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Old 05-04-2008, 06:04 PM   #9
Bill
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
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Phil -

I don't have the microwave, so I can't respond to most of what's happening. I know that in my setup, it appears that the conventional oven hangs from the cooktop, and the cooktop hangs from the countertops on either side. There are no bolts that I can see into the plywood sidewalls of the opening, or into the backwall (the wall of the TM). The front of the assembly is screwed into the face frame of the cabinet, but I suspect that is to secure it in the cabinet and prevent it from trying to "swing" on the top hangers.

Again in the setup with the conventional oven, the cross brace that you refer to in your second picture is not weight bearing. I don't know if putting a load on it would have any effect on the problem you are having.

I gather that the microwave does not hang from the cooktop, but sits on a shelf? I personally would not rely on the thin plywood of the cabinet sidewall to hold that shelf. Instead, I would cut a couple pieces of 1x8 and place them vertically, against the cabinet sidewall, with the bottom end on the floor and the top end supporting the microwave shelf. I would glue them to the sidewall of the cabinet, but simply to keep them in place, not for support.

If things are bouncing around, it certainly sounds like unbalanced wheels. It could also be a bubbled tread or an out-of-round tire, of course. It is possible to balance an out-of-round tire, but it will still shake the trailer to death. Since I balanced my tires (both the old 14" and the new 15" tires), it rides quiet as a kitten, and I think other owners have experienced the same thing. Do you trust your tire jockey? Did you watch him do the job? The only time anything bounces is if we hit a pothole, or a speed bump too fast. And then we bounce in the tow vehicle, too.

Your statement that "The problem with trailers is that they have absolutely no suspensions" is uninformed and incorrect, and you should remove it. The Tor-Flex axle is considered an excellent product and is used on a large number of camping trailers and boat trailers. In my experience, it does not bounce as much as a leaf spring suspension. And unlike a leaf spring suspension, which often needs shock absorbers to quiet it down, the TorFlex is inherently self-damping. I think it would be worthwhile to visit the Dexter Axle web site and come to understand how the TorFlex axle is built and how it works. There is no "rubber around the axle".

By the way, there is a one in a million chance that the swing arm of the suspension could hit the frame if it was installed in a slightly wrong position. That would make for a heck of a WHAM when the suspension flexes. It would also leave a mark on the frame rail. (I think you would also be able to hear it, but that's a different question.) If you lie on your back in front of the wheel, you should be able to see the path that the swing arm will take as the suspension rises, and confirm that it will clear the frame rail. You should also be able to see the mark on the frame if it is indeed hitting it. As I say, this is a one-in-a-million thing, but you've done enough work already that this easy extra step isn't much.

It is a nasty and frustrating problem, and I wish you well with it. Please keep us informed.

Bill
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