Lift kit

I am considering adding a lift kit to my 3124KB due to clearance going up hill to storage barn and the occasional boondock camping considerations. 2" or 4"? 4" seems to make more sense if I am going to do it. Any trailering problems or other considerations? I know I will have to raise hitch ball...probably go to Reese adjustable.
Fdxflyer
2007 3124KB
1999 F150 4x

I added a lift kit to our 2518 and it works great. I don't know about a 4 inch lift. The kit gives you 2.5. Right off the bat I'd say that a 4 inch lift would make for one doozey of a step down from the front door. I guess a step stool could remedy that. Might make you less wind resistant. 2.5 inches has not changed anything for us towing wise except I used to be able to see the top of the TM in the mirror...now I can't. But the tires are quite visible now.

Cheri

2bcs1jrt Did you install the lift kit your self? I was told I would have to break the weld ,install the kit, and reweld. I have a 91 26 foot. I think that the original parts guy at trailmanor,Jimmy, told me it was a bolt on kit.This kit came with 4 bolts and 2 steel square tubes and NO instructions.It almost looks like they sent me the wrong kit.

No worries,are you need to do is un-bolt ,jack up an slide in the 2" tube . It comes with longer bolts,tighten as tight as you can ,done deal. I can give better instructions at a later date or you can do a search here
Kind regards,
Cowboy Cody

[mjlaupp]

race38,
Does your TM have the rubber torsion suspension axle or is it a leaf spring suspension. I ask this because the older models had a leaf spring suspension and I don't know when the changeover was made. The "square tube and bolt" lift kit is for the rubber torsion suspension only. If you have the older leaf spring suspension then a lift block and longer u-bolts from any auto shop will do the trick.
Mike

Let me preface this by saying that I know absolutely nothing about the axel/suspension of our 2008. Before purchasing (and we ordered it from the factory so that would not have affected the answer) we asked about a lift kit or larger wheels. I was told that these would affect the suspension of the trailer and make it very harsh, which would beat it to death over time. I was also told that this is the position of the factory. Needless to say we wound up with a stock trailer!

[commodor47]

Originally Posted by Scott O

. . . Before purchasing (and we ordered it from the factory so that would not have affected the answer) we asked about a lift kit or larger wheels. I was told that these would affect the suspension of the trailer and make it very harsh, which would beat it to death over time. . . .

I think the reference to the very harsh ride is related to the larger wheels for that particular model. As to the lift kit for the newer TM models, check this post:

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...?t=5042&page=3

Your unit should have the newer Dexter axle which gives you more ground clearance than earlier models. We did add the lift to our unit as our axle is set at 22.5 down (that will make more sense once you read the linked post).

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Scott O

... we asked about a lift kit or larger wheels. I was told that these would affect the suspension of the trailer and make it very harsh, which would beat it to death over time.

The factory may very well be right about this. As part of the Great Tire Experiment, several of us are trying out different tires and tire sizes. It will be several months at best before we have answers, of course, but that is part of the experiment.

A harsh ride, and beating the TM to death, are among our major concerns (though not the only ones). I've just made the change to 15" tires, but will run them at 55 psi instead of the max-rated 65 psi. At this reduced pressure, they have more load-bearing capacity than the stock 14" tires, but are not as rock-hard as they would be at max. I have no results yet. My first big trip will be in mid-October - 2000 miles from Maine to Rocky Mountain National Park, followed by 1000 miles from RMNP to Scottsdale, AZ. That trip may or may not tell me something about the longevity of the larger tires - but it will certainly give me an answer to the "shake it and pound it" question. Look for a report about the third week in November.

Bill

Thank you mjlaupp. I understand what you are saying. Mine is the leaf spring type. I thought something was wrong looking at it because the tubing that came with the kit would not bolt to anything.

[ShrimpBurrito]

Another issue to keep in mind when considering the lift kit is that you will need additional height when lowering the stabilizers. Raising the frame 4" almost guarantees you'll be using blocks of some sort on each stabilizer every single time.

Dave