Quality and Honest RV Repair in Oklahoma

[Tractor Seabee]

Looking for help to find a RV repair shop in a 50 mile radius of OK City that specializes in suspension and tire problems. Can any of you OK Tbners help him out. The story:

My son-in-law is working a pipeline job outside OK City and just had a tire blow on his 5th wheel travel trailer. Lot of damage including destroying the refrigerator. Its a newer 30 footer so not a small thing. During changing the tire he observed that the suspension and the tires did not appear to be heavy enough and may be part of the problem. It is well known that a lot of those trailer are short changed in that area.

Any help would be heartily appreciated.

Ron

 

[Bird]

Ron, I have no personal knowledge of the company, but McClain's RV is the biggest dealership I've ever known of, headquartered in Oklahoma City, but with lots of other locations, too. So they must be doing something right. One of their Texas locations if just a couple of miles from my home.

RV Superstore | Rv for Sale in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Mcclain's RV Superstores

It's been a long time ago, but in 1988, I bought a 32' fifth-wheel, but we went to being full time RVers, so it had a washer/dryer and generator as well as the usual amenities, and I had the same problem your son is having. But we went to Elkhart, IN, and changed out everything from the frame down; new springs & spring shackles, new axles, new tires, bigger brakes, etc.

 

[Xfaxman]

I just now saw this thread, so am probably too late. I will second Bird's recommendation of McClains.

Address:
I - 40W, Exit 143
7110 W. Reno
Oklahoma City, OK 73127
Phone: (405) 789-4773

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Bird and Exfax,

Passed it on to my SIL. His damage estimate is $8K. Amazing what a simple tire fault can do. Lesson learned for RV users, keep up on those tires, don't try to get the last mile out of them. Recognized life span is 7 years max regardless of tread left.

Years back I had a 40' MH with tag axle. Changed out the tires at 15K miles at the 6 year mark. I used Henderson Line-Up in Grants Pass OR. They are a well recognized RV running gear specialist and I highly recommend them. They showed me several things the MH manufacturer did not do right. They also showed me that the load range on the original tires was less than the actual weight of my loaded MH. Went with better tires. They indicated this was not unusual so they always recommend they weigh and analyze.

RV manufacturers install tag axles and frame extensions for the tag axle on their assembly line; for in this case, a Chevy P30 truck frame. Manufacturers do not have a wheel alignment capability apparently or are sloppy in its use. Where they welded on the frame extension it was 1/2" out of line and the tag axle was 1" cocked in its alignment with the regular axle. At 5 K miles, visible adverse wear was on the tag axle tires. The slave brake cylinder for the tag axle system did not have any fluid and the under coating was unbroken where slopped on the lid. Three previous dealer services did not detect that. A P30 chassis is engineered for a 5 ton delivery truck not a MH. Weight distribution is totally different on the front suspension (much greater). I spent $5K fixing and upgrading all of that. It drove like a dream afterward with one finger instead of two arms.

Henderson's stated that these things were more common than not so they always look for them when getting a unit in for service. Just their insight and advice is worth stopping there if traveling North I-5.
Never take your MH to a regular line up shop unless they are experienced in MHs. Line up on MH frames is totally different than the 5 ton truck factory specs they will use.

Ron

 

[Bird]

Ron, our last RV was a 40' Bounder with a 460 cu. in. Ford gas engine, Oshkosh chassis with a tag axle. At least the parts were lined up straight. If they just hadn't run that wiring harness so close to the exhaust manifold that it melted.