New owner of Springdale 2025 1750RD

[eagleguy]

Hey guys. We just purchased a new camper being a 2025 Keystone Springdale 1750RD. As we are in our 60's now and as we have had many larger trailers this one if just for the 2 of us and was at a fair price all things considered. Been adding stuff like better stairs and dual tanks but just looking to keep things simple!

 

[IBTripping]

Congratulations on your new travel trailer. I recently purchased a similar size travel trailer for myself and the dog. Like you, I've been adding items to make it more comfortable.

 

[eagleguy]

Congratulations on your new travel trailer. I recently purchased a similar size travel trailer for myself and the dog. Like you, I've been adding items to make it more comfortable.

Thanks. I was wondering if anyone has ever had their axle flipped on this particular unit to get more ground clearance?

 

[Kirk]

We got a very similar travel trailer when we downsized for our last RV but ours was by KZ and we bought it new in 2012. Sadly, we have now sold it and the tow truck as well since we are now past 80 years old. It was a sad day to see them go. The main difference with ours was the bed was turned 90°, giving us access to 3 sides and our dinette was smaller. We traveled a great deal with ours in the 11 years that we owned it and spent as long as 5 consecutive months in it. Like you, I made several changes to it before our first trip and added a number of things as well. Savor every moment as the time does fly past all too quickly.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Thanks. I was wondering if anyone has ever had their axle flipped on this particular unit to get more ground clearance?

You also get a higher center of gravity, so greater tendency to lean/roll to the sides or even tip. And remember, a flip raises the trailer frame but the axle shaft itself still has exactly the same ground clearance

 

[Kirk]

Gary's point is a very good one. I have towed a very similar travel trailer to yours and I can tell you that the light weight trailers are far more susceptible to windy conditions and especially so if single axle. I am wondering about the need for extra clearance? The only issue we have had was a tendency to drag the rear when crossing dips which I resolved by adding a pair of drag wheels to the rear.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Welcome to the forum. I would try to get larger tires. Every little bit helps. But as posted above, the higher you go, the easier for it to tip. Be careful.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Welcome to the Forum.

I watched a YouTube video where folks with a 30' Airstream were thinking of adding a set of drag wheels to their TT so it wouldn't drag the rear frame or bumper on sloped drives etc. They took a video at the shop they took it to and the shop owner's explanation of why drag wheels are the worst thing you can add to the back of a TT because it just adds more pressure to the frame and coach structure. He showed examples on other Airstreams on his lot where there was separation from the frame cross-members and the coach body by using drag wheels.

 

[Kirk]

He showed examples on other Airstreams on his lot where there was separation from the frame cross-members and the coach body by using drag wheels.

It matters where those wheels are installed. I know RV shops that install them and recommend them. I find it difficult to believe that just dragging the trailer is better than using wheels on the point of contact. Many RVs have some type of drag bars installed by the manufacture as mine does. I mounted the wheels to the drag bars which were attached to the frame rails.

Of course, mine isn't an Airstream.

 

[eagleguy]

Happy New Year

Thats exactly what I was looking for. Do you know the make, model and where I can get 2?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It matters where those wheels are installed. I know RV shops that install them and recommend them. I find it difficult to believe that just dragging the trailer is better than using wheels on the point of contact. Many RVs have some type of drag bars installed by the manufacture as mine does. I mounted the wheels to the drag bars which were attached to the frame rails.
View attachment 176545

Of course, mine isn't an Airstream.

Those wheels are somewhat self-defeating. They hang down enough, usually several inches, such that the trailer drags much sooner than otherwise. So see/hear the wheels dragging and think you did good, but in reality there might not have been any drag at without them.
I often thought that a 1/4" thick skid plate under the rear cross member was a more practical thing, even though it sounds ugly as it drags.

 

[Kirk]

Do you know the make, model and where I can get 2?

I got them from Amazon, but in looking there now I was unable to find any quite like those. On mine they are mounted on the skid bars that were put on by the factory and they lower the contact points by about 1.5". You do want them to touch just before any other point on the RV, but not a lot.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

As Gary pointed out, in my thinking drag wheels lower the point of contact from the frame to the ground. Just because they are wheels doesn't mean that upward pressure isn't being forced on the frame causing some amount of frame flexing. It would be no different than forcing down the rear stabilizer jacks attached to the frame and pushing it up while the rig is still hooked up to the hitch.

 

[Kirk]

It would be no different than forcing down the rear stabilizer jacks attached to the frame and pushing it up.

That would depend on where the drag wheels are mounted. As I said before, mine were mounted on skid bars that were from the factory and lowered the contact by less than 2". You can pretty well determine the contact point if you aren't sure, by raising the front until something touches.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Or, if sitting lower on the hitch wouldn't that raise the rear end somewhat with the wheels being the pivot point?

 

[Kirk]

if sitting lower on the hitch wouldn't that raise the rear end

Of course, but it wouldn't help you figure out what will hit first at the rear end when going through a dip.

 

[rvlifer]

How much weight do those wheels hold? I would be afraid of crushing them and causing damage that way

 

[Lou Schneider]

How much weight do those wheels hold? I would be afraid of crushing them and causing damage that way

Typically they're similar to wheelbarrow wheels so they're easily capable of supporting several hundred pounds each for the short distance they're in contact with the ground. And it would be extremely rare for them to be supporting much more than that unless the dip is large enough to lift the trailer's main wheels completely off the ground.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

And it would be extremely rare for them to be supporting much more than that unless the dip is large enough to lift the trailer's main wheels completely off the ground.

I don't see the rationale for that. Once the skid wheels come in contact, the amount of weight they carry can grow to any amount up to the total weight the axle(s) carry. Granted, it is near always less than all the axle weight, but there is nothing that limits it to some low percentage. It seems to me the weight shifted to the skid wheels would be in the same proportion as skid lift distance vs the suspension travel. As an illustration, if the total axle suspension travel were 6" and the skid wheels lifted the frame 2" as it dragged, I would expect about 1/3 of the suspended axle weight to shift onto the skid wheels. I know that's not strictly accurate because spring suspensions usually don't react in a completely linear fashion, but it ought to be in the ball park.

 

[Kirk]

How much weight do those wheels hold?

I have never seen any that list a maximum weight. You can find a wide variety of them on Amazon, RV Upgrades, and most RV supply stores. I have used them previously on a very long, flatbed trailer as well. In both cases I added them after having had the trailer drag a few times. I used them on my travel trailer for more than 10 years and while the wheels show a few scuffs, there have been no problems. It is a fairly light weight travel trailer, with a GVWR of only 4,000# but the cargo trailer was used to carry a large farm tractor at times that weighed about 6,000#, or a load of hay that weighed somewhat less. Consider that to drag without any wheels is bound to be more difficult that dragging that same load with the wheels. And on pavement, dragging without any skid wheels also means grinding away some of the metal. I also had some on the rear of our class A but the ones with the a swivel. They were there for 13 of the 14 years that we owned the motorhome.

I always get a chuckle out of criticism about my using things that the poster has never used but I have.