Bent Axle

[Mike&SallyG]

We left for a week of camping at our favorite spot in Ludington State Park this morning with our 2019 Imagine 2500RL. About 2 hours down the road, we stopped for lunch and noticed the rear axle tires were "leaning out" at the bottom and the curbside tire was also angled out at the "forward end". I don't recall hitting any major pot holes but Michigan roads are in the worst shape this year. I called General RV in Wayland MI which was where we purchased the coach in June 2018. I described the problem and that I thought the axle was bent. They said I needed to make an appointment and they were booked up until June 13th. I wanted to know if I should be pulling the coach and he said he couldn't give me any advice. He recommended I call Grand Design customer service to see if they would help us since we were half way from our destination and home. Customer service emailed me a list of Dexter Axle service places to call in Michigan and I found 3 that were relatively close by in Grand Rapids. 2 of the places were out of business and the 3rd only sold Dexter parts and did not do service. They did recommend a place in Grand Rapids that did service. I called them and took the coach there, about a 35 mile distance. I had one person pull up next to me on the way and said "hey, your rear axle looks like something is seriously wrong." A quick inspection at the service shop and the owner said the axle was bent and it should not be driven farther. We left it there, unloaded our stuff into the truck and emailed Grand Design with the contact information. We are waiting for someone to tell us when we can expect get the coach back. Also, now I don't trust the tires since both on that axle are cupped on the inside and who knows how hot they may have gotten. No camping this week; cancellation charges for the site we won't be staying at; spent most of the day driving a big scenic loop and ending up back home. All in all, not a good day.

[Country Campers]

That is not a very good trip at all.
Do you know what size axels you have? There have been some issues discussed here on the "wrong" size axel being installed.
Grand Design should take care of this for you, it is still under warranty , Dexter should do there part as well.

Brian

[Mike&SallyG]

The axles are 3500lb. With a gross vehicle rating of 7400lb, not much wiggle room but typical of every other coach we have owned over the years. I believe this is the first one with Dexter axles though.

[Cate&Rob]

@Mike&SallyG . . . did you take any pictures of this? From your description, I would be thinking “bent hangers” or “slipped U bolts” rather than “bent axle”.

Rob

[Mike&SallyG]

I compared the distance from the axle to the rear of the spring and all were the same so I assumed no slippage of the axle on the spring. I did not see signs of a bent spring shackle. I also installed Morryde CRE3000 equalizers and their replacement spring hangers and wet bolts last year when we bought the coach. The owner of the axle and frame shop made a quick inspection of the axle by crawling underneath the coach and declared a bent axle and that he has seen similar problems before. There was no camber in the axle tube either. I compared the camber of the rear axle with the front which looked normal. I assume the frame shop will do a more thorough inspection to determine if any other issues.

[Mike&SallyG]

Dexter is replacing both axles. We are waiting for them to ship the parts to the repair shop. A Dexter rep said the new axles will still be 3,500lb but the axle tubes will be a larger diameter. I believe the bent axle was 2 3/8" diameter. The new axles are complete with springs, brakes and drums. Grand Design agreed to reimburse me for 2 new tires since the originals were quite worn on the inside. I am planning on replacing all tires with Goodyear Endurance.

[jw^2 family]

@Mike&SallyG ,

Glad to hear that you're being taken care of regarding this issue. After dropping off your trailer at the service shop, did you have to jump through any hoops with Grand Design or Dexter, or did they just contact the service shop directly to get whatever measurements or photos were needed in order to arrive at the decision to provide you with replacement axles?

[Mike&SallyG]

We called Grand Design and talked to Nicholas in customer service. He gave us a reference # and said we needed to work directly with Dexter. He emailed a list of service centers. I think the list was published by Dexter. 2 of the 3 places in our area were out of business and the 3rd was parts only but they recommended a shop, South Kent Alinement in Grand Rapids. We talked to Doug, the owner there and took the coach there. I can't say enough about how helpful Doug has been. We left the coach there in his fenced-in lot. He contacted Nicholas at Grand Design and then contacted Dexter. So far, Nicholas and Gloria at Grand Design have been very easy to work with and there was no hesitation to cover the axle and tire replacement under warranty. The axles have been shipped and we should be picking it up sometime next week. We will take it to Belle Tire in Grand Rapids since they stock Goodyear Endurance tires. Grand Design will reimburse us for the tires on the bent axle and we will pay for the other 2 to be replaced.

[JoeRL61]

I have a similar situation as Mike and Sally. Our 2019 2500RL also has a bent rear axle. Where the situation differs is that we bought a used 2019 in August. This means that we are treated as second class citizens by both Grand Design and Dexter regarding any relief on reimbursements. The 5 year warranty Dexter extends on their axles is to the original owners only. Our rig is at the dealer now and the axle is covered under the extended warranty, but I'm waiting to hear back on what they will be replacing it with. My worry is that it will be of the same type that is on it now, not to mention them not addressing the front axle as well. Sorry for hijacking your thread, I'm just frustrated that a second owner is not covered under a part manufacturer's published warranty period. Thanks for letting me vent!

[the.jmo]

I have a similar situation as Mike and Sally. Our 2019 2500RL also has a bent rear axle. Where the situation differs is that we bought a used 2019 in August. This means that we are treated as second class citizens by both Grand Design and Dexter regarding any relief on reimbursements. The 5 year warranty Dexter extends on their axles is to the original owners only. Our rig is at the dealer now and the axle is covered under the extended warranty, but I'm waiting to hear back on what they will be replacing it with. My worry is that it will be of the same type that is on it now, not to mention them not addressing the front axle as well. Sorry for hijacking your thread, I'm just frustrated that a second owner is not covered under a part manufacturer's published warranty period. Thanks for letting me vent!

Warranties aren't supposed to actually work, or cover anything. It is a sales gimmick to give you a warm fuzzy feeling to purchase their product.
Every warranty I've ever tried to use has been a complete hassle, or complete bullshit.
These companies are smart. Their algorithms are even more intelligent. And they are designed for 1 reason and 1 reason only.
That reason is not for the consumer..

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