Example of a sub frame beef up
Approximately 75% of Americans overload their trailer hitch and stress the frame of their motorhome while towing. Most motorhomes are built on an elongated truck frame, extending the frame of the coach by butt-welding and extra length of chassis. After the construction of the coach, the frame is strong enough to carry the motorhome, but any more than that and you can cause severe sub frame damage.

Below are some indicators of finding sub frame damage and reasons why you should beef up your sub frame and get away to enjoy the rest of the summer.


Friends don’t let friends drive with a bent sub frame
Avoid bent sub frames on your motorhome 
Before you go on a long August camping trip, you should make sure that your frame is still in good condition. There is a possibility that the last time your motorhome was driven it could have hit something or drove over something and the driver didn’t notice. If your sub frame is damaged, you might end up on the side of the road and getting towed to the nearest car shop. If you’re lucky and the frame is only bent then you might be able to get it home in one piece, but if it’s broken it will have to be completely replaced which can cost upwards of thousands of dollars.

It’s good to know and remember that if there’s a possibility that you have a bent or broken frame, it can break your axle and cause further damage to your motorhome and wallet. So it’s best to get it checked anyway to make sure that you don’t have to spend an outrageous amount of money to fix a broken/bent sub frame and a broken/bent axle.
How do you know your sub frame is bent?

Diagnosing a bent sub frame
One of the best and easiest ways to determine if you have a bent sub frame is to check the position of your trailer hitch. If the trailer hitch is pointing downwards or looks like it’s about to fall off, this is a good indication that the frame is bent.

Improve structural integrity
Not many know, but the connection point created during butt-welding actually compromises the structural integrity of the chassis and in many cases invalidates the original chassis manufacturer’s tow weight rating. At Torklift Central, we offer a motorhome chassis frame upgrade to correct this problem. Professionals can beef up the weak connection point created during butt-welding to ensure your coach’s chassis is able to handle the weight of your towables.
Overstressed, broken frame vs. Frame upgrade and beef up 

Don’t leave your toys, cars and more behind by having your frame fall short when it comes to towing. 

Sub frame beef up installation video 
Here is a video of a motorhome sub frame beef up and hitch installation at Torklift Central. The motorhomes hitch system was originally rated to tow 3,500 pounds and the customer wanted to tow 7,500 pounds. But, the frame/hitch didn’t allow for the strength needed for the capacity that the customer wanted. So, at Torklift Central we installed an extended frame, beefed it up and replaced the hitch. This increased his dead weight to 5,000 pounds and towing weight to 7,500 with a weight distribution system.

The key is to check every time before you take your motorhome out on a long trip to make sure that your sub frame and axle are in flawless driving condition. Make sure you’re driving safe and Get Out and Go your way with Torklift Central!

Contact us today if you have any questions about your motorhome and let us help you beef up your sub frame today!

Torklift Central
315 Central Ave N Kent, WA 98032
Contact Us
877-343-6933
www.torkliftcentral.com