New ATTX by Forest River
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 12:30 pm"Fine Amish Craftsmanship" may not be exactly truthful when it comes to anything in the budget RV market. Campers today, including cargo trailers, are strategically designed to look as good as possible with the least amount of materials. Everything is made as THIN as possible. As long as it all looks like good workable components, they will use it. Lets not forget too, that they are assembled at record pace, most often with a different level of craftsmanship from side to side as it moves down the line.
I just bought a new ATTX 6 x 12, but I knew what I was getting into. I was able to study my trailer personally. Those contemplating the purchase of a cargo trailer to convert to a camper or dual purpose trailer would do well to understand the following points.
You can find a good set of bones. You are perhaps best off looking at the trailer model of choice with your own eyes. I'm not sure I'd trust a "custom order" as you can not look at the welds your going to be living with. This is more important when it comes to aluminum frames. Any questionable welding on the areas that can be seen, could me worse welds in areas you can not see. It's no secret they put their best welders on the frame and tongue work, while less experienced welders will be put where their work is hidden.
Look good and hard at the roof system and installation. You may note that any already installed roof vent is so thin it is almost not there. Become familiar with how a solid aluminum roof should look compared to a seamed one or a round cornered one. You will probably notice that GOOP is the manufacturers ultimate friend. Attempt to know what the GOOP really is.... is it a modern urethane type product or conventional silicone ? The silicone will very likely fail sooner than the more modern sealing options.
Look very hard at the tongue, and how the tongue is tied to the rest of the trailer. If your looking at an aluminum trailer, this is even more crucial. Is it a simple A-Frame ? Did they add a third member / center beam to the A-Frame ? Is any of the tongue material a specialized tubing with additional interior wall structures or honeycomb inside ? A failed tongue is bad enough, but a failed aluminum tongue can be a nightmare to properly get fixed on the road. Note too whether the tongue is merged INTO the frame at the same plane, or whether it is just welded below the frame. If the tongue is merged, does it look like the merge goes far enough into the rest of the frame structure ? If it is welded below, is it going to cause clearance problems in and out of your driveway or your intended venture paths ?
We routinely see discussions about trailer wiring and failures.. The RV industries wiring is built on a mountain of "Skotchlock" type connectors. These are horrendous for for maintaining a good connection after some years. Always note whether the manufacturer ran their wires under the trailer or up into the trailer as soon as possible. When run inside the trailer, corrosion will generally be far less prevalent down the road.
My opinion with any new cargo trailer is to GUT IT.... You simply MUST gut any cargo trailer if you do not want to deal with various "Issues" later. Once all the walls and floor were removed, here are the things I found:
1. HUGE gaping holes between the outer wall and the frame inside the wheel well area.
First of all, I LIKE that they BOLTED on the the axle components, as this means that if and when I would ever have to move the axle, I can. Note that ALL of these trailers are automatically built with the axle farther back than exactly necessary, in order to protect those who have no understanding of tongue weight and why it matters.
What the manufacturer did, was run the lower 3" aluminum trim OVER the bolt heads where you could not see it under the fender and behind the wheels. Had I not removed the walls, I would have eventually seen water damage around the wheel areas because nothing would stop water from spraying in. I modified the 3" moulding to allow the bolt heads to poke thru, then sit FLUSH to the side wall material and frame.
Note that while I was down there, I could see that the axle components are all STEEL. The MFG did put some flimsy plastic between the steel and the aluminum to prevent corrosion, but this will be an area that will routinely get sprayed with Fluid-Film to slow down corrosion. I was also able to get a good look at what a future trailer brake install will look like.
2. Another thing I would have never known is just how many fender screws MISSED the vertical wall studs and ended up just thru the .030" Aluminum. Now, realize these fenders are also "barely there" when it comes to quality, so somehow expecting them to hang on while just sheet screwed into sheet aluminum has an obvious answer. This was an easy fix.
3. Because I have a "Screwless" trailer, I was able to see that not every stud had an adequate amount of adhesive holding the skin on. I was able to utilize a good quality caulk to fill gaps such that it will create a flexible attachment to the studs. I do not think one would want to attach the skin very rigid so it can expand and contract. BTW, I used OSI Quad for just about all my sealing needs as I have seen what an excellent sealer it is on my homes siding.
4. With the floor out, I could see numerous areas where water could seep between the various tubing structures and layers of aluminum. These areas were all dealt with by caulking with OSI-quad caulk.
5. Wiring. I found no less than 30 Skotchlocks (which in my mind are JUNK). The MFG obviously uses up SCRAP wire as some scotchlocks were used just to add wire on, and not always even the same color. As such, "troubleshooting" by color would be impossible ! With the walls out, I was able to install a rigid plastic conduit into the wall where the wiring comes in from the tongue, then put a junction block in the front (in a future accessible area), so all new wiring to the rear and marker lights can be installed.
6. The ONE thing I wish was a little better is that the roof would have been installed flatter. It is a great example of how things can get out of control with more than one worker fastening down materials. My roof had been really wobbly and not at all attached in any way to the roof struts. WORSE YET, the roof material was LOWER in the middle where they did screw down the roof vent. Yikes!
I was able to address it all from the inside by removing the crappy roof vent, then pulling in a 4 x 12' section of 1/4" luan between the roof and the struts, blocking the luan up with strips of pine. Finally, it all got bonded with flexible adhesive to glue it together. The roof thickness was only 1.5" from the factory, and what I did brought that to 2" thick. This made the installation of my new Maxx-Fan fit better, AND, I no longer have water pooling around the vent.
Because I gutted the trailer, I was able to understand exactly what I purchased, and where strong and weak points exist. I was able to remedy any and all problems, make a cad drawing of each and every beam and stud location for future understanding, insulate under the floor, put in new additional marker lights and ward off future inevitable leaks.
Anyone who just starts lining the inside with their new camper plans will very likely have leaks and wiring issues. The time to fix all of these future problems is the day you bring it home. Pull all the screws and get to work !
Again, even with what I found, none of it was necessarily unexpected and I would definitely purchase another ATTX from Forest River. All my welds look really good and I really like the tongue merged with the frame height as my driveway is a bit steep. Other trailers have dragged, but this one, albeit yet loaded does not.
Pictures and a dedicated build thread soon....
I just bought a new ATTX 6 x 12, but I knew what I was getting into. I was able to study my trailer personally. Those contemplating the purchase of a cargo trailer to convert to a camper or dual purpose trailer would do well to understand the following points.
You can find a good set of bones. You are perhaps best off looking at the trailer model of choice with your own eyes. I'm not sure I'd trust a "custom order" as you can not look at the welds your going to be living with. This is more important when it comes to aluminum frames. Any questionable welding on the areas that can be seen, could me worse welds in areas you can not see. It's no secret they put their best welders on the frame and tongue work, while less experienced welders will be put where their work is hidden.
Look good and hard at the roof system and installation. You may note that any already installed roof vent is so thin it is almost not there. Become familiar with how a solid aluminum roof should look compared to a seamed one or a round cornered one. You will probably notice that GOOP is the manufacturers ultimate friend. Attempt to know what the GOOP really is.... is it a modern urethane type product or conventional silicone ? The silicone will very likely fail sooner than the more modern sealing options.
Look very hard at the tongue, and how the tongue is tied to the rest of the trailer. If your looking at an aluminum trailer, this is even more crucial. Is it a simple A-Frame ? Did they add a third member / center beam to the A-Frame ? Is any of the tongue material a specialized tubing with additional interior wall structures or honeycomb inside ? A failed tongue is bad enough, but a failed aluminum tongue can be a nightmare to properly get fixed on the road. Note too whether the tongue is merged INTO the frame at the same plane, or whether it is just welded below the frame. If the tongue is merged, does it look like the merge goes far enough into the rest of the frame structure ? If it is welded below, is it going to cause clearance problems in and out of your driveway or your intended venture paths ?
We routinely see discussions about trailer wiring and failures.. The RV industries wiring is built on a mountain of "Skotchlock" type connectors. These are horrendous for for maintaining a good connection after some years. Always note whether the manufacturer ran their wires under the trailer or up into the trailer as soon as possible. When run inside the trailer, corrosion will generally be far less prevalent down the road.
My opinion with any new cargo trailer is to GUT IT.... You simply MUST gut any cargo trailer if you do not want to deal with various "Issues" later. Once all the walls and floor were removed, here are the things I found:
1. HUGE gaping holes between the outer wall and the frame inside the wheel well area.
First of all, I LIKE that they BOLTED on the the axle components, as this means that if and when I would ever have to move the axle, I can. Note that ALL of these trailers are automatically built with the axle farther back than exactly necessary, in order to protect those who have no understanding of tongue weight and why it matters.
What the manufacturer did, was run the lower 3" aluminum trim OVER the bolt heads where you could not see it under the fender and behind the wheels. Had I not removed the walls, I would have eventually seen water damage around the wheel areas because nothing would stop water from spraying in. I modified the 3" moulding to allow the bolt heads to poke thru, then sit FLUSH to the side wall material and frame.
Note that while I was down there, I could see that the axle components are all STEEL. The MFG did put some flimsy plastic between the steel and the aluminum to prevent corrosion, but this will be an area that will routinely get sprayed with Fluid-Film to slow down corrosion. I was also able to get a good look at what a future trailer brake install will look like.
2. Another thing I would have never known is just how many fender screws MISSED the vertical wall studs and ended up just thru the .030" Aluminum. Now, realize these fenders are also "barely there" when it comes to quality, so somehow expecting them to hang on while just sheet screwed into sheet aluminum has an obvious answer. This was an easy fix.
3. Because I have a "Screwless" trailer, I was able to see that not every stud had an adequate amount of adhesive holding the skin on. I was able to utilize a good quality caulk to fill gaps such that it will create a flexible attachment to the studs. I do not think one would want to attach the skin very rigid so it can expand and contract. BTW, I used OSI Quad for just about all my sealing needs as I have seen what an excellent sealer it is on my homes siding.
4. With the floor out, I could see numerous areas where water could seep between the various tubing structures and layers of aluminum. These areas were all dealt with by caulking with OSI-quad caulk.
5. Wiring. I found no less than 30 Skotchlocks (which in my mind are JUNK). The MFG obviously uses up SCRAP wire as some scotchlocks were used just to add wire on, and not always even the same color. As such, "troubleshooting" by color would be impossible ! With the walls out, I was able to install a rigid plastic conduit into the wall where the wiring comes in from the tongue, then put a junction block in the front (in a future accessible area), so all new wiring to the rear and marker lights can be installed.
6. The ONE thing I wish was a little better is that the roof would have been installed flatter. It is a great example of how things can get out of control with more than one worker fastening down materials. My roof had been really wobbly and not at all attached in any way to the roof struts. WORSE YET, the roof material was LOWER in the middle where they did screw down the roof vent. Yikes!
I was able to address it all from the inside by removing the crappy roof vent, then pulling in a 4 x 12' section of 1/4" luan between the roof and the struts, blocking the luan up with strips of pine. Finally, it all got bonded with flexible adhesive to glue it together. The roof thickness was only 1.5" from the factory, and what I did brought that to 2" thick. This made the installation of my new Maxx-Fan fit better, AND, I no longer have water pooling around the vent.
Because I gutted the trailer, I was able to understand exactly what I purchased, and where strong and weak points exist. I was able to remedy any and all problems, make a cad drawing of each and every beam and stud location for future understanding, insulate under the floor, put in new additional marker lights and ward off future inevitable leaks.
Anyone who just starts lining the inside with their new camper plans will very likely have leaks and wiring issues. The time to fix all of these future problems is the day you bring it home. Pull all the screws and get to work !
Again, even with what I found, none of it was necessarily unexpected and I would definitely purchase another ATTX from Forest River. All my welds look really good and I really like the tongue merged with the frame height as my driveway is a bit steep. Other trailers have dragged, but this one, albeit yet loaded does not.
Pictures and a dedicated build thread soon....