dispersed camping means high clearance

[Boonie]

I will soon buy and convert a cargo trailer to become my "travel trailer" for dispersed camping (i.e., outside official campgrounds) on public lands. Of course the emphasis will be on high ground clearance.<br /><br />I am only familiar with Dexter Torflex (rubber) axles. Has anyone done a "lift job" for a cargo trailer with these rubber axles? It looks more difficult than lifting a trailer with leaf spring axles just by putting the leaf springs on top of the axle, in order to get 4-4.5" higher ground clearance.<br /><br />The Dexter manual on leaf spring axles recommended maintenance (regreasing the bolt and shackles) every 3000 miles. That sounds like a nuisance. Of course the leaf spring axle and its part are cheap and easy to get.<br /><br /> But I'd like to stick with rubber axles if there was a reasonable way to get the trailer a couple more inches off the ground. So deciding which of these two kinds of axles to get really is step one. What's your opinion?<br /><br />

 

[josephusminimus]

Considerable nuisance and probably that recommended greasing would be more necessary on the two-tracks of the western US.&nbsp; You might consider gaining what you can by putting the axles&nbsp;over the leaf springs instead of under them, which won't buy you axle clearance, but will mean the only high centering you do is the axle, as opposed to something on the trailer.&nbsp; Oversized wheels and tires would buy you some of that 4-4.5 inches clearance on the axle, reducing the margin of advantage the pesky rubber axle buys.<br /><br />If you've never used buddy-hubs for greasing the wheel bearings you might consider that, too, even on the steel axle option [unless the trailer has brakes].&nbsp; Most wheel bearings could be greased more often than tends to happen.

 

[highdesertranger]

hey boonie,&nbsp; i take you already have the trailer.&nbsp; if you don't then i would get leaf spring suspension for several reasons but back to lifting a torsion axle.&nbsp; basically you have to cut the axles off the frame nice and neat,&nbsp; then weld a spacer to the frame and weld the axles to the spacers.&nbsp; keeping everything in alignment of course and there you go.&nbsp; if you have the torsions that don't cross the frame like half axles i would not even attempt.&nbsp; those are only good for very light weight trailers if you off road.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[Boonie]

hey boonie,&nbsp; i take you already have the trailer.<br />Answer: no, I have not bought it yet.<br /><br />I had to have a welding shop cutoff my existing rubber-torsion axles from my current travel trailer. It was expensive -- several hundred dollars for each axle. I'd hate to go through that again. Thanks for reminding me how this requires the welding shop to get the two axles aligned correctly and with equal weight.<br /><br />Meanwhile, any trailer store can perform the routine operation of moving a leaf-spring axle from above the springs to below the springs.<br /><br />Then again I have seen rubber-torsion axles bolted to trailer frame via bracket/flanges on both members. But they never show photos of that on websites. Maybe I'll just have to keep crawling underneath cargo trailers on dealers lots.<br /><br />But it would sure help if somebody has had direct experience with rebolting a rubber-torsion axle to a cargo trailer frame so as to lift it by 2" or more.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

 

[RAILROADGREEN]

boonie, i have a 3500lb&nbsp;dexter torflex rubber axle on my 2009 casitia, an i wanted higher ground clearance, they trun the axle up side down, to get me extra 4" of clearance it has work great for me here in baja mexico&nbsp;on the speed bump's really nasty.also alot of washboard road's have not&nbsp;had any problem's.i don't know if your going to buy new or used. bottom line call dexter. gary ps if your are going to do offroad meaning fourwheelind i would go with the leaf-springs an offroad trailers in steaded of a cargo trailer j.m.o

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

I am having the axels flipped on my old vintage Shasta 10 ft TT. The vocational school is doing it for free and some welding, a small place on the back for a light weight trunk and a spare tire holder. The&nbsp;spare&nbsp;may go on the front though. You have to be careful when you start doing things like this though, it changes the center of gravity.. I just need to buy the parts and the labor is free.&nbsp;

 

[Boonie]

Thanks to people who got me off my butt and encouraged a little more homework on the dexter axle website. Many people might prefer a rubber torsion ("Torflex") axle to the older leaf spring-mounted axles, since the latter are supposed to be inspected and greased every 3000 miles. I'm NOT talking about the bearings, I'm talking about the bolts, bushings, shackles. In contrast the Torflex rubber axle is maintenance-free, except of course for its bearings. <br /><br />The rest of this discussion is limited to how to lift a trailer that uses rubber Torflex axles so as to get higher ground clearance, the all-important feature of dispersed camping.<br /><br />1. For an existing or used trailer: Buy the lift kit sold by Dexter: K71-707-02 #10 Torflex Lift Kit. This will lift the trailer 2 5/8" . It doesn't sound like a lot, but it could make a huge difference as I found out on my old trailer. The lift kit is really just square steel channel with holes drilled in the right places, which is inserted between the trailer frame tube and the existing bracket at the top of the Dexter axle. A trailer/welding/machine shop could easily make the same thing for you, perhaps 3 or 4 inches in height.<br /><br />2. For a new trailer that you are ordering: the usual Torflex axle has a HORIZONTAL torsion arm (about 12" long). But you could order the trailer with torsion arms that do DOWN by 22.5 degrees and even 45 degrees! That will lift the trailer several inches.<br /><br />3. Cheapskate fantasy trailer: find a used trailer that has visibly bent Torflex axles -- notice the tires are worn on the inboard side. Buy it for a song, then put new axles on per #2.<br /><br /><br />

 

[highdesertranger]

ok i'll chime in again.&nbsp; leaf springs are cheap and easy to service.&nbsp; torsion axles do not hold up well for many miles of off road use.&nbsp; they wear out to fast.&nbsp; you cannot service them and are a pain to replace.&nbsp; that is why i said go with leafs.&nbsp; nowadays everything is nonserviciable just throw away and buy new.&nbsp;most new vehicles have few if any grease fittings. &nbsp;i do not know about you guys but i would rather service than buy.&nbsp; &nbsp;highdesertranger

 

[Boonie]

Continuing on with the issue of raising the ground clearance of cargo trailers:<br><br>I've noticed&nbsp; that several off-the-lot cargo trailers with (Dexter Torflex) rubber torsion axles use torsion arms with negative 22 degree orientations. This lowers the ground clearance by a couple inches. Why would they do such a "terrible" thing? -- probably because many customers want higher "cargo weight" ratings for a given size or cost, and getting the trailer closer to the ground helps with that, and with towing safety and fuel economy. (Just guessing.) The point is that it is something to watch out for when you're buying a cargo trailer.<br><br>Another possible way to get more ground clearance for an EXISTING cargo trailer: if the wheels stick outside the box (as most do), it looks pretty easy to remove the light metal skirt/shield that surrounds the wheels. Basically they are just mud flaps. Then you might be able to increase the size of the tire. I love big tires!<br><br>Has anyone ever done this?

 

[sparky1]

what you are proposing is against the law-In Virginia For sure,Plus there is a safety reason to have fenders over tires,PLUS Raising the center of gravity also causes more sway-then again the Hitch height is changed too,all trailers or towed Vehicles,should be level as close&nbsp;to possible when towing so NOT to change the weight stress on either the Hitch or the axles,<BR>I would NOT want to be behind you with NO fenders.<BR>always cross safety chains in virginia &amp; other states the chains MUST have locking hooks as well.do NOT twist the chains,

 

[Boonie]

Sparky, I think you're right about the safety/legal problems with REMOVING the spray-fenders over the wheels. I went back and had a second look. It looks easy to just raise them one inch by re-drilling 4-6 holes through the side of the trailer. That would create the gap needed for a bigger tire.

 

[accrete]

a bit of a tangent but related to the torflex axle...<br><br>I just ordered a Parkliner 15ft TT (12ft box). When talking to the owner/designer (Chandler. a fun guy to talk with!) i asked if he could raise the dexter axle and give the trailer a few added inches of clearance. In the case of the Parkliner, Chandler said he would not change the height of the trailer as the design would not do well with a change in axle geometry/height (it currently has 11" clearance. Same as our van so i suppose in our case it will be good/ok).<br><br>So i would think that similar to the fender legality issue, there might also be liability issues if modifying an axle from stock if buying new?<br>I just wonder if some insurance company or lawyer wouldn't try to find someone (the trailer owner) guilty if an accident arose from such trailer?<br><br>just pondering<br>thom

 

[Boonie]

Accrete, thanks for bringing this up. Playing these games with axles, spacers, bigger tires, or "flipping" spring axles DOES cost you safety-wise, since it changes the weight distribution and strength rating of the frame. Since most RVs are over-loaded to begin with, this is a problem, unless the owner is willing to be pro-active by inspecting the frame regularly, and making sure his trailer ISN'T overloaded. That's all part of the game.<br><br>The manufacturer has a warranty on the frame so naturally they're likely to say "no alterations" for cost and liability reasons. So I expect to raise the ground clearance "after-market," rather than at the factory.<br><br>Thanks for the Parkliner tip.

 

[DougB]

Don't take this blurb too seriously, but I had a 3-horse trailer that I pulled to Michigan for a weekend's camping. The main thing I noticed was that the amount of bouncing and side-to-side rocking was extremely violent on rough pavement. The contents were all over, and even items strapped in had tried hard to squeeze into different positions. That could merely be the high spring rates, but when I later daydreamed about how to convert it into a TT, that and the ground clearance issues soured me to torsion axles. They don't have much of a reputation for surviving in rough-path use. Much like my leaf spring TT which lacks grease fittings, torsions are "maintenance-free" until they wear out and have to be replaced.

 

[highdesertranger]

nowadays most horse/stock trailers use torsion axles.&nbsp; to keep the bed of the trailer as low as possible.&nbsp; makes it much easier to load livestock.&nbsp; as far as leaf springs, they are all serviceable. &nbsp;just take apart,&nbsp; replace the nylon sleeve and grease.&nbsp; you can replace the bolts with greaseable bolts while you are at it.&nbsp; as far as torsion axles go it has been my experience that they do not hold up well off road.&nbsp; if you don't believe me go to the "adventure trailer" web site,&nbsp; they build off road trailers.&nbsp; they have a good write up about why they no longer use torsion's for their trailer's.&nbsp; btw I knew about the axle's before I ran across that article.&nbsp;&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[wagoneer]

My 1986 gmc 3500 had plenty of grease nipples my 2001 E350 noticeably less, get the point? I did.

 

[DougB]

HighDesert Ranger - thanks! When I asked about the loud ticking, my local RV dealer said, "they just do that after awhile". I suspect my nylon sleeves wore through. I will look into your fix when I get "home" for the summer. I might look around for a synthetic grease, if available. If those bushings really are Nylon, they will swell in the presence of petroleum-based grease or oil. Maybe they're something else less affected.<br><br>Wagoneer - I originally assumed that the lack of grease fittings on cars was a money-making venture. Then I read in a trade mag that it's intentional. The claim is that in practice, so few mechanics wipe the nipple area and the gun clean that they wind up repeatedly injecting dirt into the fitting, accelerating wear. With that technique, an untouched fitting was found to outlast an improperly-lubed one. So, here we are.

 

[wagoneer]

A point i had not considered, as i assumed wiping off would be logical, thanks. I loved that old GMC my neighbors did not. Another reason to hit the road my blue collar neighbors are trending upwards and I am staying the same..

 

[sparky1]

used to be able to buy (different colored) zirk fitting dust caps,grease your unit put on the cap.keeps water &amp; dust off it.&amp; if the zirk was bad the grease would bleed back, pop the cover off,,quick idea something is wrong.<BR>sparky1.in s Va.

 

[Boonie]

OK then, we've discussed <strong>raising the ground clearance on cargo trailers or travel trailers</strong> by 1) playing around with axles, lift spacers, and putting the axle above the springs, and 2) re-positioning the (outboard) fenders, and installing bigger tires.<br><br>Here's a <strong>third</strong> technique: use a macerator above the holding tanks to drain them. This eliminates the need for the classic, gravity-fed, drain plumbing that dangles down about 7" above the ground. I've never damaged a holding tank. But I've broken off that vulnerable and low-hanging drain plumbing three times. And I worry about it all the time. I say get rid of it!<br><br>I've never used a macerator. But since they are self-priming, they could be used for a holding tank kept inside a cargo trailer or one mounted underneath, between the frame rails, in the usual manner. Have any of you used a macerator to exploit this capability?