snapped off tongue on trailer

[Fosgate]

I understand that everyone is short handed, but my wife had to call more than once a week to keep things moving. If she wasn't so persistent we would still be waiting. No one from our insurance co. would take charge and get it done. Pretty sad that we had to take over to get something done.

Unfortunately over the course of a few years a lot of companies have completely done away with Auto Appraisers and farm it out to Independents and shops to get estimates and photos for them. Shops have been battling loss of employees, and Independent Adjusters have been swamped with insurance companies. Those of use that still work for a company have been hand tied to a desk for the last 2 years since covid and just dealing the best they can in the big bottle neck. When covid first broke out virtually every insurance company around me locked their appraisers to their home to rely on virtual tools, IA's and shops. Guy I know reported that his company lost a lot of veterans and could not replace them as his claim load shot up from maybe 5-10 open claims to 100-110 open at all times. My company was business as usual so I kept going out and never experienced the bottleneck effect. Kinda nice in a way but has me thinking, "What if this thing had a much higher mortality rate like 40-80%." Anyway, good time to shuffle to another insurance company. Weird, they don't want to give a guy but maybe a 3-5% raise to keep the current adjusters from leaving, but they will pay 30% more to bring in a new guy. So yeah, industry is pretty short staffed and a lot of turmoil going on right now.

 

[Ex-Flit]

Unfortunately over the course of a few years a lot of companies have completely done away with Auto Appraisers and farm it out to Independents and shops to get estimates and photos for them. Shops have been battling loss of employees, and Independent Adjusters have been swamped with insurance companies. Those of use that still work for a company have been hand tied to a desk for the last 2 years since covid and just dealing the best they can in the big bottle neck. When covid first broke out virtually every insurance company around me locked their appraisers to their home to rely on virtual tools, IA's and shops. Guy I know reported that his company lost a lot of veterans and could not replace them as his claim load shot up from maybe 5-10 open claims to 100-110 open at all times. My company was business as usual so I kept going out and never experienced the bottleneck effect. Kinda nice in a way but has me thinking, "What if this thing had a much higher mortality rate like 40-80%." Anyway, good time to shuffle to another insurance company. Weird, they don't want to give a guy but maybe a 3-5% raise to keep the current adjusters from leaving, but they will pay 30% more to bring in a new guy. So yeah, industry is pretty short staffed and a lot of turmoil going on right now.

I totally understand the labor shortage problem. I own my own business. I have given up trying to hire someone. I have been working by myself for 3 years now. I just don't see it getting better anytime soon.

 

[Reg2view]

You're right about not better soon. Unfortunately, until a real recession that both reduces demand and incentivizes work, don't anticipate much change. As a society, we are too deep into today's version of american marxism for a soft landing. We're in for a rerun of the early 80's, if we're lucky (experienced that as a 20 something adult).

Time to change insurance providers, if you can. You've been underserved. Even in today's environment. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Srobinson066]

My tongue on my 2016 ameralite trailer just snapped off going down the highway like yours did. Not over loaded
Only 2 sled were ever hauled in the trailer. 23' total length 18' box, 7000lb gvw. This is unacceptable as the trailer was like new condition and taken care of well. I called the national dot and put a complaint in on this particular trailer today. Tomorrow I'm calling the manufacturer. This is a major problem on the tongue that ameralite needs to stand behind and correct or someone is going to get killed. My trailer crossed 2 lanes of on coming traffic missing vehicles and smashing into guard rails. My friends have aluminum trailers just like mine and are manufacturered way better with thicker box aluminum main beam than mine. I'm pretty sure ameralite knows this because the newer trailer are thicker box aluminum box main beams. Any guidance on how to go after the manufacturer would be greatly appreciated.

 

[kanedog]

U mad bro?

 

[Fosgate]

Might not even be the thickness. Improper manufacturing process of handling and isolating the aluminum causing contamination from tools etc can cause galvanic corrosion to set in. From there it just takes time.

 

[IDspud]

Not likely to get anywhere with the manufacturer.

There’s generally a strength penalty anytime you’re dealing with a “lite” version of anything.

We break enormous steel hitches frequently on the farm. Do their job in the field with huge loads and no issues. Almost always give out with some pothole or other road whip that snaps them from a driver not paying attention while moving field to field…
**** happens when trailering.

 

[Srobinson066]

Here are some pics of my trailer. Exactly broke where the first trailer on this post broke.

 

[Twistgrip]

Just came back from a trip to the snowies. on my way back in 40 to 60 mph winds, freezing ran and blowing snow the tongue on my Amera Light trailer broke off and trailer went into the ditch. Thank god no one was killed. Any one else have this happen? The trailer was a 2015 in perfect condition and always stored in a pole barn. I only use it about 4 times a year and only had 2 snowmobiles and a 1/2 of a 55 gal. fuel barrel. I really don't know what to do next?View attachment 382995View attachment 382996View attachment 382997View attachment 382998

I just came across this thread. I just bought the identical trailer but it's a 2016 and it looks like brand new. The same thing happened to me a few years back with my 4 place floe enclosed trailer. Ended up getting it yanked out of the ditch and flat bed to a custom welding shop. The guy fixed it up and we were on our way. My buddy has the floe now. What did you buy for a new trailer?

 

[Srobinson066]

The trailer that snapped was a 2016 forest river ameralite 23 x 7 all aluminum trailer. Exact same trailer as one from the guy who started this thread. For some reason I can't post pics. I waiting to see what insurance does for me before I buy another

 

[Ex-Flit]

The trailer that snapped was a 2016 forest river ameralite 23 x 7 all aluminum trailer. Exact same trailer as one from the guy who started this thread. For some reason I can't post pics. I waiting to see what insurance does for me before I buy another

Mine was a 2015 7 x 29 the tongue was like 2 or 3 pieces welded together. I would speak with forest river warranty department. We ended up talking to them we were nice to them and explained that we were lucky that we did not kill someone and that there was a problem with their tongue and on ours the weld did not hold. They were very helpful. They pick up my trailer in SD. transported it to Indiana pretty much completely rebuilt it (95%) The only thing I believe is still the same is the back door and some of the frame where there was no damage. They even through in new lights, tires and rims. Then they transported it back to me in MN. It took a while to get it done, but it was done right as far as the tongue goes this time. They forgot to put in the vents and tie downs, but I called them and they sent them to me right away. The whole situation sucks, I don't want to have it happen again, but in the end they did help us out.

I am guessing it has happened before, because they did not fight us on this one bit. Now our trailer tongue is the same as all of the new ones, so I am guessing there was a problem.

good luck!

 

[Srobinson066]

That's awesome I will be calling forest river today. Thank you

 

[Ex-Flit]

That's awesome I will be calling forest river today. Thank you

let me know how things go.

 

[Srobinson066]

I talked to the lady in the warranty department. Sent pictures and she agreed this is 100% manufacturers problem. They are going to come get my trailer and repair it. I'm pretty sure they know this is an ongoing problem with this particular trailer. They need to recall all of them before someone gets killed.

 

[Ex-Flit]

I talked to the lady in the warranty department. Sent pictures and she agreed this is 100% manufacturers problem. They are going to come get my trailer and repair it. I'm pretty sure they know this is an ongoing problem with this particular trailer. They need to recall all of them before someone gets killed.

I am glad they are willing to help you out with out a fight. It would be nice to know how many others are out there that did not contact them and the owners just accepted it. I liked the trailer and we got it for a fair price when we bought it, but now I will always be worried about pulling any trailer .

I would love to see the picks from when you tongue broke and hear the story of the day it broke.

 

[North Dakota 322]

Thought I would add to this thread a little bit.
I have a 18 + 5 x 7 legend enclosed trailer. It is all aluminum construction tandem axle.
I also picked up a Gen y glider hitch that is rated for 700 lb of tongue weight and 7,000 lb maximum towing capacity. So with the ideal 10% tongue weight I am well within bounds hauling three snowmobiles.

Anyways as soon as I hooked on to the trailer empty it had the Gen y hitch almost bottomed out. By the time I loaded three sleds and gear into it it was severely maxed out. So we tried a couple different positioning methods of the sleds and gear in the trailer and didn't have any change in results.

I wound up switching hitches to a standard drop style receiver and going out to Idaho and back for the week, about a 2000 mile round trip.

When we got back I used our truck scale to measure the tongue weight on this trailer fully loaded.
To my shock it was over 1400 lb of tongue weight!!!
This is with the two heaviest sleds in the back of the trailer and them all facing backwards. Empty gas tanks and all of our gear piled towards the back of the trailer.

I believe the axles on my trailer are about a foot too far back, as when we unloaded there was still just over 600 lb of tongue weight with a empty trailer! Putting me at just over 22% tongue weight empty.

If I hadn't purchased a shock absorbing hitch I would have never even bothered to scale the tongue weight on my trailer, to me this is a serious problem as a straight pole 3x6 aluminum tongue I don't believe can handle 1600 lb plus of dynamic loading. I think back to all of the other trips we have used this trailer on and how we didn't bother to balance it out as well.
I know there were times we drove through blizzards already loaded very tongue heavy and probably had well over 2,000 lb of tongue weight.

So now my dilemma is do I try and move the front axle about a foot forward or sell it to the next unsuspecting buyer.

 

[Ex-Flit]

Thought I would add to this thread a little bit.
I have a 18 + 5 x 7 legend enclosed trailer. It is all aluminum construction tandem axle.
I also picked up a Gen y glider hitch that is rated for 700 lb of tongue weight and 7,000 lb maximum towing capacity. So with the ideal 10% tongue weight I am well within bounds hauling three snowmobiles.

Anyways as soon as I hooked on to the trailer empty it had the Gen y hitch almost bottomed out. By the time I loaded three sleds and gear into it it was severely maxed out. So we tried a couple different positioning methods of the sleds and gear in the trailer and didn't have any change in results.

I wound up switching hitches to a standard drop style receiver and going out to Idaho and back for the week, about a 2000 mile round trip.

When we got back I used our truck scale to measure the tongue weight on this trailer fully loaded.
To my shock it was over 1400 lb of tongue weight!!!
This is with the two heaviest sleds in the back of the trailer and them all facing backwards. Empty gas tanks and all of our gear piled towards the back of the trailer.

I believe the axles on my trailer are about a foot too far back, as when we unloaded there was still just over 600 lb of tongue weight with a empty trailer! Putting me at just over 22% tongue weight empty.

If I hadn't purchased a shock absorbing hitch I would have never even bothered to scale the tongue weight on my trailer, to me this is a serious problem as a straight pole 3x6 aluminum tongue I don't believe can handle 1600 lb plus of dynamic loading. I think back to all of the other trips we have used this trailer on and how we didn't bother to balance it out as well.
I know there were times we drove through blizzards already loaded very tongue heavy and probably had well over 2,000 lb of tongue weight.

So now my dilemma is do I try and move the front axle about a foot forward or sell it to the next unsuspecting buyer.

wow, never checked mine for weight on the hitch, never seemed like it was over weight. Something I should probably check out.

 

[Twistgrip]

let me know how things go.

Doesn't insurance cover these trailers?

 

[Chadx]

Doesn't insurance cover these trailers?

Yes, insurance will pay for it if you file a claim. But why take the hit of paying a deductable plus making a claim that will eventually count against you and potentially raise your insurance rate when the manufacturer will acknoledge and do the repair withput a claim?

 

[Twistgrip]

Yes, insurance will pay for it if you file a claim. But why take the hit of paying a deductable plus making a claim that will eventually count against you and potentially raise your insurance rate when the manufacturer will acknoledge and do the repair withput a claim?

100 percent agree, just didn’t hear anything about insurance. Almost to Colorado, from Minnesota in my 2016 7x29 amerilite. So far so good, although I had to run across your thread right before I left ?