VISA 19ERD Bent Axle

[jetjock]

Has anyone had a problem with a bent axle on any VISA model? After 2800 miles on my brand new trailer, the left tire blew. When I put the spare on, I saw that the inside edge of the tire was worn off through 3 cords while the outside tread was like new. I was near Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada on my way to Alaska.
My dealer contacted Gulf Stream and they wanted to see the axle. I got the phone number of the people that provided the torsional axle, but they "had none in stock". It would have taken 1.5 - 2 weeks to get a torsional axle in and have it installed. I had no option but to have a standard axle system put on the trailer in order to continue my trip. Now the fight for a Warranty Claim. One bonus out of this is that the trailer is raised about 4 inches.

[tinapetel]

Check to see if the wheel housing was rubbing on the tire. My tires wore the same way and Gulfstream put larger wheel housings on mine.

[jetjock]

Thanks for your reply, but it was the inside of the tire that wore through. Two trailer dealers indicated that the tire failed because of a bent or broken axle. Neither could fix the problem, as it would have taken 2-3 weeks to get a torsion axle in. The second one recommended the local welding outfit that replaced the bent axle with a standard spring type. As far as warrantry was concerned, Gulf Stream wanted to see the axle before they would discuss replacing the axle. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. I have no idea what it would cost to ship the axle from the Yukon and unless it was sent by air freight, it could have taken at least week to get to Gulf Stream. Then they would have to deal with the supplier of the axle. I would have been stranded there for at least a month and my trip to Alaska would have been ruined. I had already travelled about 2000 miles and 10 days to get to Whitehorse and was within a day or two of Alaska.

[deltamark]

Am currently on a two-week vacation with our 2011 Visa RSD and the same thing happened. Had a blow-out on the passenger side trailer tire. The inside of the thread was totally worn through. After fixing, I noticed that the driver side tire was exactly the same way. We might have had 7,500 miles on the trailer. I stopped and had a truck repair person look at it, but he couldn't see that the axel was bent. I'm gong to have to have this checked out when I get back. This is very disturbing.

[jetjock]

Please keep me informed on your progress. My trai;er dealer just sent info (pictures and invoice for axle replacement) to the Axle supplier. She was told to do this by Gulf Stream. I'll post the outcome when I get the reply.

[deltamark]

Will do. I'm sure it will be a few weeks before I get any answers.

Please keep me informed on your progress. My trai;er dealer just sent info (pictures and invoice for axle replacement) to the Axle supplier. She was told to do this by Gulf Stream. I'll post the outcome when I get the reply.

[tinapetel]

My tires wore the same way and Gulfstream put larger wheel housings on mine the 2nd time my tires wore ( after about 5000 miles). The 1st time the complete axle was replaced (after 4000 miles). I have about 3600 miles on my 3rd set of tires. they are not worn out yet, but are definitely wearing much faster on the inside of both tires.
ALL VISA OWNERS SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON INSIDE TIRE WEAR!

[deltamark]

Found the following post that appears to be the same issue: http://www.roamingtimes.com/rvreports/5 ... ailer.aspx (http://www.roamingtimes.com/rvreports/5/gulf-stream-visa-travel-trailer.aspx)

[jetjock]

It's beginning to look like the axles are coming out of the manufacturers bent. The odds of having 4 (known) bent axles after delivery are very slim unless the axles aren't as strong a they are supposed to be. My axles were out by 1/4", the same as the one in the link you listed. I'm still waiting for the manufactures reply to my dealership.

[toaobigal]

I'm wondering how they ship the trailers from the factory: if they put them on flatbed trailers, it's possible that the axles are getting bent in the shipping process. I had a tire (door side) that wore out very fast (about 200 miles) but it was because it was low on air, only 15 psi instead of 50 at it was my fault: I didn't check the tire pressure. Once I put the right pressure, I drove 1400 more miles without a problem.

[deltamark]

Could be Toaobigal. I was also wondering about the fact that early this year, I had the dealer install a riser kit that raised the trailer about 3 - 4 inches. Perhaps that changed the way the axle is aligned. Anybody else with this issue have the riser kit installed?

[toaobigal]

Did any of you guys with tire problems try radial tires? While it think the alignement of the axle could be the problem (not sitting straight), bias ply tires do wear faster than radials and the ones they put on our Visas are pretty cheap. Next season, I was going to switch to radials tire but now that I've booked a seasonal place, I'm not going to waste money on tires that will probably sit all summer. However, if we go somewhere far enough for our vacations (2000 miles back and forth last August) then I'll get radials.

[Electro907]

I have the same problem on my Visa 19RSD. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one.
I was getting the trailer ready for the winter and when I went underneath to find the drain plugs I noticed that the inside of the driver's side tire was all worn out, I could see some of the cord. I looked at the other side and it was worn out as well but not as much. I contacted the dealer and he told me that it's usually because of too much weight in the trailer and said to bring it in so they could look at it. On our way over to the dealer's I was looking in my mirror and noticed that the wheel wasn't straight, and the trailer was almost empty. When we arrived at the dealer's the salesman came out and I immediately pointed it out to him. I'm waiting for them to call me back and let me know what the problem is.

[leonmacha]

Gulf Stream and Lippert Components (axle mfg) need to issue a recall. At 3000 miles my tires were badly worn in inside. Same old story. Gulf Stream provided replacement tires, Lippert a new axle and paid labor for the install. Now have to do another 3000-5000 miles out of warranty to see if the fix was right. My VISA dealer dropped the VISA line and then the replacement dealer also dropped out. I consulted another VISA dealer (who was not interested in doing the repair) and the service manager said the axle suffered from 'loss of camber'. Actually it was fabricated out of camber.
I,too, would have had a blow out if I was not under trailer looking for another problem.

That service mgr said that GS or Lippert would blame on overweight, but I filed my complaint with a weight ticket to prove otherwise. Overweight was never mentioned.

[deltamark]

Just brought my 2011 Visa home today from the service department of an area dealer. Had it in because of the tires being completely worn down on the inside portion and consequently, suffering a blowout on the passenger side tire. The dealer's service department stated that the axel did not appear to be bent, but GS is reimbursing me for the replacement of the tires.Â*

I am still very uncomfortable with the possibility that this will reoccur again. This is the path that I am taking:

My Gulf Stream owner's manual states, "If you believe that your vehicle has a defect that could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Gulf Stream Coach."

"If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign."

The NHTSA web site is www.NHTSA.gov (http://www.NHTSA.gov) or 1-800-424-9393

[leonmacha]

Insist on a new axle. Due to dynamics of these flex axles, you cannot see any bend. The axle is fabricated wrong, not bent. Doing the most precise measurements I could do, the tires were 1/4 inch further apart in front than in back. You might think that is not much, but apparently bad enough to eat up tires. Keep after them.

[jetjock]

I just received a cheque from Lippert Axles for full payment of the axle I had replaced back in Jun 11.
They paid me for the installation of a standard spring mounted axle, which was installed in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory while I was on my trip to Alaska.
The claim was filed in Aug 11, so it took over 4 months. I had submitted a Weigh Scale report showing that the trailer was not over the 3500 lb. axle limit.
One positive thing was that the new axle raised the trailer 3-4 inches, so I didn't need the lift kit that I was planning on installing when I got home.
I should have included the tires in the claim, but this is more than I thought I would get.

[oboereeds]

I too have been having this problem with my 19ERD eating up tires on the inside shoulder. First the dealer said the axle was not straight so it was reset (off by about 1/2"), but then after about 2500 more miles and a new tire it happened again. Now they are saying that everything is within spec and they want to just "give it back to me." I'm glad I ran across this and will speak with the service manager. Obviously the people at Gulfstream know about this problem, so I'm surprised (or maybe I shouldn't be) that they would give me the run-around on it. They're probably just hoping for the warranty to run out before I come back again. This is my fourth travel trailer and I've never had one tear up tires before.

[RinconVTR]

Is anyone aware if Gulfstream resolved this issue on 2012 models?

I am about to buy a 2012 Visa 19RSD (have money down) but I saw the delivery date of October 2011. The dealer said he is aware of some having the tire wear and axle problem, but only because he reads the forums. He has not yet had a customer return with the issue. The mannor which he said this, made me believe him. So I wonder if the 12 models have axles made to spec...or not.

[visagiles]

I have a 2012 Visa ERD. It has less than 1000 miles on it, and the tires are showing excessive wear on the inside. It appears to be an axle problem. The trailer is rated at about 4000# GVW, and the axle is only rated at 3500#. The empty trailer weight is slightly over 3000#, so this only leaves you about 450# of cargo weight before you are overweight causing axle bowing. This appears to be a design error, and I am going to contact my dealer tomorrow, and also Gulfstream, and hope that they will do the right thing, (replace the axle with a properly rated one.) If Gulfstream does not voluntarily issue a recall on these axles, I urge all owners to check your axle rating, compare it with your GVW rating and notify NHTSA if the axle is not properly rated for your trailer. This is a safety issue, and hopefully Gulfstream will not try to avoid it. A friend of mine bought the identical model the same day as mine, and he is also experiencing the same issues, except he has had a blowout.

I took delivery of my VISA 19ERD (2013) last june and after 1,800 km, (+/- 1,300 miles), I have no issue with my tires yet. They both look's like new. They are Good Year Marathon radial tires. I'm leaving tomorrow to Cape Cod MA (from Montreal) for 2 weeks. I will keep you inform when i'll return of this +/- 1,000 km drive.

I like my TT even if I had to work quite a bit on it. I had to reseal completely all the joints under the TT. There was NO caulking at all on all joints (walls to floor, all around the spare tire plastic container, many holes in the floor with electric and water lines, around the wheel wells, the door step, etc.).

I also had to replace the tongue jack because of a all around crack in the weld (tube to base plate). There was no name stamped on the jack so I think it was a cheap ''made in China'' copy.

[joe clark]

I also had tire ware on my Visa and was told it was because I had over loaded it. But I had the trailer weiht by my dealer and it weght was ok so I paid to have the axle replaced as it was out of its one year warrenty, even though I had gone to the dealer with the problem with in the one year wrrenty period. I also had a blow out on a trip to Florida and Lippert would do nothing to help with the cost. Keep in mind the axle are not always bent they were installed correctly but were manufatured with problems that is my understanding of the problem.

[mesaboy]

We bought a Visa 19ERD this summer. Brand new. We put about 2000 miles on it when I noticed very abnormal wear on the passenger side tire, both inside and outside. The drivers side was good. We made the 600 mile trip home and when we got home I noticed abnormal inside wear on the drivers side tire. We contacted the dealer and they told us to bring it in. I did, and when I got there they told me they were going to take pictures of the tires and axle and send it in to Lippert. I asked if their own repair people could look at the trailer and got the same response...pics and send them off to Lippert. After seeing all the reports regarding axles and tires and the 19ERD I am beginning to think we made a big mistake buying this trailer. Too bad....we like the trailer but we hate trouble.

I'm back from my camping trip to Cape Cod MA and add another 700 miles to my 2013 VISA 19ERD (Lippert 3,500 pounds axle). So that's make +/- 2,000 miles on the road since I baught the TT in june and I have absolutely no evidence of abnormal tire wear on the trailer. I don't even see any wear on the tires. As I mentionned previously, the original tires (bias ply) where remove and replace (and balance) by two radial Good Year Marathon tires. It was part of the package of my TT dealer.

That's remind me my previous TT (Palomino 2003) that was equipped with DURO bias ply tires and AL-KO torsion axles (rubber ride) and I did experience slight abnormal wear inside the front left tire. I kept the tires for 9 years and rotate them once in while. I did replace the DURO with Good Year Marathon the last year and went from Montreal to Florida and back last spring for a total of more than 5,000 miles. I was surprise (and happy) to see that the 4 tires had no sign of wear (or abnormal wear) on my return home.

So, for what it's worth, my conclusion to eleminate the problem would be to use modern technology tires and not stone age technology (bias ply) tires like the original tires that come with the TT, especially with torsion (rubber ride) axles. I can't tell for leaf spring suspension.

[Midnightpromises]

We are considering buying a Visa 23series with the dual axles. has anyone heard of issues like this with that set up?

Thanks

[RinconVTR]

We are considering buying a Visa 23series with the dual axles. has anyone heard of issues like this with that set up?

Thanks


These issues do not exsist on the dual axle versions, and this was one reason why I bought the 23 BHD.

[philabele]

We discovered that bent axle problem is not limited to the single axle Visa's. After approximately 5000 miles, our 2011 23RBK had abnormal wear on the right side rear axle tire. It was near bald from the center to the inside edge of the tire. The other three tires all exhibited normal wear (original "Trail America" branded tires), showing better than two-thirds tread-life remaining. The Dealer diagnosed the problem as a bent axle, and submitted the issue to Gulfstream for resolution under a warranty claim. Gulfstream denied the claim, stating that the bent axle resulted from normal use, coming into contact with something that caused the bend. We are quite certain that no impact severe enough to cause this happened, but we are unable to prove this contention. A new axle is now ordered and will be installed by the selling Dealer. After reading all the posts on this issue, it is obvious that Lippert has a quality control problem that they appear unwilling to own up to. My concern is the the new axle will have the same built-in camber issue (bent) and we won't know that until the tire wears out.

[philabele]

A follow up to our bent axle issue. We had both axles on the 23RBK checked for alignment. One proved to be incorrect, and the other was okay. The "bent" axle was replaced under extended warranty. After replacement, we took the Visa to a frame shop and had the axles checked for camber. This is not done on an alignment check, and is a critical measure to predict inside edge / outside edge tire wear. The camber measurement indicated the new axle was okay, but the other existing axle was out of specification. The frame shop bent the axle such that it was within specification. They told me they get several of these a year on travel trailers / 5th Wheels.

Clearly, Lippert manufacturing has problems in their manufacturing and quality control processes. Building an axle with incorrect camber seems to be an unacceptable error for any reputable manufacturer. Apparently Lippert has no inspection process to validate correct camber, since so many bad axles have been found on trailers. And Gulfstream must bear some of the blame here as well. Given that proper alignment and camber is so critical to safe towing and handling, not to mention fuel consumption, there should be a quality check at final assembly to assure alignment and camber are within specification. I would venture that this is not done. Hopefully, the learning curve has sunk in, and these great Visa trailers will be rid of one of their most irksome problems.

[RinconVTR]

As you found, the manufacture of the axle has quality issues. I highly doubt one of them was bent during use like the single axles have been. The single axles are run right at their rated limits, while the duals are no where near. They should be running higher rated single axles (that are properly aligned of course).

Gulfstream really screwed up by not issuing a recall and admitting a problem, because now when these trailers are discussed in forums, everyone thinks they are an expert and says to stay away from the Visa line. Gulfstreams ego was too big and now they're getting bit. Its really too bad, they have a very good line of ultra light travel trailers.

[Midnightpromises]

As you found, the manufacture of the axle has quality issues. I highly doubt one of them was bent during use like the single axles have been. The single axles are run right at their rated limits, while the duals are no where near. They should be running higher rated single axles (that are properly aligned of course).

Gulfstream really screwed up by not issuing a recall and admitting a problem, because now when these trailers are discussed in forums, everyone thinks they are an expert and says to stay away from the Visa line. Gulfstreams ego was too big and now they're getting bit. Its really too bad, they have a very good line of ultra light travel trailers.
All that being said, have you had enough time to notice any issues with your trailer?

[RinconVTR]

As you found, the manufacture of the axle has quality issues. I highly doubt one of them was bent during use like the single axles have been. The single axles are run right at their rated limits, while the duals are no where near. They should be running higher rated single axles (that are properly aligned of course).

Gulfstream really screwed up by not issuing a recall and admitting a problem, because now when these trailers are discussed in forums, everyone thinks they are an expert and says to stay away from the Visa line. Gulfstreams ego was too big and now they're getting bit. Its really too bad, they have a very good line of ultra light travel trailers.
All that being said, have you had enough time to notice any issues with your trailer?


Yes and no. We put on around 1400 miles in our first year and at the end of the season all 4 tires were replaced under warranty due to severe dry rot and cracking. I inspected all 4 and all looked practically new, regarding tread depth and wear.

[UL2FLY]

I am interested in purchasing a Visa 19ERD but am concerned about axle issues. I can't seem to get any real weight numbers. The inside of the cabinet says UVW 2812lbs, but the sales person says thats wrong it should be UVW 3200lbs. This is confusing part, with the GVWR 3830lbs and with their error in the UVW that only leaves 630lbs cargo. With propane & 1 week worth of camping needs and you are at or over max.

This sound right to you?

Yesterday I went to have a look and talking to the salesman, he says all the new 2014 single axle Visa's will have leaf spring axles & will have a name change to Vista Cruiser. He says that they are doing this to upgrade the axles to 4000# vs the torsen 3500#. This does make me feel better...but is this true?


Thanks

[tinapetel]

The specs for the new "Vista Cruiser" on Gulfstream's website still show a 3,500 LB. TORSION SINGLE AXLE. see below http://gulfstreamrvtrailers.com/visa/features.php
VISTA CRUISER - FEATURES
CONSTRUCTION
ONE-PIECE UNI-ARCH FIBERGLASS ROOF
HIGH-GLOSS FIBERGLASS EXTERIOR
VACUUM BONDED LAMINATED WALLS
WELDED SIX-SIDED ALUMINUM CAGE
82" INTERIOR HEADROOM
PREWIRED FOR ROOF AIR CONDITIONER
MONITOR PANEL FOR KEY SYSTEMS
LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY
LIGHTWEIGHT POWDER-COATED STEEL CHASSIS
LAMINATED FLOOR WITH LIGHTWEIGHT SUBSTRATES
COMPOSITE-BUILT LIGHTWEIGHT SIDEWALLS
3,500 LB. TORSION SINGLE AXLE W/ELECTRIC BRAKES (17 FT. AND 19 FT. MODELS)
TANDEM AXLES W/EQUI-FLEX AND ELECTRIC BRAKES (23 FT. MODELS)
14" TIRES WITH ALUMINUM WHEELS

[RinconVTR]

I am interested in purchasing a Visa 19ERD but am concerned about axle issues. I can't seem to get any real weight numbers. The inside of the cabinet says UVW 2812lbs, but the sales person says thats wrong it should be UVW 3200lbs. This is confusing part, with the GVWR 3830lbs and with their error in the UVW that only leaves 630lbs cargo. With propane & 1 week worth of camping needs and you are at or over max.

This sound right to you?

Yesterday I went to have a look and talking to the salesman, he says all the new 2014 single axle Visa's will have leaf spring axles & will have a name change to Vista Cruiser. He says that they are doing this to upgrade the axles to 4000# vs the torsen 3500#. This does make me feel better...but is this true?


Thanks

Hard to speculate. What I would do is:

1. When at the dealer, walk into a 19 footer and read the data plate. They are the most accurate weight you can find without weighing it yourself. And FYI this includes everything but water, such propane and battery. I weighed mine the same day I bought it and the plate was spot on within a few pounds.

2. Search this forum for anyone who actually weighed their loaded 19 footer.


To be honest, I stayed away from the 19 foot with single axle because weights didn't add up to me either. Plus, if you run a WDH, you add even more weight on the trailer axle. So I just don't understand why Gulfstream is shooting themselves in the foot with the single axles poor quality and low weight rating. Do they think people don't research this stuff???

I am also beginning to wonder if Gulfstream is even the OEM. Who are these guys with the EXACT same trailer, with different layouts???
http://www.goevergreenrv.com/page.php?page_id=169

Ok, now, the VISA TT are called VISTA Cruiser TT.

I would not be surprise if Gulfstream did have an issue with VISA credit card company for the use of the ''VISA'' brand name (probably regist. brand name).

They look to me to be the exact same TT with a modified name.

[heckufaguy]

We had started paperwork on a Visa before I realized the cargo capacity. Since our TV will handle more, saw no reason to stick with the Visa and it's restrictive cargo capacity.
I don't load anything up past 80% of capacity, it just tends to wear things out faster at 'limits'.
After finding this thread I'm even more happy we avoided it. Hope you all manage to get your fixes done.

[haber]

I've really been liking the layout of the Vista Cruiser 19RSD. The bunk beds are perfect for our girl and boy who don't want to sleep in the same bed. There are so few ultra lightweight trailers with bunks. However, of course the axel problems with the Visa have me concerned. I found the following article on the differences between the Visa and Vista Cruiser.

http://smalltrailerenthusiast.com/2013/ ... iler-name/ (http://smalltrailerenthusiast.com/2013/03/14/gulf-stream-changes-visa-travel-trailer-name/)

"Included among the more than 25 changes are new graphics, increased exterior storage space, a radial tire option, an electric tongue jack option, a rear bumper-mounted grill option, larger axles on the 17′ and 19′ floor plans, and a larger exterior storage door."

Sounds like they've solved the problem, except as was pointed out upthread, the Gulf Stream website itself still listed a 3500 lb axel on their website.

Anybody checked out a 2014 model to confirm which is correct?

[sam75]

Another approach to this problem is to follow Phil Abele's advice (on another forum) and take your Visa to a automotive frame shop and have the camber and toe-in/out checked and aligned if necessary - they do it by bending it.

I just return from an 8 weeks trip (10,000 km) with our 2013 VISA 19ERD ( Montreal to Florida and Louisiana and back). I have no abnormal wear on both of my tires.

So maybe I'm lucky and have a good axle (Lippert, 3,500 lbs) or it's my Good Year Marathon radial tires instead of the OEM bias ply and stoneage tires that makes the difference.

[cliff2444]

I read this thread going back a couple years before I purchased my 2013 Visa ERD in May of 2012. I spoke with the Gulf Stream rep at our local RV Show and he assured me that they have resolves the issue with bent axles. However, after less than 10,000 miles, I was lucky enough to catch the excessive tire wear before I had a blow out. I was lucky to find a nearby tire shop, in the middle of South Dakota, to install 2 new tires. Upon my return home I started making inquiries about the axle and tires. I was told my my dealer to have it aligned and that the axle was probably not bent or broken. I took it first to a trailer/truck alignment center and was told that they can't align it because it had a torsion axle. When I told my dealer that I wanted a new axle, he said to take it to an alignment center he works with and that they do align torsion axles. After talking to the shop owner, I was comfortable that they knew what they were doing and had them work on it. I picked it up yesterday. They said they aligned it and it should be good for a couple years. They do recommend alignment every couple years or when excessive tire wear is seen. I also had them provide a 4" lift for my unit. I had dragged the back end several times due to the lack of clearance. It is nice to step in and out of the trailer, but the low clearance caused problems. I see that the new model (Vista Cruiser) has a beefed up axle and is lifted 4". I am going to seek a reimbursement from Gulf Stream for my tires and alignment expenses, but I'm not going to hold my breath for success. The alignment center told me that trailers are notoriously bad at properly aligning wheels after manufacture and that some are very off. The alignment was about $200 and the lift was $600.

[Jeppo]

Did you check the air pressure of your tires? When I bought my VISA 19RSD in May I pointed out this axle issue. I was told that the problem is that GUlf Stream delivers these trailer with extremely cheap tires and very low PSI. The tire air pressure should be about 45 psi. We installed good tires and I make sure that they are always properly inflated and we never had a problem.

Jeppo



I read this thread going back a couple years before I purchased my 2013 Visa ERD in May of 2012. I spoke with the Gulf Stream rep at our local RV Show and he assured me that they have resolves the issue with bent axles. However, after less than 10,000 miles, I was lucky enough to catch the excessive tire wear before I had a blow out. I was lucky to find a nearby tire shop, in the middle of South Dakota, to install 2 new tires. Upon my return home I started making inquiries about the axle and tires. I was told my my dealer to have it aligned and that the axle was probably not bent or broken. I took it first to a trailer/truck alignment center and was told that they can't align it because it had a torsion axle. When I told my dealer that I wanted a new axle, he said to take it to an alignment center he works with and that they do align torsion axles. After talking to the shop owner, I was comfortable that they knew what they were doing and had them work on it. I picked it up yesterday. They said they aligned it and it should be good for a couple years. They do recommend alignment every couple years or when excessive tire wear is seen. I also had them provide a 4" lift for my unit. I had dragged the back end several times due to the lack of clearance. It is nice to step in and out of the trailer, but the low clearance caused problems. I see that the new model (Vista Cruiser) has a beefed up axle and is lifted 4". I am going to seek a reimbursement from Gulf Stream for my tires and alignment expenses, but I'm not going to hold my breath for success. The alignment center told me that trailers are notoriously bad at properly aligning wheels after manufacture and that some are very off. The alignment was about $200 and the lift was $600.