Alaska Camper woes that cost me $1,300.00+.

So like many Alaskans the along awaited summer has finally arrived and we have several camping trips planed for this summer. We had basic maintenance to do, so when the tire techs replaced the tires he showed me that the rear axle had some play, our guess was bad bushings or a loose link. Well get it home and looked it all over and nothing to be found. I did go ahead and regrease the bearings and give everything else its normal lube spray down. (Stair hinges, stabilizer jacks, sway bar mount points and the main jack, etc.. )

Well we do the trip and all is good until we are on our way back. We are on the Seward highway just south of the whitter turn off and I feel the nudge of the lord whisper that I should pull into the Turnagain Pass rest stop, so I pulled in a made the wide turn back toward the exit and parked, then I get out and look at the camper and see that there is a serious lean to the passenger side?! So I investigate and well and behold the leaf spring on the rear axle had snapped in two! So fortunately my father and mother were not too far ahead and they came back and we broke out his 8 ton jack (and yes he has a 8 ton jack behind the seat of a single cab truck.) and we jacked up the frame, once we get it up we then see and realize the leaf spring hanger for the rear axle was completely detached! After some securing we ended up calling Vulcan towing and had it loaded on to a Landall trailer(Hence the $1,300.) And towed home.

Now Here is the tips!

1) Check your welds and Secure points, these commercial travel trailers are not designed to handle the rough Alaskan roads.

2) Check your frame and or extra weld points.( My welds did not break the thin sheet metal they used to secure the hanger to the frame rusted and broke out)

3) Have a way to communicate, I fortunately had a smidge of cell service and a starlink mini. But with out those and the grace of God we would have been stranded.