Swing hitch welds breaking

[Like2Ride]

I have repaired allot of stuff on my trailmini, but lately it has gone to frame issues. In 2016 i noticed that the welds were coming apart on the plate that is welded on the front of the TM frame. This is the plate that the pin drops behind when the hitch is closed and ready to be towed. I had the welds reinforced and an additional piece welded behind the pin on a 45. I just noticed that the additions reinforcement piece has separated and the plate welds are once again breaking. I have a weight distribution/anti sway hitch as recommended by TM. It has been installed since day one. After 50,000 miles it is suddenly giving trouble. Anyone else have similar issues? Also had the frame break in half behind the curbside axle.

[eddugo]

We had a member in the Florida Big Bend area, scrubjaynest, that had the same problem. Don't think he is a member any more as he has a different brand. He totally removed the swing hitch because of cracking. There may still be pics on this forum.

I think, with no proof - just a theory, that the WDH does this as the spring bars exert up/down force on the front draw bar twisting the front section because the hinge is on one side. i would like to see an alignment pin on the non hinge side to hold it in place. This is another reason I like the Anderson WDH as it puts the force forward/back and actually squeezes the swing hitch together.

just my thoughts - dunno if it helps.

[Bill]

A number of years ago, several people (including me) had this problem. My quick check hasn't turned up many posts, but perhaps a more thorough Search would do it. I remember that one apparent cause of the welds breaking was opening the swing hitch, and then putting weight on the tongue jack - for instance, putting the wheel on the jack stem and then pushing the TM around.

The problem did not appear to be related to the use of a WDH. As I recall, it had to do with the fact that TM built the swing hitch using two L-shaped angle irons across the front of the swing hitch, instead of a single C-iron (channel iron). You can see the ends of the L-irons in Like2Ride's photo (it helps if you rotate the photo upright). This allowed the plate that was welded across the pair of L's to bend a bit, which flexed the rest of the swing hitch assembly. A photo of the broken welds on my trailer is attached. In 2011, it cost me $600 to get it re-welded and strengthened with a plate across the front.

I thought TM eventually fixed this by changing to a C-member, but I'm not sure.

Bill

[Shane826]

That’s scary. You can see that the front section was made with 2 L-beams instead of one solid C-channel. Also couldn’t help but notice the booger-welds... When we retrofitted a removable A-frame on my 3326 we used a solid C-channel and my buddy’s son absolutely stacks dimes when he welds. He’s unbelievable. He and his father (my buddy) build race karts and outlaw cars, and the son now builds fire trucks.

[Like2Ride]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry about the photo - I wrote the post from my phone and did the upload at the same time. My Trailmini was built in mid 2009 during one of the bankruptcy filings. I think they were cleaning out the junk box to build it (kind of like Johnny Cash' song "One Piece at a Time"). I have gone 6 years and 50,000 miles with the WDH, and no issues until 2016 with a single weld that was rusting. My buddy back in New Mexico is a first class welder, but he was traveling when the frame broke, so I had a local shop weld it. At the same time I asked the local professional (?) to check out the swing hitch. The invoice showed he did some re-welding on the swing hitch. My guess is he heated the plate way up, and it lost some of its strength (and did the booger welds). I am in CT now, so trying to get a fabricator to take a look at it - I guess I will have him reinforce the double L at the same time.
Thanks again