Rear end sag / bent on class C

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Alaska Family

Alaska Family

Active member
Joined
Aug 19, 2012
Posts
28
Location
Eagle River, Alaska
Question, has anyone had problems on a very long class C where the rear end is extremely long.  Mine is approximately 14 feet long beyond the rear axle. This is on a coachmen 32 bunkhouse model.  I had a patch of rough road and now my tail section is approximately 3 inches closer to the ground, permenatly.  This is created significant problems with the entire superstructure as well as the large slide. Just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues?

Thanks
 
Check the frame welds where they added to the factory frame. I broke one years ago pulling a trailer. Had to cut holes in the floor, jack it past where it was supposed to be to get the frame straight, and weld it back up. What a pain that was. Could also be the rear springs, but check the frame too.
 
It does happen on occasion and when it does, you can bet it won't be cheap. If it is as you describe and the house is in fact getting wrinkles in the side, it's time to get the insurance company involved! Your frame is letting go.
 
Not sure that "older' is a factor, but "long" is. The van chassis used for C's simply isn't robust enough for larger sized coaches. Not only is the wheelbase too short, it also lacks weight carrying capacity. In my opinion Class C's over about 27 feet ought to be avoided.
 
His wheelbase is 223", they really stretch the chassis a lot for the long Class C stuff these days. (My 31' Class A's wheelbase is 190"...)

First I've heard of what sounds like a complete failure. Was it a sudden thing? Or did it happen gradually? Got any pictures? Ford Chassis? (Coachemen uses Ford or Chevy, but Ford is more popular in general.)

 
 
16k miles on it and its a 2010. Ford frame. Occurred on a return trip on a rough road in Alaska ( not the Al-Can or the Haul road). Normal load in rear. I did measure the distance from the rear axel to the rear bumber- it's 12 feet.  I was off earlier. Just a sad story all the way around.
 
We saw one several years ago with the rear bumper on the ground. An outboard motor was strapped to a small platform on the rear.
 
Whether Coachman stretched the OEM Ford frame or simply add on an extension at the rear, that chassis is going to be overworked with a big coach built on top. They simply aren't up to a lot of punishment..
 
So after having some time to look it over I am curious to know where the damage is. If there is a 3 inch difference that is all due to bent frame rails the walls should show damage and seems should be opening from the distortion.

I am not sure about what ford built in 2010 but before that the E450 came with a 158 inch or 176 inch wheelbase. So any unit with a wheelbase other than those probably has the frame spliced between the front and rear axles. Then you may also have frame extension at the rear to get the final length correct. Mine is done this way, the forward splice is very well done, I would guess the frame is actually stronger in that area than any other due to the extra layer of steel that raps the frame rails themselves. The rear splice is only about 2 feet from the rear bumper. I want to say our rear overhang is only about 9 feet but I could be off, I do know the wheelbase is now 198.

Like Gary said I would not want to go with anything over 30 feet with this chassis, to me the 32 just don't look right and they have to be at about max load. Then again, I have seen the current Winnie 26 foot class A and would not have it, the overhang looks way too long for such a short unit.

I would really like to know exactly where the damage occurred, hope more info will follow.
 
I don't have any facts but a 14 foot rear overhang argues strongly that Coachman used the standard 176" wheelbase and simply added a long rear extension. That would also explain why the drop seems to be at the back end rather than between the wheels. Alaska Family could measure the wheelbase if the reason is important, but that won't change anything. The frame is bent/broken and, by the time both frame and resulting body damage are repaired, probably not worth fixing. A gambler might buy it for the salvage price and try jacking the frame back into position and welding gussets and stiffeners in place  - that maybe practical if investing only your own labor. Paying somebody else to [maybe] fix it that way would be too expensive, though.
 
Would love to see pics of this. I am still in shock. I thought the manufacturers had this engineered correctly to not sag or break so soon!
 
DearMissMermaid said:
Would love to see pics of this. I am still in shock. I thought the manufacturers had this engineered correctly to not sag or break so soon!
Click to expand...
The manufacturer built the coach on a standard chassis. Coachman extended the frame. The extended frame was not designed to be driven on roads that were not paved. It sounds to me like a user error.
 
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