Chassis Reinforcement
Chassis reinforcement is the plate, section or support plate added to the chassis so that the point load at the leg mounting position is distributed over a wide area. The leg transfers a serious share of the vehicle's weight to the chassis through a single connection; the reinforcement reduces the stress concentration at that point.
Chassis sections are designed primarily for vertical bending and travelling loads. A levelling leg, however, imposes the load at a point and often on the side face of the section. The job of the reinforcement is to spread this load over more points and a wider cross-section.
- Spreader plate: a thick plate placed between the bracket and the section lowers the stress around the hole.
- Internal sleeve: a sleeve fitted inside the box section prevents the section being crushed as the bolt is tightened.
- Fasteners: the bolt class, quantity and hole pattern are determined according to the load calculation.
- Corrosion: drilled and welded surfaces must always be re-protected.
No product-specific reinforcement specification has been published for the KTS200. For that reason the mounting point and the necessary strengthening must be determined in consultation with your RV's manufacturer or a qualified project engineer. Modification regulations may also come into play for structural intervention on the chassis; do not carry the work out without documenting it.
The context in which this term is used: RV automatic levelling guide