Hi .... Im new to the folding camper scene and just recently obtained a 1993 pennine fiesta... In pretty good nick just a few bits an bobs to sort out but nowt major I thought until I looked inside one of the seats and saw a damaged wheel cover.A little more investigation by taking the wheel off has thrown up another issue. The chassis rail has snapped over the axle, it throws up questions as to how it happened in the first place,it had been repaired and very badly! the same issue is also on the opposite side but not fully snapped yet. Has anyone come across this before and how would you go around fixing it?
I would ask the people you bought it from as they obviously know about it.
Looks to me like a big job, as I'm sure the complete camper would need removing to reweld, so it can be done right.
------------- Up there for thinking, down there for dancing. 😎
I'm a welder fabricater by trade, I whould say that is very poor repaire, the chassis is galvanised, you can not weld galvanise without grinding it he coating away untill you get fresh clean metal. By the looks of it from your pic, it's not been ground away, so the weld has not took, hence why it's cracked.
If it was me, I would say it would not be a massive job, remove the wheel, and gring away the galvanise, gring out the old crap weld, then vee out the crack and reeled to a decent standard. Then form a plate, to sit as tight and neatly as possible, and weld around all the edges. I whould do it in place, as it is but, you would need to be very careful of the heat and it Beeing s close to the floor. If there is carpet on the inside it maybe a good idea to remove the carpet first.
I would take it to a local welding, or engineering company and see what they say, it's all down to the person doing the work at the end of the day. It is repairable.
------------- May 2020 - tbc
7tth August -15th August 2020 trevornick Cornwall
If you no a good back street garage they probably would be able to weld it up for you. Like leeroy1982 not a big job but when welding involved could be costly.
It look as f you chould drop the axle mounting plates down and weld across the Bottom. Without seeing it in person, I can't really say what is possible, but I can not see it Beeing a problem for someone with a bit of experience. If I lived closer I would offer to do it for you but it's a bit of a trek.lol
------------- May 2020 - tbc
7tth August -15th August 2020 trevornick Cornwall
Your exactly right Leeroy ....its snapped on the axle mounting bolt at the front....I can see a couple of different ways it could be done either weld a plate across the bottom and use longer bolts through the axle holes (a bit long winded)or weld a plate across the front and possibly the back to give it extra strength (easiest and quickest option)....which would be strongest?
Im booked into a campsite near Falmouth Tuesday afternoon so need it done asap, I have a garage to go to that can do the galvanized stuff so hopefully itll be a quickish fix so I can do the 7hour trip down urgh gonna be a long day ....
If it was me I would try and get it plated over on as many sides as possible, without seeing it in person it's hard to say.
It's one of those jobs that is a bit 'start and see wht/how much you can do'
If you need Anymore advice just ask.
------------- May 2020 - tbc
7tth August -15th August 2020 trevornick Cornwall
If I had not taken the wheel off today to repair the inner arch I wouldnt have even known about it. So glad I noticed it Id rather be safe than sorry ...if I cant get it done in the morning itll be a change of plans unfortunately.Ill see what the guy whos doing the repair suggests and pass on your advice if its not to my liking
The only way to achieve a satisfactory repair is to overlap the crack with a length of 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 3 m/m x 18" long cold rolled angle and stitch weld it along the underside and top side edges. It is imperative to grind away the galvanising where the welding is being carried out. Once this is in place it will be necessary to redrill the axle fixing holes that have been blanked off with the new reinforcing angle. You might need longer 12 m/m high speed steel bolts to ensure that the nyloc nuts have locked properly. It is advisable to carry out this procedure to both sides. Once done paint with rust preventative paint.
All fixed ! welder did a top job......replaced both sides of the chassis with box section.It aint gonna cause no other problems again.Cost £200 bit high but worth it from the safety aspect .....Ill get some pictures up when I get 5 mins
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Snapped Chassis on a Pennine Fiesta
