utahsue

Bill, you are a wise man. Your comments about the heavier axle leading to a rougher ride are mostly correct, but I still think it may be a good idea.

In July of 2005, DB (Dear Boyfriend) and I ordered a 2720SD with the heavier axle and 15" tires. And two lift kits. We were looking for both extra clearance and a tougher trailer that could handle a bit more weight and abuse. We live and camp in the west, and roads are rough out here. We picked up the trailer and immediately took it on a 16-day trip. I have to say, we loved the extra ground clearance and at least four times we were forced into off-road situations due to road construction, an accident, and other things where we had to turn around almost in the ditch. If we had not had that extra ground clearance, we would have snapped off the sewer pipes. So I am in favor of the heavier axle, but here's my problem/question:

When we picked up the trailer, the sticker on the side said to inflate the tires to 50 psi, and that's where they were when we got it from the dealership and they stayed that way for our maiden voyage and two other trips. We had spent 32 nights in the rig and logged hundreds of miles on it and were very pleased. We had a few loose screws and issues with things getting bounced around, but nothing major.

Then I got to thinking (always a bad idea) and realized that the sticker on the side of our rig said we had 14" rims and we don't. So I contacted the factory and told them that my sticker was incorrect because I had a different axle and tire, I knew the max pressure for the tire was 65 psi, but I wanted to know the recommended pressure given that I had a 2720SD. They did not answer the question, other than sending me a new sticker that said 65 psi, so perhaps they did not pay attention to my unique situation. Anyway, I then assumed that I was supposed to inflate the tires to 65 psi like the sticker said.

Last week we inflated the tires "properly" and holy smoke - when we opened up the trailer after our first dirt-road experience there were screws all over the floor, the oven door had come apart, and trim pieces had come off the cabinets. The roads that we had traveled were no worse than others we had taken in the past, so I conclude that the heavier axle in itself makes for a somewhat rougher ride, but it is the harder tires that really shake the **** out of your rig.

Now I need some advice. I'd like to bring the tires back down to 50 psi like they were before. Do you think this is safe? The tire is a ST225/75R15 and from what Bill said in his post, I could go really low and still be rated for the weight of the rig. But is there more to it than that?

If I could stay with softer tires I would remain very pleased with my decision to get the heavier axle because quite frankly, I don't see how we could operate without that extra clearance. We stay on the pavement or well-graded gravel almost all of the time, but there are always brief moments when we are in a situation where we need some clearance, and I'm sure glad that we have it. I can't remember how much extra clearance we obtained by going with the heavier axle and larger tires - we could have used three lift kits and the standard axle, perhaps, but it's too late for that now. It's also nice not to have to worry about exceeding the weight limit.

On another note, this is my first post, but I have been lurking here for a year and found this forum to be incredibly helpful. Thanks to all of you for your thorough information. We love our TrailManor and plan to attend the Jubilee this summer.