WTF! update (or here we go again)

[TrueDink]

On setting of on the way home I noticed that my camper was nodding its head like the Churchill dog. On stopping and inspecting my truck to my horror I saw this.

Passenger side chassis rail





After repair



Drivers side buck mounting.





After repair





I have to wait till Monday for a local garage to give me a quote on the repair.

How much do you reckon it should be?

I then have a choice. If it's too much my breakdown company will repatriate me.

[zildjian]

dammit, another one then.
reckon you'll have to copy Mark & Andy especially on this Navara,
any idea how long thats been stewing for?

[TrueDink]

I think it's the fault of the airbags to be honest. Most Navara owners I spoke to said don't fit them but I wanted a way to level my rig both on the move and stationary. Also my truck has had a hard life. It was a working truck from new so has had a bit of stick.

[rubberrat]

Oh Bugger! I had a similar but less dramatic issue, mine was confined to the buck mountings. Like you the 'alarm bell' was the camper 'nodding'.

So that's the bad news. the good news is that the fix and extra beefing up shouldn't cost a fortune, particularly if you do any required stripping down for your welder fabricator to do his stuff.

Mine cost £100 to mend, I recon no more than £300 for yours.
Welding/fabrication is simple stuff. It's the removing of arch linings (hope the buck doesn't need to come off, its heavy and a pain to do, but costs you nothing) etc that take ages and cost money, free if you do it.
The Brucie Bonus is that here's your chance to get everything beefed up so it doesn't happen again - so try (try hard) to look at this as 'ongoing maintenance' rather than a disaster.

Where are you at the moment? I guess you know not to drive any further, but once home and the camper off you should be able to limp the truck to your welder.

[zildjian]

But if it was bags I kind of thought the damage might have occurred above them at highest point,
yours is down as it passes under cab, still a damm nuisance though,
I'd guess like Mark it would remove tub and then see what to remove and plate the chassis rail then those pulled through sections on tub underside,

your still there aren't you, have you heard about a tow-truck as yet

[rubberrat]

But if it was bags I kind of thought the damage might have occurred above them at highest point,
yours is down as it passes under cab, still a damn nuisance though,

It's amazing how stresses are transferred to the weakest point, not necessarily the point of maximum stress. Flexing above the airbag mounts may aggravate a weak point a short distance away - and that fails first.

I did look at my friends Navara recently (actually the guy who fab'd up my extra strong buck mounts) and felt that the chassis members are somewhat minimalist - the work of accountants over engineers.
If bought a Navara (And I would happily) my first job would be to get the strengthening done straight away.

[TrueDink]

I'm "stuck" in France until at least Monday. The tow truck is coming at 9am and taking me to my breakdown company's suggested garage. Once there I will get a quote for the work if the garage can even do it. If not or if the cost is too much the breakdown company will get my whole rig, me and my dog back home. I can then get the work done at home. Would my insurance cover the work do you think?

[TrueDink]

If bought a Navara (And I would happily) my first job would be to get the strengthening done straight away.

At this moment in time my truck is getting on a bit and it's done over 100k miles. I'm actually thinking along the same lines. Getting a new Navara and before my camper goes anywhere near my truck I get the strengthening done.

[zildjian]

Well I'd hope they'd look at repair bill, obviously there's the excess.

Dunno' what the value of Nav is of course but dependant on that and work needed is how they calculate garage time
or in this case fabrication.

anyway you can't do anything about it today so take a deep breath, don't think any of us have seen anything new on this problem elsewhere or I'd offer a link to it here

Zildjian

[rubberrat]

oh rats!, didn't realise you were still over the water.. Personally I'd opt for the repatriation option if it doesn't screw up your holiday too much - that gives you the upper hand in dealing with the problem in your own way and own time over here. You can do the stripping down and get the work done as you you want it rather than being at the mercy of a French garage who just might see your plight as a means of overcharging.

Could you investigate getting a rough 'Frankenstein' bodge repair done there, bridging the breaks etc with plates without removing the buck and then take a gentle drive back to Calais? Undoing the plating is only a bit of work with a grinder and you would be less under pressure.