Voltage V3200 bent axle - Dutchmen Owners
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Old 07-24-2015, 02:27 AM   #1
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Voltage V3200 bent axle

Hello folks, was wondering if anyone has experienced any axle problems with there V3200? Please understand I am not here to bash anyone or point fingers but I have a 2011, V3200 and last year I started to notice that my left rear tire started showing signs of wear on the inside and I was prepping to head out to CO so I did not want experience any tire issues, knowing that they were the stock china bomb tires so I replaced all four tires with Maxxis 8008 since then I have put about 5000 miles on them and when returned home from NH last week, I happen to be doing my post trip inspection on the tires and notice again the left rear tire is shot same thing as before. So I called my dealership told them my story they told me nope cant see you about three weeks, which is what I figured and I got the feeling that they did not want mess around with it anyways. I know it has to go to a axle /frame shop. he insisted that I call some other fram shops which I did and he gave me some shops to call, but I felt compelled to advise my dealer on what was going on since I did purchased it from them. and it is out warranty but I still felt they should know. Now I am pretty anal with my trailer and I watch my weights pretty close along with proper inflated tires which I check before heading out and I monitor air and temps in all four, and not to mention I think I own stock in CAT scales I weight it right out of the dealership and have weight it several times since and I have never been over weight, I haul a Polaris RZR and when I am loaded meaning 1/2 to 3/4 tank of H2O and fuel in the fuel station and all the goodies my combined axle weights come in between 12,500 and 13,000 lbs. which is the highest I have been.
So the moral to my story is, I have a bent axle and It's at the axle shop, the first thing the mechanic said do you have lippert axles? I said I believe so? It's lippert frame he showed me the wall thickness of a lippert axle compared to the 1/4 thick harden steel axles he going to replacing it with. I decided to have both axles done and of course it's on my dime. Incidentally the service tech that I spoke with at the camper dealership to told me I should call Dutchman and talk to customer service rep. I asked him if he could give me a contact and number but he did not know who to call? urrrrrrrrrrr.
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Old 07-24-2015, 04:00 AM   #2
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I am beginning to believe all campers are built to the bare minimum. My friend with a Sierra had the same problems.
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Old 07-24-2015, 11:12 AM   #3
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We have a Rubicon 2900 (2013) and both of our axles were bent!!!!! We had ours replaced under warranty!!!!
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Old 07-24-2015, 11:35 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by lakebuster View Post
I am beginning to believe all campers are built to the bare minimum. My friend with a Sierra had the same problems.
Yep, I've said it before... I've come to find that units in this class are the Ford Pintos & Chevy Vegas of the RV world. Economy class only.



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...I decided to have both axles done and of course it's on my dime...
Just for reference, since I'm sure that not many of us have had to do this... how about giving us a ballpark price on what it's costing you to replace those axles? Just in case any of us have to do the same down the road...
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Old 07-24-2015, 12:41 PM   #5
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My first question is ; what do you think you did to bend the axle.. >?? I agree most everything is as ATC guy says a pinto quality possibly more toward a Yugo..
Good luck with the new axles.. please advise the cost if you dont mind for future references.
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Old 07-24-2015, 09:41 PM   #6
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I have no idea what caused the axle to bend? I don't go off road with it, I could of hooked a chuck hole somewhere, but I am try to stay clear of them but sometimes they are unavoidable, and you know how those bridge transitions/abutments can be rough especially in Ohio, or it could of been bent right from the factory? Like I said I replaced a four tires a year ago because of the same issue on the left rear.
I have always notice a small inward camber in the tires on the rear axle where the tires bow in a bit, but I thought that was the norm. and now after wearing out a second tire I am not so sure it was? I put a straight edge on the side wall of the front left tire, and on the rear left tire it was skewed out about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch? from the front tire, My buddy who happened to be following me back fro NH made reference to how it was tracking also.
As far for the $$, I am not sure yet. it all depends if everything comes off Ok and nothing needs replaced? I will no more next week when they get into it.
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Old 07-25-2015, 05:14 PM   #7
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Dutchmen support (574) 537-0700. Have your VIN handy when you call.
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Old 07-27-2015, 11:59 AM   #8
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Fdhealy4, thanks for the information I will give them a call.
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Old 07-27-2015, 09:40 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by RZRFUN111 View Post
Fdhealy4, thanks for the information I will give them a call.
Don't expect to get any "knowledgeable" response......the canned response is to bring it to a dealer!
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Old 08-01-2015, 11:48 AM   #10
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Here an update on the bent axle, got my TH from the axle shop, I ended up replacing both axles, luckily they were able re-use all my hardware so basically I got new tubes and spindles, the new tubes wall thickness are 1/4" harden steel thicker than the Lippert ones. Although the front axle was fine, I opted to have it done as well I did not want to through this again. It appears that the faulty axle may for been result from Lippert when it was mfg ? the axle is a approx.1/4" shorter than front axle and there was no crown in the in the axle compared to the front axle ? The shop gave me both axles back, and told me I might want to bring this to someone's attention........... I have them up on my saw horses in the orientation as if there mounted on the trailer and it is very noticeable between the two axles, I ran a straight edge across the entire front axle which is the good one and at the center of axle there is about 1/8 of an inch clearance, you defiantly can see a crown in the axle, and the bad axle there is over 3/4 of inch gap between the bottom of the straight edge and the top of the axle, basically the axle is straight and has no crown to it. I have pictures but will have to see how I go about posting them on this forum.
So now on trying to decide what I do to from here?
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Old 08-02-2015, 12:11 AM   #11
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So now on trying to decide what I do to from here?
Oh, you could make vise stands out of them or grinder stands or even build a small utility trailer with them. Maybe bury one and make an umbrella holder from one.
With the other one you can take the reimbursement from LCI and fill it!
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Old 08-02-2015, 12:22 AM   #12
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I took them to the dealer today they were not sure what to do? He did start a warranty claim with Dutchman but get the feeling I am just going through the motions??
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Old 08-02-2015, 01:36 AM   #13
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Good luck but the rig is a 2011 so it's anyone's guess.
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