Gulf Stream has taken "Money Saving Short Cuts" in their recent products that almost certainly are leading to early repair issues and Consumer complaints; I have also heard that they are good about fixing these problems. We shall see.... and I'll make sure to let you all know the outcome.

[Johnny West SASS-51592]

Well, here we are at day "40 plus". My Gulf Stream Canyon Trail is still in the shop. Thus far the dealer and body shop have made 2 attempts at repairing the crack. They advise that Gulf Stream would not authorize them to pull the skirting by the pin to investigate what had caused the fracture. Most of us still believe it's failed welds. Service tech said he spoke with company rep. who refused to allow him to pull the skirting and check for broken welds. 1st repair authorized was only to sand and patch the crack...guess what... the second they put the weight of the trailer back down on a 5th wheel hitch...it cracked again...right away! Hey Gulf Stream...may we have authorization to check inside for the cause? NOPE...not Yet!!! Body shop guy then pulled the FACTORY PATCH (factory is aware of cracking issue and supposed to have devised a repair by cutting slot below bedroom slide down from slide to bottom of trailer...and then placing a section of molding over the cut)..this is supposed to deal with the stress that occurs in that area. Inspecting where the stress cut was supposed to be shown the cut was not complete, and to our knowledge NO GUSSETT reinforcement. This was either due to a lazy employee, or at the Factorys specs, but for sure it does not work in my case. The body shop guy finding this made the complete cut that should have been done at the factory, repaired and patched the crack a second time. My 5th wheel was then taken back to the repairing dealer. I was called and by the time they got it back to the dealer (about 10miles away). It had cracked again, and this time the crack is about 1 inch wide...way...way...way... unsafe! Thus..nothing was done to my unit at the factory to repair a defect, known to the Manufacturer, and still allowed to leave the factory for sale. Today, I met with the factory authorized repairing dealer. They said they showed the Gulf Stream Rep pictures of the "factory stress cut w/ molding removed"...The Gulf Streeam rep. accused the dealer of not making the cut correctly. The Dealer Service Tech had to tell her twice that the improper cut she was blaming them for, was in fact done at the factory. OOOOPS!!!! Even after all this... she still would not authorize the dealer to pull the bottom penning and check for the "CAUSE" and broken welds in the frame. Gulf Stream has authorized them "2" additional hours to do the repair again. This requires them to cut a section of the wall around the crack (two feet or so square) and make the gussett repair, and repatch the wall.

Hey Gulf Stream...if it were your family driving behind me...passing me...or in my truck while pulling this trailer... Would you gamble their safety over the little amount of money necessary to properly inspect this unit for broken welds. By the way...I understand that all this section is simply "Spot Welded". Is this true...and is this the reason Gulf Stream doesn't want the dealer to look?? All they had to do was fix what they already knew was broken at the factory..instead of making us go through all of this. No wonder so many of :evil: these guys are all going out of business.

Again...I'll keep you posted.

[Timothy]

Thanks for the update Johnny. I suggest you try contacting Mr. John Smith at Gulf Stream. He was very helpful when I had warranty problems with my Canyon Trail.

[Lakedweller]

Welcome to GS service, band aide rather than repair. Good luck I sure did not have any. And forget John Smith he marches to the GS drums. I got NO HELP what so ever from anyone at GS.....